About Kadavu Island
The Kadavu Group, Fiji’s fourth-largest island lies about 100 kilometres south of Viti Levu. Divers are particularly fascinated by the 50km-long Astrolabe Reef which encloses a lagoon containing a number of islands. Kadavu has a population of 10,000 and an area of 411 square kilometres, located approximately 45 miles south of the capital city of Suva. Widely acknowledged as one of Fiji’s most unspoilt islands, its lush rainforests and exotic wildlife have earned Kadavu a reputation as one of Fiji’s most beautiful islands. Kadavu still has 75% of its original rainforest cover and rich bird diversity, including four species endemic to the island. Kadavu is one of the least developed areas of Fiji with few roads, and a local economy largely dependent on subsistence farming.
Kadavu enjoys some of the world’s best diving with the Great Astrolabe Reef stretching its mighty coral formations along the entire eastern side of the island. Beneath the surface, the island’s pristine waters offer excellent visibility, with gardens of hard and soft corals, vertical walls, caves and brilliant tropical fish of every species.
On land, the lush rainforest, mountain ranges, bush trails and waterfalls are a delight for hikers, and local guides can show you the rare birdlife unique to the island, including the Kadavu parrot.
There are daily flights to Kadavu, one from Nadi as well as seaplanes and a ferry service from Suva. Kadavu resorts offer a variety of quality accommodations from backpacker and family budget resorts to eco-resorts and more lavishly appointed resorts, all supremely suitable for enthusiastic divers.
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Geography: The Kadavu island group is 45 nautical miles south of Viti-Levu, Fiji’s main island. It is comprised of Kadavu, the fourth largest of Fiji’s islands, and 7 smaller islands: Ono, Dravuni, Vurolevu, Namara, Buliya, Yaukuvelevu, and Vanuakula. Ono is the largest of the seven, at 30 square kilometres. The reef surrounding these islands was named the Great Astrolabe Reef by French explorer Dumont d’Urville after he nearly lost his ship, the Astrolabe, to this reef in 1827. In the 1870s Kadavu was almost selected as the site for the capital of Fiji, due to the once-thriving whaling business. Today the island group is home to 12,000 native Fijians living in 72 traditional village communities. There is one airstrip. The primary means of support for the population is subsistence agriculture and fishing. Local produce, non-native pine and seafood are also exported to mainland Viti-Levu and beyond to meet increasing demands for cash money.
Source ~ http://www.pcrf.org/science/Astrolabe/reefreport.html