Taveuni, Fiji

	Part of the Lavena Coastal Walk, the most scenic trail I’ve ever hiked in Fiji.

In a recent visit, I was running a bit low on fresh provisions, so I popped across to Somosomo, a small town on the island of Taveuni, to stock up. While provisioning in Somosomo is “not exactly” like Suva, Nadi or Savusavu, one can get gasoline and some very basic food items. On the other hand, Taveuni is probably one of the most beautiful islands in the Fijian chain. If you can imagine what the Hawaiian island of Kauai would have been like about 100 years ago, you would be pretty close to picturing Taveuni with its canyons, lush vegetation, waterfalls and rugged, unspoiled geography. Taveuni sits right on the 180th meridian, also known as the International Date Line. The Fijians have conveniently doglegged it to the east to keep the entire country on one time zone.In Somosomo, I caught up with friend Peter Schoenfeld, who was visiting from California. Peter recently “punched out” of corporate America and was looking for a bit of adventure. While on passage from Sydney to Noumea on Bossanova, the rig came down and cut the voyage short. Unfazed by the “gravity storm,” Peter decided to continue his adventure on Moonshadow. We took a short sail north from Somosomo to the more comfortable anchorage at Matei and enjoyed a nice meal with a spectacular view at the Taveuni Island Resort.

The following day, we made a short hop over to Matangi Island to spend a few relaxing days anchored in the beautiful horseshoe shaped anchorage on its north side. We enjoyed some snorkeling in the blue waters and walking around Matangi’s rugged and scenic shoreline.

We were ready for a change of scenery, so headed back to Taveuni to pick up some fresh provisions and do some more hiking.

The following morning was overcast and breezy-perfect weather for exercise in the tropics. Peter and I loaded our knapsacks with rain gear, swimsuits, snacks, water and cameras then headed ashore, intent on some hiking. We hopped into a minivan and took a half-hour ride to the other side of the island. Along the drive were numerous large coconut plantations, small villages and a few gorgeous ex-pat’s homes, all with great vistas to the sea.

The paved road ends at the north tip of the island by the airport. From there it becomes a narrow and winding dirt road, with no shortage of potholes. The dirt road ends at Lavena Point where there is a small native village. From there it becomes a single-track trail and the only way around the rest of the island is by foot.

More of the Coastal Walk.

We hopped out of the van and began heading south on the beautifully maintained and well-marked trail, which follows the coastline for about 5 kilometres (3 miles). This is known as the Lavena Coastal Walk, which is the most scenic of any that I have taken in all of Fiji. The sea views along the rugged windward coast are magnificent, the vegetation is lush and beautiful, and there are native settlements scattered along the trail. The further away from the road we got, the fewer modern materials (cinder block and corrugated tin) that were used in the construction homes. Near the end of the trail, the homes were traditional Fijian thatched bures.

Towards the end, the trail meets a rather large creek, turns inland and begins to ascend into a narrow valley. After a few smaller cascades, one finally comes to the end of the trail at Wainihau Falls.

At the falls we changed into our swimsuits, jumped in the refreshingly cool water and swam up to the gorgeous pool into which pours two magnificent waterfalls. The taller of the falls appears to drop at least 100 feet into the jagged rock rimmed pool at the bottom. This spot is nothing short of pure paradise. After an invigorating swim and some lunch, we retraced our steps back to Lavena Point.

We headed back across the Somosomo Strait to Viani Bay for a few more days of diving before returning to “civilization” in Savusavu. After a crew change, I’ll be heading south through the Koro Sea to Suva, the capital of Fiji, on the main island of Viti Levu.