Kiribas

I am looking at a five month contract in Kiribati. Tarawa Atoll to be exact.

What's the lifestyle like? Pubs? Are they friendly buggers?

What is the visa situation for an Aussie?

Thanks.

Mauri H - working where?

The Otintaai (sp?) was pretty run down (making the Dateline look flash by comparison) when I was there in 98 & 99 (both short visits - I didn't stay!), but it is by far the "best" hotel on Tarawa.

Most of the expats seemed to find their way in to the bar there - remember to lift your feet when the rats scamper through the place! And the "Sunrise" disco held there is absolutely the place to be on payday when everybody falls down in an alcoholic stupor, before rousing themselves sufficiently to drive home.

I don't think the atoll life would be for everybody - it is very small and very flat, with the only land being the narrow reef islands of which Sth Tarawa carries a much higher population than it should.

The lagoon is hopelessly, dangerously polluted due to the overcrowding, and the fact that building of causeways between the islands means that the natural tidal flushing of the lagoon no longer manages to wash the excrement off the beaches and out to sea. Although the water looks beautiful, it is a hepatitis / giuardia riddled soup.

The other drinking spot is the Ambo Lagoon club, which I think has a 9 hole, sandy (what else??) Golf Course which might have some appeal for you.

I think there is also a Hash House Harriers group on Tarawa, but given how hot it is, I imagine that they spend even more time on the refreshments part of their activitiy than is traditional.

Culturally it is really interesting - different from Polynesia and Micronesia, and steeped in sea-faring lore. It also has a particularly violent WW2 history, with one of the Pacific's most ferocious battles occuring when the US Marines recaptured it from the Japanese during three bloody days in late 1943. Many of the Japanese fortifications are still around the island, as well as US tanks still stuck on beaches in the lagoon where they "snagged" during the landing.

There is also a memorial to the NZ Coastwatchers who were savagely beheaded by the Japanese earlier in the war.

The fried fish with sweet chili sauce at Mary's Restaurant in Bairiki is also excellent, as are the Tuna steak cut from the wonderful fresh tuna caught in the area (although I think the one I had at the Black Pearl last year was better (certainly bigger!)

I found it an interesting but challenging place to work. It may have been partly due to the frustrations associated with what we were trying to do, but I was really glad to retreat to the Otintaai at night to re-orient and put our day's experiences in some perspective.

My short message would be to describe it as a "hard work" destination.

My two trips remain treasured experiences, but an overcrowded atoll does not appeal to me as a long-term location.

The second trip I did was with "gopies" who is an occasional poster in the TT World - not sure if he is around to offer his perspective?

Temakin was, I think, resident on Tarawa for an extended period.

Regards,

Rob

PS

All Aussie visitors need a Visa, available from Kiribati Honorary Consul, Mr William Franken in Rose Bay, Sydney - his contact details should be available through the DFAT website.

I presume there are additional requirements for longer-term working visas, but he would be the man to help you.

R

Not sure exactly where, bendigo, I think the capital.

It's a five month contract for Ausaid to help Kiribati out with their VET education programs.

Ok - Given your hospitality experience, I thought it might have been to lift the Otintaai to world class standard :-(

R

which brngs to mind a question, 8-) , what are the Kiribatians like at knife throwing?

Due to the paucity of vegetation, there are certainly not large numbers of "bush knives" (aka bloody big machetes) carried around, thus making it inherently safer than many other islands.

I didn't witness any violence, not even in the wee small hours at "Sunrise", but as with all places, it can depend on ones' own actions as much as those of the local population. (Although it is useful to carry a couple of stones to throw at the dogs, which (despite what some say about Samoa) are surely the mangiest, most folorn looking mongrels in the whole of the Pacific!

Without wanting to appear like an old-Grammarian, the correct term is "I-Kiribati" pronounced "ee-kiribas"

If you haven't already checked it out, there are lots of links to Kirbati history, etc (and everything else "Pacific") on

Jane Resture's Pacific Pages

It really is like nowhere you've ever been before, and certainly retains "first kid on the block" status as a destination!

Rob

If you got a long weekend try to get out to the other islands.

Small prop planes serve quite a few, albeit not too frequent.
Aranuga is one of those with an airstrip, had at least two flights weekly.
*****

Even a trip for a day or two up to North Tarawa will take you to a different world.

I have often told of my brief day trip when I truly learned about the pace of island life - for those who have heard it before - Sorry. Although sometimes when I am rushing around trying to do twenty things at the same time, it is good to remember.

We had hiked about four or five islands up the Nth Tarawa side - had a couple of swims on the way before we ran out of water, and really couldn't be bother walking all the way back - especially as we could see the Otintaai shimmering in the heat haze across the lagoon.

We walked back to a village to negotiate a boat trip home. As the tide was out and the boats were high and dry, the man we were talking to said he would take us when the tide came in. Still wearing watches, we looked at them, and asked when that would be. Obviously taking into account our stupidity, he pointed to the beach, and said, "When the water is here".

Suddenly the lights went on in our heads - we passed the next couple of hours sitting under the trees sharing coconuts and talking, and when the water came back, he took us "home".

The joy of travel - it's not what you see, but those magic moments that you remember forever!

bendigo - I hadn't heard that story before. Such a special experience. Thank you for sharing it.

Check out the book "Sex Lives of Cannibals" or something like that......American couple who worked in Kiribati.......nothing to do with the "come on " title. Very funny and true life and a good introduction to life there. The author had a dutch name....maybe somebody else on TT knows about it. Aloha

Great little story, Bendigo, enjoyed it!
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<hr> the Ambo Lagoon club, which I think has a 9 hole, sandy (what else??) Golf Course<hr></blockquote>
Can you tell me where this is please? I am looking at it through google earth.

Along the Sth Tarawa strip - between Bairiki and Bikenibeu (sp?) - from memory it is closer to Bairiki - I think somewhere around the new Parliament building.

I will check my maps at home tonight.

Regards,

Rob

Harry,

Try This page for a bit of info about Ambo Lagoon Club - you can find it on the map of the atoll - about the middle of Sth Tarawa (excluding Betio & the causeway)

Thanks!!!

OK, I missed out on the AusAid job, but the other one is still extant.

Seeing as this topic is still going thought I would add on a bit about the book. I saw it again last night at the book shop.
"Sex Lives of Cannibals" by J. Marten Troost. He wife was given a gov. job on Tarawa and he went along to have the island experience. It is a very enjoyable book.....despite the title. He also later wrote "Getting Stoned with Savages" about kava in Fiji and Vanuatu which I have not read yet. Aloha

hi harry,

I am looking at a five month contract in Kiribati. Tarawa Atoll to be exact.

Lifestyle if you surround yourself wikth other expats will consist of lots of beer at $2.5 a can. There is a place called the captians which is niceand located just before Betio near the japanese guns. Also does good fish and chips. There are a few clubs which are frequented by locals mostly on friday and sat night but these can become rough and arent much chop.

On a whole the kiribati are friendly but as with all islanders who are generally giants be careful when they have drunk too much.

The outer atolls are much different as is north tarawa. Much quiter and cleaner as the south tarawa lagoon as someone mentioned is sadly disgusting!! you can smell it.

Re visa you will need one but not sure what type if working, I went in on british and didnt need one.

re accomm you could consider staying at mary's motel which is nice ($77 a night) for the newer rooms and does great food with huge range. Its in bairiki about 5 mins away from betio and 45 away from airport. there were lots of expats and ausaid ppl when I was there and enjoyed the place.

cheers

mp

Harry,

Just in case this is still a possibility - I have found an on-line address (containing menus) for the restaurant near Mary's Hotel at Bairiki.

Matarena's Restaurant

The fried fish with sweet chili sauce was great!

Rob

jeez, Bendigo, you take care of me. ;-)

Guilt over encouraging you at the Dateline?

Rob

nah, one incident ruined an otherwise fantastic contract.

OK, back again. ;-)

AVI have 4 contracts open in Kiribati at the moment, and I look good for 3 of them.

they are on Betio.

How easy to get to the pub and/or the golf course from there?

I hope I don't have to invent beach golf for them.

I think there was a golf course of sorts - 9 holes - almost certainly sand-scrape ;-) at the Ambo Lagoon Club. Ambo club also has a decent bar, and I think there are a couple on Betio and others at Bairiki (where all the Govt Offices were).

It's been a long time - just over 10 yrs - but my drinking was done with other expats at the Ootintaai (sp???) at Bikenibeu. For some local social life, there used to be a deadly pay-night nightclub operate there - the roads around were still dangerous the next morning as the sun stirred people from their slumber and they drove home 'coz they were too drunk to walk.

Good Luck with the contracts!

Rob

(PS - I don't play here very often these days, so it was lucky to catch your message. I'm recently back from 5 weeks freezing my arse off in the States - never seen so much snow in my life, and it has confirmed my preference for snow-white beaches!)

R

Thanks Bendigo.

My first experience of snow was aged 40 in Beijing. I went from 40° C in Sydney to -6° C in Beijing in one night.

Not dis-similar - it was 35C when I left Bendigo and -8C in Washington DC - any day when it got above 0 was a good day during the first three weeks I was away!

I worked for a week then the Uni had a week off and they wanted me to go to Harbin to look at the ice festival. I checked and it was -37° that day, so no bloddy thank you.

On my second and third contract in Beijing, my best buddy (now dead, I hear recently) was from Michigan and grew up with snow and cold, so he taught me the finer points of snow ball fights.

crikey were they fun! I was a six year old. ;-)