WORDS are not enough to describe the feeling you get after rafting through the upper Navua River with Rivers Fiji.
The river itself will leave you in awe as you admire God’s creation.
For some, it was a family bonding trip, some just an adventure, for one particular girl it was a birthday gift but among all their reasons for doing the upper Navua River rafting, they all had one thing in common; it’s a day they will never forget.
It is not the rafting alone but the natural beauty of the Serua hills which seems to be a version of heaven is breathtaking and jaw dropping.
“This is paradise,” said Rebecca Herwitt, an American tourist after the first set of the rapids as the raft drifted slowly between canyons.
The watermarks on the side also show that during the wet season, the river is higher and faster.
The adventure started around 6.45am from the Rivers Fiji office in Pacific Harbour as I boarded the safari bus.
From Pacific Harbour the bus travelled towards Sigatoka and past Matanipusi Hill. Along the Queens Rd is the junction to Nabukelevu. The road was made by logging companies who harvest mahogany and native timber from Serua.
Another hour’s drive gets you to the starting point of the rafting adventure. A fork on the road, to the left is the Nabukelevu Village and to the right, the track to Manaqe, from where the rafts are boarded and the adventure starts.
There is 20 minutes testing hike to the actual spot. The track has been made easy with Rivers Fiji and Nabukelevu villagers making an awesome track out of mahogany planks.
Rivers Fiji and Nabukelevu
There is a beautiful relationship that exists between Nabukelevu and Rivers Fiji.
Of the money that is paid to Rivers Fiji for the tours, 20 per cent goes to the village which has a population of about 500 including a primary school which caters for children up to Year 8.
The guides and employees of Rivers Fiji are from Nabukelevu and the buses that take the tours also help transport villagers to the main road and in emergencies even rush them to the hospital.
But this is not the end of it. A partnership with Rivers Fiji also means that the company has set up a conservation site 200m from either side of the bank along the upper Navua River. This runs for almost 50kilometres down the river and helps avoid exploitation by loggers.
The conservation means the protection of local flora and fauna which had decreased because of logging activities and also the preservation of native plant species which are threatened by the introduction of mahogany in the area.
This work led to River Fiji being recognised by the World Tourism Council and the company was a finalist in the Tourism for Tomorrow Award in Madrid, Spain last year.
According to the WTTC, Rivers Fiji was selected for “protecting threatened forests and river systems” by running a low-impact commercial rafting operation in the Fijian Highlands of Viti Levu. And though the economic support given to the region is an important aspect of Rivers Fiji’s work — they’ve created jobs and given more than $1 million back to local communities in the past 15 years.
It’s the unique conservation model the company helped foster that demonstrates the full extent of their commitment to sustainable tourism.
Since the conservation started local wildlife and plant life have increased.
The adventure begins
The actual rafting started from Manaqe. As the point is being reached, all you see is nature at its best. The flowing Navua River from close to its source is beautiful, cold and soothing.
Before entering the raft, the guides gave their final instructions, just simple rules that made the journey interesting. Rowing forward, backwards, stop paddling and what to do in the case of a swimmer (a person who gets tossed out of the raft), these were some important bits of information.
The ride started with the raft hitting a couple of rapids. This gets the adrenaline pumping and made me want to hit some more. If there is any fear, it was cleared after the first few rapids.
Then it was paddling and drifting downwards through a canyon. The canyon walls showed evidence that that water level during the rainy season was much higher and the river much wilder.
There were a few voluntary swimmers as people took advantage of the serene beauty that only Fiji can offer.
After two and half hours of paddling and white water rafting, lunch break was at a venue called Nubunicucu. The name of the place comes from the breast shaped stones that are found there.
Lunch was healthy, chicken sandwiches, vegetables and local fruits. It was refreshing and healthy — considering the body needed the nourishment for the rest of the adventure,
The second half of the journey had more rapids and a few more stops including a waterfall and a few places where you can get off the raft and jump into the river from stones on the banks of the river.
25 kilometres down from where it started, the journey ended at Wainadiro Village.
The upper Navua River looked pure, serene, beautiful and welcoming. The raft ride through one of the most exhilarating and breathtaking places in Fiji is definitely one of the best adventures I have yet had.
And to capture this moment, River Fiji has a special cameraman riding on a one man raft who captures your smile, grin, or that look when you have hit a solid rapid or when you fall out of the raft.
Rivers Fiji’s upper Navua Rafting trips go every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and sometimes on Saturday and bookings can be done via online or phone.
