Rabi: Peace and quiet on an island

[Stacey King]

Fiji Time Online Sunday, November 01, 2009

IN an area behind Rabi island, sits four houses - typically Banaban styled homes - occupied by families who depend on the limited land in the area for food.

Albert Cove which sits in the northern end of Rabi island is mostly surrounded by its beautiful white sandy beaches and mountainous area behind the homes.

The four families that live on the island plant a variety of root crops and yaqona but on a small piece of land.

A visit to the island saw the villagers (who are Rabi islanders) mix a bowl of grog to welcome the tourists on board the Tui Tai Expedition.

Part of the crowd was a couple who have lived in the area for the past decade and depended on the limited land for their food. Malau Matatia who travelled from Wallis island a decade ago to join his Rabi wife Asiri T'kopere are in their elderly ages but have depended on their land for financial support.

And tilting their land has not become a problem even at their old age.

Despite his old age, Mr Matatia works on his farm at the hills at least three times a day and he sees no problem working at his old age.

He plants dalo, yaqona and vegetables to help feed his family.

Having the tourists on board Tui Tai over to their island bay has been a blessing for the two as they have managed to sell fruits such as but to the guests on board. This they say has helped them buy groceries.

But if and when the couple needed extra money, then their yaqona plants are taken to the market in Nuku, Rabi's government station area and is sold to civil servants.

Mr Matatia said his nephew would take the grog to Nuku to sell and the money earned was used to buy food for the family - only when they wanted to eat meat.

But he said this was a rare event as his family mostly depended on vegetables and the sea for food.

While Mr Matatia tilts the land, his wife goes fishing for the family of four - couple, nephew and grandchild.

Mr Matatia said life on Albert Cove was so different from life in town areas or other islands that have depended on money for everyday living.

For his family, vegetables and root crops have been the supply of family meals and finance has only been needed for health and travelling obligations.

With no children at school for Mr Matatia to pay fees, he said this was a major result of the easy inexpensive life he lives with his family.

The clothes are given by friends and relatives who visit them and water is drawn from a nearby source.

But the villagers have always ensured to boil their drinking water for health purposes.

Mr Matatia said the area of Albert Cove has been difficult to leave as the beauty and peaceful environment could not be compared to any other islands in Fiji.