have an island to yourself? selina powell finds that even ...airport. air new zealand offers daily...

Sunday Star Times – January 2016

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AworldofyourownEver wondered whatit would be like tohave an island toyourself?Selina Powellfinds that even thesmallest comforts aretaken care of onDolphin Island.

The boat slows as weapproach the secondof two wooden jettiesextending from a whitesweep of sand. Sunloungers, life jackets,

masks, snorkels, and kayaks are setwith the precision of chess piecesbeside a hammock swinging in thebreeze.

Island manager Dawn Simpsongreets me with open arms.

‘‘Welcome home darling,’’ shesays. ‘‘You’re only here for a shortwhile, but while you’re here you’rehome.’’

The previous night I had sleptnext to seven strangers at anAuckland backpackers in amarquee that was billed as a yogatent over the phone.

‘‘We call it The Refugee Tent,’’ ayoung German man had said as Iput down my bag.

Fast-forward 24 hours and it is aslightly surreal feeling to haveDolphin Island as my temporaryhome for the next three days.

It is a private island off thenorthern point of Fiji’s mainisland, Viti Levu. It is one of threeluxury properties under the wingof Huka Retreats, which also runsHuka Lodge in Taupo and GrandeProvence in South Africa.

I make my way to my room in aslight daze carrying a bananasmoothie garnished with freshcoconut, pineapple, and a glazed

cherry. The scent of frangipaniwafts up from the lei around myneck.

As tourists on other popularbeaches wage battle to lay theirtowels down, I am about to findout what it is like to have an islandto myself.

For lunch, Tito Rasoni bringsout plates of buttery crayfish,prawns, and a basket of home-baked bread so fresh the whitelinen it is swaddled in is warm tothe touch. Worried I won’t be ableto finish the feast set before me, Iinvite Dawn to join me but sheshakes her head.

‘‘That’s for you, sweetie. Youenjoy it.’’

Dolphin Island caters for amaximum of eight people at anyone time, with guests offeredexclusive use of the 14-acre island.Every aspect of a guest’s comfort isconsidered by thoughtful staff.When I arrived on Dolphin Island,one of the first things Dawn toldme was that the second jetty waschosen to save me a longer walk.The second jetty is less than 100metres from the first.

The private resort gives gueststhe chance to enjoy their timeaway without queues or fears ofwhat other holidaymakers willthink of their beach bodies.

‘‘By the time guests leave herethey call me mum,’’ Dawn says.

‘‘It’s a special place where

people can come and be spoiltrotten. I love it because I meet alot of people – the world comes tome here,’’ she says.

‘‘I’ve only been out of mycountry once but I don’t need tobecause I learn about the worldthrough my guests.’’

Dawn began working onDolphin Island 14 years ago withher husband Stanley. After herhusband died in 2007, Dawn toldisland owner Alex van Heeren thatshe would stay on for as long as

she was needed.‘‘He said, ‘‘Dawn, that is going

to be a very long time. You belonghere – this is your home’.’’

Dawn’s front door is just 6mfrom the ocean.

‘‘I lie in my bed in the morningand I open the curtain to see thesunrise.

‘‘When guests come around theysay, ‘Dawn, you’ve got the milliondollar view’ and I say, ‘I certainlyhave’.’’

Dawn’s guests include visitorsfrom China, Russia, America,Germany, and France. When I

arrived at Nadi Airport the FijianImmigration officer saw myplanned destination and said:‘‘You know the singer Pink? Shestayed there.’’

Fancy a lesson in huskingcoconuts? Sure. A facial, manicure,pedicure, or massage? Noproblem.

‘‘To Tito,’’ one entry in theisland guest book reads. ‘‘Thatmargarita you waded out into theocean to bring me was terrific andwill not be forgotten. Neither willyou.’’

After lunch, I take the chance tolook around the island. A shortwalk up the hill through forestopens up to a clearing with theisland’s open-air hilltop bedroom.

The secluded hideaway, which iswarmed by the first rays of sun inthe morning, has an unobstructedview of the ocean. The quiet of theisland contrasts with the bustle ofthe three-hour coastal shuttle ridefrom Nadi Airport to EllingtonWharf.

We passed stalls selling fruit, livechickens, and bundles of snapper,

trevally, and baracuda tiedtogether with string. Beneath theshade of a corrugated iron roof, asign read: ‘‘Coffin box for sale –cheapest in town’’. A mansplashed his bouquet of fish withwater from a chilly bin.

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Sunday Star Times, New Zealand24 Jan 2016

Escape, page 18 - 1,771.00 cm²National - circulation 109,083 (------S)

ID 530733240 BRIEF HUKALODGE INDEX 1 PAGE 1 of 5

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Driver Samu slowed as weapproached a narrow bridge toallow an oncoming car to pass. Icouldn’t see any give way signsand I asked him how people knewwhich car should go first.

‘‘In Fiji, we are patient,’’ Samuexplained. ‘‘If we see someone onthe other side of the bridge wewait and give them time.’’

On Dolphin Island a rustle ofbreeze and a lapping of water arethe only sounds that break thesilence of a 30 degree Celsiusafternoon. There’s time for a quickdip in the ocean before a beer andsnacks beside the infinity pool ofDolphin Island’s main bure.

The next day after breakfast, Titogives me a lesson on coconuts. Hedemonstrates how to remove thehusk, how to split the coconut inhalf with one swift movement of a

machete, and how to methodicallyscrape the halved coconut againsta sharpened metal bur to collectthe grated fruit.

‘‘The coconut is the tree of life,’’Tito says.

‘‘It gives you milk, water, andfruit. You can even make a houseout of coconut.’’

I ask if Tito is ever worried aboutcoconuts falling on people but heshakes his head. When he wasgrowing up, his parents explainedto him that the coconut tree hadeyes to watch out for people whowere passing beneath and avoiddropping fruit on them.

Tito points to a triangle ofdarkened circles on an unhuskedcoconut. They are the eyes andmouth of the coconut, Titoexplains, while a raised peak at theback of the fruit is a ponytail.

‘‘We call it a mother fruit.’’After my coconut lesson, Dawn

and Tito catch the boat with me tothe mainland for a tour of themarket at Rakiraki Town and avisit to the traditional Fijian villageof Nakorokula.

At the market, piles of eggplants,chillis, tomatoes, pineapples,pawpaws, and bananas are neatlylaid out on white mats. On thebusiest market days you canhardly find a place to walk, Dawnsays. In a shop lined wall to wallwith clothing, shoes, jewellery, andother knick knacks, there is aT-shirt that reads ‘‘All day I dreamof the sea’’.

At the supermarket, colourfulrows of fireworks fill the shelvesand banners celebrate the upcom-ing Indian festival of light, Diwali.

At Nakorokula we are welcomedwith a kava ceremony and musicalperformance. Tour guide Evuloniexplains that Fiji did not have awritten language before the arrivalof Europeans.

‘‘For us, dancing and singing isvery important. It tells yousomething about our history,language, and stories.’’

When we return to DolphinIsland, I am treated to a relaxingmassage with Elizabeth, whobrings her massage table with herfrom a neighbouring island.

As night falls there is onlystillness, the soft murmurs of arestless sea, and a constellation ofbetween 50 and 60 kerosene lampsilluminating the shore.

After I go to bed staff work toextinguish the small beacons andtuck the cooling glass vessels awayfor another sunset at another time.

The next morning Dawn isworried about whether I will haveenough to eat on the shuttle rideback to Nadi Airport. Perhaps Iwould like an egg sandwich for thetrip? I look at the remains of mybreakfast of cereal, pawpaw,

pineapple, watermelon, yoghurt,and homemade pastries, andregretfully shake my head.

Dawn pauses and furrows herbrow.

How about a cheese sandwich?It is time to say goodbye and I

tell Dawn how much I’ve enjoyedmy stay as she gives me a kiss onthe cheek.

‘‘It’s been lovely having youhere,’’ she says.

‘‘It’s been too short though.’’As our boat skims across the

water back towards the mainland,Dolphin Island recedes into the

distance. I look back at mytemporary homeland andremember the taste of coconut atdifferent stages of ripeness, fromcreamy and sweet, to the bubblytartness of fizzy drink.

My heart grows fat with happi-ness as I remember shaking theripe fruit to my ear and hearingthe sound of sloshing liquid.Within each coconut on the island,there was a secret ocean.

❚ The writer travelled to DolphinIsland courtesy of The Huka Retreatsand Air New Zealand.

‘In Fiji, we arepatient. If we seesomeone on theother side of thebridge we waitand give themtime.’Driver Samu





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Dolphin Island’s open-air hilltop bure, which has an unobstructed view of the ocean. Photo: SUPPLIED/THE HUKA RETREATS

Fact file

More information:dolphinislandfiji.com,airnewzealand.co.nz

Getting there:Located off the coast of thenorthern point of Fiji’s mainisland Viti Levu, Dolphin Island isa three-hour drive and20-minute boat ride from NadiAirport. Air New Zealand offersdaily direct flights betweenAuckland and Nadi.

Staying there:Dolphin Island is a private island,offering up to eight guestsexclusive use of the 5.6 hectareretreat. Rates per person, pernight start at $1145 for eightpeople staying in the island’sfour bures (traditional Fijian

houses). Two people staying inone bure on the island pay$1595 per person, per night.Price includes private vehicletransfer from Nadi Airport toEllington Wharf, boat ride toDolphin Island, all meals, andstandard bar.

Being there:Guests can read on a sunlounger at the island’s swimmingbeach, browse the extensivecollection of books and DVDs atthe main bure, or take a dip inthe infinity pool. Snorkelling andkayaking equipment is on handat the beach. A range of add-onactivities, including massages,village tours, tapa-cloth lessonsand fishing trips, are available.





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The way to paradise – there are two jetties on Dolphin Island, less than 100 metres apart, but one is easier on the legs.

Kerosene lanterns are used to softly illuminate parts of the property, including the striking infinity pool, every evening.





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An aerial view of Dolphin Island, Fiji. The luxury retreat has played host to celebrities like pop musician Pink.

The soothing decor in the guest bure complements the island’s tranquil surroundings.

Luxury touches in a guest bure bathroom.





have an island to yourself? selina powell finds that even ...airport. air new zealand offers daily...

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