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!