Fulaga (proper name: Vulaga) is situated in the Southern Lau Group, Fiji. It is a crater shaped limestone island surrounded by fringing reef and within the lagoon it surrounds, over 300 smaller islands and rock formations lie within the crystal clear lagoon, making up one of the most isolated places in Fiji. But it’s also one of the most stunning. About fifty yachts a season visit the island, which forms a circle about five miles across with a lagoon in the center. There is one pass into the lagoon.
There are three villages, Muanaicake, Muanaira and Naividamu. Total population was almost 600 in the middle 20th century but is now less than 400, due to migration to the mainland for secondary school education for children, and employment for parents.
The people are traditional carvers, skilled in the making of outrigger canoes and 'tanoa' (or 'kumete' in their dialect) which are wooden bowls carved out of local hardwood and used in formal and informal Yaqona Ceremonies and social gatherings across Fiji.
14 Jan 2014. Tension has been high on Fulaga Island in Lau after an 82-year-old woman was allegedly raped on Friday. Police and medical teams will be heading to the island from Lakeba. A 37-year-old suspect who is believed to be not from Lau, has been taken into a pastor’s house in Fulaga for his protection. Lakeba Police Station’s station officer, Inspector Samuela Vakaloloma, requested the Commissioner Eastern, Lieutenant- Colonel Netani Rika, who is on a tour of the Lau Group, for a police team to head for Fulaga to investigate. Five Police officers, who are part of the Commissioner Eastern’s tour, will be joined by some officers from the Lakeba Police Station. The MV Iloilovatu is now scheduled to sail to Fulaga on Tuesday. The 82-year-old woman is in a serious condition and has been bleeding heavily, Police say. Officers at the Lakeba Police Station have made arrangements for another Government vessel, the MV Rogovoka, which is servicing upper Lau, to transport medical officials to Fulaga to treat the 82-year-old.
The lagoon is filled with mushroom shaped coral islets of varying size. The bare coral having been colonised by plants over the years, a trip round the lagoon in a zodiac was indeed spectacular. The little islands have been carved from the never ending ebb and flow of tides and wave action, and must ultimately fall into the waters. Where there is a small breach in the reef, the tides rip through in a most spectacular way
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In the morning we landed and walked for about 15 minutes to get to one of the villages. The school was in full swing, I suspect the poor pupils had to put on a show of industrious learning just for us. And everyone was very pleased to see us. It was back to the ship for lunch then the aftenoon pottering round the lagoon on zodiac, and very memorable that was too
Click on any of the small photos to get a larger version of that photo
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