Rotuma Is Paradise: Tausia Tells Of Isolated Life
Lusiana Tausia of Matuku in Lau says Rotuma is a piece of paradise.
She has been living on the island for more than 15 years after she got married to a man from Oinafa Village.
Ms Tausia discovered that the island was rich in untapped resources the moment she set foot there in 2007.
She is 61 years old and her husband is 41 years old. Their house is built by the beach.
“I’m from Lau and we are well known for our fishing habits. I was shocked when I came to know about how easy life here is,” Ms Tausia said.
“Crops and vegetables grow easily on the island and we don’t really have to cultivate the land like we do in Fiji in order to safely grow crops.” She said Rotuma was better isolated.
She made the comment after a recent tension erupted between people on the island and Fiji in turning what she calls a piece of paradise into a tourism attraction site.
“Rotuma should be left the way it is now,” she said.
“We do not get much outside influence here because we prefer our own way of living. What has changed is the increase in processed food in our stores.”
Paramount chief of Rotuma, Gagaj Maraf, echoed similar sentiments and said it was important the cultures and way of life be kept the same.
“It should promote peace and security,” he said.
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