The world’s most friendly people often seem to be in directly inverse proportion to the amount of wealth they have. Fijians are a case in point; you could not meet a more friendly, genuinely welcoming people, yet most eke out a subsistence level island life, living off the land and the ocean. 

After a days diving I wander into the local village to take photos and meet the locals.  Pretty soon I’ve made new friends with the husband of the school teacher at the Catholic school, who invites me back the next night for an evening of Cava, the local alcohol. The following evening I meet the Fire Chief, easily recognisable from a brand new red fire engine parked on the grass next to his hut, who proudly tells me of his efforts to recruit most of the islands youth into his volunteer fire brigade.  I promise to send him a couple of new mobile phones when I get back to Sydney.

Taveuni is Fiji’s third largest island, but is only 42kms long, and about 15 wide.  It is everything you’d want in a South Pacific island.  Blood red sunsets, azure blue seas with crystal clear waters, world class diving, very few tourists, at least in this part of Fjij, and the afore mentioned friendly locals.  Only thing it lacks is a bevy of scantily clad, welcoming female lovelies in grass skirts, but then again I’ve not looked that hard.

Diving wise, it’s coral reef diving at it’s best. a comfortable 25 degrees, good visibility, and a vast array of vivid coral and fish.  The highlight is The Great White Wall, with it’s double tunnel swim through, massive wall of ivory white coral, and abundant fish life.