Fiji — the very name evoked in my mind that mid-century notion of a paradise both pristine and remote. In truth, Fiji has long ceased to be particularly inaccessible. Commercial tourism began in the 1960s, and over half a million tourists were arriving in Fiji every year by the turn of the millennium. I had come here to see how responsible, community-centred, ecological tourism could offer a powerful case for nature.
The journey on a rickety propeller plane to the eastern island of Taveuni showed us some of Fiji’s natural riches from the air, but I was looking forward to exploring the underwater life around this South Pacific archipelago – the reefs and marine life that made it one of the world’s top destinations for divers and marine conservationists. Our port of call at the end of that first flight was Viani Bay, tucked away on the eastern spur of Fiji’s second island, Vanua Levu. There are no roads in or out of the horseshoe bay; all of its roughly 100 residents trek over the surrounding hills on foot or motor in and out by boat. We chose the latter, skipping over the waves from the airstrip on nearby Taveuni island at first light, a flood of moonlight giving way to vermilion, orange, and sapphire-blue skies in quick succession.
