In an effort to actually do some conservation - rather than just write about it - Nat and I took the opportunity to volunteer with NatureFiji (BirdLife in Fiji) and do some weeding around the precious Fiji Sago Palm.
We met an enthusiastic and very friendly group of university students in central Suva, and jumped on a bus to ride to the project site. It was a glorious day, and, having hopped off the bus, we walked for an hour in the sun through some stunning lush landscape.
Work involved weeding and mulching around the sago palms: a Critically Endangered tree on the brink of extinction. As usual the locals were way more skilled swinging a machete than us; our feeble attempts just tickled the grass. This was made much harder by the fact that the plant we were trying to help was covered in a nest of spikes.
After literally minutes of endless toil, the group started to ease back and relax for the main event. Lunch.
Tarpaulins and mats were spread out in the shade and piles of food were generously passed around. The younger members of the group - children of the students - couldn't hold back any longer and launched themselves into the stream that ran alongside the site.
It was great to leave Suva for the day, stretch the legs and be made so welcome by a lovely group.
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