LIFESTYLE 13
WEDNESDAY APRIL 25 2018
Wild beginnings give way to tranquil existence in Fiji
The tranquil, historic and picturesque waterfront of Fiji's first capital Levuka belies the colourful past the port once had.
Historic town has colourful past RODERICK EIME WALKING down the main street of Levuka in Fiji wasn’t always such a blissfully quiet and peaceful affair. The first capital of the island nation was born into anarchy and the sort of wild life only created by stircrazy seamen and hustlers. The tranquil and verdant lanes of Levuka hide a turbulent past. The flame trees lining the canal and the immaculate cream woodwork of the heritage buildings suggest, but do not fully reveal, the turbulent birth of Fiji as a nation. Almost 200 years ago, Levuka became the first permanent European settlement, a status that made it the de facto choice as capital when Tui Cakobau and the chiefs ceded the islands to Queen Victoria on 10 October, 1874. The monument to this occasion is located at Nasova village, the site of the signing, about a kilometre south of the wharf. For most of the 19th Century, the streets of Levuka were awash with all the human flotsam of the Pacific — deserters, shipwrecked whalers, escaped convicts, prostitutes and plain rogues. Missionaries, planters, merchants and fishermen tried to instil a sense of civilisation, but clearly their task was
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The colonial Levuka church is one of many historic buildings in the town which have helped it attain UNESCO World Heritage listing.
a herculean one. Some scallywag remarked that an approaching ship could find passage through the reef by following the floating gin bottles. However, despite the lawlessness, Fiji’s first bank, post office, school, private members club, hospital, town hall and municipal government sprang from this unlikely outpost. Unsurprisingly, the first hotel was also built there and, perhaps more surprisingly, the Royal Hotel still serves a chilled Fiji Bitter today amid
quaint decor and wicker chairs. The oldest Masonic lodge in the South Pacific still stands in Levuka, but only just. It was gutted by fire in 2000 by nearby Lovoni villagers determined to exorcise its supposed evil spirits. Levuka occupies almost all of the rare, flat section of land in the shadow of towering, jungle-shrouded cliffs, cradling the settlement and its ornate buildings in a protective nook. This geographic shelter cut short Levuka’s life as a capital, but preserved its architectural integrity. By 1882, Governor Sir Arthur Gordon and the workings of government were fully transplanted to Suva. A walking tour, either self-guided or escorted, is the first thing you should organise when you arrive in Levuka, but a local interpretation will give you an insight into the life of real Fijians, both indigenous and ‘imported’. Be sure to say ‘bula’ wherever you go, it’s the polite thing to do. Testament to the town’s colourful past is laid out on the walls of the Ovalau Club, the South Pacific’s oldest private members’ club and still serving today. Flags, photographs, autographs and caricatures from bygone days adorn the bar. Visiting warships, aircraft and dig-
legendary open boat sailing from Tahiti where his ship, the three-masted windjammer ‘Seeadler’ (Sea Eagle), was wrecked on a reef. He was captured on nearby Wakaya Island, about 10km east of Levuka, after the local police bluffed him with a coconut trunk rigged to look like a deck gun. Levuka finally attained UNESCO World Heritage status in 2013 citing: “a rare example of a late colonial port town, which illustrates the cultural hybridity of non-settler communities in the Pacific”.
The Levuka locals are quick to offer a greeting of a smile to visitors to this historic destination in Fiji.
nitaries have all left their kindest regards in some personalised form. One of the most noteworthy characters to have paid his respects was Felix Graf von Luckner. This famous German sea captain from the Great War was remarkable for several reasons. Not only did he conduct a fearsome commerce-raiding campaign throughout the South Pacific and Atlantic, he did so with just one accidental casualty. He arrived in Levuka after his
GETTING THERE ●Captain Cook Cruises Fiji visit Levuka on their seven night Colonial Fiji Discovery cruise departing 5th June, 7th August, and 2nd October 2018 and 5th February 2019. Early Booking Saver fares in a porthole cabin start from just AUD$2716 per person twin share. Visit www.captaincookcruisesfiji.com ●For activities, accommodation and information, visit www.levukafiji.com The author has travelled as a guest aboard Captain Cook Cruises vessel, Reef Endeavour.