B.M. Allsopp's Blog, page 3

Suva's ruin restored: the historic Grand Pacific Hotel

When I first moved to Suva twenty years ago, my husband and I prowled around an abandoned waterfront site fenced off with cyclone wire. At the best end of Victoria Parade, opposite Albert Park and the impressive limestone Government Buildings, the site was worthy of a heroic landmark, not the decrepit ruin crumbling behind the fence. We soon found out this was the Grand Pacific Hotel (GPH), formerly gracious host of royalty, the victim of insolvent owners and political instability which drove p...

Bountiful breadfruit + bonus recipe

William Bligh, commander of the HMS Bounty left Tahiti in 1789 with more than a thousand seedlings of the native breadfruit tree on board, bound for Jamaica. Three weeks later, first mate Fletcher Christian led the most famous mutiny in naval history. He set Bligh and 18 loyal crew adrift in an open boat and tossed the breadfruit seedlings overboard too. I wonder if any washed ashore somewhere and took root.

Against all odds, Bligh survived, navigating more than 4,000 nautical miles through the...

Fiji's divine house: the bure

What is a bure?

Anyone who has holidayed in Fiji is familiar with the word bure (pronounced mboo-ray) and has probably slept in one. Today the word refers to resort guest rooms which are detached thatched dwellings. Bures make the visitors feel they are in a pre-colonial village, complete with modern bathrooms and a lovely pool amid lush gardens.

But in pre-colonial days, a bure was a spirit house (or temple), illustrated on this beautiful cover of the 1851 book by Mary Wallace, a sea-captain's ...

Fiji and King Charles' coronation

Were you invited to the coronation of King Charles III yesterday? Neither was I, but quite a number of Fijians were. Starting at the top, His Excellency the President Ratu* Wiliame Katonivere and First Lady Filomena Katonivere sat in Westminster Abbey with other Commonwealth leaders and were also guests at the Buckingham Palace reception on the eve of the coronation. They are seen here chatting to HRH Prince Edward, King Charles' brother. (*Ratu is a title used by male Fijian chiefs.)

Fiji's ari...

It's a year since Fiji re-opened for happiness.

Covid-19 in Fiji

For two years Fiji closed its doors to visitors in the hope of preventing Covid-19 infection. This was a brave decision, as all economic indicators crashed, including government and private incomes, employment and exports. Fiji is heavily dependent on tourism, which used to account for around 40 per cent of GDP, so this was no surprise.

We can readily understand the hardship caused by job losses when holiday resorts close, but hundreds of Fiji businesses used to supply the reso...

Fiji and PNG: lands of my heart

This is my first 'scheduled post'. I'm writing it on 2nd February and setting my website alarm for an automatic release mid-month on 15th February. Let's hope it works. Normally I sit down on the 14th or 15th, put the post together and publish it as soon as I've finished.

But on 15th February I'll be sailing the Solomon Sea and maybe the satellite connection to our small adventure cruise ship won't work, so I'm getting this post done in advance. As you may know from bmallsopp.com/author, my famil...

Fiji's election: two coup leaders neck and neck

I avoid writing about Fiji politics for two reasons: first, I know little about this complex subject and second, I assume you are more interested in Fiji's people and way of life, just like me. But perhaps I'm wrong on the second point, as some readers have already asked me about the December 2022 election. The election attracted worldwide media attention because the two front-running party leaders had both led successful military coups against democratically elected governments. Enticing media ...

Fiji carols with Aussie mince tarts

If you've been reading my blog for a year or two, you may be expecting both a recipe and Christmas music from Fiji this December. You'll still get a Fijian choir, but this year I'm sharing an Australian recipe for traditional British fruit mince pies or tarts. Recently a reader from New York State told me mince pies are no longer a staple Christmas dish in the United States. He recalled his grandmother made one at Thanksgiving and another at Christmas.

'One?' I asked. In Australia mince pies ...

Fiji remembers: 2022

Like many countries, Fiji held official ceremonies on 11th November to remember the service and sacrifice of their armed forces, not only in wartime, but also in international peace-keeping missions and regional operations.

In the capital, Suva, wreaths were laid at a dawn service which you can view ,here. and more than 300 ex-servicemen dressed with pride to join the customary march. Former Warrant Officer Class 1 Onisimo Gucake, aged 75 years, joined the then-Royal Fiji Military Forces at the...

Two October Celebrations: Fiji Day and Diwali

My October post presented me with a quandary - should I look back to Fiji Day on 10th October or forward to Diwali on 25th October? Although these dates are for the official one-day public holidays, both celebrations actually extend over a week. People have just a short break for recovery between the two festivals.

Fiji Day

When Fiji celebrated 50 years as a nation two years ago, I wrote here about the two events this holiday commemorates, so I'll keep this story short.

On 10th October 1874, Fiji...