Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from 2009

Matava fully operational after Cyclone MICK - Matava - Fijis Premier Eco Adventure Resort

On Monday 14th December 2009 Fiji was hit by a Tropical Cyclone, TC Mick. The cyclone passed straight over the main island and just to the East of Kadavu Island. Although the resort experienced high winds and heavy rain, no damage was done to the resort at all, apart from the loss of some thatch from the corner of the roof of the dive centre. The guests and staff spent the whole day playing cards, board games and reading books safely in the Main Bure while Maggie served breakfast, lunch and dinner as normal. Richard has said that the biggest thing he is upset about is that most of the mangoes came down out the big mango tree! No mango jam this year! By Tuesday 15th December we were once again fishing, diving and trekking as normal, in glorious sunshine albeit with a stiff breeze! The cyclone passed quickly and was over in less than a day, however Kadavu island, like the main island, did experiences high winds. Kadavu's main Telecom Fiji tower in Vunisea sustained damage

A unique experience - TripAdvisor

This place makes you forget about the rest of the world. The staff & management are so friendly, the views are amazing, but you have to put in mind that an enviornment friendly resort means its running on solar energy power, so dont expect ACs or fans, just clean pure air ! I'll be visiting Matava Resort again in the upcoming fishing season for sure. A unique experience - Review of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor

Matava is Fiji's first Resort member of The International Ecotourism Society - Matava - Fijis Premier Eco Adventure Resort

Matava recognised as TIES first ever resort member in the Fiji Islands Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco-Adventure Resort is proud to announce that we are Fiji's first Resort Business member of The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) . As the world's oldest and largest international ecotourism association, TIES seeks to be the global source of knowledge and advocacy uniting communities, conservation, and sustainable travel. A common question asked is what EXACTLY is ecotourism? Ecotourism is: " Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people ." (TIES, 1990) TIES promotes ecotourism, which is defined as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people," by: Creating an international network of individuals, institutions and the tourism industry; Educating tourists and tourism professionals; and Influencing the tourism indus

$863 -- Fiji from Los Angeles (Roundtrip), incl. Taxes

$863 -- Fiji from Los Angeles (Roundtrip), incl. Taxes * Fares to Fiji from Los Angeles have been slashed to an amazing price of $863 roundtrip, including taxes. This fare is available for travel June 10 - Dec. 30 on Air Pacific to Nadi on Fiji's the main island of Viti Levu. This sale ends July 14. Click here to purchase tickets directly with Air Pacific. Look for the "Get Packing" fare at a base fare of $565. Final price will include approximately $298 in taxes and fees. Cheap Flights - Flight Specials - Air Pacific

Special place! - Review of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor

Matava is a special place. It is not a luxury eco resort and not for the high maintenance crowd. It is simply a wonderful eco resort with a fantastic staff. The lure of Matava draws the same type of people here. If you want to spend some time with those who like adventure and are well travelled, then you picked the right place. We usually stay at the best places when we travel but we wanted to take it down and notch, kick off our shoes (literally) and enjoy a bit of the “real” Fiji. Hopefully you’ll be greeted by Maggie when you arrive. He makes the whole place come to life. When he isn’t there you miss him greatly. He’ll have you cracking up laughing every time he talks and don’t believe a word he says! You’ll see what I mean when you get there. .. :) Speaking of getting there, the boat transfer is an adventure in itself so be prepared. Check out the picture with my husband standing in front of our boat. It takes about an hour to get to the lodge. If it is windy and there are waves,

Heaven!! - Review of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor

Our stay was UNBELIEVABLE! We have travelled extensively, but this far exceeded our expectations. The lodge was remote enough to escape the typical tourism crowd, but still provided so much. The bures were incredibly comfortable with amazing views to the ocean and the staff were like family. We felt welcome as soon as we stepped off the boat. The food was also amazing. Every meal was a wonderful surprise of fresh ingredients and spices (and plenty of it). We were so sad to leave because after only one week, we felt as if we belonged at Matava . We will definitely be back. Thanks so much to every single person at Matava . We will be forever grateful for such a wonderful experience. Heaven!! - Review of Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort, Kadavu Island, Fiji - TripAdvisor

Seminar : Coconut Oil as Fuel for Diesel Engines

A Seminar, "Coconut Oil as Fuel for Diesel Engines" will be held on Monday, 15 June 2009, from 10am at the Staff Canteen, Fiji Institute of Technology, Samabula, Suva. The speaker will be Dr Gilles Vaitilingom, Engineer at CIRAD, France. Topics to be covered include : Diesel engine - History, Theory, Fundamentals, Architecture; Quality of Vegetable Oils (including coconut oil) as fuel for diesel engine; Combustion of coconut oil as fuel; Effects of temperature; Adaptations to reduce viscosity; Adaptations of fuel filtration; Adaptations of the tank; Settings of opening pressure of injectors; Modification of Direction Injection engines; and Case Studies of Coconut Oil for Diesel Gensets (Fiji, New Caledonia, etc). All are welcome to attend. Suva Fiji Activities

Tell the Travel Industry How You Want Them to Get Greener

Tell the Travel Industry How You Want Them to Get Greener from Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Blog by The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) Tourism and hospitality leaders want to make your vacations and business travel a "greener" experience for you, and for the planet. Global environmental and travel organizations, suppliers and media have joined with CMI Green and BBMG to produce this first-ever, comprehensive Green Traveler Survey . Your important feedback will help airlines, cruise lines, hotels, tour operators and destinations make their operations and communications greener. Your answers are strictly confidential - none of the information you provide will be used for marketing purposes, nor will you be added to any lists without your optional, express consent at the conclusion of the survey. Completing the online survey takes only 12-15 minutes, and as an incentive to complete it, TEN WINNERS will receive a choice of a $50 iTunes gift card, or a $50 Amazon

More Schools Cultivating Organic School Gardens

The 8-year-old girls peer through the leaves of basil, green bean and cucumber plants, searching for peppers that still need to be picked. "The droopy one is peppers," third-grader Simran Shankardass calls to her best friend, Jessica DeKoven. If all goes well, the organically grown fare will end up as food for students at the Louisa May Alcott School, where a large vegetable garden just outside the cafeteria is planted, tended and harvested by students. The project is part of a larger movement sweeping the country: From New York to California, schools are getting students out of the classroom and into the garden in a back-to-nature approch to learning and -- perhaps more important -- as a way to introduce them to healthy food Some schools even use the student-grown food to supplement their lunches, although that practice is not widespread. Other programs promote the use of crops grown by local farmers to get healthier food into schools. But "kids actually eat mor

Abundant Organics

Welcome to the new and improved website for Abundant Organics - an organic fruit, vegetable and groceries home delivery service based in Sydney delivering to the Sydney suburban area, Central Coast and the Illawarra. We specialise in certified organic fruit and organic vegetables and our completely secure on-line store is open 24/7 to take your order. Abundant Organics

Organic Farming: ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service

With the organic market growing steadily, you may be interested in learning more about organic certification and organic production options. These resources offer guidance in preparing for certification, and in production methods for a range of organic crops and livestock. Many of these publications were developed in response to producer questions, and they deal with issues related to specific products, as well as production methods, marketing, and organic certification requirements. Organic Publications Overview Organic Regulation, Certification, Transition & History Organic Fruits Organic Vegetables, Flowers and Herbs Organic Field Crops Organic Livestock Organic Control of Pests Organic Soils & Fertilizer Issues Organic Marketing Organic Farming Information from Other Sources Organic Farming: ATTRA - National Susta

Management of Organic Inputs in Soils of the Tropics Homepage - Management of Organic Inputs in Soils of the Tropics (MOIST) is a rich source of information on green manure/cover crops and h

Management of Organic Inputs in Soils of the Tropics (MOIST) is a rich source of information on green manure/cover crops and hosts an active email discussion group on green manures/cover crops. Management of Organic Inputs in Soils of the Tropics Homepage - Management of Organic Inputs in Soils of the Tropics (MOIST) is a rich source of information on green manure/cover crops and h

International Composting Awareness Week: Home Page

International Composting Awareness Week (Sunday 3rd to Saturday 9th May 2009) is a week of activities, events and publicity to improve awareness about the importance of this valuable organic resource and to promote compost use, knowledge and products. Approximately 60% of the rubbish Australians put in the everyday mixed-waste ‘garbage bin’ could be put to better use in the garden as compost and mulch or could be returned to agricultural land to improve soil quality. Alarmingly, such a huge amount of organically-active material buried ‘anaerobically’ (without air) in landfill causes over 3% of Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions annually by producing methane : a gas with 25 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide ! If properly composted instead, this same organic waste could help to abate climate change in yet another way: by sinking or ‘sequestering’ carbon

Go Organic! for Earth Day

Earth Day Network sweeps media coverage for Earth Day! Chances are you saw, heard or read about Earth Day Network on Earth Day. During Earth Day week, EDN President Kathleen Rogers was featured in a live interview on CNN talking about Earth Day activities; we made ABC news; original Earth Day organizer Denis Hayes was featured in an interview on CBS News Up to the Minute, and also in Vanity Fair.com . Radio stations from around the globe including the BBC and Vatican radio interviewed our president and staff for Earth Day, and Earth Day on the National Mall in Washington, DC was covered by every network and the Washington Post . Even our Ecological Footprint got ample coverage on CNN ! In New York, our press conference in Times Square to unveil our plans for Earth Day 40 was featured on several New York television stations, and photos of the Times Square ball turned into an "Earth Ball" were featured in the Washington Post , New York Post and New York Daily news, plus a b

History of Earth Day

By Charisse McAuliffe The birth of the modern day environmental movement began on April 22, 1970 when a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin named Gaylord Nelson organized the first nationwide environmental protest. Little did he know at the time that for the next 39 years on April 22, environmentalists from around the world would come together to focus on Mother Earth as we celebrate Earth day. In 1970 Americans, were using leaded gas in their sedans powered by V8 engines. Factories were exhausting absurd amounts of pollution into the air without any ramifications or even the fear of getting bad press, in fact air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity. This was all about to change. On that fateful day 39 years ago, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, on college campuses and in auditoriums to make their voices be heard that they wanted a healthier environment. In the past there were different groups that fought separately against things like oil spills and tox

Matava featured front page of Fiji Times - Matava - Fijis Premier Eco Adventure Resort

Matava Fiji’s Premier Eco-Adventure Resort was featured front page of Fiji Times on April 23rd 2009. We recommend Foxit Reader for pdf reading. “Our precious heritage has to be well managed and preserved for long term benefits with tourist increasingly looking for pristine destinations for their holidays. “A very important product of our tourism industry is our environment. This is an emerging trend whereby many visitors give weight to environmental consideration when choosing a holiday.” Those are the words of the Chairman of Tourism Fiji, Patrick Wong in congratulating Matava Fiji’s premier Eco-Adventure Resort, the official winner of Padi Asia Pacific Awards in the category Project Aware Marine Environment Award 2009. Matava featured front page of Fiji Times - Matava - Fijis Premier Eco Adventure Resort

Green Your School Guide | Earth Day Network

Launch of the ULTIMATE Green Schools Website Several years in the making and over 300 pages long , Earth Day Network's Green Your School website has arrived!!! With this new application, we have taken the expertise and knowledge of hundreds of schools, teachers, students and administrators to provide you with the ways and means to make your education truly sustainable - from floor to roof, playground to school bus. These extensive, new documents provide the background research , teacher lesson plans AND student action plans for dozens of different school greening possibilities. Start the movement at your school today at www.earthday.net/greenyourschool . This work of several years wouldn't be possible without your continued support , and we would like to take this opportunity to ask you for a contribution that will allow us to keep providing educators with the quality resources to help green America's schools within a ge

Guerrilla Toilet Paper

This one is just plain funny. I wish I would have seen this one in person, I can’t help but still laugh at toilet humor. The good thing about doing something in a restroom setting is that your message get the persons undivided attention for a longer period of time. Non Profits are Kicking A$$ with Guerrilla Marketing - 4 Examples | Bootstrapping Guerrilla Marketing Blog

Matava wins Major Environmental Award at the PADI Asia Pacific Member Awards 2009

Matava has won the PADI Asia Pacific Member Awards 2009 in the category Project AWARE Marine Environmental Award 2009 KADAVU, FIJI ISLANDS - 15th April 2009 - Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco-Adventure Resort is proud to announce that it is the official 2009 winner of PADI Asia Pacific Member Awards 2009 in the Project AWARE Marine Environmental Award 2009 . The PADI Asia Pacific Member Awards were developed to better recognise the achievements of those PADI Dive Centres and Resorts who have made significant contributions to the growth and development of diving. In competition with more than a thousand dive centres throughout the region, Matava was awarded the great honor of this award as a token of appreciation for all the efforts and initiatives put forward by the company in the last few years. "At

Traveller Reviews - A lovely fijian hideaway - TripAdvisor

I began my stay at Matava only planning to stay a week or so before venturing onward to explore the rest of Fiji. However, in the end I stayed just over 3 weeks and now I wouldn't have planned my holiday any differently. I chose Matava because I wanted to dive the Astrolabe reef, and I was looking for a remote and fairly rustic resort (to weed out the people that expect chocolates on their pillows) with some interesting people to drink some beers and chat with during dinner. Also, as a solo traveler, costs at most resorts were out of my budget, so accommodation was also an issue. Given that it was the wet season, the diving did not disappoint. Colorful hard corals, some soft corals, nudi branches, and great shark and manta dives. The dive staff are wonderful and do a great job of keeping things organized and efficient while maintaining a fun atmosphere - and catering to the particular needs and desires of the divers that come through and whatever nature had delivered for the day. D

A Tribute to HG

Today was a sad day at Matava Resort . One of our longest serving staff members passed away. HG our security dog. He saw this resort being built and has seen owners, staff and guests come and go. He protected this place with an iron bark that echoed throughout the island. He never complained and could sit and listen so loyally. He took Pipi and Harley under his wing and taught them their roles as dogs at Matava resort . The staff really do miss having him around, and we really miss our loyal coconut stealing friend.

PADI Project AWARE Award

Ma tava has been awarded the PADI Project AWARE Environmental Achievement Award 2008 for its policies on environmental sustainabili ty KADAVU , FIJI ISLANDS - 5th Februuary 2008 - Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco-Adventure Resort is proud to announce that it is an official 2008 recipient of The PADI Project AWARE Environmental Achievement Award. Project AWARE Foundation Chairman, Dr. Drew Richardson recognizes the importance of the scuba diving community taking its part in protection of global ecosystems. "The Project AWARE Environmental Achievement Award is about rewarding vision, excellence and pursuit o f conservation. More importantly, this award ensures the enjoyment of underwater environments for future generations," states Richardson. "Our awards recognise dive operators making a positive impact on local communities and the environment, as well as providing great dive holidays! The number of outstanding en

Matava a finalist in Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards

Matava finalist in 2 categories for AON Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards 2008 KADAVU, FIJI ISLANDS - 10th February 2008 - Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco-Adventure Resort was proud to be nominated in 2 categories, and was chosen as a finalist in both categories in the AON Excellence in Tourism Awards. Bite Me Gamefishing Charters was a finalist in the Adventure Tourism Award and Matava - Fiji's Premier Eco Adventure Resort was a finalist in the Quality Accommodation Award . The annual Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards night sponsored by AON was held at the Sheraton Fiji Resort on Denarau Island on 6th February 2009, and attended by Matava Director, Stuart Gow. Many local tourism operators and business people attended the evening presentations. This year there was over a thousand nominees in the 12 categories. The Adventure Tourism Award was won by our friends at Adrenaline Watersports and the Quality Accommodation Award was won by Matava's normal airport transfer hot