Lautoka’s recent history is entwined with the fortunes of sugar, which gives rise to its other name, Sugar City. It has a picturesque esplanade, with Mt Koroyanitu providing a hinterland backdrop. As soon as I saw the entry to the markets, I remembered it from 40 years ago. A wonderful array of fresh vegetables and fruit and handicrafts. Lautoka is 5 times the size, population wise, since my last visit but essentially unchanged. We wandered around the main ...

December 1974 and a naive 19 year old arrived in Fiji on her first overseas trip. What an adventure for my 19 year old self in a time when overseas travel was rare and almost unknown for teenagers to achieve. Christmas in a tropical island faraway from my home city of Adelaide, I was the envy of my friends even though they knew I had worked two jobs and very long hours to save the money. Travel agents wrote "snail mail" letters to make bookings with. Overseas ban...