Fiji. Denarau Island’s Catamarans, Coral, and Coconuts
The word Fiji evokes images of cloudless skies and sunny beaches lined by coconut palms. My planned trip to Fiji was a departure from my normal hard charging “see everything” travel mode. I hadn’t rented a car or arranged to be driven somewhere remote or unusual. Instead, my companions and I would spend three full days relaxing on the beach. It remained to be seen if this was something I could do. Islands that make up the nation of Fiji are located in southeastern Melanesia, a region of the South Pacific Ocean extending from New Caledonia in the south to New Guinea in the northwest. Located at 18° south latitude, Fiji is 2,000 kilometers north/northwest of New Zealand. Fiji is not one but a collection of more than 330 separate islands, only a third of which are inhabited. The islands were created and shaped through volcanic activity, sedimentary deposits, and the growth of fringing coral reefs. In contrast to visitor perceptions, there are few sandy beaches, and large waves are uncommon in coastal areas because of fringing reefs. Almost half of the islands are forested with other areas covered by grassland. Fiji enjoys a tropical monsoon climate with a short dry season (July and August). Indeed, we experienced brief rain showers on each day of our visit.
Fiji was initially settled by Australasians and Melanesians. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman became the first European to reached the islands in 1643, and soon after native Fijians began trading with sandalwood merchants and whalers. With the arrival of more outsiders came pressure on native islanders to relinquish resources and land. For a brief time during the U.S. Civil War, cotton production on the islands boomed but after the war prices began to fall. Subsequently, the islanders began growing sugarcane and by the 1870s the islands supported ten mills. Sugarcane thatch is still used to cover the roofs of houses and other structures. Annexed by the British in 1874, the islands remained a Crown Colony until Fiji gained its independence in 1970. Today, indigenous Fijians account for about half the country’s population with another 40% descendants of indentured sugarcane fieldworkers who came from India. Languages spoken on the islands include Fijian, Fijian Hindi, and English. A large number of Fijians are Christian (mostly Methodist) with other popular religions including Islam and Hindu. About 90% of land on the islands is under native Fijian ownership.
We arrived at the international airport, located nine kilometers northeast of the City of Nadi (population 42,000). Nadi is on Viti Levu, the country’s largest island (10,429 square kilometers). Because of its concentration of hotels, Nadi has evolved into a focal point for tourism. Driving towards our hotel on Denarau Island, we could see Sleeping Giant Mountain visible to the northeast. Appearing like a man reclining on his back, the mountain is said to be a giant who ate so many people that he fell asleep. Fiji’s exports include rice, tobacco, and pineapple. Fishing remains an important industry too along with gold mining. There is also subsistence farming of copra, cocoa, taro, kara, and bananas.
Arriving at our hotel on Denarau Island, we were greeted by the staff with a friendly “bula” (pronounced “boo-yah”) which means “hello.” There are a few variants including “ni sab bula” (good day) and “bula vinaka” (hello and good health). It should be noted that Denarau isn’t an island in the true sense. It is a coastal area separated from the larger part of Viti Levu by canals. We settled into our upstairs room at the Hilton Fiji Beach Resort and Spa with its view of Nadi Bay and the South Pacific Ocean. The resort has an attractive strip of beach, several large swimming pools, and three restaurants. Moored near the beach was a small cruise ship that appeared to be in poor condition and possibly derelict.
After a full day on the beech my wife diagnosed symptoms of my chronic restlessness and arranged for us to spend our second day on a catamaran that would sail through the Mamanucas, a volcanic archipelago of twenty islands. The first European to see the Mamanucas was Captain William Bligh, famous for having been deposed in a 1789 mutiny by the crew of the HMS Bounty. Since 2016, the Mamanucas have been used for filming the television series, “Survivor.” One of the catamaran’s crew pointed towards Monuriki Island, setting for the 2000 movie “Cast Away” starring Tom Hanks. We boarded a rubber Zodiac powered by an outboard motor for the five-minute ride to the coral reef. After putting on masks and snorkels my wife and I entered the blue water. Swimming near the surface were groups of pencil-thin garfish, colorful parrot fish with beak-like mouths, and striped scissortail damselfish. We had to avoid a few places where coral extended upwards to within less than a meter of the water’s surface. On our return to Nadi, we passed Cloud Nine, a floating platform featuring a bar where boaters can stop for beer or cocktails. Surrounded by clear, turquoise-blue water, Cloud Nine is several kilometers from the nearest land. Reentering the protected harbor south of our hotel, we passed scraggly mangrove trees with dark green canopies that sat atop exposed roots. Mangroves serve as buffers to strong winds and as nursery areas for crustaceans and other marine organisms. In recent years the forests have suffered because the tree’s thick, curving roots are not attractive. In addition, dense areas of mangrove trees can block ocean access. At the time Denarau Island was developed, several square kilometers of mangroves were cleared.
Before departing Viti Levu we visited the Village of Narewa, home to the Tui Nadi, or paramount chief of Nadi. Chiefs preside over villages known as koro, sub-districts called tikina vou, and districts referred to as tikina cokavata. Male chiefs are known as ratu, and female chiefs are called adi. The island’s highest chiefly title, Tui Vita (King of Fiji) has been vacant since 1874 when Fiji was annexed by the United Kingdom. The former Great Council of Chiefs continued to recognize Queen Elizabeth II as its most senior chief until the country’s independence. The Chief of Nadi is responsible for the subdistricts of Nadi including it villages (Narewa, Nakavu, Bavoci, Dratabu and Namotomoto) and the subdistrict of Sikituru with its villages (Korovuto, Moala, and Sikituru). Our driver explained that the Chief of Nadi is protected by bati, traditional Fijian warriors. Each village chief is aligned with a bati clan. We also stopped briefly to admire Narewa’s A-framed Methodist Church. The residents of Narewa Village maintain a historical claim over Denarau Island, the site of major hotels including the Sheraton, Wyndham, Sofitel, and Hilton. The original village of Narewa was relocated from Denarau Island to make room for development.
