Thoughts from the Tour

As our plane was delayed for an hour or so on Suday morning I spent some time getting a selection of the boys and the dads to answer the question -

What was the best or funniest memory of my Fiji tour?

Here's what they had to say:

Adam Poynting – playing footy against the Fijians

Taylor Deer – Seeing Cloud Beak and going deep sea fishing.

Dylan Kovacevich – Singing the National Anthem in front of the spectators.

Rochford Cook – Watching movies with mates in my room. When Mark pussied out in paintball because he was scared of me.

Harry Girdler - watching Rochie nail every single person that stepped foot on the rock. It should be called ROCHIES ROCK.

Zaffer Shalla - playing footy with the Fijians

Aaron Groom – scoring 3 international try’s against the Fijians and also being captain of my team.

Harry Girdler – It was good watching Bill receive the Goldern Nuts because he is a good all-round kid and he deserved it, it was so cool because every single person that was there was cheering for him. I also enjoyed chilling in the pool with all my mates and going on the sailing boat and I also spent some quality time with my dad. I would like to say thanks to all the dads and mums that made this possible it was sooooooo much fun. THANKS

Jake Crutch – It was all so much fun but most of all I enjoyed playing with and against the Fijians.

Liam Simonsson - Hanging out with the little Fijian kids and going snorkeling.

Jordan Purchase - Going on the jet ski safari and paintball.

Billy Verrills – Playing Paintball & the other good thing was that I got to go scuba diving on a mad reef with my dad.

Charlie Wiseman – playing paintball and shooting Adrian and making him dance around in pain

Kieran Shields – going fishing on the boat and catching fish. Also going snorkeling on great reefs.

Marcus Kemp- Fiji was awesome but at the rugby on Thursday when we played rugby in the stadium and it was set up like a real international game was probably the highlight.

Nick Meadows- paintball and spending time playing rugby with the Fijians after our game at Nadi stadium.

Adrian Aitoa- snorkeling, kayaking, paintball, playing rugby with the Fijian kids and meeting some new Fijian boys.

Will Haines- was when I got shot by Steve Wiseman in paintball and versing the fijians

Andrew Pullin- Seeing the joy on the little kids faces when they saw us and how friendly and helpful they were to us.

Bill Gillies- visiting the village and drinking the kava that was part of the ceremony I also very much enjoyed the pool and the swim up bar was awesome. And receiving the golden coconuts was heaps good cause every one was cheering for me too win.

Chris Thomas - after playing one of our rugby matches we started a friendly game of rugby with some of the younger Fijians which was great.

Nils Harman – the pool with side bar, paintball and all other activities.

Chris Mclean - hanging out with mates playing paint ball and playing the Fiji rugby team.

Tom Blake - captaining my first international rugby game and meeting new people was great.

Rhys Daher – Going into the school of Namaka Public was something I will never forget. Seeing all the kids when we walked through the school was something I’ve never seen before. They were all smiling, said hello, sang songs for us, and watched us play RUGBY.

Mike and Nils Harman - the day trip to Mystery Island and the snorkeling was fantastic. Watching the kids interact and the locals at the rugby games at Nadi Stadium and at Namaka Public school was an amazing experience. Great trip !!

Paul and Chris McLean - the enthusiasm of the Namaka school supporters at the Thursday game was just a fantastic extension to the feeling of the games played.

Allen and Joel Koppe - I really loved the class and level of rugby all the boys played at. It was truly inspiring, and something that will stay with me forever.

Bill and Richard Carson – we loved the wonderful bonding of the boys and the fathers and the great opportunity to meet and have fun with so many great people and have such a sensational time.

Jim Fayle - The day out was brilliant but there was also the dance off between the two groups of supporters at Prince Charles Park displayed the wonderful nature of the locals.

Michael Birtwistle – the dance off between the two groups of school kids was priceless. We all forgot to watch the rugby as we were too busy rapt up in the moment.

Mark Verrills – Watching the local boys enjoying the company of the Newport Boys, as well as seeing so many smiling faces. Scuba diving on the reef with my son was brilliant & the new friends I have met, Go Newport – Vinaka

Arnie Shields – How all the boys lifted in their rugby playing better than I have seen from them all year. Having time with my son.

Matt and Luc Siebinga – Seeing my son being chased by 3 huge Fijian players, with panic in his eyes, but still finding the right option. This courage I have seen with all our boys!

John and Will Slack-Smith – The rugby games on Thursday at the international stadium was the absolute highlight, with three great games and an atmosphere that lifted everyone. I also enjoyed the time getting to know the other fathers on tour and watching Will score his first international try.

Andrew (The quiet achiever) & Tom Blake – The amazing warm & friendly welcome we received at Namaka Public School – there were ‘smiles for miles’ from both the Fijian school kids and our boys, who walked in feeling little rock stars. Also, seeing Tom, Captain his first international rugby game.

Basil Daher – At the team’s warm-up on the Tuesday, seeing Rochford, our gentle giant, with four tiny Fijian boys hanging off him, laughing their heads off, trying to wrestle him to the ground – that’s the sort of thing this tour was about – not just the great rugby we enjoyed.

Phill & Taylor Deer – Fiji is such a beautiful place, the Fijian people seem to have so little yet they are happy and welcoming and really family focused, it’s a delight to visit. We managed to experience so much in such a short time. The highlight was definitely the Rugby, watching the boys lift so much, the experience of facing a Fijian Hakka, the spirit in which each game was played – with love not with fear - and watching the boys and the dads get to know each other better.

Marty Paikea~ had a great time meeting all the dads & their sons was a highlight,as was the rugby our boys played on both occasions well done boys....

Adam Friend – as a new member to the Newport family, it was great to be welcomed by not only the fathers, but the boys too.

Trent (The last word) Girdler - My room tab.

Saturday Our Last Day

Saturday 10 July:

Saturday was left completely up to the Dads and boys to make their own plans from all the options offered by the Sonaisali Resort. Fishing boats left at the crack of dawn and returned a few of hours later with a wide range of reef-fish, including a metre-long warehou which was quickly cleaned, cooked, and served to fishermen.

Paint-ball was a big-hit, dads versus boys, boys versus boys, and dads versus dads. A few of the dads proved that they weren’t the spent forces that their boys imagined when it comes to planning and executing an attack on, or defence of, the Flag. Lots of sweat, lots of dust, and a few welts made it a memorable day.

Many returned to Nadi to see a local derby rugby match, Nadi versus Sigatoga, a grudge match within the Presidents League. Just as expected the match was fiery, no-quarter-given rugby, with three players stretchered over the game such were the force of the hits.

A few dads and boys shot to Turtle Rock via jet-skis for more snorkeling. While the early risers were rewarded with glassy conditions, the later trips were bumpy with a few dads winding up in the drink, much to the delight of the boys.

Others enjoyed the pool, beach volley ball, and more restful activities.

At 6:30pm we reconvened as a complete group to wind up the loose ends and to work through the logistics of the return trip to Sydney the following day . This was the opportunity to formally thank all members of the Leadership Team who had jointly planned and run this week in a very professional and inclusive way.

The evening ended with the Golden Coconuts Award being won by Bill Gillies, a very popular choice with the group, followed by a song and dance display over dinner by several South Pacific countries - culminating in very skilled fire dancers throwing, spinning, and catching the burning sticks - very impressive to the boys.

Sailing the South Pacific

The tall ship Ramarama was built for the Fijian Governor General in 1957. Its vice-regal days are long gone but its heritage was apparent to 100 Newport visitors as it ferried them to Mystery Island. The island is a minute tropical paradise – so small that you can walk around it in 5 minutes. It is not only a tourist destination but a nesting ground for turtles and sea-birds. Even before the Ramarama had dropped anchor the boys dived overboard and swam through the coral reef to shore.
The next four hours was spent snorkeling, scuba-diving, and enjoying a barbecue lunch prepared by the crew of Captain Cook Cruises. The keenest fisherman in the group, Basil Daher, soon found island life too much and returned to the Ramarama to chuck a line off the stern. The Sweetlip bit immediately and within half an hour Basil, and some of the boys, had bagged the limit of 20 fish. Smiles all round as Basil gave the fish to the local crew.

On the way back to port the boys thanked their fathers for making the tour possible.

Game Day Thursday

Crunch Time at Prince Charles Park
International rugby reached its zenith when a fleet of buses delivered the Newport stars to the headquarters of Fijian rugby. Vocal squads of young maidens from two local schools were on hand to cheer their champions and many were firmly in the Newport camp. The boys came to Fiji expecting to play rugby but many of them were treated like rock-stars in the Harry Kewell stand (Fijian spelling Dr Hari Kewel). The girls were not only in good voice, singing loudly throughout the games, they also besieged the boys and some of the dads with invitations to dance that few had the courage to refuse.
After a warm welcome from the Secretary of the Nadi Rugby Association, our boys got down to business. At stake was the Bula Cup, its fate would be decided by the third of three games. The Stingrays won the first game !7-10. The Barracudas won the second game 22-10. So far so good. Everything depended on the Killer Whales, and after the closest of contests they went down 10-5 with the Nai Katchi team scoring the winning try in the last few minutes of play. Such is rugby, such is life. The Fijians are the inaugural winners on the Bula Cup but the Newport boys took home a lot more. On and off the field they formed an instant bond with the Fijian kids. Despite their different backgrounds they share the love of rugby and the love of life. Even before the third game was over players in the other Newport teams shed their boots and socks to kick a ball around the paddock next door with their new- found Fijian friends. There were no inhibitions, just smiles and laughter. And when the impromptu game was over, many of our boys left behind their boots, head gear, and socks –a legacy to local rugby. Their spontaneous actions proved what we already knew – that the day had been a triumph.

Friday night Fiji time sitting by the pool and reflecting on the week so far.
It really has been quite special for all of us.
The boys have shown us all great courage on the field and a fantastic spirit on and off the field.
We have had a very busy past two days and though a number of blogs have been written they have not yet been posted as we have had issues with technology - we are not able to join in wireless internet at the same time and sometimes at all.
What a fabulous few days we have had.
Our three games against Nadi Kagi Rugby Club on Thursday were simply amazing. Each of our boys has played in a team that has wone a game here in Fiji. On Thursday we won two games and lost one.
Our boys have been competitive in every game and the atmosphere at the games was extraordinary.
We played at Nandi's Rugby Stadium with a crowd of school children vocally supporting Newport and the local squad throughout the game. The local kids danced and sang and chanted through three hours of fantastic rugby and never let up. At times it was deafening in the stands.
The next day the Nandi Times nespaper covered the game with almost a full page of the sports pages dedicated to the game and a huge photo featuring Connor Dougherty and a local player in full flight.
A great feeling has developed amongst the boys and the dads through the shared experience of this tour.

Wednesday 7 July:

Return from Korovuto Village

The touring party returned from the village after boosting the local economy with substantial purchases of jewelery and craftwork made in the village.
While some Dads snoozed the afternoon away, others took to the high seas with their sons to snorkel and scuba dive the Turtle Rock, a one hour boat trip from the resort. It was a roughish trip to the reef through choppy seas whipped up by 20 knot winds, the smaller scuba-diving boat having to sit in the close wake of the larger Sonaisali cat, to reach the reef in reasonable time. The water visibility was good, there was an impressive display of coral and small tropical fish, but those expecting a jaws-like encounter were disappointed.

Before dinner the boys hot-footed it to the far end of the island for a display by ten traditional Fijian firewalkers. Bare-chested and in grass skirts, they tip-toed through rocks heated for hours in blazing log fires. Some of the Newport visitors were disappointed that they were not invited to tip-toe through the embers.
But the night was not over, with a special transmission of the State of Origin game in the Zero bar. The Dutch contingent in the Newport group had little time to sleep before rousing themselves to cheer Germany to defeat in the World Cup.

Fiji Stardate Thursday 8th July
We are off today to our big game against teams from the Nandi Region at the Nandi Stadium.
Should be a great day of rugby for the boys.
Don't forget to look at the photos on our photobucket site.
Just go to the link
http://s922.photobucket.com/albums/ad63/newportfiji2010

Love Fiji!