Known Links to Underworld Figures

Courtesy of Diana Simon

My nephew, Stephen, and I prepare to dig deep beneath the waves.

In our first Fijian port of Savu Savu, I asked my friend John Neil off Mahina Tiare where he considered the best cruising grounds in Fiji to be. Without hesitation he said, “Skip the rest. Go directly to Kadavu.”

Coming from one who couldn’t count the number of times he has sailed through Fiji that was a strong recommendation. Nevertheless, we did not skip the rest. In fact, we explored every island, atoll and lagoon we could stick our anchor into from the Northeast to Southwest tips of that beautiful Melanesian nation.

However, from our first sighting of Kadavu, I understood exactly what John was talking about. Lying only 40 miles south of the main island of Viti Levu, Kadavu is inexplicably undeveloped. A spine of steep mountains runs down the center of the island, and much of the native jungle remains intact. Because the island has not suffered from the introduction of invasive wildlife species such as the predatory mongoose and mynah bird, the indigenous bird life is rich, boasting species either numerous or rare enough to draw amateur bird watchers and ornithologists alike.

The island hasn’t given way to extensive logging or clear cutting for sugar cane fields like its neighbor to the north because it boasts a more profitable crop - yangona, or the kava root that’s ground into a muddy liquid and drunk in copious quantities nightly throughout Melanesia. A few inconspicuous eco-tourism lodges quietly add to the economy and encourage the preservation of its natural beauty.