Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Nadarivatu
The old colonial settlement of
NADARIVATU
, once the penal colony for Fiji, lies around
25km inland from Tavua and is one of the access points for climbing
Mount Tomanivi
.
It's a
wonderfully cool and peaceful setting, located in a large depression surrounded by mountains
and pine forests above the heat of the coast. The journey up here is quite spectacular, ac-
cessed 3km east of Tavua town via a dirt road. The trip can be done in fifty minutes but with
wonderful views along the way, particularly on the steep ascent from pretty Waikubukubu
village, it will probably take longer. Nadarivatu translates as “the stone bowl”, which refers
to a small black stone found beside the road close to the health centre - legend tells of water
sprouting from the stone in times of drought and its being the source of the mighty Sigatoka
River.
ACCOMMODATION: NADARIVATU
wooden floors and three bedrooms (sleeping up to six people), each with kitchen, cold-water
showers and 24hr electricity. The fireplaces are stocked with logs, which is a good thing as
at almost 1000m, it gets pretty chilly up here at night, even in summer. The caretaker can ad-
vise on a remot
e two
-day walking track crossing the Nadrau Plateau to the south side of Viti
Levu. Cottages
F$50
Mount Tomanivi
Mount Tomanivi
, also known as Mount Victoria, is the highest point in Fiji standing at
1323m. Unfortunately, at this high elevation, the mountain appears to be nothing more than a
hill, although the two-hour hike to the top is certainly strenuous. The
trail
starts from
Navai
village
, 8km south of Nadarivatu. You'll need to hire a guide (F$20) and pay a F$20 ad-
mission fee which goes towards village projects; you can also enquire in the village about
homestays. The walk is best attempted on a dry day, setting off from Navai around 8am -
any later and the trail becomes swelteringly hot, any earlier and the summit is likely to be
obscured by morning mist. The lower part of the trail is extremely muddy, passing planta-
tions and crossing a couple of streams. About halfway up, it enters the government-leased
Tomanivi Nature Reserve
, where you'll probably see masked shining parrots, long-legged
warblers and hear whistling doves. From here on up the route follows an exceptionally steep
ridge over boulders and contorted tree roots - it's quite a scramble but thankfully the trail is
hemmed in by thick forest. There are a couple of clearings along the way with glimpses of
the surrounding countryside, and the panorama from the top is exceptional. On a clear day
you'll see the stark contrast between the dry valleys in the distant north and the rugged trop-
ical mountains draped in rainforests to the south.
