A big weekend

This past weekend was a big one – in more than one way.

First off, it was four days long. Samoa held its national election on Friday and as per their Constitution, Thursday and Friday were public holidays. This gave people across the islands time to get to their home villages and districts for voting. Some registered for pre-polling but most voted on Friday. Voting in Samoa is compulsory, just like in Australia, and if you are eligible to vote, but don’t, you can be fined.

This election was called when the Parliament could not agree on a budget back in May and it has pretty much been the hot topic here in Samoa since then.

I’ve learned quite a bit about the elections over the past few weeks. Candidates for the 51 seats in the Legislative Assembly are directly elected by the people to represent a single constituency. To be a candidate one needs to be over 21 years of age, hold a matai title, and have resided in Samoa for three years prior to the election. Matai are chiefs or leaders and can be men or women. A matai title signifies the head of a family and comes with responsibilities for administering family affairs, leading the family, resolving disputes, and defending family interests. 

An interesting twist of the Samoan Constitution calls for a female quota of 10% or 6 women in the Legislative Assembly. If six women are not elected, then the electoral commission can appoint up to six unsuccessful female candidates who received the most votes.

I’ve always been a political history buff and even have a degree in international political science, so to be here at this time has been incredibly interesting for me. It’s doubly interesting as the CEO of the organisation where I am volunteering is a candidate for Parliament and has been on annual leave since I started here while he campaigns.

The Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) was formed in 1979 and dominated politics here until the election in 2021 where they were defeated. The new government was led by Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa, the first woman to serve as Samoa’s head of government. After the Parliament rejected her budget on 27 May 2025, she recommended to the head of state that Parliament be dissolved and there be a snap election. And that’s how we got to this weekend. (With a whole lot of history and twists and turns missing from the story. If you are really interested in it, google it. It’s fascinating if you are interested in this kind of thing, like me.)

So with four days off stretching out in front of me, my friend Lily and I checked the tide tables. Thursday just before lunch was high tide. A perfect day to snorkel at the Giant Clam Sanctuary. (I did say this weekend was big in more than one way!)

One of the best places to see Giant Clams in the wild is the village of Savaia on the south coast of Upolu. The Clam Sanctuary is a marine protected area and is managed by the villagers who ensure the safety and survival of the clams. The best time to visit is at high tide to avoid touching the clams and the villagers who guard the sanctuary made sure we knew not to touch them.

There are very clean and fairly new toilets and changing facilities at the Sanctuary. We quickly changed and put on our snorkels and fins. Again, as I have almost every weekend I’ve been here, I felt grateful that I had brought my own snorkelling equipment from Australia. Snorkels, mask and fins are almost impossible to find here and having my own and knowing it’s cared for properly means I enjoy my time in the water much more.

The water is warm, calm and crystal clear which provides the feeling that you are in an aquarium. Within minutes, I spotted my first clam and was transported to an underwater wonderland. Their iridescent jewel colours were quite a surprise. The clams come in a variety of colours and patterns due to the photosynthetic algae that lives in their tissues. The photosynthetic algae produce food for them, which is why giant clams need to live in shallow water, so that sunlight reaches the algae. (Full disclosure, my underwater photos aren’t very good. It was my first time using my new underwater phone pouch and it’s clear that I need more practice! But at least you can kind of get the idea of what they looked like.)

The villagers had told us to head for a marker out a couple of hundred metres from shore so we kept on swimming. The clams at the marker definitely were giant!!! Both Lily and I were amazed!

These underwater creatures can grow up to 120cm across and weigh more than 200 kgs! There are 12 species of giant clams that can be found across the Indian and Pacific oceans. The three found in this sanctuary are the Tridacna gigas, Tridacna squamosa and the Tridacna derasa.

Giant clams were almost extinct across the Pacific due to overhunting (they are a prized delicacy) and due to oceanic storms such as cyclones and tsunamis. The 2009 tsunami that hit the south coast of Upolu caused great havoc with the reef systems and in some areas, it’s really only starting to come back now.

The clams of this sanctuary are well protected by their villagers who are proud to care for the sanctuary. Visitors who wish to swim or snorkel in the sanctuary pay the village $20WST ($11.50 AUD/$7.50USD/ £5.50GBP) for the opportunity. Diving is not allowed, nor is touching the clams. The community also has kayaks available for those who prefer.

Sea turtles are also a feature of this area. Lily was lucky enough to spot one juvenile but I didn’t see any on this trip. I will definitely have my eyes peeled next time I visit!

The village of Savaia is lovely and we enjoyed a quick walk around the village, accompanied by a couple of local boys who were curious about the two palagis walking around.

We headed back to Apia after a big day out.

Friday, I heeded the warnings I heard from my colleagues and stayed home on election day. It was lovely to have a day to myself, sitting in my hammock and reading. The neighbourhood puppies came over to play for an hour or two and I enjoy the fun of having puppies running around without the responsibility of caring for them.

On Saturday, Lily and I decided to check out Le Vasa resort on the west coast of Upolu. Many of the resorts in Samoa allow day visitors to use their facilities for a charge. At Le Vasa, it costs $50WST ($28AUD/$18USD/£14GBP) to be a day visitor. For your $50 tala you have access to snorkeling, kayaks, the pool, the beachside restaurant, your own fale and you receive a $25 tala voucher for food or drinks at the restaurant. All in all, it’s a pretty good deal. The grounds are lovely, as are the staff who work there.

Lily and I took advantage of the kayaks and had a great paddle in the lagoon. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and resting, swimming when we felt like it. It was the perfect day!

Le Vasa Resort is also home to the Malietoa Memorial which marks the spot of the last battle between Samoa and Tonga, during which the Samoans defeated the Tongans and drove them from their land. According to the information we were given at the resort, the period of Tongan oppression and subsequent war lasted 300 years from 950 AD to 1250 AD. That’s a big, long lasting war!

And on this point of land the Tongans praised the Samoans for their fighting and bravery and retreated, stating they would never return in battle, only in friendship. The Memorial serves as a reminder of the peace and friendship between the Samoans and the Tongans.

As we drove home from the resort, we reflected on our big weekend. It came at the perfect point for me. I needed a big rest and recharge. Immersing oneself in a new culture, hearing a new language spoken around you all day every day and not understanding most of it, is exhausting. Trying to watch and listen to colleagues to determine the best way to contribute to an organisation is exhausting. Just meeting so many new people all day every day is exhausting. I’m enjoying my assignment and my time in Samoa but I’m also recognising how much I need peace and quiet to help me recharge. This four day weekend provided a big recharge for me. One that I didn’t realise how much I needed, until it happened.