Stories From The Pacific

A proud Gudang/Yadaykenu and Saibai man, Jay Wymarra is a hilarious comedian, fierce drag performer and self-confessed "black nerd". Born in Townsville, raised across Canberra, Fiji, and Wollongong, Jay's comedy blends sharp wit with deep love for community. From open mic's in Cairns to the stages of Edinburgh Fringe, he uses laughter as both survival and celebration. Whether he's serving up Reann...

For Kathy Martin, maps aren’t something you find on your phone — they’re inherited, passed down in the way your aunty cuts fish or says your name like it belongs to the land. Raised in Piis-Paneu in Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia, Kathy grew up knowing place wasn’t something to chart, but something to feel. She travelled between islands as if the ocean were a highway, guided by language, me...

Born of Fijian heritage, but raised in the heart of Western Sydney, Isaac Nasedra accidentally stumbled into environmental forensics, due to a university admissions error, only to discover a lifelong calling to protect the Pacific.   From running for state parliament in a sulu, to challenging the status quo of "polite" activism, Isaac is on a mission to prove that Pacific Islanders are not just pe...

In this episode of Stories From the Pacific, our guest traces her journey from a curious child in Fiji — gazing out across the ocean — to a leading neuroscientist exploring how the human brain works. But for Dr Suhailah Ali, understanding the mind was only part of the story. She came to realise that science alone isn’t enough if we don’t also fight for the world we inhabit.  Now a passionate clima...

From the rugby fields of Cairns, far north QLD, to representing his country by captaining the Kumuls, Rod Griffin has carved out a career defined by resilience, leadership, and a deep commitment to giving back.   A proud Papua New Guinean who made his mark in the game, Rod has played for clubs like the Wests Tigers, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, and Ipswich Jets. But his legacy extends beyond the...

In this episode of Stories From The Pacific, Wendy Mocke sits down with rugby icon Toutai Kefu — a powerhouse No. 8 whose story is deeply woven into Australian rugby folklore. Born into a family legacy that helped shape the game, Toutai rose from a Queensland debut sensation to a world champion, delivering one of the most unforgettable moments in Bledisloe Cup history. From triumph to heartbreak a...

Aselu Vaguna O'Brien is a draftsman, climate advocate, and a man of many talents—though if you ask his friends, he's also just 'Strawberry,' the guy who won't stop talking about rugby or his love for fresh fruit. Born in Fiji and raised in Tuvalu, Aselu's journey has taken him from engineering to media, from construction sites to mapping coastlines that are disappearing before his eyes. Today, he'...

What if healing didn't begin with blame, but with responsibility? Matt Brown's journey from a complex childhood in Aotearoa New Zealand to a barbershop chair sparked an unexpected global movement. What began as conversations between men hiding their pain became She Is Not Your Rehab, a call for men to stop outsourcing their emotional wounds to the women in their lives. Matt shares a powerful story...

This is Namila Benson as you've never heard her before. One of the few Melanesian women to occupy space on mainstream television in Australia, Namila reflects on how her voice became her power. In this powerful conversation with fellow Wantok and Stories from the Pacific host, Wendy Mocke, Namila reflects on her childhood shaped by diaspora to a career spanning hosting, writing, mentoring artists...

On Stories From the Pacific, host Wendy Mocke sits down with the brilliant Tommy Misa, a storyteller who reminds us that some of the deepest truths arrive wrapped in laughter.  From the queer bars of Sydney to the global stage of the Biennale, Tommy's work has carved out space for the misfits, the hard workers and anyone who has ever felt out of place under theatre lights. A master of the Samoan C...

Jennifer Faumuina leads some of America’s most demanding work - overseeing crime scene investigations and critical domestic violence programs - yet her journey into law enforcement began far from the mainland, in the tropical islands of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi.  Now a sergeant with the Utah Department of Public Safety, Jennifer brings Pacific values of service, family and community into a profession where...

From a sandwich‑press burger and a pair of brown tongs came a signature — and a following. Māori Einstein's fast, funny cooking has travelled from Aotearoa to Adelaide, hitting millions of feeds and landing spots on Sunrise and 7NEWS. In this episode of Stories From The Pacific, host Bobby Macumber meets the person behind the handle: the name, the hustle, and what cooking has taught him about peop...

Our guest today is someone who doesn’t just pull up a chair - she builds the table.   Born in Lae, Papua New Guinea and raised in Sydney, Australia, Sigrid Yaru navigated the culture shock of a new country through the universal language of netball.   What began as a way to belong has grown into a lifetime of quiet, determined work for Melanesian visibility and community care.  A community organise...

What does it take to put yourself first when you've been taught to carry everyone else? Hane Kokoha takes us from a childhood in Daru, Papua New Guinea, shaped by strict, loving grandparents and a deep "family and village" way of life, into the pressure-cooker of adulthood — a demanding career in a male-dominated IT world, stress, disconnection, and the moment she realised something had to change....

In this episode of Stories from the Pacific, Wendy Mocke speaks with Dr Sophie Naime and Ellen Mesibere, two Papua New Guinean women whose lives and leadership have been shaped by theatre and storytelling.   From radio dramas, church performances and folk dancing to building pathways for young artists, they reflect on how creativity took root and grew into a movement. It’s a powerful conversation...

Elayne Tukuafu grew up being called "plastic" for not speaking her Tongan language. But as she moved through life, she reflected on how to stay connected to your culture and family in other ways — like continuing cultural traditions with creativity. Elayne traces how Pacific identity is shaped through everyday acts of listening, remembering and passing knowledge between generations. The conversati...

Jasmine McGaughey is a proud Torres Strait Islander and African American writer and editor. She's the beloved co-author of tennis legend Ash Barty's Little Ash series, inspiring young readers right across the country. And her latest work, Moonlight and Dust, is a young adult fantasy novel that blends culture, identity and magic in a way only she can. Jasmine brings a powerful cross-cultural perspe...

Quayd Purcell Ah You is a third-generation cultural practitioner and aspiring creator from La’ie, Hawai’i.   Growing up under the famous Ah You name meant navigating intense family pressure to follow the sporting path, but Quayd found his own voice on stage at the Polynesian Cultural Center.  Today, he uses dance, humour and social media content to carve a path of creativity and acceptance, inspir...

Flora Vano grew up drawing courage from stories and from the women who shaped her. Later, she learned the unforgiving arithmetic of cyclones; what happens when winds rise, communications fail, and care becomes a community’s lifeline.   Today, as the country manager for ActionAid Vanuatu, Flora leads women across the islands in transforming disaster preparedness into collective power.  In this epis...

Fipe Preuss is wired for the leap. At 16 she skydived without telling her parents, then learned to find calm midair, underwater, and in rooms full of people. That is the person we are meeting, the risk taker and community maker, who later co-founded Living Koko, a Melbourne chocolate company working with small-plot Samoan farmers to turn fair-priced cacao into small-batch chocolate, drinking cacao...

He ran out in the front row for New Zealand, pulled on the red jersey for Tonga, and battled in the scrums of France — but it was his hair that made him a global icon. Tevita Mailau's legendary "horsey" haircut became part of rugby folklore: tugged at in scrums, turned into memes, and imitated by fans around the world. What most people didn't know was that even then, off the field, Tevita was the...

Willy Missack is an inspiring changemaker from Tanna, Vanuatu, whose work has reached far beyond his island home. As a PhD candidate at Victoria University of Wellington and founder of Learn to Serve: Vanuatu, Willy empowers young people to tackle climate and community challenges head-on. His journey has taken him from remote villages to royal recognition, including an award from Queen Elizabeth I...

Kalafi Moala is a Tongan journalist, editor, and founder of the Times of Tonga newspaper, a publication dedicated to holding power to account and giving voice to the people. His fearless reporting brought him into direct conflict with the Tongan government, leading to his imprisonment and eventual deportation from his own country. But Kalafi never gave up. He was later cleared of all charges, allo...

Samuel Gaskin is a Melbourne-based musician, composer, and creative producer whose work is transforming the arts.   With roots in Aotearoa and Nigeria, Samuel has moved beyond chasing stardom to create spaces where communities feel seen, safe, and celebrated. His award-winning works Reckoning and Aunty have redefined representation on stage, blending ancestral knowledge with pop culture flair.  In...

To understand Yvonne Ueda's journey is to picture the weaving of a chedecholl mat — each strand a story, each imperfection a source of strength.  Her life has been shaped by preparation, patience, and partnership: from a winding educational path marked by setbacks, to discovering identity through motherhood, faith, and community.  Today, she leads conservation projects in Palau with The Nature Con...