Tavarua Gathering?

[stemple]

I have made a few inquiries as to the possibility of a Tavarua gathering. The island holds 34 people Max 24 surfers. If we want to have an all kneelo island we probably can't get a spot March through sept. But we probalbly could get a spot dec, jan, feb. The price is around $2,599 per person per week everything included except booze from LA. Aussies and others have coordinate their own airfare. If we wanted to get a smaller group of 10-15 people there is some possibility to go Mar to sept. They also just told me that christmas week of 03 is wide open and they have a couples special package, surfer and non surfer a total of $3,607.

Please note that kids younger then 6 are not allowed on the island except by special application/approval.

Is there any interest in this idea? I am willing to coordinate. If we want to go as a full group in we need to contact them in November for 04 dates

Syd Temple

[Jack Beresford]

I'd be interested - although 04 is much more likely for me. The couple's rate is attractive and would save me a lot of begging and pleading.

As for time of year, it's really a crap shoot whenever you go. I've been twice - in Feb and April. Scored in Feb and got skunked in April. Even without a lot of surf it's a great trip and they've really improved it in recent years with fancy new bures, a pool and jacuzzi. Very chick friendly.

I hear the trip organizer gets to go free (although there's more work to this than you might expect). Something to think about is using the free spot to bring along a professional photog, or use it as some kind of fundraiser (i.e: raffle or auction) to benefit KSUSA.

[Don]

What a great idea...

While at a breakfast last week with John Mel I asked him how do we rent out Tav for a kneelo gathering... I thought it was booked solid!

Jack, I know I could get a world class photog to go on this trip (Woody Woodworth or Dennis Junor... or both!)

Anyway, great thoughts. First come (pay) first served... I'll start the begging and pleading immediately.

I think the misses would go for this one!

Syd, if you are serious about organizing this, raise your hand high as there will be a lot of interested people.

Cheers!

[steve burpo]

I was checking out www.surfline.com the other day and they have some interesting info on Tavarua in their travel section.Anyone planning on going should definitely take a look. According to surfline the best chance of getting waves is May-October (thats probably why they are more booked during those months),Feb. thru April is second,Nov. thru Mar. third.I know I want to go!!!

[Bryan Jackson]

Guys I know that Cloudbreak is an incredible wave and all, but it would be a real travesty for an official kneelo gathering to be held on Tavarua island. The owners of the surf resort there, Jon Roseman and company are, to put it politely, extremely ethically challenged. There has been nothing but controversy in the surf world over the way in which non-Tavarua resort surfers have been prevented from surfing at Cloudbreak. For example, in order to keep outside surfers from surfing there, Tavarua has resorted to intimidation, including the use of force and violence against non-Tavarua surfers! Even though Tavarua's claim to Cloudbreak as their exclusive property is highly questionable in a legal sense (and I am referring to Fijian law here), Fiji is a poor 3rd world country with a sort of Wild West atmosphere and so a lot of foreigners get away with a lot of crap there. The national Fijian government has a hard time enforcing their own laws and it is highly likely that a bit of bribery has also been practiced to encourage certain officials to look the other way. The country has also undergone two very traumatic coups in the last 20 or so years, with the last one occurring in May 2000, and that hasn't helped matters in this regard either. Anyway I myself would be quite ashamed to be associated with any surfing organization that leased out that island and so I urge any and all kneelos who have any sense of ethics at all to do some serious research into this issue before they consider supporting such a venture. To get a quick sense of the controversy surrounding Cloudbreak and Tavarua check out the www.wannasurf.com website. There is an entire section of Fiji and Cloudbreak including a bulletin board for the posting of comments. Read them and think before you act!

[Steeno]

geeees that got serious, if I thought this way there would not be to many countries in the world left to visit. No offence Bryan, political savi is rife in all countries, would a visit to Tavarua by a group of kneelos for a week make any difference to their political situation? Should we not travel to South Africa or Australia (we dont have very good humanitarian history) or to New Zealand, Maldives, etc its a long list. every place has its problems.

[scoop]

if you read a post i placed earlier in the travel section i talk of plantation island.....although not known as a "surf resort" it is only moments from cloud break and 1/2 a dozen or so more breaks just as good
i left som photos of the breaks from the plane and also some of the typical accomodation though there is even cheaper
whils there in 2001 we had great surf everyday in march
my only problem was on the last day we were there 3 of us hat "desperations" to ourselves...(nice 4-6ft glassyright hand lumps)
when about 16 guys and 1 chick turned up from cloudbreak cause there wasnt surf there to cruel our day
after talking to some of them they understood my greif and were sypathetic but cause they were paying such a premium price for there resort they demand surf
i felt i was paying less than half for our accom and food even a third
plantation might be worth looking into for you guys
id even think of goining in with you though 04 looks like a year of activity for kneelos

think about it

tony

[scoop]

oh aparently cloudbreak is open for surfing on saturdays by anyone
(its there turnaround day)

tony

[eqKneelo]

Sorry Bryan, but you are WAY off base.
You have obviously never been to Tavarua, because if you had you would have gone in to the local village and seen all the schools, hospitals, community centers, and homes that have been built by this one tiny resort. If you found out the facts by SPEAKING to Jon, or Dave, of any of the local Fijians (who have owned the fishing territory that is Cloudbreak for hundreds of years), instead of believing in internet slander, you would have understood that without the exclusivity, the resort, and all the benefits that it entails to the local people, would cease to exist.
The payoffs are to corrupt polititians in Nadi.
The strongarm tactics are to protect what is rightfully the Tavarua Tribe's.
And the harrasments....if some strange surfer wandered into your house to take a $hit, I'd bet you'd harrass him too.
Without exclusivity, Tavarua will be just like Indo. I just returned, and the crowds are insane, there are camping surfers beating up boat trippers in Lombok and Sumbawa, and there is a new SURF CAMP/CASINO/BROTHEL
being built at Telescopes in the Mentawais...NICE!.....It's good to know you can still PAY to get away from it all.
All this being said, I still vote for G-Land over Tavarua....but I'm IN!
ED

[Bryan Jackson]

Although I have not been to Tavarua, I have spent a lot of time surfing in Fiji, including the Mamanucas whihc is the area where Cloudbreak is located. Also my brother happens to have died in Fiji and is buried there so believe me when I say that I do know Fiji and I do know Fijians. Fijians are quite possibly some of the mellowest friendliest people in the world. Please note also that I did not really comment at all upon the situation with the local tribe that "claims" to control Cloudbreak other than to say, and I repeat, their claim to control Cloudbreak is quite questionable under Fijian law. Cloudbreak is located too far out to sea to fall within their legal jurisdiction under the Fijian constitution. It wasn't until Roseman and his gang of thugs showed up and showed the Fijians the way of greed, intimidation and violence that that tribe began to claim any sort of exclusive right to the place. And give me a break...$2599 for one week. Do you really think that the majority of that money ends up in the hands of the tribe? If you do then I have some swampland down in Florida I'd like to sell you! Anyway my previous posting mostly had to do with the despicable tactics employed by the Tavarua resort to keep outsiders away from Cloudbreak. My reference to the internet was only so that those unfamiliar with the situation could get a quick sense of the problem. Much has been written in the mainstream surf press as well. Finally while it is true that leasing the island for one week is not going to make or break Tavarua, it is really a question of ethics and morality. Do you really want to support such reprehensible behavior? If so then please don't criticise any localism when it occurs in your own country as that would be the height of hypocrisy!

[stemple]

Gatherings are supposed bring a tribe to together. Obviously, there are some high emotions about Tavarua. My intent was to find a location that has somewhat empty, great surf, a safe poltical climate where kneelos could gather, bring their spouses and kids, and have a good time. I will admit the exclusivity of Tavarua is a bit of a concern but it is somewhere I can talk my wife into going with me on a surf trip. If I don't take her, it could take me years to earn enough brownie points back.

Plus what good is it to be a world super power if you can't exploit some poor friendly, natural resource (waves) rich Country.


EQ's comment about camps, casinos and brothels is very disturbing and from my point of view is very short sighted by the locals, but its their land. I feel I have enough bad karma to deal with at home, listening to the moron in the white house. I want a hassle free, crowd free, gaping barrel wonderland, surfing escape with a cold beer passed to me as sweep across the shoulder and kick out. Throw in a little bud and I'm in nervana. Its not political, its a freaking vacation.

Are there any suggested places out there similiar to Tavarua, like Samoa etc that are could be a substitute and probably easier to book under a prime south swell months? One thing I really liked about the north shore gathering was the international flavor of the gathering. A good gathering spot should be someplace that could still draw an international crowd. Maybe we could work with Wavehunters etc to pull together a inviting trip package for the group.

If we can get enough people interested, Tavarua still works for me. Can I get some Lomi lomi after my surf?

[kneemor]

How about Costa Rica my brother? Safe trip and not too much hassle to get to.

[Ler]

I still think it should be at Bolsa.

[DarcyM]

Oh yeah, Bolsa Chica, a really exotic high quality surf spot, and a guaranteed international draw. Let me be sure to pack my tire tread sandals ...

As to Tavarua, I'd go. I understand the political/ethical/moral problems, and I don't choose to ignore them but rather not condemn the tactics of the corporate resort and in so doing sacrifice the benefits of surf tourism to the island and tribal community.

As surfers, we've always been outside the "pay to play" corporate mindset that exploits natural resources for profit. It has always been our claim that the oceans and beaches are ours to enjoy and play at whenever and wherever we choose. Realistically, that is an elitist view that we've bought by being privileged enough to live and work in a country where we not only have the time, but the financial resources to enjoy our waves and beaches in the manner of our choosing. But that expectation isn't one that is shared worldwide, and as tourism expands to once isolated beaches, I suspect that we will soon be forced to modify our thinking. Even if we don't agree with it.

If you consider a wave, a break, or a beach to be a resource like a mountain (ski resort), game reserve, or fishing grounds, why shouldn't it be protected from those who would choose not to pay to play? The legal issue of whether Cloudbreak is within the rights of the Fijian government to claim is for the courts to decide. But, what would the resort of Tavarua be without Cloudbreak? Would it enjoy the same revenue if there were a hundred boats with 20 surfers apiece anchored off of the reef every time it was firing? And to say that the tribe doesn't get all the money from the tourists is disingenuous. The resort is benefitting the tribe financially, the tourists that continue to come to the island are boosting the economy and providing for the tribe. Is the corporation taking a cut? Yeah, duh. But they are providing jobs and income where before there were none.

I don't agree with guerrilla tactics anywhere in the water, and I'm sorry to hear that some people have resorted to that. I don't agree with corporate exploitation either, but I think the Tavarua company is doing the right thing to protect their resources. As far as corporations go, they could have done a lot more and a lot worse to the environment and the tribal community. There are plenty of examples of that happening all over the world.

We all end up paying for Eden, one way or another ...

dm

[Jack Beresford]

Bolsa is cool - and we could have the kava ceremony at Del Taco!