Nawaka, Fiji

I’m in far-flung Fiji, an archipelago of around 330 islands adrift in the pure blue, sky blue, crystal blue Pacific Ocean. This is a place of incredible natural beauty, possessing a unique biodiversity, as well as a multicultural society shaped by the forces of migration, colonialism and co-existence.

The story of Fiji started about 150 million years ago with the eruptions of the volcanoes that formed these islands. Fiji remained lonely for aeons, uninhabited by humans until just a few thousand years ago, when the Lapita people arrived, a Neolithic culture that colonised much of modern-day Polynesia and Melanesia. We know little of these mysterious people, but much of what we do comes from their beautiful pottery garlanded with mesmerising geometric patterns that archaeologists have uncovered across Fiji. Next came Melanesians and Polynesians, no one is sure who came first, who mixed with the Lapita to form what would eventually become the Fijian culture.

For the next millennia or so, Fijians lived on these islands, divided into numerous chiefdoms that warred, traded and exchanged gifts with each other. The people here practised agriculture and followed an animistic religion that stressed the people’s connection to the land and their ancestors.

In the 18th Century, Captain James Cook arrived in Fiji. This was the first contact Fijians had with Europeans. Cook only made a quick stop, trading with the local rulers, mapping the area and conducting diplomacy on behalf of the British crown. Soon after Cook’s departure, the British began to meddle in the affairs of the Fijians and sent missionaries to the island. Eventually, in 1874, Fiji was annexed by the British and would remain under London’s control until 1970, when Fiji won its freedom and became a free and independent nation.

The majority of Fiji's citizens today (around 53%) are ethnically Fijian, descendants of the Melanesian migrants who came here on great ocean-faring canoes. A further 35% are Fijians of mixed descent, mostly part Indian, descended from labourers brought from the subcontinent by the British to work on the plantations. There is also a small population (about 1.5%) of indigenous Rotumans, a Polynesian people who live on the western Rotuman Islands.

Today, Fiji is a thriving democracy. It is also one of the best places in the world to enjoy the gorgeous nature of Oceania. I’m achy and stiff after the long flight to this far-flung destination. So, the first thing I do after dropping off my bags is head to Natadola Beach. Lying on the fine, soft sand, watching the waves lap the shore, I’m filled with bubbling excitement, ready to explore this island paradise.