The Garden Island

Twenty years ago when Lisa and I got engaged we decided to get married on neutral ground somewhere between Adelaide and San Francisco. So we bought a Lonely Planet book of the South Pacific and started reading. Finalists were the Cook Islands and Fiji. After we read about the garden island of Taveuni – fringed by some of the healthiest and most colorful coral reefs in the world with waterfalls, jungles and friendly locals – we were sold. The kids have always been interested in seeing where we were married all those years ago, so on the way home from our visit to Adelaide for the St Mark’s centenary we decided to celebrate 20 years with a family trip to Taveuni.

There are more than 330 islands in Fiji, Taveuni is the third largest of them with an area of 168 square miles (434 square kilometers) but pales in comparison to the much larger Viti Levu – the country’s main hub – and neighboring Vanua Levu. Taveuni is in many ways a place left behind by modern civilization: most of the island’s roughly 12,000 inhabitants live in tribal villages – many of them without hot water or electricity – and subsist on income stemming from tourism or coconut plantations. As we remembered, the native Fijians were exceedingly friendly and welcoming, always throwing out a loud, “bula!” to us as we cruised by in the somewhat dilapidated Mitsubishi truck we rented from a local taxi company for our stay. The flight from Viti Levu over the world famous Rainbow Reef was as also we remembered: magic panoramas of the turquoise ocean dotted by islands and fringing coral reefs

When Lisa and I got hitched we stayed with the rest of the wedding party at Maravu Lodge at the northern end of Taveuni. During the intervening years, Maravu has turned into more backpacker-style accommodation so we decided to look elsewhere to celebrate 20 years. When the Taylors decided they weren’t going to miss out on a trip to the tropics I stumbled upon Green Fiji Plantation nestled in the foothills above the village of Qacavuio midway down Taveuni’s western coast. Built by an American family, the Sheas, with plans to relocate to Taveuni full time, COVID got in their way and these days the plantation is used by the family during US school holidays and rented out at other times. It was a magic spot for the eight of us to stay during our time on the island, the staff from Qacavuio were incredibly hospitable and views of Somosomo Strait over the pool were just so picturesque. Like something out of a coffee table book. The kids absolutely loved being able to roam about the plantation, enjoying hours on the huge rope swing behind the house and even more time in the pool overlooking the ocean. Suli and the rest of the ladies from Qacavuio were magic in the kitchen, cooking us all manner of local dishes from curries to Fijian pancakes and fresh fish.

Everything in Fiji runs on a little slower schedule than we’re used to in the West: “Fiji time” is a term colloquially used by Westerners to refer to the pace of things in the islands. Our almost daily grocery trips were quite the adventure as we had to stop for beer in a store Somosomo, fresh produce from the adjacent streetside stalls, fish at an unmarked tin shed that simply housed a chest freezer and scales, and finally non-perishable groceries at the Meridian Store in Waiyevo.

While the main draw to Taveuni is diving on the Rainbow Reef – which deserves a separate post – we did adventure to some of the island’s notable land-based spots during our stay. On our second day we made the trek around the northern tip of the island to Bouma National Park near the end of the road on the Taveuni’s eastern edge. Bouma is home to both the Lavena Coastal Walk – which Lisa and I completed back in 2005 – and Tavoro Falls. We didn’t want to subject the kids to the miles-long Lavena walk in the near 100% humidity, instead deciding to explore the first two of three falls making up the Tavoro system. The hike to the falls was a short but very sweaty trek through the jungle and across the river feeding the falls, but the reward of a dip in the cool plunge pools was well worth the exertion. The boys enjoyed boosting off the rocks at the base of the second falls, and a swim behind the first waterfall was a ton of fun on the way back to the truck for lunch.

We stopped off a Maravu – where we were married – on our way back from Bouma, the place had been let go since 2005 and was definitely a shadow of its former self but it was fun to visit all the same. Lots of memories flooded back: everything from Lisa being escorted to the beach by the locals dressed in warrior garb for our ceremony to Johnny Valts waltzing around with nothing but a flannel covering his privates. Good memories, I can’t believe it was 20 years ago!

Another favorite with the kids were the natural waterslides near Tavuki. We waited for a weekday to visit – Waqa and Green Fiji mentioned it’s a popular spot for local kids on weekends – and enjoyed the falls to ourselves for most of the morning. Very exhilarating careening down the rocks in the cold water and eventually plunging into the pool at the base of the slides!

Without a doubt one of Max’s favorite memories from our time on Taveuni was playing rugby with the kids in Qacavuio below Green Fiji. Ben and Max disappeared one afternoon down the long driveway to the plantation and were taught how to play rugby by the village boys on a small grass field between some of the huts. The next day they were back at it – replete with matching Fiji rugby shirts we found in Somosomo – running and tackling until they were absolutely drenched in sweat and covered in dirt. Such a good experience for them, and I think the Qacavuio kids really enjoyed having some of the plantation guests join them in the village.

What a magic week… SCUBA, snorkeling, waterfalls, waterslides, sunsets, good friends and so many new memories! Thanks to the Taylors for rolling the dice on a week with the Valtenbergs in Fiji, it was great to have them along.