Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
will be able to arrange a guide to help you spot Kadavu's four endemic bird species : the Ka-
davu Fantail, Kadavu Honeyeater, Velvet Fruit Dove and Kadavu Musk Parrot.
There are just over ten thousand inhabitants on Kadavu, primarily engaged in subsistence
farming and fishing, making it one of the best places to immerse yourself in Fijian culture .
Most of the 75 coastal villages are hidden in bays or amongst mangrove estuaries and ob-
scured from view when travelling along the coast by boat. Every third village has a primary
school and all are connected by walking trails.
Brief history
In 1792, William Bligh became the first European to chart Kadavu and its dangerous coral
reefs, but for the next few decades the islanders had little contact with the outside world.
This peaceful isolation was shattered in 1829 when the island was conquered by warriors
from Rewa from southeastern Viti Levu. As such, Kadavu was brought under the influence
of the powerful Burebasaga Confederacy and forced to assist Rewa in the 1840s war against
Cakobau.
Thirty-five years after Bligh's encounter, French commander Dumont d'Urville almost ran
aground on the reefs north of Ono and so named them after his ship, L'Astrolabe . After pub-
lishing his journals which described the discovery of endless supplies of the Chinese delicacy
bĂȘche-de-mer (sea cucumber), Kadavu began to attract overseas traders. Galoa Harbour, on
the southern side of present-day Vunisea Town, became a busy port and it wasn't long before
American whalers moved into Tavuki Bay on the north coast. Land was briskly traded with
the locals for firearms and alcohol and Chinese and European merchants set up stores and
began planting cotton. Galoa reached its peak in 1871 but within a few years it had become a
virtual ghost town when Levuka, backed by Cakobau, established itself as the main port for
trade.
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