Fiery opportunities

Adventure destinations don’t get any more vivid than the magical, tropical delights of Vanuatu.

Some might suggest that an erupting volcano may not be the best symbol for a successful conference, but it certainly provides an unusual backdrop. In the Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu, there are eight active volcanoes. The most accessible is Yasur on the southern island of Tanna, where visitors can climb to within 150 metres of the crater’s rim and watch glowing red volcanic rocks being hurled hundreds of metres into the air.



It’s this sense of adventure that permeates Vanuatu. A conference held in this tropical paradise can’t help but inspire. The camaraderie and teambuilding opportunities are numerous. Get the group together for a trip to Tanna, the start of which is a visit to one of the tribal villages, where locals devote themselves to kastom or traditional ways of life. Then make the journey out to Yasur and stand, as the day leaches away into twilight, on a ridge overlooking the volcano and witness nature at its most violent. It’s an experience so far removed from a delegate’s everyday existence – inspiration just doesn’t get any better.

Vanuatu is easy to access from Australia, with regular services by Air Vanuatu and Pacific Blue, both of which also fly from Vanuatu to New Zealand. In addition, Air Pacific flies to Fiji; Air Calin to New Caledonia; while Vanair flies internally to such destinations as Tanna. Flight time from Brisbane to Vanuatu is two and a half hours, and three and a half from Sydney.

Vanuatu covers 860,000 square kilometres and comprises 83 islands. The largest is Espiritu Santo, while Efate is the main island and location of the nation’s capital, Port Vila. It was granted independence in 1980 and entered the United Nations in 1981.

>> Conference & meeting venues in Vanuatu

Colonial legacy
For much of the 20th Century, beginning from 1906, Vanuatu (then known as the New Hebrides) was governed jointly by Britain and France. Luckily, the dominant cultural legacy was French. Downtown Port Vila is much like any other French-administered Pacific Island nation – there’s a definite French influence in the food stores, patisseries, restaurants and cafes. Wherever the visitor turns, there are baguettes, camembert, roquefort, Château d’Yquem and beaujolais. The difference with Vanuatu is that pricing is considerably more reasonable than New Caledonia and Tahiti. In addition, one of the best-kept secrets of Port Vila is that its duty free stores have some of the cheapest alcohol in the world.

Vanuatu has attracted a number of prestigious Australian, New Zealand and regional conferences – including the Pacific Islands Chapter of the Internet Society conference in 2004 and the Pacific Judicial Conference in 2005.

The focus of meetings business on the islands is Le Meridien Port Vila Resort & Casino, which is set on 50 acres of wonderful tropical landscaping overlooking Erakor Lagoon. It has 145 garden and lagoon-view rooms and 10 indulgent thatch-roof over-water bungalows. There are two meetings rooms, the largest seating up to 250 people. Le Meridien is the centre of Port Vila nightlife, as it has Vanuatu’s only casino.