THE GUIDE - Rough Guide to Fiji - page 237

Brief history
The Lomaiviti and Lau islands played a key role in the struggle for supremacy over the Fijian
archipelago. By the mid-nineteenth century the ruthless Ratu Seru Cakobau , high chief of
Bau, had brought much of Fiji under his control. However, the Tongans held a long associ-
ation with the Lau Group, which in most parts are closer to their islands than Viti Levu. In
1848, Enele Ma'afu , a Tongan prince, was sent to Lakeba in Lau under the guise of pro-
tecting the missionaries established there. By supporting Cakobau's enemies and plying his
own brand of fierce warfare, Ma'afu soon began to dominate the region, even gaining control
of Vanua Levu and Taveuni. By the 1870s, Cakobau concluded that Ma'afu had the upper
hand. Fearful of a direct confrontation he decided to cede Fiji to Britain, which he believed
would halt the Tongan's conquest. The British were reluctant to accept Cakobau's terms as
he didn't represent the united people of Fiji. So, in 1871, Cakobau rallied a few white set-
tlers in Levuka, and, with the backing of his allied chiefs, announced himself King of Fiji .
After much debate and tension, cession to Britain was completed on October 10, 1874 and
Levuka became the administrative capital of the new colony. Ma'afu, his aspirations of con-
trol of Fiji halted, reluctantly accepted administration over the Lau Group.
Lomaiviti Group
The sixteen islands of the Lomaiviti Group form a neat triangular cluster in the heart of the
Fijian archipelago, 20km east of Viti Levu and 50km south of Vanua Levu. In the nineteenth
century the island of OVALAU became the centre of European trade, with whalers and mer-
chants setting up camp beside the village of Levuka , eventually to become Fiji's first capital.
Levuka remains the region's main tourist draw, yet visitor numbers are blissfully insignific-
ant. Surrounding Ovalau, a handful of small islands lie within a 15km radius, entwined with-
in stunning coral reefs and boasting secluded white sandy beaches and hillforts : Naigani is
home to a small resort and several large hillforts, while a handful of beautiful small islands
with backpacker resorts lie off the south coast. Further east, the Outer Lomaiviti consist of
half a dozen high volcanic islands with virtually no tourist infrastructure.
Ovalau
From a distance, OVALAU resembles a giant meringue with its top bitten off. The missing
top of the island is, in fact, a blown-out crater, 400m deep with three lakes and the proud
village of Lovoni lying at the bottom. Just under eight thousand people live on the island,
over half of them based in and around the characterful seaside town of Levuka , basking in its
new UNESCO World Heritage status, and hemmed in by sheer rainforest-covered mountains
midway along the east coast. The drier coastline of North Ovalau has rolling grassy hills,
and a beautiful beach at Arovudi, while forested South Ovalau has few specific attractions,
although you are likely to pass through to access the island's airstrip and the road to Lovoni.