For 28 days and more than 500 kilometres around Viti Levu, Reverend James Bhagwan and Graham Taylor paddled with one central message: what is thrown on land eventually finds its way to the ocean.
The two paddlers, and their team, have now completed their journey around Fiji's main island and were welcomed at the USP foreshore this afternoon, where they reflected on the challenges they faced along the way and the communities they met.
Taylor says the journey was far from easy, with illness and challenging weather conditions testing the paddlers during the 28-day journey.
He says one of the team members was admitted to hospital with flu-like symptoms the night before they left Suva, while he later became ill himself.
Taylor says there was a point when he considered abandoning the journey after spending a night feeling unwell.
He says medication helped him recover enough to continue the following day.
The weather also presented major challenges, particularly on the second day of the journey from Muaivuso to Togoru.
Taylor says what was expected to be a four-hour journey took six hours, with the team relying on their support crew on land when they eventually arrived.
He says despite the physical challenges, encounters with marine life became some of the highlights of the journey.
Taylor says during one of the most difficult stretches, he and Reverend Bhagwan questioned whether they should continue.
He says seeing turtles and birds along the way gave them another reason to keep paddling.
Taylor says the journey was not only about the paddlers, but also about the environment and the communities they visited.
He thanked villages along the route for welcoming the team, providing hot meals and sharing their experiences and concerns.
Taylor says the team heard a number of messages from communities that they will carry forward, including needs identified during their visits.
He also acknowledged the support crew, who he says were up before dawn each morning to prepare meals and ensure the paddlers were ready for the day.
Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change Dr Sivendra Michael says the journey was more than a paddle, with the team engaging with communities at various stops around Viti Levu.
Michael says the team visited places including Togoru, Navua and Galoa, where they cleaned beaches, sorted waste, worshipped and took part in talanoa sessions.
He says the message from the journey was simple, protecting the oceans starts with what people do in their own homes and villages.
Michael says Paddle for Hope has also taken the pre-COP31 message to communities, highlighting the importance of protecting villages, reefs and rivers.
He says the completion of the journey demonstrates that collective action, one paddle stroke and one household at a time, can help reduce the use of single-use plastics and protect Fiji's oceans.
