Sea Ailua. Photo / Greg Bowker
The $20 million renovation plans had just been completed and building was due to start. But instead of gaining 150 new rooms at the Vavau Beach Resort, the south coast village has lost seven bungalows, a restaurant, manager's residence and several other smaller buildings.
Wood, furniture, bedding, crockery and debris
was yesterday strewn over several hundred metres at the end of a private road where the resort used to be.
Several containers of new furniture, which had just been delivered, were swept away. The resort, which Vavau elder Sea Ailua said was one of the first resorts to be built in Samoa, was the village's only tourist accommodation.
It was built in 1989 from European Union development funding. The buildings were owned by the Warwick hotel chain which last month completed plans for the redevelopment. Work was due to start at the beginning of next year.
The land the building sat on was owned by Vavau villagers. It is not known if the resort will be rebuilt. Mr Ailua was one of about 15 locals helping to clean up the resort yesterday. He said only two people were staying at the resort at the time of the tsunami and they escaped unscathed. A Canadian couple left in their rental car after the quake struck and headed for the hills.
How you can help
Pacific Cooperation Foundation
Deposits can be made at at any Westpac branch. All the money raised will go to the Samoan Government
Red Cross
- Make a secure online donation at redcross.org.nz
- Send cheques to the Samoan Red Cross Fund, PO Box 12140, Thorndon, Wellington 6144
- Call 0900 31 100 to make an automatic $20 donation
- Make a donation at any NZ Red Cross office
ANZ bank
Make a donation at any ANZ bank branch, or donate directly to the ANZ appeal account: 01 1839 0143546 00
Oxfam
- Make a secure online donation at
Oxfam.org.nz
- Phone 0800 400 666 or make an automatic $20 donation by calling 0900 600 20
