What Labasa Town did for the Fiji Day Weekend

Bilibili race attracts crowd

Maneesha Karan
Sunday, October 09, 2011

IT was a spectacular sight for locals and tourists in Labasa Town to have witnessed the first ever traditional Fijian bilibili (bamboo raft) race at the Labasa River yesterday.

The race was part of the Queen Esther mini carnival hosted for the first time in Labasa and the festival's nine contestants headed each bilibili.

Festival committee president TJ Loloma said the bilibili race signified the cultural connection of the people back to the olden days.

"The bilibili was the common mode of transportation for our forefathers across rivers in the past," Mr Loloma said.

"We didn't have outboard engines in those days.

"This race event has proved that the concept of using bilibili is still successful and villagers in outer islands and people living near coastal areas can still make use of this mode of transport." Mr Loloma said at first the contestants were hesitant towards participating in the race. "It was a challenge for the contestants because nearly all of them had never sat on a bamboo raft before and this was the first experience for them.

"The contestants felt they ought to face this challenge because the event reflected the festival's theme 'A Better Fiji'."

People gathered around the Labasa market near the river bank and on the bridge to catch a glimpse of the race.