Kayaking - Fiji - Northern Yasawa Islands

Fiji - 8 Days Desert Island Dreaming Begin this spectacular trip with a boat transfer from Lautoka to base in the Blue Lagoon and then paddle a loop among four of the northern Yasawa Islands. Spend two nights as honored guests in a traditional village and then paddle to a secluded uninhabited island to camp for one night. Take in all the highlights – including spectacular sunsets, limestone caves, white sandy beaches surrounded by swaying coconut palms, and snorkel among exquisite coral reefs. A week away in this tropical paradise will seem like two. Overview
Duration		8 Days
Season		May - November
Area		Northern Yasawa Islands
Nearest City		Lautoka
Trip Type		Sea Kayaking
Physical Condition Required		Fair
States/Countries Visited		Yasawa Islands, Fiji
Distance Traveled		10-20km per Day
Minimum Age Limit		14
Paddling Skill Level Required		Beginners to Intermediate
Fully Guided		Yes
Guest Capacity		10-12
Kayaks Supplied		Doubles and Singles
Kayak Brands		Dobbe Doubles, Tasman Twins, Dusky Bay, Quality Kayaks, Dagger, Nimbus
Support Vehicles		Escort Boat on Day 1
Accommodations		Hotel before and after kayaking. Camping while kayaking. Thermarests and tents supplied.
Showers Available		Cold Water, 4 Nights
Layovers		1 Day
Transportation to Start Site		Large Twin Catamaran, Marine Certified
Dining		SSV prides themselves on the presentation, variety and taste of their meals. They use fresh fruit and vegetables, and delight in offering a wholesome menu. If you have special dietary needs, just let SSV know in advance.
About Liquor		BYOB
Additional Activities		Short day walks and snorkeling. Diving can be organized for the last morning of the trip.
Average Price Per Person		$1,675.00 Currency Converter (Rates shown are in US Dollars. Rates and terms are subject to change without notice.)
Additional Rate Info		$1925 AUD: All trip costs are per person in Australian dollars. Note: US cost provided is only a guideline based on current exchange rates. Rate includes all meals, except in Lautoka, twin share accommodations, local boat transfers, village and camping fees. No single surcharge unless specifically requested.
Find Out More		Check Availability | Request Info
Website		www.southernseaventures.com

Itinerary

Day 1: Pre-Trip Briefing - Overnight Hotel
Arrive Nadi. Take a taxi to the Waterfront Hotel (Lautoka). Approximate cost is $30 Fijian. Flight arrivals vary so a briefing will be held at 8:00pm at the bar of the Waterfront Hotel. If your flight arrives after this, please advise flight details so SSV can arrange an alternate time. SSV will issue watertight bags to carry your personal gear during the kayak trip and give a trip briefing for approximately an hour so it is a good idea to eat dinner before. Your guides are preparing for the trip during the day but will leave a phone number at the front desk if you have any problems. Dinner on Day 1 and breakfast the next morning are not included in the trip cost.

Day 2: Boat Transfer & Sea Kayaking
After breakfast the boat transports you approximately 72 kilometers out to Tavewa Island and the Blue Lagoon in the Yasawas. The combination of reefs, close island grouping, and shallow waters create the stunning aqua colors for which this area is famous. Your Fijian hosts will make you comfortable at their island home, providing a dining bure and grassy campsites. After customizing the kayaks and getting acquainted with expedition gear, there will be an instructional paddling session before a short excursion in the lagoon. Watching the sunset from the beach in front of the tents is a great way to end the day followed shortly after with a wholesome tropical dinner.

Day 3: Sea Kayaking
Day trip to nearby Matacawa Levu. Pack a picnic lunch and explore the uninhabited shoreline of the island looking for a good spot to snorkel. If conditions are favorable, you could visit the local school. Return to Tavewa for dinner.

Day 4: Sea Kayaking
Load the expedition craft and weather permitting, paddle 15km to Navotua. With favorable tides, you'll have lunch where fringing reefs run directly off the beach. After rounding the point of Nathula Island, head for the small village of Navotua. The villagers of Navotua are particularly friendly, and the special warmth and reception received in this village has made it SSV's favorite spot. Personal escorts will show you through nearby plantations and the village, where you can observe the making of mats and perhaps the building of a Fijian bure (hut). If the winds are too strong you will only paddle what is comfortable and then transfer to an accompanying boat to cover the remaining distance. This is a long day of paddling so a local boat is used to carry equipment and food.

Day 5: Sea Kayaking
Paddle 6-8km to Sawa-I-Lau and back, a scenic island with sharp limestone peaks and salt water caves that make for fascinating exploring. Round out the day with afternoon entertainment provided by the village and an invitation to join the chief for a social kava party in the evening. (Kava is non-alcoholic drink with mild, numbing effects.)

Day 6: Sea Kayaking
Paddle back to Tavewa, exploring the many inlets and bays of Nathula en route (15km). Time permitting, snorkel off the back of the island. Tonight, enjoy the last island dinner together, listening to the rustling of the coconut palms. Savoring the flavors of the South Pacific is a great time to reflect on the trip and dream about your next adventure!

Day 7: Boat Transfer - Overnight Hotel
An early morning snorkel is the goal - to take advantage of your last day in “paradise”. Then it is time to clean up and load up the transfer boat for the journey back to Lautoka. Arrive in Lautoka late afternoon and accommodations are at the Waterfront Hotel.

Day 8: Departure
Trip concludes. (Breakfast is not included on this day.)

Package Includes

• All Meals Except in Lautoka
• Twin Share Accommodations
• Two Hotel Nights
• Local Boat Transfers
• Village and Camping Fees

Notes

2008 Departure Dates
May 4-11
May 18-25
June 1-8
June 15-22
June 29-July 6
Jul 13-20 Special family departure
July 6-13
July 20-27
August 3-10
August 17-24
August 31-September 7
September 14-21
September 28-October 5
October 12-19

Kayaking - Fiji - Northern Yasawa Islands

Outdoor Travel Adventures - Kadavu Classic

Kadavu Classic

7-day Adventure Around Remote Kadavu Island for $1670

Grade: 2 | Soft to Moderate

Country: Fiji
Activity: Kayaking

2008 Price: from $1670 per person

2008 Dates: Mar 30; Apr 6; May 1, 12; Jun 29; Jul 6; Aug 17, 31; Oct 26; Dec 7

Over seven days and six nights we combine world-class sea-kayaking and snorkeling with treks through rain-forests, visits to isolated villages, picnics on beaches, side-trips and surprises. We overnight in small, simple resorts, and spend one night as guests in a village. No camping! The beautiful marine environment and lush, tropical landscape of Kadavu are both the back-drops and the star attractions of the Kadavu Classic.

Day 1
At 11am we rendezvous at Fiji's Nadi International Airport, in time to board the 45-minute Sun Air flight to the island of Kadavu. From there a 1-2 hour scenic boat ride will ferry us along Kadavu's coastline to Waisalima Beach Resort. Time for a sea-kayaking refresher course, and/or a swim /snorkel off the beach.

Day 2
We have a great day trip planned: sea-kayaking along the coast and up into the mangroves at the head of Kavala Bay, then trekking into the rainforest for a refreshing swim under a towering waterfall, before returning to Waisalima Beach Resort for another night.

Day 3
A big day of sea-kayaking: across the channel to the island of Ono, and then around the coastline, through schools of flying fish, to the village of Naqara. We will be ceremonially welcomed by the chief and the villagers, and invited to share in the sacred drink, kava, and the feast cooked in the underground oven, the lovo.

Day 4
After a fond farewell to the people of Naqara, we continue our journey around the coastline of the island, stopping somewhere special for a picnic lunch. More kayaking after lunch takes us to Kenia Beach Resort, where comfortable beach-front bures await us.

Day 5
The biggest day of the expedition: we cross the channel between Ono and Kadavu then kayak along the coast, stopping to enjoy another picnic/snorkel/siesta session. By the end of the day we're in a resort named Matava, the Great Astrolabe Hideaway. Matava is a unique resort, situated where the rain-forest meets the reef. Luxurious surroundings and adventurous pursuits are a specialty.

Day 6
A kayak journey across turquoise lagoons, and time to snorkel where turtles are often seen. We'll paddle a little further to a nearby village for lunch, rest a little, then follow a trail through the forest to a spectacular waterfall and swimming area. Back to Matava for a special last-evening dinner and a well-earned sleep.

Day 7
More snorkeling for those still keen, otherwise a sleepy morning. Another scenic boat-ride (1 hour) to Kadavu's airport, a farewell to the guides, then a 45-minute flight back to Nadi International Airport and onward travel plans. (Scheduled arrival time back in Nadi: 1.45pm.)

Included:

• Domestic airfare (Nadi-Kadavu-Nadi)
• 5 nights resort accommodation
• 1 night village accommodation
• All meals while in Kadavu, and refreshments throughout each day
• Guided sea-kayaking, plus guided walks, snorkeling trips and other activities on each day
• All sea-kayaking and snorkeling equipment, and tuition
• Professional guides and support staff
• All vehicle and boat transfers while in Kadavu, and motorized support boat services throughout the sea-kayaking sectors

*Price subject to change based on exchange rate at time of booking.

Outdoor Travel Adventures | Kadavu Classic

Fiji Multi Sport Vacations

Dedicated to the proposition that all vacations are not created equal!
So you have your room with a view. Now what? For Fiji Adventures guests, this is where their real vacation begins. Throw open the door, strap on your most comfy walking shoes, your fanny pack, grab a mask and a snorkel, and explore Fiji from top to bottom, mild to wild, any and every way you like it.

Since 1998 Fiji Adventures has been the specialist for fun and adventure to Fiji. Not content to simply book their guests’ airfare and resort stay, the company began a bold investigation on several of the 330 islands that make up the Fijian archipelago. The result is over 60 innovative and unmatched itineraries you can experience like no other traveler will.

The Fiji Adventures Experience
The “usual and customary” tropical vacation experience entails a lie on the beach, a drink in the hand. A Fiji Adventures experience is always atypical, and unique. While you can “let go” under the gifted hands of traditional bobo massage therapist while listening to the waves break gently on the reefs, your trip will be interspersed with a true exploration into the heart and soul of the islands. With a group of indigenous guides that make each moment a truly memorable one.

Trips include active honeymoons, pure adrenalin adventures, soft adventure, diving, surfing, sailing, kayaking, whitewater rafting, zipping the rainforest canopy, game fishing, even wild boar hunting and shark feeding are available if the mood strikes you. Pre-packaged adventures are for your convenience, but specially created itineraries to fit your personality and dreams is one of Fiji Adventures’ specialties.

FUN Trips for Fun Guests
Fiji Adventures thinks guests say it best …

Every adventure was more than I expected, and just what I needed.
Bernie Freidt, North Dakota

Bula! We had a blast. We definitely loved having such a structured 6 days thanks to Fiji Adventures. Everything went as you planned for us, just wonderful!
Amanda and Jeremy Fowler, California

I just wanted to write and let you know that my friend Hannah and I had an absolutely amazing time in Fiji. Thank you so much for all of your help with the organisation of the trip. The resort was fantastic and all of the tours and sightseeing was amazing. So much so that we both fell in love with place.
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I am back from my vacation and just wanted you and your team to know that I had a fantastic time!! Everything went so smoothly I can hardly believe it. I travel a lot and have been to many places around the world including much of Europe, Mexico and the Caribbean and have never enjoyed a vacation as much as this one. The resort was just incredible!! Fiji is my new favorite vacation spot and I plan to return next year. No doubt about it!
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It was a trip of a lifetime. I have never had a more thorough experience visiting anywhere.
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Fiji Adventures - Fiji Multi Sport Vacations

Reality Fiji

Writer: Caitlin Cherry
For: NZ Sunday Star Times
Date: May 14, 2000

Most of us who travel to Fiji only see the tourist version - we stay at resorts and sit beside the pool drinking coloured cocktails.

Few get a chance to really experience Fijian culture. New Zealander Anthony Norris of Tamarillo Tropical Expeditions, has spent many months working closely with the locals on the remote Fijian island of Kadavu, to ensure the small groups they take kayaking around the island get a chance to experience the real Fiji.

Kadavu has no television, few roads and life is dictated by the tides.

The island is almost entirely surrounded by one of the worlds largest reefs - the Great Astrolabe, which protects the waters around the island from the massive Pacific swells, and makes sea-kayaking a pleasure.

Tamarillo takes groups of up to 12 people for an 7-day trip kayaking around Kadavu and nearby Ono, staying in small, simple resorts and in local villages. I took the trip with 2 Americans, an Australian and three other New Zealanders.

The first two nights were spent on Ono, at a small palm-fringed resort called Jona's Paradise. With a small coral reef right by the shoreline, the snorkelling there is amazing. This is where we had our kayaking training, and got a chance to walk with our Fijian guide Petero to the top of the island to see the lay of the land.

We began our kayaking trip on the third day - hugging the coastline we paddled around the southern coast of Ono, stopping for lunch at a beautiful bay where an old man, called Taito, with lots of stories to tell, lives on his own in the small bure he built himself. The support boat carrying our luggage arrived before us, and lunch was ready when we pulled onto the shore.

In the afternoon we kayaked for another couple of hours to the village of Naqara - all the children from the village were there to welcome us as we pulled in to the shore. Naqara is a very traditional village - which meant we had to change into more modest attire, covering our shoulders and legs.

After a lesson from Petero on village etiquette, we headed into the village meeting house.

Our guides offered the villagers a kava root on our behalf, which was ground up to make a huge bowl of kava - and the ceremony began. The taste of kava can be hard to get used to, but it is fairly rude to refuse it - at least not the first time. The four New Zealanders heartily drank every bowl until our mouths went numb.

We then were called away to another room, where the most incredible feast had been put on for us - prawns, stuffed crabs, fish - it is impossible to describe, except to say it was one of the most delicious meals I have ever eaten.

After dinner we returned to the meeting house for more kava and a Taralala - or dance - to music from three guitars. We all danced until the kava ran out in the early hours of the morning.

After a comfortable night in a bure, a delicious breakfast, and a fond farewell to the people of the village, we headed back around the Ono coastline, stopping for some more incredible snorkelling, another tasty lunch and plenty of strong (real) coffee. We then crossed the channel to Kadavu in the support boat.

We spent the night at another small palm-fringed resort - Alberts Place - and in the morning began the trip around the island of Kadavu.

This day was the highlight of my trip - as we rounded the eastern tip of the island we saw two humpback whales, a mother and her calf, just a few metres from our kayaks.

The view from a kayak is totally unique - you get to see the beautiful coastline, cruise through the mangroves, kayak over incredible coral reefs - I saw a reef shark, two rare sea turtles and more shades of turquoise than I knew existed.

We spent the next night at a resort called Matava - which runs diving expeditions out past the Astrolabe reef - and hires out all the equipment needed. It also has a bar - which was a welcome relief for many of the people on my trip.

The moment we arrived at Matava a marathon session of touch rugby began on the beach with some of the local Fijian lads from the area. This was of course followed by another incredible feast.

In the morning we set off in our kayaks on a day trip to the village of Nacamoto. When we arrived another incredible feast was laid out for us - crabs, prawns, eggplant - again impossible to describe - except to say I was in ecstasy.

All of us stuffed ourselves yet again, so we all keeled over for a nap, before taking a scenic walk, over the hills back to Matava, led by one of the villagers.

It was a chance to see more incredible views of the island and the roaring Pacific swells smashing onto the reef in the distance.

After a dip in a river swimming hole in another village along the way, we returned to Matava for our final night on Kadavu.

The following morning we took a boat trip to Kadavu's one small grass airstrip and flew back to the mainland, and Nadi's Tokatoka Resort.

Now this is the Fiji that I knew before - poolside bar, fancy cocktails, hundreds of middle-aged Australians wearing slacks and polyester summer dresses. But it all just seemed so tacky after the experience of the previous days.

What we experienced on Ono and Kadavu is not something a traveller could not do on their own.

Tamarillo have worked very hard to develop relationships with the locals on the two islands - so that we are welcomed into their homes, and looked after as if we were family.

Sea-kayaking with Tamarillo is an expedition for people with a sense of adventure - who want to really experience ALL that Fiji has to offer.

I would do this trip again in a flash.

Prime paddling

Writer: Sarah Daniell
For: NZ Sunday Star Times
Date: 5 Sept, 2004

I'm sitting cross-legged in a village meeting house and before me, on a woven mat, is a plate of cake and a jug of lemon tea.

" Kana vaka levu, eat plenty," says Iokimi, an old Fijian guy next to me. "We don't like it when tourists come here and just pick at the food.

"It is not so much an invitation to eat, but an order and I'm not going to argue. We are, after all, in Kadavu (kan-da-vu),which comes from two words: Kana, to eat, and davu, to lie down. Eat and lie down. It could be a philosophy for life.

The genteel afternoon tea party seems oddly juxtaposed with this traditional village scene at Waisomo, in Ono Island in Kadavu, Fiji's southernmost island group. But as we discover over the next five days, it is as much a part of the welcome ritual as drinking kava.

The cakes are cooked, like everything here, over fire. Not for these gastronomes the agony of whether to go for fan or conventional bake. And for five days the food is (with the possible exception of the sea slug cooked in coconut cream) magnificent. In fact, Tamarillo Tropical Expeditions, our hosts, could easily change its name toTamarillo Culinary Adventures.

Anthony Norris, a peripatetic New Zealand adventure guide, discovered Kadavu in 1996 while on a reconnaissance for sea kayaking tours. He set up Tamarillo Tropical Expeditions - the only kayaking business in the area - and was later joined by Marina Mantovani of Italy, and Ratu Joseva, a paramount chief in Kadavu.

Tamarillo has been providing adventures for people of all ages and abilities since 1998. On one trip, the eldest guest was 75 years old while the youngest was 3.

Martinis-by-the-McResort-pool it is not. Kadavu is the real deal. This is largely due to the locals' staunch adherence to traditions and culture. Tamarillo has valiantly risen to the occasion with their sympathetically-designed and well-paced tours and Norris, who explored Fiji's other islands before settling on this quintessential paradise, chose well.

Kadavu is surrounded by the Great Astrolabe Reef was named by explorer Dumont d'Urville who sailed by in 1834 in his boat, the Astrolabe.

The reef, the third largest in the world, protects the white-coral beaches (and kayakers) from the pounding Pacific swells, and its biological diversity makes it a top scuba diving and snorkelling destination. There are whales, reef sharks, sea turtles and magnificent coral.

Kadavu has rainforests, spectacular beaches, mangroves, lagoons, islets, waterfalls, and lovely people. There is one airstrip, transport is by boat, there is no electricity (but there are generators) and - joy of joys -very few telephones.

Despite the best efforts of a wildly gusting south-east wind, our 15-seater plane touches down safely at Vunisea, the "capital" of Kadavu. We then clamber into a boat and motor for nearly two hours to Jona's Paradise on Ono Island, where we will stay for two nights.

Our bure (with ensuite) is beachfront and that night, after feasting and drinking vodka with freshly made lemonade, we fall asleep to the perennial lullaby of the waves.
We are in a state of blissful acclimatisation at Jona's Resort, reading, trekking to the top of the island for a panoramic view of the primordial landscape and the sunset, eating and lying down.

We have our first taste of village life at Waisomo, then on day three we head for the water like baby turtles thrown to the elements, alone in the big blue.

Except we're not alone, of course. There are eight in our group plus four Fijian guides - Petero, Ephrami, Qase (pronounced Gus) and Katherine; one New Zealand guide, Jacqui Pryor; plus Norris and Ratu in the support boat, which carries our luggage, fresh coffee and food so that we may eat and lie down.

My kayaking guide is Petero, which is fortunate for me, less so for him. He steers, I set the pace - or so the theory goes. You don't need the Iron Man gene to be able to kayak successfully, but a basic level of fitness is helpful. We stick close to the shore, gliding between rocks and a spectacular frigate bird soars overhead.

The first leg augurs well. We paddle over glittering water in 20 shades of blue and flying fish skid across the bow of my kayak. It's about 40 minutes to our morning tea stop where we have a snorkel. Petero, ever the gentleman, spears a fish for lunch - a ritual he repeats each day, afterwards cooking the fish over fire on the beach.

We lie around on mats and do the Fijian slap dance (whacking mosquitoes) before beginning the next leg of the trip to the beach owned by Taito, a Fijian with tales of omens and butterflies.

Taito lives in nearby Naqara village but frequently retreats to his bachelor pad beach-cave - surely the most romantic piece of beach-side real-estate in the Pacific.

The day Taito met Norris back in 1998 started out as any other day. He awoke, did his chores and caught a fish for lunch. Suddenly, a swarm of butterflies materialised and swooped in, covering his arms and dancing around him. Butterflies symbolise good fortune, says Taito and it was a sign that he would meet someone special that day. So he set two extra places for lunch. As you do.

Meanwhile, Norris, who was on a kayaking recce with a friend when he rounded the west side of Ono, saw the idyllic beach and Taito waving them in. When they landed on the chalky white sand, Taito said, "I've been expecting you." They've have been friends ever since.

That night we are guests at Naqara, where village protocol is observed reverentially. First there are speeches and a gift of kava root is presented from Tamarillo. There is cake, tea, followed by kava (it is polite to accept two cups) and a mind-boggling spread of local delicacies including stuffed land crab, shrimps, fresh fish,eggplant, rice and salad.

We are all tired, but it's a fitful sleep to the sound of what must be a hundred barking dogs, followed by a pre-dawn chorus of crazed roosters. Throughout the night and into the morning I entertain not very pretty fantasies involving slug-guns, sling shots and neck-wringing.

In the morning, the villagers farewell us from the beach and we head off to confront a bitching head wind. The waves have picked up and we engage in a little involuntary surfing. It's fun and certainly challenging, but just when I think I might bail out and holler for the support boat, our next stop appears up ahead. Timing is everything.

Joe Nalewabau owns a beachfront property and 46 acres of tropical gardens and forest called, appropriately, Somewhere Special. His prescient legacy is more like the Garden of Eden.

Nalewabau is a bespectacled, elegant man, who spends 12 to 16 hours a day toiling in the tropical heat of his sanctuary(so much for eating and lying down) and likes to talk philosophy. He proudly shows me his orchards, vegetable gardens, frangipani trees, avocado trees, coconuts and mangoes.

We wash off the salt under a cold outside shower and have lunch before bidding Nalewabau farewell and starting the day's final run. We must have been as fair a sight as any a vessel under sail: six double kayaks rafted up, with sarongs and a tarpaulin to catch the wind. And better still: no paddling required.

Just 40 minutes later, we make Jona's Paradise before crossing the channel to Albert's Place in the support boat.

The food at Albert's is cooked in the traditional lovo which is similar to a hangi. Just when you think the food can't get any better, it does. There is also a magnificent chicken curry, fresh whole fish, vegetables and rice. We drink bizarre Duty Free concoctions and dance and sing before collapsing under our mosquito nets.

We are grateful for a leisurely kayaking pace the next day, but manage a snorkel. Exhaustion and hang-overs give way to a sense of childish wonderment at the "Nemo" land of coral gardens and coloured fish. Afterwards we have stuffed roti and bhuja on the beach before setting sail for Matava Resort.

Matava should be spelt with an "aah" at the end, because on first seeing this place, with its beachfront bures, exotic gardens and sense of relaxed and unpretentious luxury, you can't help but sigh. There are hot showers, a small library, an outside dining room and more importantly, a bar selling cold Fiji Bitter.

The day we arrived, someone caught a yellow fin tuna and that night dinner is sashimi and a smorgasbord. The food at Matava Resort is legendary, as is the maitre d' - Maggie who is elegant, entertaining and hilarious. Our last two nights here are the ideal finale to a fascinating and challenging week.

We've travelled for a week and never once got in a car; there have been no ringing telephones, no newspapers, no six o'clock news. In the summer months in Kadavu, says Petero, the mango trees drip with fruit. It sounds like the perfect time to return, to eat and lie down.

Kayaking Kadavu

Writer: Bruce Davidson
For: Sunday Herald Sun (Aust.)
Date: May 21, 2000

It's the blue that gets to you. A blue like no other. A blue you can never replicate in photographs. A striking, luminescent, inviting blue.

A blue of dreams and of freedom. The blue of the tropical sea. And when you're skimming across this bright blue just centimetres from the surface, the effect is magical.

You see, we're in Fiji - and we're in a kayak. On an expedition that combines adventure, relaxation and traditional Fijian cultural experiences.

Believe me, this is no package trip to a resort hotel. This is something else, in every sense of the expression. We have joined a sea kayaking expedition at a little-visited Fijian island group - Kadavu - about an hour in a light plane from the mainland airport at Nadi.

For the next week transportation will be in two-person kayaks, journeying from small beach resorts to villages to dive spots, stopping at remote beaches along the way, all the time mesmerised by that amazing aqua.

The seven-day expeditions were started by a couple of young New Zealanders, calling themselves Tamarillo Tropical Expeditions. With experience leading kayak trips out of Wellington, they went looking for a tropical location for the winter - and discovered the delights of Kadavu.

Our group - 11 hardy souls ranging from a child as young as 3 to a retired teacher aged 65 - started the adventuring after landing at the quaint airstrip near the Kadavu "capital" of Vunisea.

It's probably the capital because it is the only town on Kadavu with roads; elsewhere transport is by boat or foot. And it is by motor boat that we travel next - an hour-and-a-half northwards to a small island called Ono, which sits inside the Great Astrolabe Reef, offering wonderful protection from the ocean to create calm and safe kayaking conditions.

Accommodation for the first two nights is at a resort called Jona's Paradise - and as they say, it was paradise by name, paradise by nature. Jona (yes, he does exist) and his family offer those ubiquitous bures (thatched huts for the uninitiated) on a coconut palm-lined beach and excellent Fijian fare.

The next day - after a spot of magnificent snorkelling off the beach at Jona's - we took to the kayaks for the first time.

Now, kayaks are known in the trade as "marriage testers". You've got to work together in these things: the one at the back steers and the one at the front sets the pace. You've got to be in harmony, riding the waves with balance and poise, developing a rhythm and teamwork. I opted to go with my daughter.

Before long, our group was sculling around the coral and rocky outcrops like old hands, ready to tackle the first real day of paddling from Jona's up the west coast of Ono.

Now, don't get me wrong: it's not totally idyllic in these plastic cocoons. It does take some effort to paddle the two or three hours required each day. And we experienced some windy conditions and choppy seas at times, making the going a little tougher. However, two support boats travel along behind, transporting the luggage and food - and there is always the option of a rest from the kayaks by jumping in the boat. A few of our group did so on one particularly windy day.

But there is nothing like gliding into a tiny tropical cove, gazing through crystalline waters at coral and fish, and then taking a refreshing dip to cool off after a session of paddling. Wonderful!

After such a day, including lunch on a beach with its lone inhabitant, a delightful old chap named Taito, we arrived at the village of Naqara.

Naqara is as close as to a traditional Fijian village that you'll get these days. The community lives a basic life, getting income from fishing and growing kava, the plant that is pounded into a ceremonial drink throughout Fiji, and increasingly sought by export markets for medical use because of its narcotic properties.

We were given a ceremonial welcome at Naqara, kava and all, and then treated to a Fijian feast - the lovo. This is where meat and vegetables are wrapped in leaves and placed in a pit of hot stones to steam for an hour or so. The result is combined with many and various other dishes, from whole baked fish, to beef wrapped in leaves with coconut milk, to all manner of vegetable specialities.
Afterwards, we sat around with the villagers, chatting about their simple life and contrasting an existence with few worldly possessions, no electricity and little communication outside the island.

Naqara has been a real find for Tamarillo. As one of the owners, Tony Norris, explained, they simply asked for "food and lodging" for the night. But due to the welcoming nature of the Fijians, the village now turns on a night of entertainment - performances in dance and song, and, of course, kava until you can't take it any more!

"We never know what they are going to do for us next," Tony said. "The village has decided off its own bat to do all this - they are incredibly giving and generous. We just asked for a bed for the night and a meal, and we pay for that. All this other stuff has developed because they appreciate the chance to share their culture with our groups. It has probably been the most rewarding thing about running the expeditions."

Back in the kayaks, we paddled out through the surf and around the top of the island. This was the windy day - and the hardest paddling on the trip. But once around the point, we had the wind at our backs and literally surfed down the east coast.

After a breather at Jona's, the gear, including the kayaks, were loaded into the boats for the trip across the channel to the main island again and on to a small resort called Albert's Place.

Now, if you knew you were about to meet a bloke named Bruce O'Connor, you'd probably form a typical Anglo-Saxon picture in your mind. But Bruce and his dad Albert are big, rugby-playing Fijians. They sport their nomenclature courtesy of a great-great-grandfather - a Scottish whaler who settled on the island and married a local. Photos of the generations on the walls at Albert's make a fascinating study.

Albert and family, well and truly Fijian these days, cater mainly for the scuba junkies who make pilgrimages to Kadavu for some of the world's best diving.

After a night at Albert's, we were back on the water, headed for Matava. This spot was positively upmarket after bures on the beaches and the occasional cold shower. Matava caters for those with the diving bug, and it was here we had the opportunity to delve into the deep blue ourselves.

It hardly seemed possible, but the next day's kayaking was through water even more colourful than before. We explored a series of lagoons among coral and rocky outcrops, the water ranging from rich sea green to a "powder-coated" aqua.

Lunch was at another local village, before abandoning the kayaks for a couple of hours and following a jungle path over a mountain range. Tropical rainforest, bird-life, views to die for.

We arrived at another small village, this one sited on a picturesque inlet and set off with the backdrop of a fabulous waterfall. Time for a freshwater swim before catching a motor boat back to Matava for our final night on Kadavu.

A final snorkel the next morning, and we were off through those lagoons again- this time in motor boats - for the trip to Vunisea and our light plane flight back to Nadi.

We stayed the last night in the luxury of a Nadi hotel, but somehow, it wasn't the same.

Where was the Fijian feast? The palm-frond sleeping mats? The lapping of the waves on the beach? The sense of freedom skimming across the water? The exhilaration of a day where you feel you've actually had an experience, not a holiday?

But there is one thing you can't escape, the imprint in your mind of that magnificent blue.

Bruce Davidson flew to Fiji courtesy of Air Pacific, but he paid for the kayaking expedition himself.

Tamarillo Tropical Expeditions

Tamarillo Tropical Expeditions has been guiding sea-kayaking journeys and study programs around Fiji's Kadavu Island group since 1998.

Kadavu Island offers a remote and unspoiled environment for sea-kayaking, snorkeling, trekking, cultural interaction and learning experiences.

People from all over the world, from 3 to 73 years old, have travelled through these beautiful islands under the friendly and experienced leadership of Tamarillo Tropical Expeditions.

The trips take place in a sparsely-populated region, where a vast barrier reef surrounds an area of lagoons, coral passages, islets, bays, beaches, and rainforest-covered hills.

Here it's possible to see flying-fish, dolphins, turtles, whales (seasonallly), as well as all kinds of tropical and marine birdlife.

As well as sea-kayaking, snorkeling and trekking are important parts of the expeditions. Tamarillo's guides know the best places for all these activities, and are able to take small groups of people to places seldom seen by others.

A range of expeditions is available for groups and individuals. Travelers can book places on scheduled departures (see: 'dates & details' for the full list); groups can book private trips; and student groups can undertake customised study programs.

As well as Fiji sea-kayaking journeys and study programs, Tamarillo Tropical Expeditions offers:
- Italy walking tours;
- New Zealand sea-kayaking and study programs.

Tamarillo Kayaking Kadavu Classic Oct 2007

14 October 2007

Tamarillo Kayaking Kadavu Classic Oct 2007

Emma, Matt, Lori, Ravua, Ratu

“We have had the best time this week. Matava Resort has been a lovely final restful experience before headin home. Bula vinaka to you al and see you all again soon I hope.”

Emma Beeley

Tamarillo Kayaking “Power Kayakers”

April 2007

“This is a totally unique spot and we have thoroughly enjoyed the luxurious bure high up on the hill. Delicious food (the NOW Fish is really special) and great service. Many thanks to Maggie, jeanie and the the team.”

Marg, Tony Robyn, Dave and Jo

Tamarillo Kayaking “Power Kayakers”