Among them is Lithey Lice, who has been at the resort for 28 years and is part of the food and beverage team. Originally from Suva, she began working alongside the resort’s founding owners, Dick and Carol Smith, who welcomed and mentored her from the beginning. ‘They gave me a place where I felt like we were family holding hands together,’ she says. Her daily mantra is simple: honesty, loyalty, and arriving at work each day with a smile. ‘When you have the heart to serve, that’s what truly matters,’ she says with gratitude. She speaks proudly of current owners Josie and Will, adding, ‘behind every employee is a great owner.’
That sense of belonging is echoed by resort manager Jo Mar, celebrating 19 years with the resort. ‘I was born into tourism,’ he says. His father began working at Castaway Island Resort alongside Dick Smith in 1963, when Jo was just a baby. He still remembers his father saying, ‘look at the lights, the magic, the mana has been turned on.’ Growing up around resorts, Jo developed a natural ability to connect with people. After learning a trade, he joined the resort workshop in 1981, where his talent for fixing almost anything helped him rise through the ranks. There was a brief detour after he crashed Dick’s motorbike and decided to keep a lower profile for a while at Plantation Island Resort, but he eventually returned. ‘I haven’t looked back,’ he says.
Sales manager Gloria Osborne has worked at the resort since 2002, and believes the anniversary celebrations are about more than a milestone. ‘It’s about 50 years of people coming back to celebrate together,’ she says, noting that many guests have returned ten or twelve times over the years.
A younger team member, Mesulame Kurinacoba, has moved from the Trader café into the activities department after 18 months in FandB. He says the family-oriented nature of the resort creates opportunities for staff to grow and develop.
And there is Steven the dog, perhaps the resort’s most popular unofficial staff member. He arrived as an unannounced guest, and never checked out. Instead, he promoted himself to head of guest relations, meet-and-greet, and general charmer.
By Faye Spooner
Gloria Osborne, sales manager
Jo Mar, resort manager
Lithey Lice, food and beverage member
Mesulame Kurinacoba, activities
Steven, unofficial meet, greet and entertainment officer
