Dravuni Island, Kadavu, Fiji

By Glen Bruels
This is part of a series called Oceania 2025
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After a rather rocking and rolling night, today we visited Dravuni Island which is the largest island of the Kadavu Group, a volcanic archipelago which is surrounded by the Great Astrolabe Reef. In fact, because the seas and winds were so high, the captain actually brought the ship inside the reef. As in other places we visited, the islanders warmly welcomed us and demonstrated a variety of their crafts. I should mention that while they are only around 50 miles off the coast of Viti Levu (the largest of the Fijian islands and where we rejoined the ship), they actually have very little contact with the wider civilization there. Effectively they live by subsistence farming and fishing, some of which they trade for things they can’t get on the island; life is much slower there. I can imagine that this is what life was like across Fiji not too many years ago. Anyway, one of our activities was participating in a sevusevu, the traditional kava-giving ritual that connects guests and locals in a spirit of mutual respect. If you’ve never had kava before, it kinda tastes like dirt and it quickly numbs your lips and tongue. Drink enough of it and you will feel very relaxed and even a bit sleepy. And that’s how people use kava around the islands. For the most part, locals don’t drink alcohol; they chill out with kava. A couple of other things to know: (1) you have to tell them how much you want (“high tide” is a full cup and “low tide” is a half cup — one of our expedition team asks for a tsunami!); and (2) there is a process — clap, drink, and clap again. Hey, it’s not beer pong, but it’s a social norm — I kinda like it! I also visited their graveyard; some parts are over 100 years old. They decorate the graves based on what their ancestor liked. There were a few that had dishes on them and yes, that’s because they loved to eat! On our way back to the ship, we ran into a pod of spinner dolphins who frolicked around us. A good morning.

It’s good to be expeditioning again!
Welcomed ashore with a lei. Sadly, because of agricultural rules we couldn’t leave the island with them.
These are the remains of a marine research station that was destroyed in a cyclone about 10 years ago. They hope someday it will be rebuilt.
Verification shot!
Our guide took us around the island.
A weaving demonstration. They use pandanus leaves and weave mats, structural house elements, and even clothing out of these.
This is a sandalwood tree. They are tightly controlled and harvested only after they reach a particular size. They sell it to Asia and the Middle East and make a lot of money from it.
They also make full use of the coconuts, drinking the water, eating some of the meat, and drying the rest into copra which can be squeezed to make coconut oil.
Getting ready for the kiva ceremony. Look at the Kiva Master — doesn’t he look like the one from the ceremony the other night?
Preparing coconut water for us. We started to taper off on this. Let’s just say it can have a bit of a laxative effect if you drink too much!
Visiting the cemetery. Like so many other cultures, Fijians visit their ancestors and tend their graves.
They often put things on their graves that speak to their personality. This person loved his food!
This entry was posted in Cruising, Fiji, Travel
Glen Bruels

I am a traveler and sometimes clay sculptor, following a long career working in consulting. My work allowed me to travel the world extensively and I was hooked. Today, I travel with my wife/best friend to explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things.

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