Kadavu Islands
Kadavu the fourth-largest island in the Fiji Group and fantastically unspoilt in terms of exposure to the mainstream of tourism – and happily remains so.
Kadavu is an island of soaring, majestic volcanic mountains blanketed by dense rainforest and girthed by great white sand beaches and craggy, rocky coastline. It is blessed with mangrove swamps that grow prolifically around the coastal areas of the island that are a habitat for birdlife and the breeding grounds of marine life.
The importance of mangrove swamps has been well established. They function as nurseries for shrimps and recreational fisheries, are an exporter of organic matter to adjacent coastal food chains and are an enormous source of valuable nutrients. Their physical stability helps to prevent shoreline erosion shielding inland areas from severe damage during hurricanes and high tides. Another of natures gifts to Kadavu.
Fascinating inlets and protected tiny bays are created by the irregular shape of the island providing an abundance of sheltered coastline. The island is blessed with cool, clear waterfalls plummeting from heights of up to 80 metres to their final resting place; cool, clear pools that are a refreshing delight to plunge into after a brisk trek through the bush.
Kadavu is renowned for its deep-sea fishing, diving, bird watching, sea kayaking, snorkeling, surfing and trekking. It is the answer to a naturalists dream providing the perfect environment to either relax with the magnificence of nature peering down on you from every angle or indulge in your favourite pastime of hauling in the big ones, taking a breather from the spectacle that is diving the Astrolabe Reef, paddling energetically in your sea-kayak or trekking the hills and trails – and then there’s a spot of bird watching.
The birdlife on Kadavu is prolific with species of honeyeaters, velvet fruit doves and fantails only found on this island with the magnificent red and green Kadavu musk parrot which are quite easily heard and very visible. Kadavu’s biodiversity, both land and sea based, is unique in that it is still intact and appears not to be under threat due to the isolation of the island from the rest of Fiji.
For those who plan to immerse themselves in the local culture, Kadavu has sustained its cultural values and subsistence lifestyle with village visits available to experience the diversity of this unique culture.
Kadavu is smack dab in the middle of The Great Astrolabe Reef which stretches for around 100kms. It is the world’s fourth largest barrier reef and Fiji’s largest living organism offering unparalleled dive experiences due to the variety and range of the dive sites and the biodiversity of the marine life.
