Fiji is New Zealand's favourite Pacific destination. Gillian Vine discovers why.
''There's a body in the river!''
I mean to shout but the words come out in a squeak.
Kini Sarai glances down at the Sigatoka River and says, ''So there is.''
Before I go into total meltdown at such a casual attitude, he adds, ''It's a woman gathering river clams.''
My heartbeat returns to normal.
I'm one of thousands of New Zealanders holidaying in Fiji.
In the year to April, Kiwis made 352,000 visits, well ahead of the next most popular Pacific destination, the Cook Islands.
The response by Fijian resorts is to offer guests more, which is where Kini comes in.
The former Fiji rugby international is activities manager Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort, a ''five coconut'' (five-star) property on the Coral Coast.
Unlike the ''blob out'' properties on Denarau, which are very close to Nadi airport but offer few opportunities for exploring the area, Outrigger has plenty of activities to encourage guests to stay longer.
And some of those activities are why I'm in a 4WD, bumping along an unsealed road inland from Sigatoka on the way to Conua Area School.
Conua is one of two schools that the resort supports by encouraging guests to volunteer.
In my case, it means a couple of hours painting window frames for a new hall.
I'm not much of a painter, so my jeans end up with white embellishments.
While we've been painting, village men have been getting ready for a kava ceremony.
They mix powdered root in a large wooden bowl and Kini demonstrates the correct way to clap after drinking the milky liquid, which is non-alcoholic but leaves the lips slightly numb.
I'm told that the older the plants from which the roots are obtained, the stronger the effect.
Tourists, it seems, get the younger, less impressive brew.
Next stop is Tavuni Hill Fort, a Tongan stronghold until 1876, where capturing locals for dinner or to be slaves made the warriors a feared presence.
These days, rings of stones are all that remain of the fortress' buildings but there are splendid views of the Sigatoka River and the fertile Salad Bowl area, showing why the hill was a splendid site for the invaders' headquarters.
A couple of huge flat stones have a sign, ''Vatu ni bokolo''.
I query the meaning.
''Head-chopping stone'', comes the response.
I'm rather sorry I asked.
The main town on the Coral Coast is Sigatoka, about the size of Gore, but Southland has never had a market offering fresh river clams and sea slugs, kava and a rainbow array of tropical fruits and vegetables.
The market is worth a look, especially on a Saturday, but one of the most interesting sights is Fiji's only zoo, Kula Eco Park, a few kilometres out of town.
The native boas don't do it for me but the birds are lovely and I'm captivated by Fijian emerald banded geckos.
Their numbers have been reduced by poachers and they are now rare in the wild.
All this activity works up an appetite.
I would have liked to be there on a Tuesday for Outrigger's lovo, the Fijian version of a hangi, which is preceded by a cultural presentation with fire walking.
However, I can't fault the food at the Ivi restaurant and sipping a cocktail in the hilltop Kalokalo Bar is a not-to-be-missed experience.
The bar and adjacent Bebe Spa are popular, especially with Australian women here to get married or support the bride.
Weddings are a money-spinner at the better hotels, many of which have special chapels and, increasingly, spa treatments available on site so brides, the guests and even the groom's party are at their best on the day.
Alongside this, but often out of sight, are the kids' clubs, most of which have facilities for youngsters aged 3 and up.
I met Lily McGrath (5), of Allanton, enjoying the experience of having her hair braided by staff member Emele.
Five years ago, Outrigger's Coral Coast property introduced a meimei (Fijian for carer) nanny service for tinies, training six local women as carers.
It is so popular that there are now 35 meimei.
Some guests who bring elderly relatives use it to ensure grandparents are cared for while they are at, say, the golf course or off to experience village life.
For a simple blob-out, I test the water at Castaway Island, in the Mamanuca group.
Owned by the same private company as Outrigger, it is one of the oldest island resorts in Fiji. Opened about 50 years ago, it has been updated and can foot it with the best of the newer island properties, which have mushroomed in the Mamanucas and Yasawa Islands over the past couple of decades.
Those who don't stay on Castaway can get a feel for the ''blob-out'' island life by taking a day cruise with South Seas Cruises.
Its high-speed catamaran leaves Denarau at 9am and gets back at 6pm; lunch and the use of snorkelling gear is included.
It costs about $108 per adult, $80 per child, including transfers to and from hotels.
On Castaway, the activities are water-based, with snorkelling, kayaking and paddle-boarding equipment free for guests, although there is an extra charge if you go diving.
Then again, you might just want to flop by the sea under one of those cute straw umbrellas that epitomise Fiji.
In short, this is a place where holidaymakers can do as much - or as little - as they want.
• Gillian Vine was the guest of Outrigger Resorts and stayed at Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort on Fiji's main island, Viti Levu, and at Castaway Island in the Mamanucas.
