SAMOA – It may have looked like a tropical island holiday, but it was anything but, reports Henry Cooke for Fairfax media.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had her first meeting at 7am, before solemnly inspecting an honour guard in front of Samoa’s government buildings in Apia, while the temperature crept closer and closer to 30°C.

She wouldn’t see the end of the day until after the sun has set and her reception at the New Zealand High Commission was over, before an early morning flight to Niue, where she won’t even stay a whole day.

But despite the workload Ardern’s time in Samoa had been marked by an outpouring of affection from its people, even as several of them called her “Jacinta”.

One village elder even thanked Ardern and her government for contributions to a scheme that was in fact funded by the United Nations.

Yet Ardern promised plenty to Samoa to earn that love.

The immediate – $3 million more in disaster recovery aid, and $6.5 million in development funds for small businesses run by women and young people.

And then the more existential – a promise to turn around rising emissions and tackle climate change so thoroughly that New Zealand can say it did its bit to save the islands..

Climate change shaped the day, despite a lack of concrete announcements in the area.

After Ardern turned up to inspect the honour guard the tropical rain immediately cleared, just after soaking all of the journalists and the band waiting for her.

Despite a clearly labelled seat being reserved for him, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters was not at the ceremony.

He did make it to the next event either – a closed-doors bilateral meeting with the Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi.

Tuilaepa is 72-years-old and has been Prime Minister since 1998. New Zealand had five prime ministers since then, the current one just over half his age.

Following the meeting a large contingent of New Zealand and Samoan journalists filed into a small room in the Samoan government buildings, most of them sitting cross-legged on the floor.

The New Zealand reporters were eager to get Tuilaepa to talk about the tens of millions of dollars of aid money China is pouring into the country, which Peters had motioned towards in his “Pacific reset” speech last week.

Chinese aid often takes the form of low-interest concessionary loans, and has been used to build a new airport and hospital in the capital of Apia.

Tuilaepa took the opportunity to simply explain what China had promised, and to make clear that the process had been open and transparent.

Asked how much his country owed to China he demurred, saying he was “an old man” and no longer the finance minister.

Ardern for her part was asked by local media about an important link between the two countries – the seasonal working scheme. The topic had come up at the bilateral, but there was no announcements to be made.

And as any good Kiwi journalist would do to a visiting foreign dignitary, there was then of course a question close to “how are you liking your time here?” As both countries have huge tourism industries, this only seems fair.

Ardern of course said she loved it, but diplomatically failed to endorse it as “the most beautiful Pacific island”. Her father is the High Commissioner to Niue after all.

The rest of the day was focused on the two key topics Ardern’s press office have been mentioning for weeks – “resilience” and “climate change”. Both are quite linked.

Ardern headed off to a Habitat for Humanity event with a house built to replace one destroyed by Cyclone Evan in Magiagi.

The homes in the area had been flooded over and over as Samoa saw more and more intense storms that most scientists link to climate change.

The rest of the delegation, including the Climate Change Minister James Shaw, visited the coastal village of Moata‘a deep in a jungle of mangroves.

The village’s main link to the main road – where they get to the shops and school – is a concrete pathway that erosion and rising sea levels has seen more and more submerged.

Shaw – improperly dressed in suit pants a white shirt – took off his shoes and ventured onto the pathway. At high tide, children have to take off all of their clothing to make it over without soiling their clothes.

Back in Apia, after a university visit by Prime Minister Ardern it was finally time for lunch, and of course several speeches.

At the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum the delegation was welcomed by deputy Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata-afa, the longest serving female politician in the country.

Fiame and every other speaker (there were five) spoke about the real effect climate change is having and will have on this country.

Ardern responded with a promise that New Zealand would work to meet its commitments to reduce carbon emissions, which are currently still rising, with Shaw there to back her up with very Green Party language.

“I think Kiwis have figured out that climate change isn’t something that’s happening in the future to someone else, it’s something that’s happening now to us,” Shaw said.

But there was nothing Shaw or anyone else could have said to draw away the clear affection the various officials had for Ardern.

The adulation continued at a Marist Youth Event she attended after the lunch and a speedy press conference.

Fanning herself constantly in the sticky heat of a rugby clubroom, Ardern smiled at the bawdy jokes and at the cheering masses of schoolchildren.

However, she was unable to enjoy the kava prepared for to her.

“This isn’t just my lunch – I’m carrying a baby,” she said, holding the glass aloft while gesturing to her belly.

- Stuff/PNC