Couple Choose to Stay, Ecotrax Reopens on June 5
Ecotrax will reopen on June 5, 2020, co-owner Mandy de Vries said.And local rates will reflect a 30 per cent reduction in price for a velocipede ride, she said. The announcement follows a reversal of an earlier decision by Mrs de Vries and her husband Howie to leave Fiji after they closed business on March 19, 2020.
Business ground to a halt because of the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, she said.
The Ecotrax office and base is located at one of the former Fiji Sugar Corporation buildings in Cuvu.
FSC sold the property to the Reddy Group who now leases the buildings and property to Ecotrax.
Mrs de Vries said Ecotrax also leases the tram lines from FSC which runs from Sigatoka town to Cuvu.
Ecotrax uses the tracks for their operations.
“We have plans to expand and start a new tour towards Sigatoka Town and have already carried out some clearing work for this new route.”
The trip starts from their base and after an one hour’s ride along the track, guests stop for a picnic at Vunibua Beach.
Mrs de Vries said local rates will range from $104.95 for adults, to $53.40 for children between the ages four years to 15 years.
Previous rates were, for adults $149 a person, while children between the ages of four-years-old to 15 years of age paid $79 each, Mrs de Vries said.
Tour rides
Ecotrax carries out guided tour rides on modified electric bicycle carriages or velocipedes along the old, unused sugar cane tram line which belongs to the Fiji Sugar Corporation.
The trip spans 23 kilometres of scenic views along the Coral Coast through villages, dense vegetation, across rivers and a onehour picnic stopover.
Ecotrax buys fruits and vegetables from villages along routes accessed by velocipedes, in an arrangement the company made with the respective villages.
“We did everything we could to keep our Ecotrax team going by getting groceries for them every week,” she said.
Ecotrax has repaired homes in the areas.
“We used our savings to support the villages along the way with groceries and building materials after Tropical Cyclone Harold.”
Give A Little
Ecotrax set a page through Givealittle, a New Zealand-based organisation, that assists them with the continued support for staff and villagers.
Mrs de Vries said Ecotrax managed to collect $14,283 from donors around the world.
Givealittle is an online non-profit fundraising platform that is used to attract online donors for people in need, Mrs de Vries said.
Give alittle began as a commercial venture in 2010, backed in part by venture capital outfit Movac, Spark Foundation’s charitable arm.
Last year, the site raised $10 million in the wake of the Christchurch attacks through multiple campaigns for victims’ families.
Under Spark ownership, annual donations increased from FJ$887,034 to FJ$25.2 million in 2018.
Staying on
The Kiwi couple’s decision, to remain in Fiji to assist underprivileged communities, has been rewarding.
Mrs de Vries said they were happy with their decision to stay in Fiji to help villages during the coronavirus pandemic.
She said they were equally happy to help families in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Harold.
Since Ecotrax was established in 2016, Mr and Mrs de Vries developed close ties with the three villages the velocipede traverses, namely Malomalo, Naidiri and Nalele.