TAKE two normal mountain bicycles, modify them into rail-mounted pushbikes and you have the perfect vehicle for a ride on the railway, enjoying the picturesque view of the fields, villages and the beach, leading up to Natadola.
For as long as I can remember, the tramlines were used by the Fiji Sugar Corporation locomotives to transport sugar cane to the mills.
In the early 80s and 90s, Cuvu, in Sigatoka used to be famous for the locomotives and its sector office with the sweet sound from the sirens on the locomotives, signalling to the children that the sugarcane laden locomotives were almost close, and the children would get ready to pull a couple of sugar canes from the overladen carts pulled by the locomotive.
The railways were abandoned after the FSC ceased the use of locomotives in the area and after a few years the area stood abandoned, overgrown with grass and the buildings left to rust.
Today the original structure of the locomotive garage still stands strong but the only difference is the occupant of the building.
EcoTrax Fiji is the new occupant of the building and it’s operated by Howie and Mandy de Vries.
Originally from New Zealand, the couple decided to make use of the rails and with Howie’s expertise in modifying the bikes, they embarked on the eco tourism venture in August last year.
Designed and built by Howie, the modern, comfortable, electric-assisted vehicles are essentially modified, rail-mounted pushbikes and can carry at least three people and has space luggage — meaning picnic baskets and bags for change of clothes.
Mandy said they spent about $300,000 on renovations to the old garage building and had to carry out some modifications to the toilet blocks and the mechanical sheds that were already there.
She said they received approval for their lease to operate the business and use the tracks from FSC and she acknowledged the assistance they got from Eparama Ravaqa who worked with them to secure the lease.
“This is a good investment for us because this is an environment friendly and sustainable business — green business.
“Our carbon footprint is very low because the bikes are battery powered and can also be paddled so there is no use of fuel or fumes,” she said.
Although just a few months old, EcoTrax has received great reviews on TripAdvisor and Mandy says their customers are both tourists and locals.
She said they wanted to promote the rides with locals and they offered 20 per cent discount to locals.
The couple has three staff members who work with them and six rides that are in operation with four under construction.
Howie said they planned to increase their fleet to 10 and maybe more depending on the demand from guests.
He said their lease was from Sigatoka Town to Natadola but they were just using the 12km tracks from Cuvu to Natadola since the rails towards Sigatoka Town were damaged in the last flood.
The tour on the electric rail-rides follows the rail tracks and it includes stops at the villages that are along the way — Naidiri, Malamala and Sanasana.
According to Mandy, though they do not have any official program for village tours, the villagers are always ready with a welcome smile and refreshments — bu juice, fresh fruits — for the visitors.
They launched their website — www.ecotrax.com.fj — a few weeks ago and hope to get more guests in the peak tourist season.
“We have been coming to Fiji for more than five years before we decided to open a business here and we love the country and the people.
“We want to work with the local villages and communities and start coral replanting programs and other environmental programs so that the beach and the surroundings are healthy,” said Mandy.
The tour operates from Monday to Saturday from 9.30am to 1.30pm and would cost $119 for adults and $59 for children who are four to 15 years.
