Taveuni Dive Resort
Taveuni Dive Resort caters to the needs of underwater explorers and supports the sustainability of Rainbow and other reef areas.
My flight on Fiji Link to Matei airport arrived early, but the resort heard the plane go overhead and sent the truck in time to pick me up. Taveuni’s roads require a certain amount of driving finesse so four-wheel drives are the go-to. Taveuni is entirely the product of volcanic activity and has the fertility to show for it. The island is on the top of a dormant volcanic cone. From ridges to reefs, the island is full of life but not necessarily bustling.
Our drive was punctuated only by a handful of passing vehicles and hues of forest green and ocean blue were in full saturation. We passed the famous Waitavala Waterslide, a daring feat for tourists and a weekend pastime for local children. The natural streambed is a rough-and-tumble chute of about 50 meters. But I was there for the main attraction, the Scuba diving. Taveuni is arguably Fiji’s Scuba diving capital and for two days, I got to roam the crevices and curves of one of the most beautiful reef systems in the world. A particular stretch of underwater architecture is especially exciting: the Great White Wall. In the right conditions, it is exactly as its name describes a face of ice-colored soft coral. However, without the right current, it remains bare. The site is typically a drift dive and as tempting as it is, not recommend it for first-time drift divers.
Close inspection of the White Wall reveals tones of blue, purple, and red that take nothing from the grandeur of its name. There are swim-throughs and coral caves that on closer inspection, house colorful critters bound to delight. In the more sheltered areas, Gregorian fans and reef fish can be discovered in bursts of color. We returned to Taveuni Dive Resort to the smiles of Star, our bartender, and the keen interest of Carl and Muriel our hosts, all eager to hear our reaction to their “front yard”
Originally titled “Riding the Rainbow in Taveuni” By DRUE SLATTER
