The privately maintained garden at Seachange Lodge, in the tropical islands of Vanuatu, just two and a half hours flight time from Brisbane, is awash with orchids at the moment.

As you enter the gates you are confronted with the sight of exotic mauve orchids growing over three metres in height. Follow the path past the Garden Cottage and deep purple ground orchids flank the walkway.

Continue on down towards the swimming pool and you are once more confronted with  a mass of two to three metre high flaming orange orchids.

Walk down on through a tropical garden area and more sprays of mauve and white orchids hang high over your head.

Ask the owners Rick and Wendy what their secret is and with a grin Rick will answer, “We just happen to be fortunate enough to live on a tropical island in the South Pacific.”

When Rick and Wendy purchased the property in 2002, it was a run down private home. Today it is a thriving boutique holiday accommodation business.

“The orginal owner must have been a keen gardener, judging by all the wonderful fruit trees all over the property and the well placed retaining walls. By the time we took over, there were no gardens at all,” explains Wendy. “It has taken four years to see the gardens come to maturity.”

Today exotic tropical plants greet you at every turn, from high on the road right down to the lagoon edge.  An acre of landscaped land surrounds the lodges, tucking each one away behind walls of natural greenery to maintain privacy.

“Wendy used to trawl the markets every Saturday looking for plants. I would have trouble finding her in the car when she finally came home,” Rick laughed. “She would then spend the rest of the day planting. I have seen her shift a plant up to five times before it found a home that was suitable. Now the head gardener takes over the maintenance of the gardens and does a really great job.”

Even if you are not staying at Seachange Lodge, as there are only six self-contained units, it is well worth a visit, just to walk through the gardens. It could also be your Blue Moon Opportunity to get set free.

If you would like to know how you could retire to a tropical island take a few minutes to visit Win A Resort

The silly season of Christmas is just around the corner. You are all asking where has the year gone to and what kind of Christmas is it going to be? There is no doubt it will be a much quieter Christmas than we are used to. The experts say unemployment is looking to head to the 10% level, with the largest financial hub in the world in total crisis. Established banks are going broke. Wall Street is as shaky as pile of half set jello. Even when the government bails Wall Street out, someone has to pay the bill, (like you the tax payer). Interest rates will go up. More and more homes will be repossessed, with people out of jobs. The future looks all doom and gloom.

The key to survival in these times of financial crisis is to take stock of exactly where you are at and DON ‘T PANIC! It you never bought any more clothes, replaced the car or didn’t buy expensive presents, you would still be fine. Like Wall Street being cut back, it is a matter of simply going back to basics. There was a time not so long ago when Christmas presents were hand made. Gifts were simply what you could do yourself, instead of buying ready-mades. You might be surprised with what great gift ideas you could come up with.

We have come to rely on a consumer society instead of making do with last year’s model. ‘It’s more expensive to repair than it is to replace’, kind of mentality. Me thinks that is all about to change. Convince the teenagers they won’t die if they don’t have the latest outfit, or pair of fad shoes. Stop listening to the advertisers. Their job is simply to sell you.

We found a way to escape the RAT RACE and moved to a tropical island paradise in Vanuatu, in the South Pacific. A place where you have room to move. Room to invest. Room to breathe. We live in the Happiest Country on earth and love it. Life here is down to the basics, particularly when you take a look at the locals. They live with only the simplest of possessions. Family relationships mean far more to them than possessions. Maybe we all need to take a leaf from their way of life.

You can survive the world financial crisis, so long as you keep your cool and pull your belt in a little. Take time out this Christmas to enjoy relationships more than gifts. It can be a good Christmas. It’s up to you.

You can  find  out more information about the author and a genuine Blue Moon Opportunity  at http://winaresort.com

Killer Lion King is on the prowl in the tiny tropical island South Pacific nation of Vanuatu.

Killer Lion King finds his first victim  (’ No, Please! I will do anything you want.‘)   Too late! He’s dead! He died of fright.

Urgent Notice:

Anyone sighting the Killer Lion King please contact Rick or Wendy at Seachange Lodge, Port Vila, Vanuatu. The Victim is our guard dog, ‘Police’. So beware for those unexpected callers to Seachange Lodge, there may be a Killer Lion King lurking in the bushes. Maybe you know his name.

Our gardener has just informed us of a rumour, that the Killer Lion King is about to attack the wild geese in the orchid garden. We will keep you updated as this blood thirsty saga unfolds.

Perhaps you could help us by suggesting some names for our Killer Lion. I kind of like Leon. what do you think?

You can find  out more about the author and a genuine Blue Moon Opportunity take a few minutes and go to 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