Fiji's woes

We had a most pleasant mini-break at Denerau Island on the west coast of Fiji's main island late last year. We'd love to go back soon, but our businbess commitments make that unlikely in the immediate future.

But in the meantime, Fiji is in crisis; the Herald reports:

Prime Minister John Key says New Zealand is on stand by to help Kiwis stranded by floodwaters in Fiji, as authorities there warn tourists to stay away.

Severe weather has pounded Fiji, killing at least four, as flash floods bring down power and water supplies over the weekend.

Fiji's Permanent Secretary for Information Sharon Smith-Johns told Radio New Zealand today that the death toll was now at four.

"There are about 5000 people currently in evacuation centres...and that number comes up and down as the flood waters rise and go down.''

It had stopped raining now and rivers had receded overnight, but Ms Smith-Johns said tourists should still stay away.

"We love tourists, we love the Kiwis and the Aussies but at the moment the best place to be is to be at home until this clears, but it will clear very quickly.

"At the moment flying in, it's difficult to get to hotels.''

Water was still cut while the power remained off, she said.

"We've had a bashing over in Fiji, we've just got it all back together again from the floods in January...the rain we've had in the 24 hour period have been horrendous.''

Tourism is one of Fiji's lifebloods, and a second flood in the space of three months won't be helping the flow of tourist dollars. But the effects of these floods go far beyond the resorts.

Crops have been washed away, and the number of homeless is in the thousands. Lives have been lost. And the weather battering may not be over yet, with a tropical depression moving in from the west over the next 24 hours.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Fiji, especially those directly affected by this latest flooding. For it is the people who make Fiji the destination that it is. We hope that the sun shines on them very soon.