I have lived most of the last ten years of my life in the South Pacific and have been fortunate enough to meet many glorious people and experience so much profound good and beauty, particularly in the Fiji Islands. I also consider myself lucky to help write and develop websites for many companies and organizations all over the world.

This is the first time I have ever felt absolutely compelled to simply add my own web page to a site in order to share some of my most intimate thoughts. Hopefully the Tarte family will allow this page remain online in order to share with you my own personal Vatuwiri experience. I choose to think of this as kinda like buying a CD with the director’s comment.

Full of Spit and Vinegar

Where do I begin? That’s easy with Spencer Tarte, Vatuwiri’s senior patriarch, a proud farmer and filled with vigor, who lives his life by a simple, steadfast code of hard work, family first; owe no man and respect life and all its daily gifts. Spencer has more depth than the Lochness waters. He’s a human encyclopedia of family heritage and history, Fiji fact, ocean travels, farm life, political savvy, pearls of wisdom and good old fashioned common sense. His daily routine for rising, bed time and for the family dining and the post family gathering are truly the only items on his agenda that show almost no flexibility.

Spencer has helped run a huge farm his entire life. He has brought five children through to adult hood of which three still live and work on the farm with the same shared passion, love of family and common ideals. The mixture of respect and love that he generates from family and workers only confirms his status in my mind as the rarest of breed, a truly knowledgeable leader with the perfect blend of compassion. If we meet more than two or three people in our lives to provide us some useful example almost infallible guidance than I would be quiet surprised. To me, Spencer is Jack Aubrey of Master and Commander, He’s Captain James T. Kirk of Star Trek; he’s Ben Cartwright of “Bonanza” and he’s Charlton Heston in pretty much any movie he ever did. Five minutes in his company and you know everything you will need to know about him....Spencer I truly admire you.

Bartender, Make it A Double!

If Spencer is the straw that stirs the drink, his daughter Joanna is the one who prepares the cocktail. The magnitude of her inmate farm-grown toughness is so hard to assess when you meet her truly charming, warm and beautiful exterior. She never sits, nor stops nor relaxes until the evening sit down and her physical prowess defies her female form, whether it’s climbing bush trails up and over steep hills, handling an immense chainsaw or tackling one of a hundred other acts on the resort/farm. She will constantly amaze you with her strength and endurance but even more so with her never ending smile and pleasantry. Oh and by the way, she’s mother to a sparkplug Claire who is part Tom Sawyer, part Becky Thatcher and part the entire cast of Harry Potter. Joanna, you are so complete you do not seem real!

The Old West, Fiji Style

Edythe, a.k.a. “DD” is the female equivalent to Tristian from “Legend of the Falls”. She’s as comfortable with animals (especially her sixty plus horses) as with people. She is known to have “horse whisperer” skills. Did I mention that DD is as “purr tee” as a Taveuni sunset? Whether its cracking a bullwhip, riding her Taveuni bred horses, herding cattle on an eight mile drive, hunting the occasional feral dog that threatens her livestock ,or just cooking dinner, she will always be ready to trade barbs and laugh at all our little idiosyncrasies…..DD you are pistol, Keep Firing!
...and if I know DD, as soon as I next see her, after this little bio...she’ll be firing plenty of bullets my way...LOOK OUT, Steve!

Cool Hand Luke

Marcus, can be described best in one word, “cool”. Laid back but hard working, quiet but warm, generous and super observant, his keen eye can spot a rare bird, snake or small problem on the farm. He is also completely and amazingly willing to put your comfort and enjoyment above his own, at anytime night or day. Marcus is also “tough as nails” and he obviously loves his place in the family as the “go to guy” when certain things need to be handled the “old fashioned way”.....Marcus, you’re the man!

Equal Parts of Yesterday and Today

Claire is well... a phenomenally great kid. Surround by example after example of love, smarts and respect she handles herself completely as an adult with her resort /farm chores, but she has her moments when she experiences the world with the enthusiasm and playfulness of exactly what she is, a young teenager full of pep and yet so content and understanding of all the treasure that surrounds her daily. Claire, you go girl and don’t you stop!

Tying It All Up in a Neat Little Ribbon

Meeting these people and sharing in their love was reward enough for their hospitality and would provide anyone with ample value for their vacation. Toss in 1500 South Pacific island acres of God’s most beautiful work along with dozens of spectacular activities on Fiji’s own dubbed “Garden Island” and what you have are the ingredients for what I sincerely feel will be your greatest vacation ever! It was for me, I’m just as confident it will be for you also.
Thank you Tarte family from the bottom of my heart.?

Love Always,
Steve Reid
Webmedia (Fiji) Limited
(679) 3318842