LOMAIVITI GROUP 165 © Lonely Planet Publications Planet Lonely © ( p173 ) Levuka Passage Levuka Levuka Homestay Levuka Caqalai AREA : 409 SQ KM 409 SQ KM : AREA „

( p176 ) Caqalai Lovoni whales colonial streets Leleuvia ( p173 ) in Levuka p173 ( ( p166 ), just minutes ), just minutes p166 ( Club Levuka Passage Levuka from the shore, if you’re an experienced diver if you’re from the shore, ( p169 ) vistas around standing underwater budget resort of the lovely bunctious past on Levuka’s nights at the ( p174 ), situated in a fractured volcanic crater in a fractured ), situated p174 ( ( p175 ) ( p172 ) in Levuka’s harbour, from May to harbour, from May to ) in Levuka’s p172 ( September

Climb up Gun Rock and look for the out- a mask and snorkel Don and explore Lounge on the perfect, beach at soft, white Commune with the ghosts of Ovalau’s ram- delights at of breakfast stream Enjoy a never-ending Hang out with the local expats on Tuesday into Ovalau’s village, interior Delve Dive the Dive POPULATION: 15,000 15,000 POPULATION:

„ „ „ „ „ „ „ „ HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

Basking in the warm waters around Ovalau are several small resort islands. To the north small resort islands. Basking is several around Ovalau in the warm waters are Historic Ovalau is the group’s administrative centre. There are few good beaches here; here; good beaches few are There Historiccentre. Ovalau is the group’s administrative

„ good snorkelling and simple budget resorts. good snorkelling and simple budget resorts. Leleuvia, Lailai and Caqalai. They are each blessed with desert are island–fantasy looks, They Lailai and Caqalai. Yanuca Leleuvia, and the luxury resort tiny coral backpackers of Wakaya islands lie to the south: island. Three shark tooth–shaped Koro (with fantastic diving and rainforest hikes), family-oriented hikes), family-oriented and rainforest shark tooth–shaped Koro (with fantastic diving humpback whales brings these creatures along the east coast of Ovalau. along the east coast of these creatures humpback whales brings swimming to get on with; and from May to September the annual migration of a pod of the and from May to September swimming to get on with; When you’ve had your fill of history, there’s plenty of hiking, plenty there’s had your fill of history, diving, snorkelling and river When you’ve main street and imagining the town during its lawless past is a highlight of a visit to Ovalau. the town during its lawless past is a highlight and imagining main street European settlement and the country’s first capital. Wandering the historic, timber-fronted capital. Wandering the historic, timber-fronted settlement and the country’s first European out of an extinct volcanic crater. Spellbinding Levuka, Ovalau’s main town, was ’s earliest Ovalau’s Spellbinding Levuka, main town, was Fiji’s out of an extinct volcanic crater. craggy coastline. At its heart, the proud village of Lovoni rests in a wide, green valley formed valley in a wide, green its heart, At rests the proud village of Lovoni craggy coastline. the island’s beauty lies in its landscape – a mixture of tumbling hills, vibrant forest and wild, of tumbling hills, vibrant forest in its landscape – a mixture the island’s beauty lies islands also made headlines as the epicentre of early British colonial action. as the epicentre islands also made headlines legendary last cannibal king, Ratu Seru Cakobau, cemented his power base here and the king,legendary last cannibal here his power base Ratu cemented Seru Cakobau, history. These islands had a starring role to play in the creation of the Fijian nation. Fiji’s nation. Fiji’s of the Fijian starring role to play in the creation islands had a history. These The laid-back pace of life in the Lomaiviti (Middle Fiji) Group belies their action-packed Group in the Lomaiviti (MiddleFiji) pace of life laid-back The Lomaiviti Group Group Lomaiviti LOMAIVITI GROUP remain. 1905, manyof theboom-timebuildings swept awayinthe hurricanesof 1888and further. declined markets plummetinginthe1930s,Levuka trade wasalsoshifting toSuva. Withcopra 1882, andbytheendof the19thcentury government moved was officially toSuvain The wasproclaimeditscapital. and Levuka see p34 ). Fijithusbecame aBritishcolony Crown (formore informationonthisperiod andFijiwascededtothe offer byCakobau In 1874Great acted Britain onanearlier to formanationalgovernment unsuccessfully, in1871. attempted, Cakobau Levu). (anislandoff thesoutheastcoastofBau Viti thepowerfulchief of Cakobau, Seru to Ratu andgave RewaDelta) allegiance ’s alliance withthechief of (avillage on awhiteinstalling supremacist government. withthe(quicklyfrustrated) aimofin Levuka bitter. Ashort-lived Ku KluxKlanwasformed The cottonboomwasbriefanditsaftermath Europeans, with52hotels forthemtodrinkin. ing townreached apopulationof about3000 and othersettlers cametoFiji,andtheboom- and crooks.Inthe1870safloodof planters booters, conmenandmiddlemen,dreamers morality. Itattracted beachcombers andfree- reputation fordrunkenness, violenceandim- murdered byraidingLovoni in 1846. protection of whowas thechief of Levuka, timber town.TheEuropeanslived underthe interlopers andrepeatedly burneddowntheir as thesettlers in thecentre saw of Ovalau, was thecustomwhere they came from. time, explainingtothelocalpeoplethatthis Fijianwomenata downwithseveral settled cucumber), turtleshells andcoconutoil.Some schooners andtradedforbêche-de-mer (sea popular whalingcentre. Thenewcomers built heresettle untilthe1830s,whenitbecamea foreignersplies. However, didnotbeginto of insearch sup- traders stoppedatLevuka putes were with settled the musket. drunks tookstringsof islandbrides anddis- ship, escapedconvictshidout,polygamous a bolt-holewhere embittered sailors jumped In the19thcenturytownof was Levuka 166 History While thenorthern endof townwas villagersIn 1825thecoastal endedtheir grew, andbythe1850sithadaLevuka As earlyas1806,Europeansandalwood The Lovoni people,warriors of thecaldera OAVT RU • Hsoy LOMAIVITI GROUP••History Channel. for $170/575includinggear. Itdives aroundthe dives/PADIoperator; offers two-tank OpenWaterCourses Caqalai)Anothergooddive .vitiwatersports.com/caqalai; Moturiki Channel Moturiki and Pipeline. reef including BlueRidge, outfit regularly divestoWakaya divers, cost$40perpersonincludingequipment.The accompanying trips, Reef-snorkelling English orGerman. isin including gear(minimumoftwodivers).Instruction dives/PADITwo-tank OpenWaterCoursescost$150/650, Beach St,Levuka; Ovalau Watersports Watersports Ovalau onalive-aboardonly beaccessed (see p72 ). and NigaliPassage Gauislandcanusually off sites. Thefamous E6intheVatu-i-Ra Channel operators willtake youtotheaforementioned eagle raysandbullsharks. Thefollowingdive the Pafco tunaplantattractsgiantgroupers, enced divers only.Here thefishywaste from Passagefrom townatLevuka , isforexperi- Passage. ThePipeline,twominutes byboat Channel, andexcellenthardcoralatWaitovu Snake intheMoturiki Island,justoff Caqalai, Thereribbon eels. isstunningsoft coralat ,isfamousforitsbright-blue tip reef sharks andlionfish. BlueRidge, off ter rays,hammerheads,turtles,white- manta little-visited dive sites where youcanencoun- The Lomaivitiwaters offer somewonderful, DIVING &SNORKELLING For informationoncyclingsee p168 . Activities it’s considered almost a drought. rainforaweek thatifitdoesn’t say Levukans although drier thantheeastcoastof VitiLevu, The climate of islandsissunnierand these Climate usually simpler here than inSuva. There and make yourwayashore. Formalitiesare no oneanswers, anchor Wharf nearQueen’s butif ties ifentering thecountry atLevuka, channel 16toreach theappropriate authori- ties atbothof spots.TryVHFMarine these on Koroisland.Youwillfindresort facili- islandandDere to parkincludeLeleuvia Bay spots andgooddesert-island plore Ovalau, harbourtoex- You cananchor inLevuka put downanchor intheLomaivitiGroup. yachties andthere are afew goodspotsto isaportof entryintoFijiforLevuka YACHTING Watersports Viti h (Map (Map p167 ; 8.30am-4pm Mon-Fri, till1pmSat) 8.30am-4pm Mon-Fri, ( % 344 0166;www.owlfiji.com; % 343 0366;www lonelyplanet.com