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Your backstage pass to the world of surfing, hosted by MC and commentator Terry “Tappa” Teece. From pro surfers and legends of the sport to shapers, innovators and anyone with an epic story and a love for the ocean—The Green Room dives deep. Expect tales of epic wins, brutal wipeouts, and behind-the-scenes moments from life in and out of the water. Whether you’re chasing waves or just some inspiration, this podcast will leave you stoked to paddle out.
00;00;07;19 - 00;00;29;09
Tappa
Welcome to the Green Room. Your backstage pass to the world of surfing. I'm your host, surf emcee and commentator, Terry Tapper diving into epic winds, crashing fouls and wild stories with surfing's biggest names, as well as the legends working behind the scenes to keep that state alive. A big shout out to our sponsor for this episode. The official break out with their new Jersey lager.
00;00;29;11 - 00;00;30;08
Tappa
So wax up.
00;00;30;08 - 00;00;30;28
Tappa
Paddle out.
00;00;30;28 - 00;00;51;01
Tappa
And join us in the green room with a surf chat near the guys flat. Good night folks, and welcome to the Green Room. Well, everybody's thought about that dream, you know, have your own tropical resort. The left and right hand are at the front. Cocktails past you from the staff everywhere. And. Wow. It's a little bit more than that, isn't it?
00;00;51;03 - 00;01;11;05
Tappa
Today's guests here on the green room. They have achieved the dream. But maybe not, as was described there anyway. But they do live in Paradise at the Acre Resort. Matt Tan of Lucy. A beautiful place. Believe he may have been there. Now, I've known these guys. Not for weeks, not for months, not for years, but for decades. Truly good humans.
00;01;11;11 - 00;01;21;11
Tappa
And I've watched as they have made their dream come true. But there's a lot more to running a resort and sitting on a banana lounge and being passed cocktails as the sun sets. Welcome to the Green Room, Brian and Donna McDonald.
00;01;21;13 - 00;01;22;04
Tappa
Thanks.
00;01;22;07 - 00;01;23;23
Male Guest
Thanks, Tampa.
00;01;23;25 - 00;01;37;16
Tappa
Macara, like always, remember you and Burley. You were always like. It didn't matter how early I got out, you were out there. And sometimes, Jay with you, you were like. I remember one morning I said, I got out before Macker. And next thing, out of the darkness.
00;01;37;18 - 00;01;41;00
Tappa
You come. Have you gone? Yes.
00;01;41;02 - 00;01;42;06
Male Guest
That was a good days.
00;01;42;08 - 00;01;52;25
Tappa
Yeah, that was good to see. And of course, Donna, you two guys were both members of Surfers Against Nuclear Destruction. Of course. With the great late Dennis Callanan. Is that. That's where he met?
00;01;52;28 - 00;02;03;11
Male Guest
Yes. We did. Sand was a good part of our life and got us into surfing, conservation and, activism.
00;02;03;13 - 00;02;12;12
Tappa
Yeah, well, that's what you were a big part of the sand with Dennis. I know you were, like, kind of like Dennis's right hand man there. There was a lot. Sandy does a lot of fundraising. Hi.
00;02;12;15 - 00;02;12;27
Male Guest
Yeah.
00;02;12;27 - 00;02;13;27
Tappa
Yeah, sure.
00;02;14;02 - 00;02;28;01
Female Guest
Lots of fundraising. And to do do it. I mean, it was full on. There was so much involved, but the outcome was always brilliant. The, the there was so much giving away to the needy. And it was it was.
00;02;28;01 - 00;02;46;12
Tappa
Great and it felt good. Hey, that's what I always think. Like I've seen some psychologist say if you can give it actually helps you inside. And I find that that's really big part of it. I really enjoyed doing my stuff with sand, but so you were you were chief librarian, was it of the archives, Brian.
00;02;46;14 - 00;02;47;04
Male Guest
Albert, show.
00;02;47;09 - 00;02;52;09
Tappa
How much your talent show? Deputy deputy deputy.
00;02;52;09 - 00;02;56;03
Male Guest
Here. So I didn't have all the stress as the chief librarian. Yeah.
00;02;56;06 - 00;03;07;09
Tappa
But how did you come across the idea to, like, I, I, you know, I used to get hooked up, etc., etc.. But how did you come across the idea? Let's go to Fiji and have a resort.
00;03;07;11 - 00;03;10;25
Male Guest
We didn't.
00;03;10;27 - 00;03;14;05
Male Guest
Know, Donna can tell you about this.
00;03;14;07 - 00;03;36;04
Female Guest
So we went to Bali one time. That was our first holiday away overseas. So we went over there and I'd be so nice to live somewhere overseas. And we came back and we said, Diana, wouldn't it, you know, wouldn't do Bali. And then a friend came back, Max's cousin came back from Fiji and said, man, this is freehold land in Fiji.
00;03;36;06 - 00;03;57;20
Female Guest
And we'd also seen it advertised in Trex magazine. So we said on, let's go have a look. So I picked me up. I went over and, checked out all this land, freehold land, and we chose, a block of land. And at that time, Brian was finishing up with it was the amalgamation, which I. Yeah, yeah.
00;03;57;23 - 00;04;15;19
Female Guest
So, we bought that block of land and it's in front of about six surf breaks, so 400ft above sea level, looking at to the view of the islands. So we bought that. And then when we went over and we just built this little holiday shack because that's what we're going to go there for.
00;04;15;22 - 00;04;18;28
Tappa
Also it was just a little holiday shack. That's what you originally going to do.
00;04;18;28 - 00;04;35;12
Female Guest
Yes. Yeah. So we were staying there, you know, sort of we built this but with our own hands, no electricity, no nothing. And yeah. So we built this little holiday place and, what were they? There was a job advertised for a librarian at the university. Oh.
00;04;35;13 - 00;04;56;23
Male Guest
Just got the Sunday paper occasionally. And just reading it and was. Yeah, the university, South Pacific. So, I went and so I'm said, building a house. You'd love to come back and live here. I'm going to apply for this job, you know, what's it all about? And so you come back to Australia and did those applications, phoned him up after it closed and said, I applied for the job.
00;04;56;26 - 00;05;17;09
Male Guest
You know, anything happening? I said, no, if I'm back next month, anything happen? Nah, I'm back next month. Not in seven months. I'm back next month. And like about eight months later, I find out, this is Esther. Yeah. It's the. Do I know you? The university library and the university South Pacific. Do you want the job?
00;05;17;12 - 00;05;18;10
Tappa
Done. Asked to give.
00;05;18;10 - 00;05;20;08
Male Guest
Me a second to think about it.
00;05;20;10 - 00;05;22;05
Tappa
Yeah. Eight months from.
00;05;22;09 - 00;05;23;13
Tappa
Work. I didn't.
00;05;23;15 - 00;05;24;02
Tappa
Tell him.
00;05;24;09 - 00;05;25;05
Tappa
Yes. Yeah.
00;05;25;09 - 00;05;25;25
Male Guest
That's it.
00;05;25;26 - 00;05;38;09
Female Guest
Yeah. So the house moved over. Brian got the job. I finished building the house and started a bed and breakfast for surfers. Yeah. Let's take him out surfing, come back, fade them.
00;05;38;11 - 00;05;42;00
Male Guest
I used to go in the server to work. Yeah, Monday to Friday, basically.
00;05;42;03 - 00;05;50;27
Female Guest
We're an hour and a half out of Suva. Yeah. So yeah. So I dropped Brian off on the highway on the motorbike and he'd hitchhike into town. I'd get.
00;05;51;00 - 00;05;54;17
Tappa
Up. Yeah. Oh yeah. That's big. It was really.
00;05;54;18 - 00;05;56;03
Male Guest
Everyone hates Alex.
00;05;56;05 - 00;06;00;03
Tappa
So anyway, so you got to work on time every day I almost.
00;06;00;06 - 00;06;01;02
Tappa
Oh, well.
00;06;01;04 - 00;06;02;24
Tappa
It probably doesn't count that.
00;06;02;28 - 00;06;32;08
Female Guest
Actually didn't, because, with all of that, we I was doing the surfing and the, local villages because in Fiji, the villages actually own the water up to the reef, to the outer reef. So they said, oh, I want a meeting, you know, had to have a meeting, we want money. So we went down this Saturday afternoon and we were talking and I said, you know, I'm probably not going to do the, the, bed and breakfast for too much longer.
00;06;32;11 - 00;06;50;26
Female Guest
And, then it came up, you know, nice. What turned a beach around the corner? My good surf camp. Two days later, they came back and, I went down to get my one of my workers in Maori, and, he said, we've got it. I said, what are you talking about? And he said, we've got the land.
00;06;50;28 - 00;07;00;07
Female Guest
Said, are you kidding me? So he and I went down to the land and walked all around, and, we'd never actually step foot on this land.
00;07;00;07 - 00;07;01;19
Male Guest
And they said it meant the surf.
00;07;01;20 - 00;07;03;04
Tappa
Yeah. Really? Yeah.
00;07;03;06 - 00;07;03;29
Male Guest
Man, it.
00;07;04;01 - 00;07;20;12
Female Guest
It had nice white sandy beach, and that's where we lived. It wasn't white sandy beach. So anyway, we spent about an hour, an hour and a half walking around. And Murray and I just like stoked. We drove back in a ma and Brian still standing on the side of the road, hitchhiking.
00;07;20;15 - 00;07;28;17
Male Guest
And Monday morning the traffic's just gone past all the time. Normally about two seconds. I've got a lift and it's over because everyone's going from the west back. I have a decision to.
00;07;28;17 - 00;07;28;29
Tappa
Work.
00;07;29;04 - 00;07;29;25
Female Guest
Not.
00;07;29;27 - 00;07;34;08
Male Guest
Just stuck, and I was about to start walking back into our house up on the hill.
00;07;34;12 - 00;07;34;23
Tappa
Because.
00;07;34;23 - 00;07;52;06
Female Guest
It said to me, I thought I'd missed you. And I said, no, we've got the land. He said, what are you talking about? We've got land. So again, we went down and turned around, went back down, walked all over, and then the three of us went back up to the retreat, which is the name of the house. We set up there and we were just stunned.
00;07;52;08 - 00;07;56;03
Female Guest
I can't tell you what we actually said, but it was like.
00;07;56;05 - 00;07;56;13
Tappa
What.
00;07;56;13 - 00;07;57;17
Male Guest
Are we going to do?
00;07;57;20 - 00;08;04;01
Tappa
Well, yeah, it must be like a combination of wow, unreal. But like, oh yeah, what are we going to do now?
00;08;04;03 - 00;08;08;01
Female Guest
No money, a librarian, a teacher.
00;08;08;04 - 00;08;11;26
Tappa
Nothing but posh bush.
00;08;11;28 - 00;08;17;02
Tappa
Oh, wow. And so basically it was just the basic land not not cleared, not anything.
00;08;17;05 - 00;08;41;24
Female Guest
Not coconut trees everywhere. Beautiful tree. So in the middle of this property, there's a, you know, a 300, 350 year old banyan tree, and that's sort of the center of it. But again, we knew nothing about it. There was a creek that runs through, and then there was one because we didn't want to touch any of the trees.
00;08;41;26 - 00;08;55;07
Female Guest
Yeah. So but there was only one place that we could actually put the main building. Yeah. And we did have to take out one tree for that and, you know, sort of screwed the restaurant around a bit. But it fit in.
00;08;55;14 - 00;09;08;25
Tappa
Wow. That's really cool because obviously true, obviously with sand and everything, you do, you, really, you know, like, you think of the environment and all that. And that's the main thing you wanted to do, I suppose, is make it an eco friendly resort.
00;09;08;27 - 00;09;10;19
Male Guest
Yeah. That's what it was in the beginning.
00;09;10;19 - 00;09;13;09
Female Guest
So this was back in 2004.
00;09;13;16 - 00;09;14;09
Male Guest
So eco.
00;09;14;09 - 00;09;14;29
Tappa
Resort. Yeah.
00;09;15;05 - 00;09;19;26
Male Guest
But since then it's changed to sustainable. All right stuff. So,
00;09;19;28 - 00;09;29;05
Female Guest
Yeah, because everything's changed. The world's changed from eco. It's it's progressing. So now it's sustainable. Not just eco friendly.
00;09;29;07 - 00;09;39;00
Male Guest
So in 2014, we, took up a of a stoke. So to get certified as for a sustainable.
00;09;39;00 - 00;09;40;06
Tappa
Surf resort.
00;09;40;08 - 00;10;02;28
Male Guest
And, after this, from our initial benchmark, we came in at 64%. And then we had an audit after 12 months of getting everything in place, and we come in at 84%. So we're sustainable all. And most of that was just recording data and measuring your rubbish and outputs and everything like that.
00;10;03;00 - 00;10;14;19
Tappa
Oh, I remember you saying that when you went also over there. You're saying originally I thought of maybe going to having an island itself, but it was a bit, a bit more hard. It wasn't it, to do an island.
00;10;14;19 - 00;10;28;28
Female Guest
We were also an island. But then you have to have shipping to get the ferry, to get all your, things out. Building materials, things like that. You have to think about water power, all of that. So we're on the mainland.
00;10;29;01 - 00;10;32;04
Male Guest
We're off the grid with everything. Yeah, yeah, it's full solar power.
00;10;32;04 - 00;10;33;10
Tappa
So an adjustment.
00;10;33;12 - 00;10;40;26
Female Guest
In addition to what Brian said, we did get certified for Stoke, and we're the first in the world to be certified a sustainable surf resort.
00;10;40;29 - 00;10;42;05
Tappa
That's awesome.
00;10;42;07 - 00;10;42;20
Female Guest
Apparently, they.
00;10;42;22 - 00;11;01;21
Tappa
Backtrack a bit, though. Okay. You've got this block of land, you don't want to move many trees, and you go, how did you start with all this? How like, who actually built it was that that's the thing. How did you actually build it? Because I've been there and ladies and gentlemen, it is amazing. It's like heaven on earth and it's, it's it's beautiful.
00;11;01;21 - 00;11;04;29
Tappa
But how did you start with all of that?
00;11;05;02 - 00;11;06;09
Female Guest
Is it work?
00;11;06;11 - 00;11;07;05
Male Guest
Yeah, I was working.
00;11;07;05 - 00;11;15;11
Female Guest
It was in an air condition of sorts, waving to the girls as they went by. Typical Mecca.
00;11;15;14 - 00;11;26;28
Male Guest
So, we, Well, Donna wrote to a award winning architect in Queensland. She saw in the Home Beautiful magazine in Fiji.
00;11;26;29 - 00;11;27;26
Tappa
Yeah.
00;11;27;29 - 00;11;41;06
Male Guest
It's Paul Newman. He's a surfer. He used to be in the early arcade in the theater arcade above Mandy's. Yeah. And so she wrote a letter to him. So it was before email correspondence, basically.
00;11;41;09 - 00;11;46;24
Tappa
Wow. Wow. Yeah. Oh, wow. What happened?
00;11;46;26 - 00;12;08;09
Female Guest
Yeah. And then, he actually phoned. I just said because we had no money, we didn't have investors at that stage. We didn't have anything. So I wrote to him and said, would you be interested in designing a a surf resort in Fiji? But we haven't got any money. So, you know, would you be interested in doing a Contra and Paul's find.
00;12;08;09 - 00;12;21;00
Female Guest
And he said Yeah it sounds good. And so we've got this. Absolutely beautiful resort the Paul designed and yeah it's lovely.
00;12;21;04 - 00;12;22;18
Tappa
But with Brian at, at.
00;12;22;18 - 00;12;23;16
Tappa
Work.
00;12;23;18 - 00;12;24;16
Tappa
How did the actual.
00;12;24;16 - 00;12;27;26
Tappa
Construction ring. So what. First one has to.
00;12;27;26 - 00;12;35;21
Male Guest
Get the access road. Yeah. And Donna was pouring concrete and getting concrete strips going down the hill so we could access into the beach front.
00;12;35;23 - 00;12;36;11
Tappa
Wow.
00;12;36;11 - 00;12;56;07
Female Guest
So once, once we had those done, and then we started clearing and measuring out, we we got a couple of guys from Australia, to come over to the building. So we set it all up and it got to one point and I just said, Brian, I can't do it on mine. It's time for you to give up work.
00;12;56;07 - 00;13;20;06
Female Guest
And we went off. So it was on the next day virtually. But yeah, so we had two guys, two mates who came over and they did all the, the layout, the setting out of the, the berets, the restaurant. And then we had a queue. So they ran away. And Brian and I built it ourselves in between finding another builder.
00;13;20;08 - 00;13;43;21
Female Guest
So we trained the Fijians on what to do, librarian books, how to build houses, how to build everything. So, yeah, we went through and we, just basically built it ourselves and taught ourselves how to build and got, that had the Fijians with us. And then we'd have friends come over and give us a hand and breath.
00;13;43;24 - 00;13;50;08
Tappa
You know. Yeah, it's boxy and see all the time in history books that.
00;13;50;11 - 00;13;51;23
Male Guest
World's best surfer dollar.
00;13;51;26 - 00;13;58;00
Tappa
So it's all. Yeah, I was able to I used to call him the Evergreen Carisbrooke because he looks it now is the evergreen ever grave it.
00;13;58;03 - 00;13;59;06
Tappa
Which is still.
00;13;59;06 - 00;14;04;16
Tappa
Rip it out. Yeah. He's out of Berlin the other day. And of course, Brown now lives in Fiji.
00;14;04;16 - 00;14;06;28
Female Guest
Yes, he's in our original home.
00;14;07;01 - 00;14;07;22
Tappa
In your original.
00;14;07;22 - 00;14;08;26
Tappa
Home? Yes.
00;14;08;28 - 00;14;20;05
Male Guest
Yes, which was just a holiday shack. But he's made it into a beautiful place. All the walls of plaster ceilings, glass is old painted, and those make. It's unreal what he's done.
00;14;20;05 - 00;14;23;01
Tappa
And he's kind of retired. He's a surfing retirement going.
00;14;23;01 - 00;14;30;17
Female Guest
And yes, he helps us out if we need to surf God or if frigates is really good. Yeah, he's he's there helping.
00;14;30;25 - 00;14;32;20
Tappa
Oh yeah. Help me to get.
00;14;32;22 - 00;14;48;27
Tappa
On the further esteem. So I did the best. Why is he for a night out. Yeah. But so the local people, you've had a lot to do with the local people. And I know that, as part of your passion, what you do with it, you actually help out the local community there?
00;14;48;29 - 00;15;25;28
Female Guest
Yep. Also within the sustainability within Stoke. Yeah. It encompasses, the environment, but also the social and the working with community, communities, culture and all the rest. But we do work with the village, we've helped with the kindergarten and water supplies, and they'll ask us for donations. Yeah. And, then we, the some of our guys might go down and help, but mainly it's just, you know, sort of, gives the donations and they have the, the workers all organized to get projects done.
00;15;26;00 - 00;15;42;09
Male Guest
So most of our staff come from the local village, and they were sort of, not skilled when we got them, the just village guys. And so we've trained them all, putting plumbing together, doing painting.
00;15;42;11 - 00;15;43;07
Female Guest
The bar.
00;15;43;10 - 00;16;03;00
Male Guest
And just driving the boats. And we had to teach the guys surfing because nobody in the area was surfing. So our surf guides, oh, trained local kids, now 20, 30, 40 years old, because we've been operating in the resort for, 17 years now, but in that area for 30 years. So. Wow.
00;16;03;00 - 00;16;15;10
Tappa
That's cool. And the, and of course, Tiny's been there. Like, I think, I don't know how long it because I when I went there, that was a few years ago. I went there, but tiny was there then, and he's still there. He stays. He runs the show.
00;16;15;10 - 00;16;16;08
Male Guest
Economy general.
00;16;16;09 - 00;16;46;02
Female Guest
Manager. General manager. Yeah. So Tony came on my birthday, one of my birthdays with the zero on it and as a barman. And he was unreal. It was just, he was so good. So that was 17 years ago. And, he just slowly worked his way up. We actually decided we were going to the States for something, so he said, I'm Tony, we're going to give you a promotion, we're going to make you manager.
00;16;46;02 - 00;16;47;29
Tappa
And it's like, yes.
00;16;48;01 - 00;17;01;01
Female Guest
And his whole round is stoked. And then, the, we told, oh, we let that go for a few days, and then we told him we're going to the States. And I was like, oh, but now he's general manager and has been for many years, and he's great.
00;17;01;03 - 00;17;13;15
Tappa
Oh, that's really cool. That is now every day life at a resort, like I've been there and stayed there and like, you'd think Brian would be just sitting there. Yeah, yeah. But like. Yeah is a pretty busy ages outside that there's a.
00;17;13;15 - 00;17;14;02
Male Guest
Lot for sure.
00;17;14;03 - 00;17;17;02
Tappa
It's not just sitting there and everything runs itself.
00;17;17;04 - 00;17;18;08
Female Guest
It's 24 seven.
00;17;18;08 - 00;17;26;05
Male Guest
Above a will now. But yeah, in the early days of us up at dawn and last one to bed.
00;17;26;08 - 00;17;27;01
Tappa
00;17;27;04 - 00;17;35;22
Male Guest
10:00 at night for the resort because we go surfing all day. So yeah, guests are pretty gassed by 6:00 to eight, and then they just crash out.
00;17;35;24 - 00;17;37;07
Female Guest
Not good for the bar and.
00;17;37;09 - 00;17;40;25
Tappa
Come back and and then I think I.
00;17;40;27 - 00;17;49;08
Tappa
Think I did lots at the bar when I, you know, I don't drink anymore so like but, but my the surf. Right. The surfing itself. Do you still do a bit of surfing.
00;17;49;14 - 00;17;53;18
Male Guest
I tried to go and it's going to be good. Yeah. And not too crowded.
00;17;53;20 - 00;17;57;06
Tappa
So how crowded does it get there? Frigates. It probably get a little crowded, wouldn't it?
00;17;57;06 - 00;18;01;20
Male Guest
Yeah. That can be 15, 20 people out there.
00;18;01;22 - 00;18;03;14
Tappa
That's crammed into it. Yeah. That that's.
00;18;03;21 - 00;18;23;06
Male Guest
You know, everyone gets out there like at I of 9:00 from the boats, from different places, and then the old frozen. So they'll jump in now after two hours, they're burned out. Brian, I just ride for an hour or so and and then go out and they'll come back in for a relax. So food or drinks or something like that, and we get it to ourselves a lot.
00;18;23;09 - 00;18;32;09
Tappa
That's cool. Tell us a bit about the different breaks. Er, of course you got frigates now. Frigates. That's a, that's a pretty, pretty solid and pretty cool left hand to that one.
00;18;32;14 - 00;18;57;01
Male Guest
Yes. It's definitely world class above six foot. It just pumps. It's 20 K's straight out to sea on the edge of a barrier reef that goes right at sea around the smaller islands of Venice and Bangor. And, the left hand is just on the end of the reef. There's a little button there, and it holds big, as big as you want it.
00;18;57;06 - 00;18;59;15
Male Guest
I've seen it huge and I mean huge.
00;18;59;20 - 00;19;17;27
Tappa
Well, I can't imagine. I remember I was surfing there one day and night and the sets come out of nowhere that same. And next thing it's like and and if it, it breaks, it's like like clamber I get breaks, a sign up, two foot is it does it whatever. Well I was thinking I only had about an eight foot of land on my head, but that was big enough.
00;19;17;28 - 00;19;19;21
Tappa
I said, yeah, yeah.
00;19;19;24 - 00;19;28;27
Male Guest
No it does. The water between there and the next sort of island and the passages around is like seven, 800m deep.
00;19;29;00 - 00;19;29;20
Tappa
Wow.
00;19;29;21 - 00;20;04;06
Male Guest
You know, like four miles out. Yeah. A deep trench there. So it's just volcanic, the whole island chain, even our local breaks. And so I'd, shifts and guys and pipe, they just little ledge slabs. Rarely if it gets too big, it just surges onto the reef. So it's can't be too big a stone as well. And, you're surfing in over three foot of water, but where you're sitting is eight foot and another ten feet out behind is 30ft deep.
00;20;04;08 - 00;20;06;11
Male Guest
Well, just just a drop off soon. It's fine.
00;20;06;16 - 00;20;21;16
Tappa
So. Yeah. So frigates is like it's a it's a pretty solid, powerful way from what I remember. You know like and so and you'd recommend if someone was going they'd probably take a bit of a step up with them. Would that be worthwhile taking if you, if you're coming to visit that ten of Aussie?
00;20;21;19 - 00;20;25;28
Male Guest
I think so, yeah. I, I'm amazed that the people you know.
00;20;26;01 - 00;20;27;15
Tappa
With five foot TS or seven.
00;20;27;19 - 00;20;32;08
Male Guest
And, five, five tens and a step off of six foot.
00;20;32;11 - 00;20;44;28
Tappa
Oh, God. You know, when I come, I'm going to be ringing me six fall. I finally ring in the last couple of hours. So, so frigates is probably the main quality wave in, in your kind of region?
00;20;45;00 - 00;20;49;15
Male Guest
Yes, it's definitely world class. I mean, it's pumping on and that's on, it's on.
00;20;49;18 - 00;20;54;10
Tappa
It's and some of the other breaks you said guys that's named after your son isn't it. That's just.
00;20;54;10 - 00;21;20;22
Male Guest
That's fucked. Yeah. No, it's the right hander. The inside breaks take the right conditions. Swell direction and tide and wind. Yeah. With frigates is pretty consistent all the time. And the swell variations can make a difference. But it's still breaking with the swell variations. And guys, it might be just missing that or not hitting it right. So it's not breaking.
00;21;20;25 - 00;21;38;26
Male Guest
But the inside break the edges is nice and the right hand mostly in summertime when the winds are glassy, you know, the offshore. Yeah. Frigates is offshore in the trade winds, which is most consistent. For eight months of the year. Southeast winds, southwest swells.
00;21;38;29 - 00;21;43;14
Tappa
But yeah, you get plenty of southwest swell. And the pinball, I call it, they always come straight out.
00;21;43;17 - 00;21;44;01
Male Guest
Yes.
00;21;44;07 - 00;21;48;02
Tappa
And I say a shift. That's a little bit of a kind of novelty wave shift. It's.
00;21;48;03 - 00;21;49;10
Male Guest
Yes.
00;21;49;12 - 00;21;50;24
Tappa
That's a bit of fun.
00;21;50;26 - 00;21;56;29
Male Guest
Yeah. That was nine by Jim Banks. Oh, really? When we first shifted over there to our cabin.
00;21;56;29 - 00;21;58;05
Tappa
To the retreat to.
00;21;58;05 - 00;22;22;27
Male Guest
Start work. Yeah. Banksy was hanging around the area and, he used to go surfing at there, and one other break called left overs and we're surfing and it shifted and Banksy said, what are we going to call this place? It should be beanies or shifters because you always get one on the head and so on. In the 50s, because it does shift around.
00;22;23;00 - 00;22;27;05
Male Guest
There's right in the left, but predominantly the better lives of the rights.
00;22;27;07 - 00;22;35;05
Tappa
And and I know part of that that's pretty scary, that, that's like basically a slab on to draw everything, if I remember rightly.
00;22;35;07 - 00;22;37;00
Male Guest
And you must have been that low tide.
00;22;37;02 - 00;22;52;22
Tappa
Yeah, I know there was one guy who was a bit of a cheeky Kiwi black, and he was giving us heaps about the wall of his game and that and I've looked and I've seen this on God and I've bought it. I think I was a little bit ahead and, or I just snuck under it with my heart in my mouth and he wasn't.
00;22;52;22 - 00;22;57;07
Tappa
And he got a head there and wait while he was being lined back up.
00;22;57;07 - 00;23;03;14
Tappa
The result was that have eyes and eyes. All blacks got one. But but yeah the.
00;23;03;16 - 00;23;05;20
Tappa
C sharp that that in there at time.
00;23;05;26 - 00;23;06;09
Male Guest
Yes.
00;23;06;09 - 00;23;07;27
Tappa
Yeah yeah sure.
00;23;07;29 - 00;23;18;24
Tappa
Now also might be discovering the brakes. Did you how did you discover them or was that just while you were living. They just got around in the biting. But not a look.
00;23;18;27 - 00;23;42;04
Male Guest
Yeah. When I first went over there, we took a container with stuff we thought we'd need, and one was a ten foot tinny and with a 15 horsepower output on it. So I was just puttering around the local reefs, just looking, and, from a house which was 500ft above sea level, we could see a few different areas.
00;23;42;04 - 00;23;53;14
Male Guest
And potential wise, you know, that spanned 3 or 4km to view in a way. And, yeah, just take them out and sort of got to work the areas.
00;23;53;16 - 00;24;03;02
Tappa
Yeah. The surf at two. My other thing, they I've got a matching one on one of that good match. You've got the Marcus mobile cos Marcus passed away and I still got the Marcus mobile there.
00;24;03;03 - 00;24;08;29
Male Guest
Yes. It's being renovated at the moment but I can tell you about to do a tally. One mobile.
00;24;09;02 - 00;24;25;18
Female Guest
Yes. So that one of the last boards that Brian got was shaped by Marcus and. Yeah. Really good mate. So, we decided to put his board up in the bar and call it the do a tally. Barker's in Fiji and do a tallies one more.
00;24;25;20 - 00;24;26;00
Tappa
So.
00;24;26;00 - 00;24;30;05
Female Guest
We've got the the one more bar. So with his surfboard.
00;24;30;11 - 00;24;43;25
Tappa
So that's Uno and like I'm with. Yeah I've all the different bikes we've got there as well. But like what's the hardest thing about running the resort. What's the hardest logistical thing sort of thing. Is it food. Is it.
00;24;43;25 - 00;24;44;17
Female Guest
Stocked with.
00;24;44;19 - 00;25;11;00
Tappa
Staff? Well, because actually when I went to Papua New Guinea, I stayed at, Oh was it Ruby I plantation and Shane there he gets the little png j and he said the hardest thing is because these people, they live a beautiful life, you know, they're subsistence farmers fishing. They got the food there and generally found, they said most of the staff, they come there to live, save the money to get a car or something.
00;25;11;00 - 00;25;12;00
Tappa
And then,
00;25;12;02 - 00;25;12;29
Male Guest
I'm Dominica. Yeah.
00;25;13;03 - 00;25;14;25
Tappa
Is that the similar thing? They.
00;25;14;27 - 00;25;37;09
Female Guest
No not really. They don't save their money. They come to work and they'll stay for, you know. Oh, well, some people Tony's been here 17 years. Bruce the chef, started off as dishwasher, and now he's a chef. And he's been there 15 years. So we do have a lot of long stayers, but a lot of them, we'll just go because I think, oh, we can get a job and it'll be easy.
00;25;37;09 - 00;25;41;09
Female Guest
We get money, but they actually have to work and I don't typically like that one.
00;25;41;11 - 00;25;55;11
Male Guest
So so because if they stay in the village they don't really have to work. You know, they get like I say, subsistence. So as I do a bit of farming or they go fishing or spearfishing and they really don't really need money.
00;25;55;12 - 00;25;55;23
Tappa
No.
00;25;55;25 - 00;26;13;00
Male Guest
Somebody in the family might be working somewhere and getting money. So that's coming back to mum and dad and looking after the young kids to purchase stuff. And if I catch a big fish, they go into the highway and sell it. Oh, wow. Okay. Absolutely. Yeah. Lobster something. Got that. Yeah. They sell to get cash.
00;26;13;03 - 00;26;21;18
Tappa
Yeah. That's one thing I've just remembered as lemon and I. Major commercial at your resort.
00;26;21;21 - 00;26;23;05
Female Guest
That was the Chanel number five.
00;26;23;05 - 00;26;25;22
Tappa
Chanel number. Who was the, model? It was,
00;26;25;24 - 00;26;26;09
Tappa
It's.
00;26;26;11 - 00;26;29;18
Male Guest
It's based on.
00;26;29;20 - 00;26;30;10
Male Guest
Ocean is.
00;26;30;10 - 00;26;31;03
Tappa
A.
00;26;31;05 - 00;26;32;02
Male Guest
Gazelle.
00;26;32;05 - 00;26;33;05
Tappa
Which itself,
00;26;33;08 - 00;26;36;19
Male Guest
Function. Yeah. She was a model in the. She didn't come in the.
00;26;36;19 - 00;26;41;14
Tappa
Side because it was a girl. I think I know that had to keep duck diving in your pool all the time.
00;26;41;14 - 00;26;44;14
Tappa
Yes, yes. Oh, yeah. Well.
00;26;44;17 - 00;26;45;04
Female Guest
It was.
00;26;45;10 - 00;26;45;16
Tappa
From.
00;26;45;16 - 00;26;47;03
Male Guest
Brazil. The big wave. Yeah.
00;26;47;05 - 00;26;51;04
Tappa
Yeah, she she had to keep duck diving in the pool. And two shots of her doctor.
00;26;51;09 - 00;26;53;16
Male Guest
Yes. She was a double.
00;26;53;18 - 00;27;14;13
Female Guest
So yeah, they're all doubles. And they did shoot out at frigates, but they also shot a lot in the pool. But they had this massive drone, and Bez wanted the drone to follow the surfer in the way. Well, that doesn't happen. Not with a, you know, sort of.
00;27;14;13 - 00;27;15;03
Tappa
Oh that's.
00;27;15;05 - 00;27;15;12
Tappa
Right.
00;27;15;12 - 00;27;21;14
Female Guest
Yes, yes. If so, some of the sprite got the drone straight to the bottom of the ocean, so.
00;27;21;15 - 00;27;22;07
Tappa
Oh.
00;27;22;10 - 00;27;23;20
Female Guest
Let's see one of our Chanel.
00;27;23;20 - 00;27;27;01
Tappa
Number five that I can spend a bit. Did you get any Chanel number five out.
00;27;27;01 - 00;27;29;25
Tappa
Of it I know. Oh, that's not good.
00;27;30;00 - 00;27;33;04
Female Guest
None of the surfboards is beautiful. Black surfboards.
00;27;33;06 - 00;27;34;26
Male Guest
See, you know Chanel.
00;27;34;29 - 00;27;35;23
Tappa
Oh.
00;27;35;25 - 00;27;37;12
Tappa
I heard he likes his coffee.
00;27;37;14 - 00;27;41;15
Female Guest
He. Yes he does. We actually moved out of our house so he could stay there.
00;27;41;15 - 00;27;44;04
Tappa
Oh, I say you moved out and said move in best.
00;27;44;04 - 00;27;47;03
Female Guest
Yes, but he preferred to stay in one the berries.
00;27;47;06 - 00;27;47;27
Tappa
Oh, cool.
00;27;47;27 - 00;27;48;11
Female Guest
So so.
00;27;48;12 - 00;28;03;09
Tappa
Oh, okay. Well, you know what. All stayed in your berries and it's pretty amazing. Like what the, the the the basically the veranda of your berries. What, like five meters at high tide from the lagoon. Yeah. I just love going to sleep there because it's like splash.
00;28;03;13 - 00;28;05;24
Tappa
Splash can be beautiful. Yeah.
00;28;05;24 - 00;28;23;04
Female Guest
It's gorgeous. Yeah. Some people are nervous. I think the ocean's coming right in, but, everything's built above ground, so you get the airflow as well. So it's nice and cool. And in the whole time we've been there, the the water has never come up underneath the berries or anything. And.
00;28;23;06 - 00;28;29;12
Tappa
Yeah, because you've got rice pathways all through the resort so you don't interfere with the vegetation or anything do you.
00;28;29;13 - 00;28;49;03
Female Guest
Yeah. We've got the, the yeah. The raised boardwalk which goes all the way through the resort to all the rooms. And then it also goes to the granddaddy tree, which is the banyan tree. And then since you've been there, we've bought a, we've built a yoga studio which faces out to the banyan tree. And then underneath that is a day spa.
00;28;49;05 - 00;28;51;15
Female Guest
So everything's connected by phone books.
00;28;51;15 - 00;28;59;19
Tappa
So it's not just. It's not just sort of like, you know, like, just like the old shack. And then you get in the by the guy, but now.
00;28;59;21 - 00;29;12;14
Female Guest
It's not a surf camp because I said no, you know, if people are coming, we want everyone to be there. So we have families, we've got partners, we have weddings and honeymoons. And so now it caters to everyone. So you can be pampered.
00;29;12;21 - 00;29;24;01
Tappa
Well, I'll tell you what, that'd be a pretty awesome place to get married. It would be like, you know, like, to be honest, it's like the views and actually I'm already sitting in the pool. I don't drink any more, but just sit in the pool after you've been surfing at frigates.
00;29;24;01 - 00;29;25;07
Male Guest
Old I in the spa.
00;29;25;12 - 00;29;26;28
Tappa
In the spa? Yes, yes.
00;29;26;28 - 00;29;28;25
Female Guest
Like yes.
00;29;28;27 - 00;29;30;28
Male Guest
Those jets work in the muscles.
00;29;31;00 - 00;29;37;04
Tappa
Yeah. Oh yeah. Because it. Yeah. Big sessions out there. Because if you go on the frigates it's about about an hour. And then on the beach.
00;29;37;10 - 00;29;41;17
Male Guest
Yes less than an hour. But we still don't have as much surf as you like.
00;29;41;19 - 00;29;48;16
Tappa
Oh yeah I know I quite enjoy that, except it took me a while to end up following my brother and Brower and to find the spot to take off. And then when I.
00;29;48;16 - 00;29;49;02
Tappa
Did, I didn't.
00;29;49;02 - 00;29;49;15
Female Guest
Get tell.
00;29;49;15 - 00;29;53;06
Tappa
You know, and I just that's all I was going to tell me where to go. I stayed.
00;29;53;14 - 00;29;59;01
Female Guest
But with with other people, our surf guides, they're in the water with them and telling them where to see it and what to do.
00;29;59;01 - 00;30;08;07
Tappa
Yeah. And there's a couple of different spots there at for you where to sit in that. Yeah. So can you know one guys is Davis Brown that wide belief. Oh I looked at Brown I said I'm not going up.
00;30;08;07 - 00;30;11;28
Male Guest
And he sits and waits for the best biggest.
00;30;12;00 - 00;30;13;28
Tappa
Yeah. And it's like it what is.
00;30;14;00 - 00;30;15;28
Tappa
Like yeah I yeah.
00;30;15;28 - 00;30;29;21
Tappa
But like also I cyclone's like feed Fiji is like said sorry but let's cyclone season now. So have you ever had a cyclone ripped through the resort.
00;30;29;23 - 00;30;33;06
Male Guest
Not really ripped through the resort pretty close.
00;30;33;08 - 00;30;33;19
Female Guest
Close.
00;30;33;19 - 00;30;49;02
Male Guest
But with all the vegetation that's sides is it gives a bit of a buffer zone. We can go down into the lagoon. The winds are just how long they're in sands. Bowen. But you get back inside the vegetation, it's nothing.
00;30;49;06 - 00;30;49;24
Tappa
Oh, wow.
00;30;49;26 - 00;30;50;06
Tappa
Yeah, but.
00;30;50;06 - 00;30;51;17
Female Guest
It strips the trees.
00;30;51;22 - 00;30;52;03
Male Guest
Yeah.
00;30;52;03 - 00;31;02;02
Female Guest
Just all the leaves. Everything. The pools just is filled with the leaves. That was the one that came close by. But, honestly.
00;31;02;07 - 00;31;19;06
Male Guest
Just sounds like a jet. Yeah, right above you. Yeah. I'll try and just go in past and, my son come from up north and we're on the south coast, and they sort of come over around the sides of the islands, so they're not really strong where we are in tucked in against the mountains on the south coast.
00;31;19;07 - 00;31;21;02
Male Guest
We're in certainly for that.
00;31;21;05 - 00;31;21;19
Tappa
00;31;21;22 - 00;31;22;24
Tappa
Oh, so that's a good spot.
00;31;22;24 - 00;31;23;27
Tappa
Yeah. Yeah.
00;31;24;00 - 00;31;27;13
Tappa
He kind of look at that when you actually, I bought the land or.
00;31;27;18 - 00;31;30;10
Female Guest
Remember it was foot and mouth.
00;31;30;12 - 00;31;31;10
Tappa
No.
00;31;31;12 - 00;31;37;06
Female Guest
We had never planned on building a resort or doing anything. We just wanted to have somewhere with a white sandy beach.
00;31;37;08 - 00;31;38;15
Tappa
Oh, wow. And you did.
00;31;38;18 - 00;31;42;04
Female Guest
That's pretty cool with that. So. Yeah. No, it's definitely footmen.
00;31;42;07 - 00;31;46;26
Tappa
What? What are some of your best memories at that resort?
00;31;46;29 - 00;32;12;17
Female Guest
Oh, there's the a lot of the people. We've got our Fijian family. Yeah. Over there. Not actually around the village, but in another village close by, five kilometers away. That's really nice. And how they just welcome you in and. Yeah, that's that's really special with them. But in the resort itself, I don't know. There's so many nice things to people who meet.
00;32;12;23 - 00;32;22;22
Female Guest
We've become friends with a lot of them. And, you know, if we go to the States or somewhere, we stay with them and visit or, you know, go traveling with them or.
00;32;22;24 - 00;32;32;13
Male Guest
Yeah. And saying that some of the people have lived behind each other in different streets in California. And I've met at our resort.
00;32;32;15 - 00;32;34;05
Female Guest
And we had never known each other.
00;32;34;06 - 00;32;35;23
Male Guest
Nah, it's just amazing.
00;32;35;23 - 00;32;36;04
Tappa
Yeah.
00;32;36;04 - 00;32;50;21
Tappa
So this is it was a doctor that was there and he was on an hour. He was. He'd been there for ages. He was out there surfing on his hip. Thai crypto. I'd never seen a could do. It's like it's just amazing the range of people you'd get there.
00;32;50;23 - 00;32;51;21
Female Guest
It it's. Yeah.
00;32;51;28 - 00;32;54;27
Tappa
And from all over the world, countries from all over the world.
00;32;54;29 - 00;33;03;10
Female Guest
Yeah. Yes. Mainly. Yeah, mainly Australia and America, but Europe, we're getting quite a few Germans coming now.
00;33;03;10 - 00;33;06;22
Male Guest
Yeah. Years ago we had a few Russians.
00;33;06;28 - 00;33;07;22
Female Guest
Yes.
00;33;07;24 - 00;33;17;13
Male Guest
When I started to come to Bali, they're coming down to us and a couple of families. But 80% Aussies.
00;33;17;15 - 00;33;18;01
Tappa
00;33;18;03 - 00;33;22;08
Tappa
Yeah. And like, what? Like, okay, you've got the yoga.
00;33;22;10 - 00;33;22;23
Male Guest
Yes.
00;33;22;23 - 00;33;27;07
Tappa
You've got surfing. So what else do you got. Like, like fishing and.
00;33;27;14 - 00;33;44;05
Female Guest
Stand up paddle boarding. Kayaking. We take guests. There's some nice little creeks around. Yeah. And so it'd take guests paddling up the creek into the mangroves area. So do that they can go to a waterfall but that to outside the resort, within the resort is.
00;33;44;05 - 00;33;46;19
Male Guest
Snorkeling club snorkeling because I.
00;33;46;19 - 00;33;48;27
Tappa
Think I went snails. Right, right, right.
00;33;49;00 - 00;33;56;00
Male Guest
In an aquarium tank here. Just a fishing vibe and reefs. And because of water is a really clear and.
00;33;56;00 - 00;33;57;09
Female Guest
Beautiful.
00;33;57;11 - 00;34;02;12
Male Guest
Unpolluted, pristine environment. And that's what we're trying to keep it with.
00;34;02;14 - 00;34;10;23
Tappa
And it's amazing when you're in the boat to it, when on the way to go for it, like just it looks so shallow. It looks nice. Yeah, but you can see everything else.
00;34;11;00 - 00;34;24;29
Female Guest
And then we've had to, Christmas time early, early this year. The kids were over. And so we went over to one of the islands we go over. They've take this for picnics over day to. And we were surrounded by hundreds of dolphins.
00;34;25;06 - 00;34;25;25
Tappa
Oh, I.
00;34;25;25 - 00;34;35;21
Female Guest
Thought they would just, I would have said, you know, 20, 30 and everyone's going look all around and that we would just surround it. So, it was blowing around.
00;34;35;21 - 00;34;38;04
Male Guest
They weren't moving anywhere or anything like that.
00;34;38;07 - 00;34;49;07
Female Guest
And then we've had coming back from frigates, going to frigates, coming back and coming back from the island. We've been, swimming with the whales as well, because we get pilot whales.
00;34;49;08 - 00;34;49;25
Tappa
On the line.
00;34;49;27 - 00;35;07;20
Female Guest
And so the again, first time that I went swimming with them, I was taking guys out to frigates and they just I stopped and they just surrounded the boat. So I jumped in and they were just around, you know, you don't, you know, you get hands behind your back and that sort of thing. And it was amazing.
00;35;07;20 - 00;35;20;04
Tappa
That's like heaven on earth. And I know that, like, if anybody wants to check it out, Brian was pretty smart and ahead of the curve because he's got surfing fiji.com as you as your website address. You've been ahead of the curve there mate.
00;35;20;06 - 00;35;21;04
Male Guest
All right.
00;35;21;06 - 00;35;22;08
Tappa
Stuff I did.
00;35;22;08 - 00;35;36;11
Tappa
All the surfing fiji.com and and it's like yeah. And but also just going back what you did a bit a bit to help out the like a Fijian. Like setting your association. Yeah. You still have a bit to do with that or.
00;35;36;13 - 00;35;36;23
Male Guest
00;35;36;23 - 00;35;37;18
Tappa
No, no.
00;35;37;19 - 00;35;43;10
Male Guest
When we start a resort, it was just too much. Yeah. And we're done. Six years or something like that.
00;35;43;10 - 00;35;44;24
Tappa
Wow. That's pretty good contribution.
00;35;44;24 - 00;36;02;07
Male Guest
When I first got there. Yeah, they were organizing a competition, the South Pacific Games, and, jumped in and helped them with that because they hadn't really done, hosting of events before. And from the sand events we'd done at Surfers Paradise, you know.
00;36;02;09 - 00;36;13;14
Tappa
But if from a tiny idea, you'd have to now, I, I know this was a big part of my life and basically teaching me lessons that I didn't even know he was teaching me.
00;36;13;16 - 00;36;14;23
Tappa
That's right. Yes.
00;36;15;00 - 00;36;41;27
Female Guest
Now, I said that, but we did. Once we start the resort to and we had been in this surfing association, we started to get the kids down on weekends and would teach the young kids surfing. So we they'd come down the surf, had their lessons, and then they had to do one sustainability, activity as well. So either crushing cairns or doing the beach cleaning and things like that.
00;36;42;04 - 00;36;54;25
Female Guest
So we've got all of these boats we'd have from I think at one stage the youngest was about five and up to 15. And we were getting we got too many on stage. Yeah. There like 20 kids there.
00;36;54;27 - 00;36;56;28
Tappa
And so you can't control 20 kids.
00;36;57;01 - 00;37;06;22
Female Guest
So they'd be so excited to see them going out in the boat. And they like Yahoo going and singing and all that hanging off the boat. And on the way back, they're just snoring.
00;37;06;24 - 00;37;09;02
Tappa
Silly.
00;37;09;05 - 00;37;09;17
Female Guest
Clever.
00;37;09;20 - 00;37;16;19
Tappa
Oh that's awesome. And like people when they come, the resort can see some of the Fijian culture do they can go in the villages and say oh yes.
00;37;16;19 - 00;37;29;23
Male Guest
Yeah, yeah. We do that for sure. Service church is big in Fiji and people often ask about going to church to listen to the singing. Yeah, that's it's fantastic. And he matches. Yeah. Oh yeah.
00;37;30;00 - 00;37;35;29
Tappa
I remember when we came in on the bus and I'm looking in it blind, fully on concrete or wherever.
00;37;35;29 - 00;37;37;11
Tappa
There's a space, they plan.
00;37;37;14 - 00;37;38;24
Tappa
For it. I love their footy.
00;37;38;24 - 00;37;40;08
Female Guest
Yeah, they sure do.
00;37;40;10 - 00;37;41;03
Tappa
Yeah, but it's a.
00;37;41;03 - 00;37;41;26
Male Guest
Nipple.
00;37;41;29 - 00;37;43;04
Tappa
And that ball as well. It's.
00;37;43;04 - 00;37;48;03
Tappa
Yeah, it's a big basketball and volleyball. Volleyball.
00;37;48;05 - 00;37;49;06
Male Guest
Volleyball. Yes.
00;37;49;09 - 00;37;50;08
Tappa
So because it's a ball.
00;37;50;08 - 00;37;50;21
Female Guest
Set up.
00;37;50;25 - 00;37;56;26
Male Guest
Male and female sport you know in the villages I just need a little bit of air in the net and it's always going on.
00;37;56;28 - 00;38;04;24
Tappa
And all that. That's beautiful. Now what, what are these guys heading into the future? What are your plans for the future? You know, with the resort and everything.
00;38;04;26 - 00;38;23;18
Female Guest
I know, Brian, I keep saying we got to retire and Brian keeps saying we are retired. So, you know, there's a difference in his my version. But we'll just keep on going and, and see what happens because we've got another block of land that we'd like to just build a house.
00;38;23;18 - 00;38;26;18
Tappa
So a house separate from the result. Yeah.
00;38;26;24 - 00;38;31;20
Male Guest
Yeah. Nothing to do. There's. So we can retire. Yes. I think this could be five, ten years before we build it.
00;38;31;21 - 00;38;34;26
Tappa
Yeah, yeah.
00;38;34;28 - 00;38;37;07
Tappa
I see it in Fiji.
00;38;37;10 - 00;38;47;04
Tappa
But, yeah, it's a it's a beautiful place. Now, if people want to go check it out, they can get on it. So I for Eagle. That's that's had I have checked out Matt ten of Fushi resort. That's right.
00;38;47;11 - 00;39;17;00
Female Guest
Do that. And then I can just click on the link if for an inquiry. Yeah. We try to get back within 24 hours. We're up grading our website at the moment, but, now just get in touch. And that's the nice thing about us, just being a family run operation. And Tony, whose family we, get to know people before because we email and it's not just yours.
00;39;17;01 - 00;39;30;28
Female Guest
We give a standard reply and then once say, doing backwards and forwards. We get to know them before they've even arrived. And it's like, you know, they arrive. It's like, oh, hugs and kisses. Yeah. We've been talking for so long. And yeah, it's the same when they leave.
00;39;31;01 - 00;39;54;02
Tappa
Yeah, well I loved it there and the dinners and yes, you know like and the kava ceremony and everything, it's, it's, it's a very beautiful place to go. And I'd recommend, ladies and gentlemen, go check out Matt ten. Obviously it's a beautiful place of Fiji. And and these guys. Yeah. It's like it's so funny. It's like a just I just remember you guys telling me all we've got to some land in Fiji in one day and then.
00;39;54;02 - 00;40;11;10
Tappa
Yeah, yeah. Next thing you've got there. Well not next, but you know, it took a while but it's amazing journey that you've been on and, and I'm sure everybody out there you know I love to I love to do that journey. But there's a lot more to it than just as we've just found out. Then just, turn up and Pina colada place.
00;40;11;11 - 00;40;12;18
Tappa
Yes, yes. Yeah.
00;40;12;21 - 00;40;17;12
Female Guest
Sometimes we get to the beach bar in the afternoons to check with the guests, and that's it.
00;40;17;18 - 00;40;18;14
Male Guest
That's a good afternoon.
00;40;18;16 - 00;40;21;19
Female Guest
That's a great off the sunset on the beach.
00;40;21;19 - 00;40;33;12
Tappa
Yeah, it is pretty nice for something like that down there. Oh it's gorgeous. Well, Brian and Donna, thank you so much for coming on the green room while you're here in Australia. And, I'll see you in September. I can.
00;40;33;15 - 00;40;33;29
Tappa
Tell.
00;40;34;01 - 00;40;38;10
Tappa
You love it. So, so dry too. And yeah, so it's going to be awesome to get back there.
00;40;38;10 - 00;40;39;11
Tappa
Looking forward to it.
00;40;39;11 - 00;40;41;11
Tappa
So you guys to watch.
00;40;41;16 - 00;40;41;22
Tappa
Yeah.
00;40;41;25 - 00;40;43;06
Female Guest
You you.
00;40;43;09 - 00;41;00;10
Tappa
Thanks for tuning into the green room. Hey folks, would you like to get your name in the Green Room podcast? Well, we are looking for sponsors, so if you want to get a sponsorship, check it out at Pod Fire. Lots of people can hear about your product on one of the best podcasts around the green room. So, check it out.
00;41;00;10 - 00;41;18;27
Tappa
Pod fire. Thanks for tuning into the green Room. A big thank you to our guests for sharing their stories and insights and Pod Fire for bringing this podcast to life. Don't forget to subscribe, like, leave a review and share the green room with your friends. We'll catch you next time for more conversations with the Legends of Surf and beyond.
00;41;19;00 - 00;41;21;02
Tappa
Until then, catch you in the waves.