Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
By boat
From Suva's Walu Bay,
cargo boats
travel various routes, leaving several times a
month. Shipping companies come and go quickly, and routes change frequently, so enquire
in Suva for the latest information.
CARGO BOATS
An intriguing way to visit the islands of the Lau Group is to travel around the region by
cargo boat
. The round-trip journey from Suva on all routes takes between six and seven
days, offering a wonderful opportunity to mingle with the locals and to get a feel for the
vastness of the region. Although there is no fixed schedule, there's usually at least one de-
parture a week to the islands from
Suva
, with each boat visiting between three and eight
islands before heading back to the capital. Three to six hours are spent at each port, giving
you enough time to disembark and have a quick look around. It may be tempting to linger
on an island a little longer but bear in mind it may be several weeks before the next boat
turns up.
Conditions on board are basic. A few boats have
cabins
, each with five bunk beds, but
these are often stuffy, stink of diesel fumes and come crammed with luggage. Instead you'll
probably be sleeping under the stars on the open deck. It's wise to take at least a pillow for
resting your head on and preferably a mat to spread out on. Note that meals provided on
board are basic and it's worth bringing plenty of drinks and snacks. Toilet paper is another
necessity - and be prepared for the sometimes vile conditions of a cargo boat bathroom.
The Moala Group
The three islands of the
Moala Group
- Moala, Totoya and Matuku - lie in a rather isolated
part of the Fijian archipelago, south of Lomaiviti, east of Kadavu and west of the main por-
tion of the Lauan islands. With infrequent sea traffic and no accommodation, they are seldom
visited by travellers. Culturally linked to the Lomaiviti Group, all three islands were raided
and seized by Ma'afu during the 1850s and have remained under the administrative control
of the Lau Group ever since.
Moala
Covering 66 square kilometres,
Moala
is the largest and most populated of all islands in the
Lau Group. It's an easy place to explore, with eleven villages all linked by walking tracks
crisscrossing the hills. The government station, airstrip and jetty are at Naroi on the northeast
tip.
Totoya
Forty kilometres south of Moala, the stunning collapsed volcanic crater of
Totoya
has formed
a steep rim shaped like a horseshoe and is surrounded by a deep lagoon. From the air, the
