The Design Construct Program were invited to assist a community at Port Resolution,
Tanna Island, Vanuatu, to design and construct visitor accommodation as a means of
generating income for children’s education. As students, we were involved in all stages of
the building process, including developing design proposals, dealing with clients, building and documentation. This valuable process was one of the best possible preparations for our professional life.

 

 

On the chilly morning of July the 11^th, we all gathered at the Adelaide airport to embark on the 2019 Unisa Study Tour to Vanuatu. After weeks of bake sales and fundraisers, 25 of us set off that morning to build bungalows on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu.

Our first stop was the capital – Port Vila, where we were able to settle into island time and get to know the busy side of Vanuatu.

After two nights in Port Vila we caught a small passenger plane to Tanna. The contrast between the tourist side of Port Vila and the small village communities in Tanna was immediately evident.

From there the group split into two pick-up trucks. Standing up in the tray with the wind in our hair, we set off on a new adventure.

On the way we drove past Mount Yasur, Tanna’s very own active volcano and took a cute group photo thanks to Laszlo’s drone.

We arrived at Island Dream’s 5-star resort services early that evening and were initially greeted with flavourful beef, fluffy white rice and a strong selection of starchy root vegetables.

On our first morning we made the trek down to the beach and were greeted by the local community with a welcoming ceremony. Everyone received a necklace of flowers and we were away.

We investigated the site before getting together to begin our preparations for the upcoming construction.

We broke off into groups and got started on an 11-day construction journey under the watchful tutelage of David & Joti.

Our days began with a family breakfast gathered around homemade bread, a limited spread of fresh fruit and extremely western condiments. Nutella, peanut butter and vegemite were hot commodities those early mornings.

Not all stayed up at Island Dream. By the end, the group had colonised three separate accommodations, with two more down by the beach. For those staying in Island dream however, a 30-minute walk through the jungle awaited us every morning as we walked to site. On the way we passed Port Resolution and the local school as we wished everyone a ramasan nap napan.

We would convene on site and have a little meeting to begin every day. David & Joti would lay down their expectations for the day and we would break into our groups and begin work. As the days rolled by with the timber yet to arrive, stress levels began to rise but we pressed on and got the job done.

We worked hard with limited tools and expertise but were rewarded with an extremely generous lunchtime / sun baking /swimming / coffee breaks / cheeky darts / drinking cold, crisp Tusker and mingling with the locals.

We knew the day was over when the shadows lengthened, and people started wandering off. The sun would set, the Tuskers would get passed around and everyone would kick back and admire their handiwork.

Every now and then, the moon would rise and put on a show and everyone would sit in the moonlight and admire the view.

Conversely, whenever the sun came out, Brooking and Simon would take their shirts off because they’re both ABSOLUTE stallions and didn’t want to miss out on that Vitamin D.

As the days went by, the water would sometimes cut out and we were forced to drink from the ocean. Unfortunately, salt water poisoning began to spread through the group, but we were resilient and managed to come away with few casualties.

Shortage of water not only affected our drinking, it violated our right to flush the toilet, so cheeky bungalow boys would creep off into the jungle and get the job done with nothing more than banana leaves and good intentions.

By the end, our thick diets of rice and yams began to turn us off as the teeny tiny crunchy bones in the chicken stew gave us headaches at lunchtime.  But again, we pressed on and were rewarded with omelettes and a pork spit. When the SAXA table salt finally emerged, we knew we were in for a treat.

There were no shops near the beach. All that was on offer was root veg and savoury bananas, so we began to trade exclusively in Oreos and Scotch Fingers that we had smuggled in from the mainland. Biscuits became our currency and our notion of civilisation began to deteriorate. The thought of a chicken parmy was mouth-watering.

Another root, by the name of kava doubled down as the beverage of choice for the locals. It made quite a stir within the group, bringing us together and knocking us to the ground.

We developed a strong ethic throughout the trip; work hard & play harder – culminating in a mild-mannered gathering at the local beach bar on our penultimate night on site. Steph and Charlotte tended the bar and ensured everyone remained merry whilst Kava Karl was best on ground; with Simo and Haubaa providing THICC jungle beats to keep the vibes humming. Ethan showed great leadership however and canned the night early so we all could wake up fresh and rested to tackle the final day on site.

Our final day saw all the columns erected and concreted / the beams bolted / and the second bungalow completed. A stoic team led by Phillipe and Jacob finalised the louvres for the second bungalow bringing their 11-day passion project to an end.

The trip in its entirety was an experience. Only Rachel, who had previously been on the study tour – knew what to expect, but I think all had a limited understanding of what was to come as we touched down on that first night in Port Vila.

Our group was littered with characters. Each brought their own unique twist to the dynamic and the trip would not have been the same without them. We spent 17 concentrated days with each other in Vanuatu. We worked together, we ate together. We saw each other in the crusty mornings and saw all the glitz and glamour in the evening. Although it wasn’t a long time, we’ve come away with a strong bond that we will carry forward with us in our lives.

The work was insightful but also refreshing. Being on site and getting our hands dirty altered our sense of perspective. The location was spectacular but rewarding, and an ode to the work put in by both the University and the local community.

We would finally like to extend our thanks to David & Joti. The trip would have not been possible without their combined efforts. Their investment in Tanna has been many years in the making and we are all so grateful for the opportunity to contribute to these developments; and hope that they provide prosperity to the local community now and in the future. David’s tenacity and Joti’s clarity were the perfect one-two punch over those 17 days. They have established a remarkable experience in Vanuatu and we would encourage all those who are interested to take their journey to the south-west pacific.

Written by Dylan Sennett-Perez and Charlotte Pelletier