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WKNDR 011 WKNDR 011 Website: www.illawarramercury.com.au THE WEEKENDER Saturday, July 11, 2009 11 ... ‘‘ The 200kg monster crept out from under a ledge as I swam past. Secluded Samoa Swimming with sea turtles is one of the highlights of a trip to the Samoan islands. RODERICK EIME got close to the critters during a memorable holiday. The secluded islands of Samoa boast a rich culture and relaxed atmosphere. Trip tips: The Samoa Tourist Authority has a wide range of travel, tour and accommodation options to suit all budgets. Visit: www.samoa.travel. Polynesian Blue, international airline of Virgin Blue flies direct from Sydney to Apia (Samoa) three times a week. Formal connections are also available via Brisbane with fares starting from $429 per person, one way on the net. If you’re looking to keep entertained, simply hire the digEplayer. Your own personal in-flight system features movies, TV shows and a broad array of music for an additional $15. For extra leg room, book the Blue Zone seating option for an additional $45 on top of your fare. Visit: www.polynesianblue.com THE DETERMINED REPTILE bore down with a single- mindedness only coming from eons of pre-programmed behaviour. This ancient sea creature pursued me with just one thing on its mind, and with the scent of food in its nostrils, wasn’t about to let me get away. ‘‘Oh, give it to him for heaven’s sake,’’ came the plea from Gardenia, my otherwise patient Samoan guide, and with that I relented and released the fragment of pawpaw into the water. Within seconds Crush’s ravenous jaws were munching contentedly on the bright yellow chunk of fruit. Sea turtles, in this case green turtles, are about the most serene and kindly-looking animals anywhere on the planet. Anywhere else, you’d be jumping out of your skin at the rare sight of one, yet here among the Samoan islands the delightful critters abound. Crush is my name for the largest turtle here in the pool at the little village of Satoalepai on the far north coast of Savaii, the largest and northernmost of the two Samoan mainlands. The local family sells tickets to tourists and visitors for about $2.50 and you are supplied with all the ripe pawpaw the turtles can eat and all the time you want to swim with the lovable creatures. I’m told the juvenile turtles here are coaxed from fishermen for a few tala (the currency of Samoa) and allowed to grow to maturity before release. But the story varies depending on who you ask. Either way, the dozen or so current residents are in good shape with plenty of room in clean water. As an amateur scuba diver, I also enjoyed a few dives in the crystal clear waters here on the very edge of the South Pacific. Each dive yielded at least one turtle encounter with one underwater exploration near the far eastern tip of Upolu (the other island) delivering eight turtles including the biggest greenie I’ve ever seen. The 200kg monster crept out from under a ledge as I swam past, scared the daylights out of me and nonchalantly swam off. Most of the world’s turtles are on the World Conservation Union endangered species list as a result of over-fishing, deadly driftnets and environmental degradation, particularly to feeding and nesting grounds. In spite of a US National Park Service assessment that places the animals in regional decline, my own unscientific observations would beg to differ. In the lagoon at Fagamalo I was even treated to the gold medal sighting of a critically endangered hawksbill turtle grazing unperturbed on algae at about 10m. ‘‘She’s there most times we dive,’’ says Fabien Lebon, the expert dive guide on Savaii, ‘‘‘Bonjour Fabien’ she says ‘so just one diver today, oh okay’ and keeps eating. My daughter calls her Vanessa.’’ In Samoa the animals have some nominal protection thanks to their mythical status as a saviour of lost seamen. The local name I’a sa, translates directly as sacred fish. Then there’s the old Samoan legend of the turtle and the shark which recalls unhappy Fonuea, an elderly blind villager, who cast herself and her daughter Salofa into the ocean to be reborn as sea creatures away from the unkind hands of humans. ‘‘Lalelei!, Lalelei!, Lalelei!’’ the villagers still cry coaxing the pair to reappear at the foot of the cliff. But don’t point or they will disappear, reminded of the cruel treatment that caused their despair. When caught, turtles weep profusely and this sometimes engenders enough sympathy to throw them back to the sea instead of on the fire. True, despite both legend and legislation, turtles are still caught for food, although much less so in Samoa than other islands such as Fiji where they are gathered and slaughtered live in the Suva markets. Samoa challenges any writer to avoid the common cliches of hidden gem, best kept secret or tropical paradise precisely because it matches them all exactly. The great novelist, Robert Louis Stevenson, sought refuge and inspiration here in his final years and is laid to rest overlooking Apia. Remote and almost unattainable, Samoa lies at the limit of most regional airlines’ reach, while conveniently avoiding mention in most tourist texts dominated by closer cousins Fiji, New Caledonia and Vanuatu. Samoa’s lack of pervasive tourism infrastructure is a key selling point. The relatively few resorts are low impact, relaxed and uncrowded while tacky tourist haunts and souvenirs are rare. P&O Cruises have rediscovered Samoa thanks to its cruise-friendly port (Apia), engaging excursions, rich culture and relaxed atmosphere and have doubled their scheduled visitations over the next year. I’d be happy if Samoa retained its seclusion, cherished its low profile and remained ambivalent about the growing interest in its natural and scenic treasures. But that won’t happen in a world crying out for new experiences and destinations far from the madding crowd. Please, if you go, tread lightly, be polite and don’t hassle the turtles.

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Website: www.illawarramercury.com.au THE WEEKENDER Saturday, July 11, 2009 11....

‘‘The 200kgmonster creptout from under aledge as I swampast.

Secluded Samoa

Swimming with sea turtles is one of the highlights of

a trip to the Samoan islands. RODERICK EIME got

close to the critters during a memorable holiday.

The secluded islands ofSamoa boast a rich cultureand relaxed atmosphere.

Trip tips:The Samoa Tourist Authorityhas a wide range of travel, tourand accommodation options tosuit all budgets. Visit:www.samoa.travel.Polynesian Blue, internationalairline of Virgin Blue fliesdirect from Sydney to Apia(Samoa) three times a week.Formal connections are alsoavailable via Brisbane withfares starting from $429 perperson, one way on the net.If you’re looking to keepentertained, simply hire thedigEplayer. Your own personalin-flight system featuresmovies, TV shows and a broadarray of music for an additional$15. For extra leg room, bookthe Blue Zone seating optionfor an additional $45 on top ofyour fare. Visit:www.polynesianblue.com

THE DETERMINED REPTILEbore down with a single-mindedness only coming fromeons of pre-programmedbehaviour. This ancient seacreature pursued me with just onething on its mind, and with thescent of food in its nostrils, wasn’tabout to let me get away.

‘‘Oh, give it to him for heaven’ssake,’’ came the plea fromGardenia, my otherwise patientSamoan guide, and with that I

relented and released the fragmentof pawpaw into the water. Withinseconds Crush’s ravenous jawswere munching contentedly on thebright yellow chunk of fruit.

Sea turtles, in this case greenturtles, are about the most sereneand kindly-looking animalsanywhere on the planet. Anywhereelse, you’d be jumping out of yourskin at the rare sight of one, yethere among the Samoan islandsthe delightful critters abound.

Crush is my name for the largestturtle here in the pool at the littlevillage of Satoalepai on the farnorth coast of Savaii, the largestand northernmost of the twoSamoan mainlands.

The local family sells tickets totourists and visitors for about $2.50and you are supplied with all theripe pawpaw the turtles can eat andall the time you want to swim withthe lovable creatures.

I’m told the juvenile turtles hereare coaxed from fishermen for afew tala (the currency of Samoa)and allowed to grow to maturitybefore release. But the story variesdepending on who you ask. Eitherway, the dozen or so currentresidents are in good shape withplenty of room in clean water.

As an amateur scuba diver, I alsoenjoyed a few dives in the crystalclear waters here on the very edgeof the South Pacific. Each diveyielded at least one turtleencounter with one underwaterexploration near the far eastern tipof Upolu (the other island)delivering eight turtles including

the biggest greenie I’ve ever seen.The 200kg monster crept out

from under a ledge as I swam past,scared the daylights out of me andnonchalantly swam off.

Most of the world’s turtles are onthe World Conservation Unionendangered species list as a resultof over-fishing, deadly driftnetsand environmental degradation,particularly to feeding and nestinggrounds.

In spite of a US National ParkService assessment that places theanimals in regional decline, myown unscientific observationswould beg to differ.

In the lagoon at Fagamalo I waseven treated to the gold medalsighting of a critically endangeredhawksbill turtle grazingunperturbed on algae at about10m.

‘‘She’s there most times wedive,’’ says Fabien Lebon, theexpert dive guide on Savaii,‘‘‘Bonjour Fabien’ she says ‘so justone diver today, oh okay’ and keepseating. My daughter calls herVanessa.’’

In Samoa the animals have somenominal protection thanks to theirmythical status as a saviour of lostseamen. The local name I’a sa,translates directly as sacred fish.

Then there’s the old Samoanlegend of the turtle and the sharkwhich recalls unhappy Fonuea, anelderly blind villager, who castherself and her daughter Salofainto the ocean to be reborn as seacreatures away from the unkindhands of humans.

‘‘Lalelei!, Lalelei!, Lalelei!’’ thevillagers still cry coaxing the pair toreappear at the foot of the cliff. Butdon’t point or they will disappear,reminded of the cruel treatmentthat caused their despair.

When caught, turtles weep

profusely and this sometimesengenders enough sympathy tothrow them back to the sea insteadof on the fire. True, despite bothlegend and legislation, turtles arestill caught for food, althoughmuch less so in Samoa than otherislands such as Fiji where they aregathered and slaughtered live inthe Suva markets.

Samoa challenges any writer toavoid the common cliches ofhidden gem, best kept secret ortropical paradise precisely becauseit matches them all exactly.

The great novelist, Robert LouisStevenson, sought refuge andinspiration here in his final yearsand is laid to rest overlooking Apia.

Remote and almostunattainable, Samoa lies at thelimit of most regional airlines’reach, while conveniently avoidingmention in most tourist textsdominated by closer cousins Fiji,New Caledonia and Vanuatu.

Samoa’s lack of pervasivetourism infrastructure is a keyselling point. The relatively fewresorts are low impact, relaxed anduncrowded while tacky touristhaunts and souvenirs are rare.

P&O Cruises have rediscoveredSamoa thanks to its cruise-friendlyport (Apia), engaging excursions,rich culture and relaxedatmosphere and have doubledtheir scheduled visitations over thenext year.

I’d be happy if Samoa retainedits seclusion, cherished its lowprofile and remained ambivalentabout the growing interest in itsnatural and scenic treasures.

But that won’t happen in a worldcrying out for new experiences anddestinations far from the maddingcrowd. Please, if you go, treadlightly, be polite and don’t hasslethe turtles. ■