Lomaloma is the main town on Vanua Balavu. We saw 4 shops there and a telecom tower that had been erected in 1989. This used to be an important port for ships coming from Tonga, but has declined. Lomaloma has houses with rounded roof ends - showing Tongan influence. Sawana is next to Lomaloma and Moana's guest house is here.
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We set off from Nawanawa along the rode, hoping for a truck to pass - before long one came. |
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The truck owner thought that we would like to see his village, Mavana. It was on the east side of the island at the end of the road. |
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The Post Shop - which is owned by the Post Office, but is not the Post Office, is a general store. There is also the Telecom building. The island is where the defunct Lomaloma resort was located - its decaying bures can be seen from Lomaloma. |
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There is also a Post Office and bread shop. The bread shop has a sign that offers all kinds of bread - but most of these are not available - although you can ask the baker to make you special food. |
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Here is a fisherwoman on the pier with a fish. |
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The Tongan Methodist Church has drums outside it that are played before church. Ask the minister for permission to go inside and take photos - he was pleased that Helene asked. There is a Tongan mat inside with a colorful fringe, the woven mat underneath it is a typical Fijian mat. |
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There are two monuments - one for the millenium and another for the 1847 invasion by Enele Ma'afu from Tonga. He aimed to convert Fijians to Christianity and conquer Fiji from his base in Sawana. |
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This is the prison and a view of the main street. The other church is the Fijian Methodist Church. |
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We then climbed a hill that had a Telecom tower on top - solar-powered. There were magnificent views from the top and we had a picnic amid pine trees. |
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The truck took us back to the same village where the ice for fish facility was being built. Then Helene had arranged for a boat to take us to Nawanawana. We were fortunate to find an empty truck in Lomaloma that could transport us before it picked up children from school. |
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This is an aerial view of Lomaloma - taken as we were leaving Vanua Balavu. |
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