P1 CMYK PLATE Issue 25 Mars 2011 Published by Daily Post - Tel: 23224 - 5550619 - email: [email protected] Land Diving Inside: VTO News - or Nagol Sports Events - NaGol Legend - Maps & More... photograph by KAL MULLER photograph by KAL Smile like a local & get free credit. Join our network by purchasing a Smile Visitor Pack & Or to roam select Smile Smile Mobile Network or VUT01 on your phone by Telecom Vanuatu Ltd get FREE Credit! It’s a simple & cheap way to call home. Free call 081111 Page 1 P2 CMYK PLATE Vanuatu - Discover what matters Vanuatu Tourism Office Vanuatu was once again crowned the world’s happiest place in the Lonely Planet’s guide to the world’s happiest places on earth in 2010. In addition, Vanuatu made the Lonely Plan- et’s top ten countries to visit in 2011 in their annual publication titled Best in Travel 2011. your Face of Vanuatu. Vanuatu is no stranger to accolades and once you have spent a little time on our islands If you are a visitor to our beautiful shores I would highly recommend that you pay a visit meeting the Ni-Vanuatu people it will be clear why. to the lovely ladies that are there to assist you at the Vanuatu Tourism Office. It is located in Our ‘happy country’ offers fun and interesting experiences to suit every traveller. From the main street of town in the Pilioko Building. You wont miss it, look for the pink building kayaking, waterfall abseiling and mud-splash buggy rides, to deserted beach picnics, river with the famous art work on it. The ladies who may be helping you, Auriane, Rachael or Sn canoeing, wreck dives, and custom villages. Vanuatu has it all, and it’s only three hours flight Information officer Brenda at the counter are amongst the friendliest most helpful ladies I away from Australia, two and half from Auckland, and an hour and a half from Fiji and New have ever met. At their office you will find brochures on every tour and activity available. Caledonia. They also have plenty of brochures and information for all types of accommodation, car Vanuatu is emerging as the South Pacific’s leading soft adventure capital. Established hire, or services there are to offer in Efate as well as many of the the other Islands, big or activities are now complimented by an array of new tours launched in 2010 including hydro small. They are happy to answer any questions you might have and to try and help you zorbing, jet boating, kite surfing and even sand boarding and ash trekking tours at Mt Yasur with anything a tourist might need to know. Their trading hours are Monday to Friday are Volcano. 7.30am till 4.30pm, open during the lunch hour, Saturdays normally from 8am till 12pm With 83 islands and 113 dialects, Vanuatu is a culturally diverse country. Life is punctu- and closed on Sundays. However if the cruise ship is in over the weekend they do open ated by rituals and celebrations which pack the destination’s annual events calendar. From Saturday and Sunday and are open 8am till 12pm on public holidays. Go and see them to traditional cultural festivals such as the Pentecost Land Diving, to sporting events including find out what to do and where to go in Vanuatu, they will set you on the right path along the ever popular Vanuatu Ocean Swims and more contemporary festivities such as the an- with a brilliant smile. nual Fest Napuan Music Festival, Vanuatu has plenty to offer for visitors looking for authen- tic cultural experiences. Enjoy your stay, Read Vanuatu's Discover what matters and so much more in Vanuatu. Cheers, most popular newspaper, the premier source Lukim yu (See you ) of all news in Sebastien Bador, Acting General Manager, Vanuatu Tourism Office Vanuatu An exciting Waiters Race scheduled for April 25! Au Peche Mignon, Alliance Française du Vanuatu and Waiters Race International www. waitersrace.com are working together to organize another great event this year scheduled for Easter Monday 25th April 2011. This will be the 3rd event after 2009’s race. This year’s race will be in the form of a relay, with the first leg run by the senior category, then the professional waiters, then the junior category, and finally to anyone interested to Australia Vs Vanuatu join in. Interested persons and waiters need to register prior to racing. For further informa- Beachvolley Tournament tion and registrations, email Romuald on [email protected] 2nd April 2011 On 2nd April, Australia and Vanuatu will challenge each other in Beach Volleyball at the Stade Court at 2pm, followed by Sports Memorabilia Auction and Splash Fashion Parade at Grand Hotel and Casino starts at 6.30pm. The auction will also include Fashion Parade - Splash Swimwear (starting the Australian women team and Vanuatu men beach volleyball team), Tahitian dance group performance, finger food, keg of Tusker, and music. Both events have been organized to help raise much needed funds for the Vanuatu women beach vol- leyball team to be able to attend the 2011 Olympic Qualification events. Please come and support your team! Tickets can be brought for Billabong store in town or call Debbie on +678 5917950. Page 2 P3 CMYK PLATE EVENT & FESTIVALS CALENDER APRIL 2 Australia Vs Vanuatu Beachvolley Tournament 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Land Diving Festival or Nagol - Pentecost 14 Ambrym Rom Dance & Magic Art - Ambrym Every Thrusday till September 22 Good Friday, Public Holiday 23,24 Easter 6 kg Challenge fishing Tournament - Port Vila 25 Waiters Race May Yam Magic Festival (Ambrym) Tusker 3 Species Challenge Marlin Classic (Efate) June 5 - 12 Vanuatu Marlin Classic - Port Vila Sand Drawing Festival (Malekula) Vanuatu Post Ltd & Western Union offer “NO TRANSFER FEE” for money transfers to Japan The Board and Management of Vanuatu Post Ltd wishes to advise its customers the following. All of us in the Western Union Family/Vanuatu Post are saddened by the terrible events of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan and its aftermath. Vanuatu Post have this opportunity to demonstrate the real meaning of our shared value and our “Customer First, Customer Care” and use our unmatched global network to benefit the citizens of Japan at this time of need. Western Union and Vanuatu Post are offering a ASIAN ETHNICITY “No Transfer Fee” initiative to take place for a month’s period, from March 17 to April 17, 2011 to allow money to be sent to friends and family in Japan for no transfer fee charged. LUNCH SET This initiative will be available throughout the JUST Vanuatu Post network in Vanuatu. 1000VT BETTER TASTE If you have any questions about these initiatives, BETTER VOLUME please contact Vanuatu Post Ltd on 22000 YOU'LL BE and talk to our friendly staff at our Call Center or SATISFIED Mrs. Glenda Vatoko. spend more Ad Proudly Sponsored by Daily Post than 1500vt Page 3 P4 CMYK PLATE Read Vanuatu's most popular newspaper, the premier source of all news in NAGOL Vanuatu climbed up to retrieve her, the wife tied Lianas vines to her designed in such a way as to partially break away when ankles. Just as Tamalie grabbed for her, she leaped from his stressed by the taut vines to help disperse the energy of the grasp. Thinking she had killed herself, the distraught Tamalie jolt. The selection of the Liana vines are also left to the indi- leapt as well... but without the Lianas. Needless to say Tama- vidual but with crucial input dispensed from trusted tribal lie was killed while his wife's life was spared. The other tribal elders. The size and length of the Lianas chosen are based on men became so upset that the wife had tricked Tamalie, that the weight of the diver and the height from which they will they took precautionary measures and began the land diving leap. Obviously this step is crucial to the success of the Nagol themselves, while at the same time, prohibiting the women and the life of diver. The Lianas vines when green are natu- from doing so. rally filled with water, fairly pliable and will stretch a good The Nagol of today serves more purposes than just distance when stressed. celebrating the ancient legend. And it has evolved into a As a final token acknowledgement to this kastom's dan- complex ritual that speaks to several aspects of Pentecost ger, the sloped landing area is dug up with sticks to a depth tribal life. In addressing the legend directly, today's Nagol of about 10 inches in depth and then smoothed over. This is only performed by men and the preparation beforehand provides a more forgiving surface should the vines break or is strictly taboo for women to witness. In terms of tribal their length and size be miscalculated. And this does happen honor, it allows the men to from time to time. One or both show their worthiness and vines have broken many times courage before the women, as but the vines have been able to a statement that they will never break the fall sufficiently to pre- be tricked again. Some men even vent fatal injury... that is except discuss their marital difficulties once. Over the years only one during the traditional pre-jump death has occured, that being in speech, while the women who a demonstration for Queen Eliza- are standing below listen. beth's visit to Vanuatu in 1974. The scheduling of Nagol is This took place during the wrong tied to the April-May-June time- season when the Lianas were no frame, so that green Lianas longer green, and the dry brittle vines, which are more pliable Lianas failed to properly serve and resilient, can be used in the their purpose.