Fiji: My Technicolour Dream Dives – Part 2
Part two of my dive adventure in Fiji bought me to Taveuni. Nicknamed the ‘Garden Island’ due to its lush tropical setting, Taveuni offers excellent access to dive the famous Rainbow Reef, as well as topside adventures such as bird-watching, waterfall tours and treks.
Taveuni’s Garden Island Resort is not the most flash of resorts but it hosts an excellent dive centre and we ended up diving Rainbow passage dive site. Much to the surprise of the divemaster, the current soon swept us away and we were unable to make an easy decent. Having been picked up by the boat, we attempted descent number two and successfully made it down the reef, grabbing rocks as we went along in order to observe what the reef had to offer.
Thousands of anthias were shimmying in the current and I caught glimpses of colourful wrasse as they zoomed by. The site hosted more hard corals than soft corals, but the colours were still pleasing to the eye. Once we returned from the dive we walked to a local waterfall – named the waterslide – where we got to slide down the waterfall rocks and swim in the freshwater pools. A refreshing end to another brilliant day.
After a good night’s sleep at the resort, we checked out and made our way to the international dateline to take some touristy photos en route to Taveuni Dive Resort – about 15 minutes from the Garden Island Resort – then we travelled for an hour and a half to Paradise Taveuni.
Paradise Taveuni is run and owned by a lovely Australian couple, whose mission it is to make each and every guest welcome and happy. The staff there were exceptional and we got the opportunity to do a dive at Coral Garden. This site was magnificent. We descended onto a black sand seabed, littered with brightly coloured sea whips on the bottom, before making our way to the main reef which consisted of coral bommies dotted here, there and everywhere. Beautiful anthias and large regal angelfish graced the reefs and we witnessed a school of pyramid butterflyfish; something I have never seen before. Over the reef crest we came across a friendly sea krait who was on the hunt for a late lunch, completely unbothered by our presence. The site also offered some black and blue nudibranchs and unicorn surgeonfish.
Following the dive I enjoyed a communal Fijian banquet with the other members of our group and the hotel guests. (The resort aims to bring all guests together with several themed evenings week, but you can opt for a private clifftop table should you wish). We enjoyed the local Fiji lager and some traditional dances, before partaking in a traditional Kava ceremony with the ‘elders’. Kava is a root crop grown in Fiji which offers a good sustainable income for many Fijians. It is harvested and then ground into a powder and, when mixed with water, creates a drink much resembling dishwater. Thankfully it does not taste how it looks and I enjoyed five or so coconut shell cups of Kava before retiring to bed and having the best night's sleep! (Kava has been found to reduce anxiety and acts as a relaxant).
The next morning, it was time to say goodbye. Another Fijian farewell song from the staff and I headed once again to the domestic terminal to catch a flight to Fiji’s southern island of Kadavu, where I would stay my final three nights at Matava Eco Resort.
Kadavu is best known for the Great Astrolabe Reef, which goes along the southern shoreline and arcs north-east towards Buliya Island; popular for snorkelling with mantas. The reef is a breeding ground for large predatory fish species such as marlin, sharks, tuna and giant trevally.
After 60 minutes I arrived at Kadavu airport and was met by Thomas, one of the resort's boat captains, who drove me to the local wharf, where I clambered into one of the resort boats for a 35 minute James Bond-style boat ride to Matava. Set back in the jungle hilltop, Matava operates on solar power and the traditional bures are constructed of local wood and materials.
On my first afternoon I went out to snorkel and fields of hard Acropora corals met my eyes – an impressive sight considering the island had experienced a devastating cyclone just one year before. In the morning we went for a two-tank dive to Negoro Passage. The site started patchy, with corals and bommies dotter here and there, but the end was spectacular. I have never seen so many coral species’ in one small area. We glided over oodles of branching corals as well as a decent patch of lettuce coral, sighting many snappers, butterflyfish, a grey reef shark and some highly territorial triggerfish.
In the afternoon we went through the mangroves and jungle to visit the local village and onto an amazing waterfall. We swam for a while in the cooling freshwater and watched the local village boys daredevil cliff jump into the plunge pool from a great height, before trekking back to the resort for dinner. After another two nights staying in my breezy ocean view bure, it was time to say goodbye and travel back to Kadavu airport and on to Nadi, before checking in for my international flight in the evening. My journey had come to an end.
Read Part 1 of Emily's colourful dive trip to Fiji.
Contact the dive team for more information or explore all our Dive trips in Fiji.
