The ancient birth place of Extreme Sport lies in the swirling mists of time, on the tiny tropical island nation of Vanuatu, the travel adventure destination of the South Pacific. It is the home of the Pentecost land dive.

Vanuatu was the inspiration for the book by James A Michener, which in turn inspired the classic musical Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1958 film South Pacific. The Television version of the original classic, in 2001, never found favour with the viewing public. The television South Pacific series of Survivor was filmed in Vanuatu.

Vanuatu rose once again to the forefront of the world stage when it was voted the Happiest Country on Earth in 2006.

World Heritage status was recently been granted to the grave site of the last Paramount Chief of Vanuatu, Chief Roi Mata. It is said more than 20 wives were buried live with the king, plus some of his men. It is believed the men had been granted the privilege of drinking the local drink kava, but the women were forbidden to do so.

The release of unique and traditionally kept secret art work, from the northern island of Ambrym has once again brought Vanuatu to world attention. The art circles of the world are agog with excitement, at these never before viewed works are seen for the first time outside Vanatu. Many pieces could be easily mistaken as contemporary pieces of artwork. Only one similar piece was found in a museum in Britain.

The towering slit, carved wooden gongs, go unnoticed by most visitors to Vanuatu, because they are so common. Yet, these drums are among the largest free standing musical instruments of the world. Gazing at the sometimes four metre high gongs, few people are aware of the connection to the hidden secrets of Vanuatu society.

The carved figure of the gong is stylized in the form of an ancestor. The eyes of the drum represent the morning star, of a society which has kept its traditional secrets well away from the peering eyes of the world.

The gongs played a very vital role in sacred ceremonies, such as funerals, initiations and dances. Carefully coordinated actions by multiple drummers, beat the lip of the gongs with a small wooden club. Informal village orchestras performed rhythmical ensembles of immense variety and complexity.

The gongs were a method also,  of communicating between neighbouring villages. Intricate messages could be sent over long distances, using the unique gong language. Neighbouring islands could even be contacted, if the atmospherics were right.

Tourists frequently carry home smaller hand-carved versions of the larger musical instrument.

In a conscious effort to not lose their ancient culture, the Chiefs of Vanuatu released some of their secret and sacred artifacts to the world. Education of the younger generation is the only way they can preserve their ancient culture. The art of the intricate language of the gong is almost totally lost among the young people.

Hopefully the sharing of their secrets, will bring about the desperately needed change in the education system of the next generation of this tiny South Pacific archipelago. The urgent need for Vanuatu, is formal education, if the younger generation is to take its rightful place in the 21^st century. There is no free education in Vanuatu.

26% of the children will never go to school. 18% will never go to high school. Only 56% will go over year 6. The government openly admits it is unable to meet the demands of the educational needs of the country. The government openly admits it is unable to meet the demands of the educational needs of the country.

Paying school fees in the Happiest Country on Earth is totally out of the question. Many villagers live on under $1 per day. Eighty percent of the population still live in the ancient traditional style. Many of the high achieving students will have to stop studies after primary school. They will never have the chance to see the inside of a high school classroom.

It has been said that for every school you do not build, you have to build a jail. It would be a tragedy if the Happiest Country on Earth had to go down this pathway.

You can take an active part in helping educate the next generation of these beautiful and ancient people through a unique Blue Moon Opportunity.

Take time out to find out more about the author and a genuine Blue Moon Opportunity at http://winaresort.com

Vanuatu has a society that stuns the senses of the Western world. The first time traveler, walking in finds an ancient society that is the opposite of everything that we know as modern.

The rhythm of the beat of South Pacific island life first greets you on arrival, at the airport, during the day or even at the midnight flight. A string band, in brightly coloured Vanuatu style clothes and beaming welcoming smiles, bursts into life as soon as the plane lands. Visitors toes begin tapping, in spite of the tedium of the ritual custom clearance, all air travelers experience the world over.

Ni-Vanuatu are a special people, quietly spoken and friendly. The custom official appears to whisper to you. The taxi drivers, after greater contact with Westerners, are little more gregarious. The streets are a-buzz with warm greetings, smiles and handshakes, with only a few loud voices heard, usually among the youth.

Teenagers though are beginning to dance to a different beat, thanks to the world of DVDs and TV. With the coming of Digicel to Vanuatu, teenagers are now seen walking the street, clutching their newly acquired, special introductory priced, cell phone.

For generations, bare feet have propelled the Ni-Vanuatu people over long distances every day. Far from capital, Port Vila, deep in the rural areas, family groups walk each day to source their food supply at their remote village gardens. Weekend visits to family and church involve treks over long distances, even up to 6 hours walking.

These peoples lives are not bound by the ticking of a clock. Very few Ni-Vanuatu people are seen to wear a wrist watch. Their sense of time is bound by the seasons and the tide. How far is somewhere? “When you get there”. Can you give me directions? “Two banyan trees away and beside the large clump of bamboo,” is the sort of answer you will get. There are no street numbers and very few road signs. It is a nightmare for the westerner to navigate.

Stress is foreign to these people and much can be learned from their gentle way of life, provided you ignore the occasional family argument. You have to experience it to begin to understand that there is another way of life, far from  the rush and push of the maddening crowds and the modern Rat Race we have come to accept as the norm.

From under the banyan tree come peels of raucous laughter as the young males share news and discuss music. The girls can be heard giggling over the cooking pots. As they nurture the young in the extended family, the laughter is discretely hidden behind hands, in front of strangers. The peace and quiet of the village is broken only by the occasional ceremonial killing of their ‘bank’ the well cared for pig, or the scrap of a couple of village dogs.

To the Ni-Vanuatu communities, family and relationships are more important than possessions. The paramount village chief will settle family disputes, take care of misdemeanors and even adjudicate the more serious crimes outside the criminal system. However, time is turning like the tide in these areas, as more and more teenagers imitate the ways of the West.

With the introduction of Digicel to these beautiful tropical islands, things are changing. Large bill boards blot out the landscape for the first time, enticingly displaying all the wonders of modern communication through the use of a cell phone.

As Vanuatu faces its 18th election since independence in 1980, the custom ways and economy of generations past are being increasingly threatened by western approaches to law and order, business and civil society. This Lesser Developed Country has acknowledged that progress for the next generation means education. Mothers, like mothers all over the world, are particularly aware of the desperate and urgent need to educate the next generation. They want to see their childrens’ dreams, of being a doctor, nurse, or teacher fulfilled.

Yet, the need for education is urgent, if good governance of the only stable political system of the South Pacific is to survive. However, the Vanuatu government admitted in 2007 that it is unable to adequately resource education. No education in Vanuatu is free. School fees cannot be paid by the islanders living in remote ‘no-cash economies’.

The appalling consequences of this are:
· only 55.8% of Vanuatu kids will get to grade 6;
· of those only 18.2% will go to high school ;
· 26% will never go to school at all.

These horrific statistics have changed little since the survey in 1999. You can find more information of how you can help these kids by going to http://winaresort.com