Quoting from the Lonely Planet guidebook: "Vatulele is 32km south of [Viti Levu]. It is 13km long with a total area of about 31 sq km. It is mostly flat, the highest point being just 33m above sea level... Vatulele has 4 villages with a total population of 950."
The boat left from Korolevu, site of the first resort in Fiji. The place has fallen on some hard times.
The boat that will take us across the sea...
A 40-minute trip, we made it. Landfall on Vatulele...
Each village is located around a central pond. The ponds (and adjacent wells), tho' a bit salty, are the source of all water for washing, cleaning, garden & animal watering, and toilet flushing. Taunovo Koro...
Taunovo vale-ni-soqo (community hall). It's a very nice one, but hasn't been used since Christmas. No one would tell me why...
All water for drinking comes from rainfall. Runoff from roofs is routed to storage tanks, constructed a decade or 2 ago by a Peace Corps Volunteer. They work great...
Despite the critical water shortage, the pond margins are used as dumps...
The brand-new town generator, and its house. It runs from 7-11pm daily...
The Methodist Church...
Sevusevu was in the Big Bure. The Tui Vatulele (high chief of the island) is in the yellow shirt. He's a very nice man...
