Kadavu Island

Kadavu Island

Kadavu is the fourth largest island in Fiji, with an area of 411 square kilometers, and also the largest island in the Kadavu group, which is a volcanic archipelago made up of Kadavu, Ono, Galoa and several smaller islands of the Great Astrolabe Reef. The main administrative center is Vunisea on the Namalata Isthmus, where the island almost bisects itself. Suva, the capital of Fiji, lies 88 kilometers north of Kadavu. Kadavu is distinguished by its rugged and mountainous terrain, with the highest mountain being Nabukelevu, also called Mount Washington, 805 meters high, located at the western end of the island. Kadavu is 75% covered by rainforest and has a rich birdlife, with four species endemic to the island, the Velvet Dove, the Crimson Shining-Parrot, the Kadavu Honeyeater and the Kadavu Fantail, as well as several endemic subspecies, including a subspecies of the Island Thrush. South, east and then north of the coast is the Great Astrolabe Reef, a huge reef that is one of Fiji's most important diving centers. Covering the interior of the eastern part of the island, the 7800 hectares of East Kadavu is an Important Bird Area. It is home to populations of the vulnerable Shy Ground-Dove, Crimson Shining-Parrot and Collared Petrel.