- Iririki
The privately lease held island of Iririki is located in Mele Bay, a free 3-minute ferry ride from the
Vanuatu capitalPort Vila . The whole island is leased to the Iririki Island Resort and noni-Vanuatu live on the island.History
Iririki Island is the traditional land of
Ifira Islanders, another island in Mele Bay, just beyond Iririki. From 1913, Iririki Island housed the British Residency who leased the island from missionaries for 99 years [Rodman, M.C., (2001), Houses Far From Home: British Colonial Space in the New Hebrides, University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu, USA] . The Residency was located at the peak of Iririki (reached by climbing 179 steps) affording it a pleasant view of Port Vila and the surrounding Bay. At independence, in 1980, the residency was all but abandoned. Iririki also housed the Paton Memorial Hospital through that period where patients were seen for such ailments as broken bones, meningitis, and rheumatic fever [Freeman, T.E.A., (2006), Doctor in Vanuatu: A Memoir, Institute of Pacific Studies ] .Current usage
Iririki Island is currently a popular tourist
resort . Touristbungalow s are located almost around the entire circumference of the island. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to stroll around the island. The resort has a child-free policy. Michener's restaurant looks out over Port Vila harbour back towards the centre of Port Vila town. It is named afterJames A. Michener , who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II in the Pacific and spent some time based onEfate , the island on which Port Vila is situated. There are two swimming pools, an older one located next to Micheners restaurant and a new multi-tiered pool on the opposite side of the island. There is also a small gym and poolside bar.Although most of the island is surrounded by coral, there is a small white sand beach facing back towards Port Vila. Jet skis and other water sports gear is available for hire. The water is regularly used by tourists and locals to swim in but is probably polluted due to sewage discharge from the numerous private yachts moored in the harbour and discharge from Port Vila itself.Notes
References
Freeman, T.E.A., (2006), Doctor in Vanuatu: A Memoir, Institute of Pacific Studies.
Rodman, M.R., (2001), Houses Far From Home: British Colonial Spave in the New Hebrides, University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu, USA.External links
* [http://www.iririki.com Iririki Island Resort]
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