Parents complain about gross find at Fiji Schoolies spot

School leavers on the journey of a lifetime made a shocking discovery on an idyllic island destination.

Schoolies is causing a stir once again as parents express frustration at a pest problem at an idyllic island destination.

One concerned parent took to social media to reveal her daughter’s cabin in Fiji had a bed bug infestation. She said the same thing happened to her nephew.

“Apparently the travel group who organised the trip don’t think that it’s something that they need to tell us all about, which I think sucks,” the mum said.

“I don't want bed bugs in my house, and if I didn't find out from my daughter it would be too late.”

The parent said they were “so annoyed” as it should be “common decency” to share information such as this.

Parents have complained about a bed bug infestation at schoolies. Picture: Instagram/Unleashed

Another parent told news.com.au two of the rooms booked through Unleashed — which describes itself online as “Australia and NZ’s largest overseas student travel company” — had bed bugs. The resort where the Australian school leavers were staying did take action but didn’t want to tell families, the parent said.

“It meant families weren’t going to be able to take precautions to stop them getting into their houses,” the parent said.

“They only sent the email out to families after someone put a post on Facebook letting people know and then the email made out that the info on Facebook was false which it wasn’t.”

The parent said the only way they found out was that school leavers told their parents.

Both parents said it was a small bump in an otherwise enjoyable experience for their children. They said it was predominantly the parents who were concerned, as they didn’t want the pests brought into their homes.

Many other parents did state their children hadn’t had an issue.

A close up look at a bedbug. Picture: istock

A screen shot of an email from Unleashed was shared to Facebook. It said it wanted to address “concern and misinformation” about an “isolated incident”.

“Last night, we were made aware of a suspected instance of bed bugs in one room at the resort,” the email read.

“Please know we are taking this matter very seriously. Our report partners acted swiftly, taking appropriate steps to address and eliminate any issue early.”

At the time of the report, no other rooms had reported similar outbreaks, the email said. Unleashed said they would continue to monitor the situation. Unleashed did not respond to news.com.au when approached for comment.

It’s not the first international event that has caught attention due to bed bugs. Last year, travellers in Paris took to social media to share clips of the bugs crawling over train seats and in movie theatres. One video garnered 3.8 million views. It sparked concern because the city was less than a year away from hosting the Paris Olympics.

In other videos from Paris, mattresses were seen dumped outside buildings.

Parents got an email from Unleashed. Picture: Instagram/Unleashed

A pool party at Schoolies. Picture: Instagram/Unleashed

NSW Health has previously said bed bugs aren’t considered a health hazard. Last year, Julian Bracewell, a bed bug specialist at leading Sydney pest control firm Pest2Kill, said there are some warning signs to look out for.

“Earlier warning signs you can see are blood spots on your mattress and your sheets,” he said.
“Bed bugs usually bite in clusters. We call it breakfast, lunch and dinner as they usually bite in threes.”

But identifying an infestation is only the start. Mr Bracewell explained bed bugs are difficult to get rid of compared to other common pests such as cockroaches and spiders.
This is due to their robust exoskeletons, a hard covering that protects the bugs’ bodies, meaning a two prong approach is often needed: heat and pesticides.

His advice to people was to never put bags — particular ones filled with dirty laundry or suitcases — on the bed.

Annie Knight and Bonnie Blue. Picture: Instagram/Annie Knight

Schoolies 2024 has also been in the headlines for the uproar surrounding sex workers Bonnie Blue and Annie Knight, who declared they would be sleeping with “barely legal teens” for their respective adult subscription platforms. However, thousands of Aussies slammed the act. Blue, who is a UK national, had her visa pulled by the Australian government.

It was not the backlash that saw Blue’s visa cancelled. It was allegations she intended to contravene her 12-month visa by working.

So, the two women turned their sights to pull the same stunt in Fiji.

But after the pair relocated to a popular resort in Nadi during the annual student celebrations, Fiji’s Minister for Immigration, Pio Tikoduadua, declared Knight and Blue were “prohibited immigrants”.

Deportation proceedings were commenced by local authorities, according to local Fiji news outlets.

However, the two were tipped off. It led the pair to be able to pack their suitcases, book their flights and leave Fiji of their own volition.