From: "jbfox" <jbfox@is.com.fj>

To: <jbfox@is.com.fj>

Subject: 'austraLasia' #412

Date: Friday, 25 August 2000 2:03 PM

SECOND COMING TO BE DELAYED

Julian Fox

SUVA: August 25th -- "Jesus Christ Cometh" reads the banner stretched across

the Rewa Bridge, Suva's only such spanning the mighty Rewa River, and path

to Nausori, Tailevu, the Western Division via Kings Road, the Levuka ferry

link and so on.  But there's a problem - not the rebels, not the army, not

even at the height of their confrontation, but a container truck did the

deed - its ten tonnes cracking the bridge in half.

The Rewa bridge, something of an historic landmark in Fiji, is 60 years

old - a Bailey Bridge of army fame, the sort that gave Hobart City hope back

in the 70's when its own bridge plummeted with the help of a drunken sea

captain.  But Nausori's bridge, temporary as it might have been 60 years

ago, is still the only way to that town, Suva's airport and to one half of

Viti Levu.  The alternative is a 600 km round trip via Lautoka and Nadi back

along the Queen's highway....for a journey to Suva that normally takes 30

minutes!

The engineers have been at it, of course, and the fluctuations of power last

night around Suva were, I'm sure, due to the battery of welders at work to

patch things up.  In the meantime it's Shank's pony and wheelbarrow (Fijians

have learnt ingenuity in the face of regular catastrophe) to get yourself

and your goods over the structure if you dare - though light vehicles will

be right with the welds in place - for the time being.  The European Union,

before May 19th were making overtures to the tune of many millions for a new

bridge, but the Terror from Tailevu and self-proclaimed messiah of the

indigenous mob (George) has made those monies presently inaccessible.

So - the Second Coming may possibly be delayed, again...unless He cometh by

water!