Congratulations to Madison from Vancouver Island for winning first place in our May Go, Discover, Inspire Student Storytelling Contest! Read on to see what Madison would do on a one-of-a-kind trip to the island of Fiji.

Our Go, Discover, Inspire Student Storytelling Contest is in full swing, and we couldn't be more excited to read the incredible entries we've received!

Congratulations to our May contest winner, Madison!

Out of all of the places to visit in the world, once everything is normal (in a new way), I would pick Fiji. From what I've seen in pictures, Fiji is full of beaches for lounging on, clear warm waters for swimming in, and beautiful coral reefs exploding with colour that are perfect for adventures. 

There are so, so, SO many fun activities to do there, such as going for hikes in jungles full of huge waterfalls and zip-lining through the epic jungles at incredible speeds. But if you aren't up for that, then you could fish for Spanish mackerel, parrotfish, and milkfish, surf on HUGE waves, and kayak along reefs. Another course of action would be to explore as many islands as possible, there are TONS! The possibilities are endless!  

Another way of exploring Fiji is by culture, not just physical activities. Discovering new food, visiting the local villages, and learning new traditions are some examples. You can also feast on Fijian food like nama, lovo, duruka, and palusami. Plus, you can learn about the Fijians' cannibalistic past by watching someone show you their traditional practices (not on a real person, of course!). 

In class, we’ve been learning about biodiversity. Visiting Fiji would be the perfect opportunity to see new flora and fauna so unlike ours on the Island, as well as some that we might recognize. Some animals that you can find on the Fijian islands are the colourful orange fruit dove, the endangered Fiji crested iguana, the bug-eyed and monkey-faced flying fox, and the almost-extinct red throated lorikeet (you’ll be very lucky if you see one). While we aren't learning (and we’re vacationing), we could swim alongside manta rays, sea turtles, and fish of different sizes and colours and bushwack while looking for new plants—and maybe some geocaches as well! 

Fiji is so distinctly different from Vancouver Island, from the cold water vs. the warm, the rocky beaches vs. the white sandy ones, and the forest vs. the jungles. There are so many islands to explore (333 to be exact) and so many that are completely uninhabited (223). Seeing and experiencing all of the amazing things in Fiji would be like a dream come true.  

Don’t forget: there’s only one more chance to win a $250 Amazon.ca Gift Card or Apple AirPods (with charging case), see the winning entry posted right here on our blog, and earn a $1,000 bursary for your school! Click here to learn more and submit your work by June 30, 2021.