As the northern sun trends west and prepares to fall into the sea, beneath the sky as the locals would have it,you relax under a beach umbrella on the white coral sands of Nukubati. / nuk -um - bati / Taking a sip of your drink, you look north. What do you see?
Once you've looked past the thin dark blue blur and white fringe known as the Great Sea Reef, the place that you visited today on your underwater excursion, you know that beyond its protective barrier there is nothing but ocean all the way to Midway, lying 4,000 statute miles north and three degrees of longitude to the east. The view is magnificent. You've earned it.
It's not easy being constantly exhilirated diving into a sharp dropoff into deep ocean where few have ventured. Midway
Of course, visitors to Nukubati do not spend a whole lot of time staring out to sea unless of course they wish to ascertain whether the surf is up. Along with a pristine diving environment, Nukabati rivals Tavarua as the greatest place to surf in the Fiji Group.
Nukubati is a convenient jumping off point for some wonderful diving in virtually-virgin deep ocean waters, which are home to myriad pelagic life forms: dolphins, whales, manta rays and too many species of fish to name. As a matter of fact, this would likely have become one of the hot diving sites of the Pacific, if it weren't for one saving grace.
Geography has created a situation where the number of divers who are likely to venture into waters bordering the Great Sea Reef that parallels the north coast of Vanua Levu, is kept to a minimum, a true blessing thanks to the long skinny shape of Vanua Levu. Nukabati
The diving scene is a twenty minute run from Nukubati to places fairly far off shore where the water is shallow enough to make snorkelling fun. However, it would take several hours from any of the other northern island resorts such as the Garden Island or Matangi Island, both attractive dive locales in their own right. Nigel and Carol Douglas of Matangi, for example would have to take their boat, the Adi Nunu, a 40 foot vessel with a 750 H.P. diesel pushing a Hamilton marine jet drive, on an end run clear around the easten tip of Vanua Levu and then down the north coast, a most highly unlikely scenario.
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Larry Low's South Pacific Islands topic, please visit the Discussions page.