Fiji's five star 'bula' community spirit

Queenslander Peter Hopgood believes he has the most rewarding job in the world, and not just because he is the general manager of the award-winning resort, Outrigger on the Lagoon-Fiji.

His position as general manager has allowed him to build a close relationship between the five-star resort on the Coral Coast on the main island of Viti Levu and the local people.

Working at the resort is a great opportunity for locals - many of whom still live traditional village lives - to get secure jobs. During the past three years Hopgood has boosted the staff numbers from 300 to 650, recruiting and training staff from surrounding villages with impressive results. The resort now boasts an 80 per cent occupancy rate and is a favoured haunt of Australian families.

The close contact between Hopgood and his staff has led to him playing a key role in organising much needed help in local communities.

"If you come and live and work here it's really important that you give back to the local community," he says.

Every month he organises work to be done on a local community project, perhaps a school, hospital or an orphanage.

And now he's launching a program for visiting Australian guests who also want to use their skills to undertake volunteer work to help local communities while on holiday at the Outrigger.

It's hard not to be swept along by the infectious joi de vivre of the Fijians.

For all the luxury of the resort, it's perfectly clear it's the Fijian staff that makes Outrigger such a beloved destination.

From the moment you arrive you are greeted with a full throated and enthusiastic "bula" from everyone you pass. There are musicians singing and playing welcome songs all over the resort and children are continually swept up into the arms of staff who are eager to relieve parents trying to dine in peace.

Hopgood is aware the staff are the key to making the resort the sort of place where guests - 92 per cent of whom are Australian - chill out and adjust to "Fiji time". His policy of recruiting from local villages has led him to initiate a close bond with the local communities and it's prompted him to extend the program to involve guests.

Later this year he's launching the resort's first official community tourism project involving guests - building a large Bure (meeting place) at a nearby school.

"This building will be able to accommodate over 100 people and will be available for school meetings plus village meetings," Hopgood said.

He expects the construction will to take 12 to 18 months to complete, with the help of volunteer guests staying at the resort.

"When we launch this new initiative, guests staying at the resort will be able to spend one or two days of their holidays assisting our engineering team in building this bure," he says.

"The feedback thus far has been tremendous. I have already been approached by rugby clubs in Australia plus a large contingent from the army who have expressed their desire to come for a holiday in Fiji but also give back to the community."

This year he has also organised to host 18 eye surgeons from the USA who will undertake more than a thousand consultations in the local community and plan to conduct more than a hundred operations.

In November the resort will host the Sigatoka Charity Golf Day which has already raised about $A80,000 towards a new maternity ward which is opening at the local Sigatoka District Hospital In September.

Other Outrigger projects already completed include the re-fencing of a local school, installation of a new playground for the Sigatoka District Hospital as well as a blood drive for the Sigatoka District Hospital.

The resort has also hosted vets from New Zealand to treat local horses which are used for farm work. And Australian Olympic champion Shane Gould has previously run a drowning prevention program for children at local villages and schools.

Hopgood says all of the projects to date have been undertaken and co-ordinated by the staff at the resort with the main financial support from generous guests.

"I can't tell you how much this means to our local communities," he says.

"Whilst I personally get enormous satisfaction from these results, it is the work that my team undertakes with our local villages that makes me so proud.

"This is all part of our 'Bula Spirit' at Outrigger on the Lagoon-Fiji.

"It's these types of community projects that make my job in Fiji so special.

"I challenge anyone to find a more rewarding job anywhere in the world!

"Where else could you have the satisfaction of running a very successful resort operation whilst also having the privilege of being able to give so much back to the beautiful people of Fiji?"

IF YOU GO

GETTING THERE:

Fiji Airways, Virgin Australia, Qantas and Jetstar all fly to Fiji from Australia.

STAYING THERE:

For information visit http://www.outrigger.com/

PLAYING THERE:

Daily Fijian cultural activities include a Kava ceremony and Fijian fire walking show. There are nine restaurants and bars, with high-speed wireless Internet access in guest rooms.

• The writer travelled as guest of Outrigger Resorts Fiji