South Pacific Festival of Arts by Bill Kerekere My wife and I were lucky to go to Suva, Fiji for the Pacific Festival of Arts held from 6 to 20 May and it was an unforgettable experience indeed. We went with our representatives, the Waihirere Maori Club, who were given great support by the various Polynesian groups from Wellington and Auckland. The Aotea and Te Waipounamu Clubs, and groups from other areas, also made donations towards the cost of the club's trip. We all attended a combined farewell function by numerous organisations in Gisborne the night before departure, and this effort by the group's home town and homefolk, also added to the total donations. We were joined by the Rev, Kingi Ihaka and Manu Ihaka at Auckland, and on arrival at Nausori Airport, were met by our New Zealand High Commissioner, Sir John Here-kiekie Grace and Lady Grace, a gracious gesture considering the late hour of our arrival. We eventually bedded down at our billets at Nasinu Teachers' Training College at 1 a.m. Friday morning, 5 May, in excellent quarters, three storeys high, sleeping two persons per room. At breakfast, we found there were several other groups billeted with us, the New Caledonians (both native and French Europeans), a small group from Nauru Island, and the contingent from Papua and New Guinea—and later we were joined by the large group from American Samoa, and our own countrymen, the members of the Auckland Symphonia, and an Indian group. It was with all these people from various Pacific Islands that we spent the entire two weeks of the festival, eating, sleeping, and living together as one. The Fijian staff on the college campus were extremely friendly, and it was no trouble for them to do things for us. Meals were excellent, and we New Zealanders in particular, enjoyed the luxury of bananas, oranges and other fruit, being served at meals. The weather was wet on our arrival, and the ground was heavy and muddy, but group rehearsals began the day after arrival—checking gear and costumes—practising items—changing sequence of items for programmes of variable duration, then travelling to the Civic Centre to record tracks for the Opening Ceremony, and to Albert Park for rehearsals of movement and presentation with the director. The fact that at this stage the vast arena was covered with surface water and muddy underfoot, did not dampen the enthusiasm of the Maori group, and they entered into the spirit of the occasion—as did all the other groups participating. The Grand Opening Ceremony, in the distinguished presence of His Excellency the Governor-General of Fiji, Sir Robert Foster, the Prime Minister of Fiji, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, and the many distinguished guests and visitors from other countries, was a wonderful spectacle of splendour, colour and excitement—and to see the various groups totalling approximately 3,000 members performing before this big and enthusiastic audience, and giving all they had, one forgot that they were all presenting their items in three to four inches of mud and water—they looked as if they were thoroughly enjoying taking part in such a unique and significant occasion—the first combined display of the cultural arts of so many races of the Pacific Islands, Wonderfull! Fantastic! The first part of the programme featured the host people of Fiji—the marvellous music of the Royal Fiji Police and Military Forces Bands—the very dignified Fijian ceremonial rituals of welcome by the chiefs and people of Kubuna, and the complementary Fijian spear dance, the women's standing dance, and the club dance—proud, authentic and appropriate—and the beautiful ribbon dance of the Chinese, the haunting Gujerati folk dance of the Indian people, and the rousing Hallelujah Chorus sung by the multi-racial