Ovalau (pronounced O-vah-lau) is the principal island of the Lomaiviti group. Only 13 kilometers long and 11 kilometers wide, it is located off the eastern 
coast of Viti Levu.Of volcanic origin, the island is high, rugged and covered with dense vegetation. Its primary attraction is the old colonial capital of Levuka, a community of 1500 or so inhabitants. Nestled at the base of steep bluffs, Levuka (photo at right) has the ambience of a 19th century whaling town, which is exactly what it was. With weather worn clapboard buildings, narrow streets, and ever-friendly residents, Levuka's harbor and bars at one time welcomed vessels from every seafaring nation. The feeling of the past is palpable in Levuka--so thick you can cut it with a knife, so dense it can be smothering. There are several good low-end accommodations on the island and offshore. If you are even remotely interested in the colonial history of the South Pacific, Levuka is an attraction you should not miss. One can travel there via plane (a ten minute flight from Nausori Airport) or via ferry from Suva.
Geography
Ovalau is roughly oval in shape, about 13 km in length and nearly 10 km wide; its area is about 100 sq km. Except for the Lovoni Valley in the middle of the island, and the areas at the mouths of the various streams, there is little flat land. The Lovoni Valley, covering about 18 sq km, was once a crater walled by naked rock. Today vegetation covers the earth and the valley is home to Lovoni villagers, a fiercely independent tribe who were one of the last peoples in Fiji to be subjugated.
The east coast in particular is rugged, with bluffs rising abruptly from the sea and sharp pinnacles thrusting their way into the skyline. Almost all the surface area is covered with dense vegetation. The highest peak on the island is the 625-metre-high Nadelaiovalau ('top of Ovalau'), which overlooks the east coast near Levuka. The northern end of the island is dominated by the 526-metre high Tomuna, whose isolated position and sharply conical form are set against the more massive summits of Korotolutolu a short distance beyond.
Rob's Favorite Accommodations:
The Royal Hotel (see photo below) is a classic accommodation--it's the oldest operating hotel in the South Pacific. It has dorm facilities as well as regular 
rooms. Constructed in the 1850s, it has been managed by the Ashleys, a local part-European family, for two generations. Never mind that the hot water isn't so hot or an American Express card is an unknown entity there. The 'Royal' is the place to stay in Levuka. It's loaded with atmosphere, found in such particulars as an old-style balcony facing the cliffs, polished brass shell casings for ashtrays, a long staircase, a haunted room and a century-old billiard table in excellent shape. The hotel has 14 rooms in the main structure, each with two single beds, a shower stall, and toilet. There are also four modern cottages built in 1998, which have modern amenities and if you want a bit of comfort they are the best place to stay in town. Three meals per day are served in the dining room for guests only if you book in advance. Prices are F$33 ($15) double; F$55-F$77 ($25-$34.50) cottage. (www.royallevuka.com)
Brand new on the scene is the New Mavida (pronounced Mah-vinda) which is on the site of what was the old Mavida Guest house, a past favorite of old Levuka hands. The New Mavida has a look reminiscent of the colonial architecture that characterizes the old capital. Situated a short distance away from the War
Memorial, New Mavida has two deluxe rooms on the first floor facing east
to Wakaya Island and 9 single/double rooms. All of the rooms are self
contained with air conditioning, toilets and showers. There is a dormitory
that accomodates up to nine people and ideal for backpackers. The two deluxe
rooms cost F$120.00 per night, single F$.90.00 and dormitory F$30.00.
Rates are inclusive of a full breakfast. New Mavida has a small bar for
guests only and a kitchen for additional meals if required. Rates will include breakfast of eggs, sausages and toast and of course tea
or coffee. Those who prefer can have cereals with fresh fruit in season
and fresh juice. Lunches and dinners include roast or curried chicken, fish and chips or taro or fish simmered in coconut milk etc. Internet facilities are available to guests. For reservations email sitivenik4@hotmail.com.
I've also heard good things from Fijiguide readers about Levuka Homestay, a B&B run by Australians John and Marilyn Milesi. These are clearly the most comfortable digs in town. Although it's a new building it's constructed in the 
colonial style, in keeping with the historical architecture of the old capital. It is constructed of wood along the side of a hill, affording excellent views through a lush garden. The interior is decorated with Fijian artifacts and memorabilia. There are four spacious rooms - three are air-conditioned with queen size beds, and one room has a double bed and single bed. The rooms sport louvered windows, polished wooden floors, fluffy towels, ceiling fan, air-con, fresh flowers, refrigerator, and hot showers, The food is excellent. Breakfast (which is included) is freshly made fruit juice, local fruit, meusli, a cooked breakfast, tea or coffee. Prices are F$120.00 for a single room, F$135.00 for a double room and F$40.00 for an extra person in a room. (www.levukahomestay.com).
Ovalau Holiday Resort is located on the ocean side, three kilometers outside of Levuka nestled between the verdent hills and the sea. It's a small property (as you'd expect to find in Levuka) It consists of two bedroom garden bungalows. They are self-contained with a double bed in each bedroom and one single bed in each unit. Each bungalow has ceiling and stand-alone fans and an outside deck. The kitchenettes have a gas stove, refrigerator and are well fitted out with glassware, cutlery, plates and cooking utensils. There is a restaurant on the premises and probably the only swimming pool in town. There's also a 4-bed dorm. Activities including trekking, scuba diving, kayaking, village visits. Rates are F$35/66/86 (single, double, triple) and $F12 for the dorm. (www.owlfiji.com/resort.htm)
I've also heard good things about Bobo's Farm, which is located on the north west side of Ovalau in the Rukuruku Valley. Run by a local family, Karin and Bobo like to say their farm is "environmentally and ecologically as friendly as possible". A backpacker retreat, it's a great way to understand rural Fijian life first hand. It's located in a lush valley where everything grows and is only a ten minute walk to the seashore. They have one guesthouse, which has 2 bedrooms with shower/bathroom, living room and kitchen. Activities include swimming, snorkeling, fishing, rainforest treks or village visits. Rates are single room F$ 35 per person double room F$ 25 per person. (www.owlfiji.com/bobosfarm.htm)
ALL ABOUT LEVUKA
Levuka, nestled at the base of a steep bluff on Ovalau's southeast coast, is a fascinating destination, well off the beaten tourist track. With weatherworn clapboard buildings, narrow streets and ever-friendly residents, it seems to hark back to an earlier time when one knew one's neighbours and life was much simpler. The feeling of the past is palpable in Levuka, so dense it can be smothering.
Levukans are intensely proud of their history and their venerable buildings such as the Levuka Public School (see below.) Twenty years ago the Levuka Cultural & Historical Society was formed with 
the sole intent of preserving the town's architectural heritage. When one developer from Suva wanted to raze an old building and put up a flashy disco, his plan was bitterly attacked by the members of the society and eventually quashed by the town council. 'If he wants to build a disco,' said one resident, 'let him go back to Suva. We like things here just the way they are'.
Levuka, with a population of around 1500, can be seen in a relatively few hours by the ambitious traveller, but a stay of several days is recommended to really savour its 'lost-in-time' ambience.
History
Its natural harbour and anchorage set the stage for the first traders who arrived in the early 1830s. (See engraving at below courtesy of Project Gutenberg). These early settlers were a mixed bag. Some were honest and industrious and built small sailing vessels for trading in the outer islands, while others were shiftless bounders or opportunists looking for an easy buck. Among the earliest settlers was David Whippy, a Connecticut sailor who jumped ship and eventually became one of the leading citizens of the
town. Whippy acted as an adviser to the local chief and served as a translator to Commandant Wilkes during his expedition to the islands. The offspring of these original settlers, many of whom took Fijian spouses, were the beginning of Levuka's part-European, or creole, society.
In 1844 some of the settlers offended the paramount chief, who banished them from his territory; but five years later they were allowed to return and re-establish the settlement. Despite raids and burnings by the Lovoni tribespeople, Levuka grew and flourished. Joining the early traders were cotton growers who came during the brief cotton boom of the 1860s, coconut planters, missionaries 
and professionals. Soon Levuka's beachfront street (known as Beach St) was crowded with shops, shanties, offices, boarding houses and saloons. The growing number of permanent residents built homes on the hillsides and reached them by steps that were, and still are, Levuka's 'streets'. By 1870 the population exceeded 800.
Ships from every nation crowded the harbour and the bars were bubbling with sailors of every nationality, awash with gin. An early issue of the Fiji Times described the atmosphere thus:
We have had rows enough during the last week to satisfy everyone for two fortnights, and if broken heads, black eyes and narrow escapes from a Japanese disembowelling with the broadsword, or a few gentle prickings with a fourteen-inch ham slicer are not sufficient to make us all go about with revolvers in our belts, as many of the more cautious do, yet they make us all wish either for a magistrate that would be a terror to evildoers, or for a beacon to sweep the beach of the drink maddened ruffian.
Unfortunately there was no magistrate in those days because there was no government. In 1871 there was an attempt to form a local government with Chief Cakobau as head, but this only led to discontent, culminating in riots. Cakobau was under great pressure to compensate for looting claims stemming from a 4 July fire at the home of the US commercial agent, John Brown Williams. (See Suva's 
History section in the Viti Levu chapter for details.) The grave of Williams, who did not live to see the debt settled, can still be visited in the old Methodist cemetery. A scene of early 20th Century Levuka is depicted above. (Photo courtesy of www.janeresture.com).
While Cakobau stalled on payment of the debt, anarchy filled the air and a potential race war loomed over the islands. The ageing chief felt the need for a strong outside power to control the situation. His wish for peace was realised on 10 October 1874, when Cakobau and his fellow chiefs ceded the country to Britain and the colony of Fiji was born. A monument to this occasion can be seen in Nasova, the small village south of Levuka where the signing of the deed of cession took place.
Levuka became the first capital of Fiji, but did not last long as such. The founders were concerned about the need to expand the capital. Because the town was confined by cliffs there really was no room for Levuka to grow. In 1881 the capital was shifted to Suva. Levukans were a chauvinistic lot who thought that even though the capital had been moved, the town would always 
be the centre for trade. They were wrong. Over the years businesses left and the town's economic life became ever more difficult. The coup de gra\^ce came in the late 1950s when Levuka, which had always been a transshipment point for the copra trade, lost that last dribble of commerce.
Fortunately, through negotiations with a Japanese firm, the townspeople brought a fish cannery into Levuka which provided jobs for fisherfolk and workers and kept the community going. The several small hotels and guest houses provide some income, but the scale of tourism is so small that it has little effect on the welfare of the general population. Levuka's isolation has kept it off the tourist track and out of the economic mainstream, but has helped preserve the town's architectural integrity.
A number of Fiji's historical firsts occurred in Levuka: the first public school was established there in 1879; the first Masonic Lodge in the Pacific Islands was founded there in 1875; Fiji's first newspaper, the Fiji Times, was founded there in 1869; and the first bank, the Bank of New Zealand, opened there in 1876. Of these, the school and the lodge still stand, as does the oldest operating hotel in the South Pacific, the Royal Hotel, opened in the late 1850s.
Things to See in Levuka
Levuka Community Centre & Museum
This completely revamped storehouse originally belonged to Morris Hedstrom & Co, a trading company established in the early days of Levuka and still in business in Fiji. The first-rate rebuilding was carried out by local craftspeople 
under the auspices of the Levuka Cultural & Historical Society, financed by donations of time, money, labour and materials from businesses and individuals throughout Fiji. The structure, originally built in 1878, was given by Morris Hedstrom to the National Trust of Fiji in 1980. It was refurbished with salvaged Oregon timber from a nearby storage shed and now houses a branch of the Fiji Museum, a public library, crafts centre, kindergarten, squash court and meeting hall. It represents the evident desire of Levuka's residents to have their town remain a living museum. Historical tours of the town can be organized through the museum for a fee. Guided treks to Lovoni can also be arranged through the community center (see the earlier Activities section).
Queens Wharf
Levuka is one of Fiji's three official ports of entry (Lautoka and Suva are the other two) and the wharf has recently been upgraded. It is used by local and sometimes foreign vessels and has a maximum depth of eight metres alongside. The harbor entrance is indicated by a pile light which marks the passage through the barrier reef. In the distance is Wakaya Island, scene of the capture of Count Von Luckner during WW I (see the History section in the Facts about the Country chapter) and now subdivided for expensive homes. To the left is the island of Makogai, which until recent years was a leper hospital.
The entrance to the wharf area, which is adjacent to the Levuka Community Centre, also houses the post office, customs office and the Port Authority of Fiji office. A drinking fountain on Beach St, directly opposite the post office, was once the site of a carrier-pigeon loft which in the late 1800s was the Levuka terminal of a pigeon postal service to Suva. The birds covered the 65-km distance in about 30 minutes. Check out nearby Patterson Park, where you can rest, snack and watch the wharf activity.
Pacific Fishing Company (PAFCO)
Founded in 1964 by a Japanese firm, PAFCO is used as a centre for freezing and exporting canned tuna mostly to Europe and Canada. A joint venture with the Fijian government, the cannery was opened in 1976 and is the primary private employer on the island. The deal to bring the facility to Levuka was put together by local citizens when copra shipments were diverted from the port for economic reasons. This act saved the town from economic extinction.
Nasova
A km south of the wharf (towards the airport) is the village of Nasova where Fiji's deed of cession was signed on 10 October 1874. The signing took place in government house, which was below the residence of the district commissioner. On the seaward side of the road, beyond a small creek, is a 
fence surrounding what are known as the three 'cession stones' (and a flagpole), which commemorate the centenary of that ceremony in 1974 and Fiji's independence on 10 October 1970. The large bure known as the 'Prince Charles Bure' (see photo at right) across from the memorial, is used for ceremonial purposes and was built in 1970 for Prince Charles' visit. He used it for a headquarters during his sojourn in Levuka. It is built on the site of an earlier bure where King George V (then Duke of Clarence) resided during a visit to Fiji in the 1890s. Two other stones near the flagpole mark Prince Charles' visits for Fiji's centenary and independence celebrations.
Beach St
In Levuka's early days, Beach St was only 'a narrow strip of shingly beach' between a row of houses, built close to the water's edge - a ramshackle 
collection of shacks, bars and makeshift businesses. Today the saloons that lined the street are gone, but the peeling, columned storefronts and weatherworn clapboard buildings have somehow withstood the ravages of time. The present sidewalk is the result of linking the verandas of the original buildings. In recent years the town council learned that the title to the walkway it had been maintaining all these years belonged to the owners of the property.
Sacred Heart Church
This was built by the Marist Fathers. Led by Father Breheret, they established 
themselves in Levuka in 1858. The church boasts a French clock that strikes twice each hour, with a one-minute pause in between. Instead of a chime or a clang the clock produces a most unmusical 'thud'. Note the neon green cross on the church. It is not, as one observer pointed out simply 'bad taste'. Rather, it is used (along with another green neon sign on a building behind the church) to mark the gap in the reef so that ships can navigate this dangerous crossing by night.
Levuka Public School
Opened in 1879, this is the oldest public school in Fiji, and the old school of many of Fiji's leaders. Although it has been maintained in past years, it unfortunately seems to be falling into disrepair.
Totoga Falls
Totoga Creek is the source of fresh water for Levuka. The creek has several swimming holes, one of which is lined with concrete. The concrete pool is now closed due to a huge fallen stone that makes its home there. The other swimming holes are accessible by continuing up the trail known as 'Bath Rd' adjacent to the Levuka Public School.
Nasau Park
This is Levuka's sports field, parade ground and all-purpose grassy area. The rooms to the rear of the Royal Hotel face directly onto the field.
Ovalau Club
The home of one of the oldest social organisations in the South Pacific, this 
whitewashed clapboard structure surrounded by a white picket fence was once a bastion of White colonials, but the only remnant of that era is a 'Members Only' sign on the entrance. This can be disregarded by visitors, who are genuinely welcomed and will be served perhaps the coldest beer on sale in Fiji. The bar still has a historic letter written by the WW I German sea raider Count Von Luckner, who was captured on nearby Wakaya Island. The story behind the Von Luckner letter is a fascinating piece of historical trivia.
Von Luckner, who abandoned ship after his vessel ran aground elsewhere, landed in a small launch on Katafaga Island in the Lau group. He broke into the home of a trader, 'liberated' some food and wrote a thank you note explaining to the absent owner that he was sorry about the missing food, but that he was on a South Seas sporting cruise and in need of provisions. The conscientious count left some money for the goods and signed the letter 'Max Pemberton'.
Town Hall
Constructed in 1898 in honour of Queen Victoria's jubilee, the town hall is home to the offices of the Levuka Town Council, Fiji's oldest municipality, created in 1877.
Royal Hotel
The Royal is the oldest operating hotel in the South Pacific. Resembling a roadhouse out of the US old west, the 125-year-old hotel is the last remaining one of more than 50 bars and saloons built in Levuka's heyday. It was rebuilt 
around the turn of the century by Captain David Robbie, a retired seaman who thickened the walls so they would withstand hurricanes. Atop the roof is a turret-like structure known as a 'widow's watch' or ship's lookout. Just across from the front entrance is Levuka's small municipal market, which is open from 6 am every Saturday.
Niukaubi Hill
Niukaubi Hill is the site of one of Levuka's two war memorials. (The other is on
Beach St, opposite the Sacred Heart Church.) The Supreme court building and parliament house were on Niukaubi Hill. (The photograph right is view of Mission Hill and residences toward West from Niukaubi Hill. The European War Memorial appears in the forground. Photo courtesy of the Department of Archeology, Simon Frasier University).On the other side of a small boat harbour is an area once occupied by the Levuka Mechanics Institute, Levuka's principal recreational centre before and at the time of cession.
Mission Hill
Atop Mission Hill are some of Levuka's finest old buildings, including Methodist mission homes and the Delana Methodist School. To climb the 199 steps to the top, begin at the historic Methodist church. The vista from the hill is worth the climb. At the foot of Mission Hill is the Levuka Government Hospital. (Steps photo from the archives of Norwegian photographer Trond A. Jensen)
Holy Redeemer Church
The Reverend William Floyd, who came to Fiji in 1870, built the first Anglican church on this spot. The present church was consecrated in 1904. Stained-glass windows commemorate early Levuka residents.
Levuka Fijian Village
This village was home to Tui Levuka, the chief who first befriended early European settlers. On the opposite side of a small creek is a Methodist church, constructed in 1869, where Chief Cakobau once worshipped.
Old Methodist Cemetery
Here lie the remains of at least 135 of Levuka's early settlers, many of them German immigrants. The most famous resident of this graveyard is John Brown Williams, the somewhat unscrupulous US commercial agent whose exaggerated financial claims helped cause the downfall of the Cakobau government and were a major factor in the cession of Fiji to Britain.
Gun Rock
This point above Levuka village was used in 1849 as a target by the HMS Havannah to impress upon Chief Cakobau the power of the warship's cannon. It is said to be where the first Europeans spent their first night ashore. The rock was again battered by naval guns in 1874 by Commodore Goodenough to entertain Fijian chiefs in Levuka. Visitors who inspect the rock can still see the scars left by cannonballs. In a more peaceful vein, Roman Catholic missionary Father Breheret said his first mass beneath the shelter of Gun Rock after his arrival in Levuka in 1858.
Vagadaci
Lying beyond Gun Rock, the village of Vagadaci became headquarters of the Royal Engineers who built the town of Levuka (and later Suva) as well as the roads after cession. The area was also a boat-building centre. The concrete ruins of a large house were once the home of the Palmer family who were boat builders and merchants. King George V (then the Duke of Clarence) and his brother played cricket at Vagadaci, but much of the old sports field is now occupied by the homes of government employees.
Things to do:
Have a beer at the Ovalau Club and drink in the colonial ambience. For good measure, walk down the street and have a nightcap at the Levuka Club. See the graveyard in town and feel the spirits of the past. In the other direction is the Cession Bure, so named because it were here that the Fiji Islands were ceded to Great Britain in 1874.
Swimming
Ovalau's best beach (a black-sand beach) is at Rukuruku on the opposite side of the island.. However, there is a rocky beach at the Ovalau Holiday Resort, which can be used without charge. Ask permission at their 'Bula Bar'.
Fishing: Fishing is permitted from Levuka Wharf. There's no charge, but make sure you ask permission from wharf security as you walk past. Free bait is available from Cafe Levuka, and don't forget to take your hat during the daytime.
Trekking
There are a multitude of hikes around Ovalau, most of which require a guide and are never taken by tourists. The more popular treks are from Levuka to Lovoni, Rukuruku to Lovoni and Ovalau Holiday Resort to Rukuruku. Peter Taylor, a Fijian resident, recommends walking from the village of Draiba to Lovoni. The route was formerly a provincial road, but has been overgrown by weeds since the implementation of the bus service. The track itself is not easy to follow if you don't know the area, and Mr. Taylor recommends a guide for first-time trekkers.
Start early in the day, in time to take the 3 pm bus back to Levuka. Mr Taylor also recommends a walk to The Peak, near Levuka, for an excellent view of the town, the reef and the islands. Follow Bath Rd (adjacent to Levuka Public School) past the swimming hole to the steel water tank. Turn left through the cassava patch and up the broad gully. The path is faint and you may need some local kids to guide you.
Local history walking tours with a knowledgeable guide, leave from the Levuka Community Centre. A donation is requested. The walk from Levuka to Lovoni takes 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours. The path is generally clear but may be overgrown and very muddy in some areas. Bring your own water and provisions. A bus leaves Lovoni at about 2 pm to take you back to Levuka. Probably best to hire a guide to do this. (Inquire at the Community Centre.)
Climb the 199 steps behind the Methodist Conference Centre to the top of Delana Hill for excellent views (but don't disturb school in session at Delana Methodist High School at the top).
There are also several waterfalls within easy walking distance of town, however, the best is on the opposite side of the island. Make sure you bring your swimming gear on these expeditions. To visit the falls at Nasosobu, walk 20 minutes north of Levuka to Waitovu village, and ask for directions there.
Wailailai Falls near Vakadaci village can be accessed by walking 15 minutes north (through the village) and following the river. The best falls are at Rukuruku. Ask for a guide at Rukuruku village to get there.
Lost Island (Yanuca Lailai), between Ovalau and Motoriki, is a good destination for a day trip and is big enough for hiking. It's very quiet, with a simple bure that sleeps four or five people. The owners will prepare a very nice lovo. Book at the community center before 9 am and inquire about fees.
Old photographs and postcards courtesy of Dame Jane Resture. See her terrific collection at www.janesoceania.com.