Tour Professionals Jack Wilson, Geoff Drakeford and Taylor Macdonald got a firsthand look at what life is like in Fiji.
The trio visited Naveyago village, which happens to be the home of recent Fiji Rugby Sevens gold medalist Semi Kunatani. The young Aussies walked around the village looking at the houses and community hall and even got the chance to meet some of the locals.
“They were all very nice. We were greeted by the gentlemen and their chief. Our boat captains took the lead and showed us around,” said Wilson, winner of the 2013 WA PGA Championship.
Life in the village is very different compared to in Australia and the players were keen to take it all in especially one of the most important parts of the Fijian culture, the traditional kava or “sevu sevu” ceremony which is conducted by the village chief.
Kava is the traditional and national drink and is given as a gift to the village by guests. The root of the plant is ground up and strained through water.
While it’s often an acquired taste, Wilson didn’t seem to mind his bowl of Kava.
“I might adopt having a round of kava before every round of golf I think,” joked Wilson.
“It’s going to calm me down a little bit. I will get out this afternoon and get some practice done. It will probably be the most effective practice I’ve had all week.”
A trip to Fiji isn’t complete without a journey down the Sigatoka River on a jet boating safari. The Sigatoka River flows for 120kms to the coast between the central and western ranges and is often referred to as the ‘salad bowl of Fiji’. The players couldn’t wait to go for a spin.
“We were lucky, we were in a smaller boat and the driver managed to throw a few 360s in there pretty early. He had a lot of fun with us.”
As fun as the boating trip was, it also provided another insight into the Fijian history with many stories thrown in by the boat captain.
“He showed us and talked us through the culture of where we were and talked about the different parts of the river and the villages that were around,” said Wilson, who is playing for the second time at the Fiji International after competing here last year.
Reaching for their cameras multiple times to capture the amazing natural scenery, the players left with a truly memorable experience.
“We were learning a lot but having a lot of fun at the same time. It was just fantastic.”