Fiji Day takes flight: Canterbury welcomes first celebration in the South Island

Monday, 14 October 2024

Inaugural Fiji Day celebrations for the Fijian diaspora in the South Island at Selwyn sports centre. Tevita Vonotavua with his 1 year old son Lisi before playing rugby in the 7's tournament.

Fijians from all over the motu came together in Canterbury’s Selwyn district on Saturday to mark the first ever Fiji Day celebration in Te Waipounamu, South Island.

It was “a full-on day” with sports, food stalls, kids running around, academic and health booths, and even a Fijian Language Week oratory contest.

Over 50 teams battled it out in rugby, football, volleyball, and netball.

The inaugural Fiji Day celebrations for the Fijian diaspora in the South Island were held on Saturday at the Selwyn Sports Centre. Siti Navole in action for Island Brothers rugby club against Canterbury Fijians in the 7's tournament.

“It was a huge success — fun, laughter, and of course kava. No kava, no Fijians,” said Meresa Rabitu, event coordinator from Veilomani Selwyn Fijian Community.

Athletes took the spotlight, but education was the focus of the day, said Rabitu.

“Many young Fijians go straight to work after high school.”

Meresa Rabitu (left) and Beril Kustao Lal from Veilomani Selwyn Fijian Community. Rabitu and her family have called Selwyn home for the past seven years. She described the country’s fastest-growing community “diverse, inclusive, and a very lovely place to live in.”

“Some families never really consider tertiary education as an option, and once the young people get a taste of earning money, it is hard to get them to go back to school,” she added.

Education providers like the University of Canterbury, Lincoln University, and Ara Polytechnic set up booths to share information.

Rabitu and her family have called Selwyn home for the past seven years.

Fiji Day organising committee chair Ulamila Kura-i-Marie Vakalalabure-Wragg (left), along with Stella Keenan and Silina Qerea from the UC Fiji Student Association, checked out the Foster Park venues and discussed their plans with Trent Burns from the Selwyn District Council events team (right).

She described the country’s fastest-growing community as “diverse, inclusive, and a very lovely place to live in.”

“When we moved from Oamaru six years ago, there were just four Fijian families here. Now, there are over 100,” said Rabitu, who originally hails from Kadavu, Fiji, and moved to New Zealand about a decade ago.

Timoci Vatumitu (9) and his friends play their own game of rugby on the sidelines of the 7's tournament during the Fiji Day celebration in Selwyn, Canterbury.

“What a [population] boom. We’re now hiring halls for Fiji Day, and our Fijian community has really expanded.”

In 2023, 231 residents of the Selwyn district identified as Fijian, representing 0.3% of the population, up from 0.09% in 2013.

This demographic now accounts for nearly 1% of New Zealand's total Fijian population.

Since 2018, 100 Fijian residents have obtained citizenship in Selwyn, with 26 individuals receiving their citizenship in 2023, according to the Selwyn district council.

Rabitu said Fiji Day celebrations in Auckland and Wellington were huge annual events and hoped the first celebration in the South Island marked the start of a new tradition.

Fijian Language Week was celebrated across Aotearoa New Zealand between October 6 and 12, with this year's theme focusing on 'Vakamareqeta na Vosa Vakaviti,' meaning to nurture and sustain the Fijian language.

Approximately 24% of New Zealand's Fijian population speaks the language, with notable declines among younger people.

The latest census data reveals New Zealand's Fijian community is multi-racial, with indigenous Fijians, Fiji Indians and Rotumans as the major ethnic groups.

Currently, 68,829 people of Fijian heritage live in New Zealand.