11:20am Thursday 7th February 2008
By Lewis Cowen
ROWDE globetrotter Craig Enderby says he cannot wait to return to the Fijian island paradise of Vorovoro, the subject of the current TV series Paradise or Bust.
Mr Enderby, 21, was on a round-the-world tour when he answered an advert to join a group, Tribewanted, supporting the community on Vorovoro.
He planned to spend two weeks there and ended up staying two months, at one point being voted tribal chief with the Fijian name of Tui Bitu.
After leaving Vorovoro, Mr Enderby continued his round-the-world trip with a visit to the Cook Islands before returning to Rowde in April last year.
He said: "I stayed in Rowde working until September, when I received an e-mail from Ben Keene (one of the founders of the group) asking me back to the island to work for four months.
"My role on the island was to pick people up from the airport, show them around the island, make sure they knew the island protocol and cultural etiquette, teach the tribe members the traditional Fijian dance, the Meke.
"I took people spear fishing and snorkelling, we swam with reef sharks, sting rays, barracuda and thousands of other colourful tropical fish.
"I also took people trekking over and around the island and over the months got to know it like the back of my hand.
"In December, two of my friends from Devizes, Tom Ball and Rob Scratchley, came to visit me for a month. It was good to have people from my home town come all the way to see my other home on the other side of the world.
"I am sad to be away from the island and I miss everyone dearly, but am very happy to see my friends, family and my girlfriend, Shanelle, who will be coming with me next time."
In the meantime, they are enjoying the showing of the series Paradise or Bust on BBC2 each Tuesday evening.
Mr Enderby said: "I went to a showing of the first episode at a big London club where it was shown on a large video screen. It was great to see it.
"I don't know if I will be in the final series. They did 180 hours of filming so whether I make it onto the screen or not I don't know. If I do, it will be in episode four or five.
"But I am definitely in the book that accompanies the series."
Anyone interested in following in Mr Enderby's footsteps and heading off to Vorovoro should go to the website www.tribewanted.com
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk