Nationalpark
Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park
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Clarke
March 16, 2021
Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park, with dunes reaching heights of 60m, is worth a visit for its wild beauty, excellent walks and archaeological treasures. The Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park is the location of one of Fiji’s earliest settlement sites. One of 14 National Heritage sites around Fiji and managed by the National Trust of Fiji, the Sigatoka Sand Dunes was declared a national park in 1989 to protect its unique natural and cultural heritage. The park is located west of the town of Sigatoka on the Coral Coast, on the main island of Viti Levu and is situated at the mouth of the Sigatoka River allowing visitors stunning ocean views. The impressive dune system covers an area of 650 hectares and is characterised by a diverse mixture of native and introduced species of plants as well as providing a home to over 22 species of birds along with lizards, geckos and fruit bats. Eight species of birds in this diverse ecosystem are endemic to Fiji including the Fiji Bush Warbler, Fiji Goshawk and Orange-breasted Mycenaean Considered to be one of the most important archaeological sites in the Pacific, pottery shards discovered here have been carbon dated to 2,600 years old and excavations in the late 1980s revealed one of the largest burial sites in the Pacific region. Shards of Lapita pottery, pieces of which have also been found at archaeological sites throughout the Pacific, and other cultural remnants such as stone tools, have been unearthed here and continue to be uncovered by the natural processes of the dunes. Since the 1980s the site has been an important source of information regarding the migration and settlement of the Pacific for visiting scholars. The Lapita people were expert seafarers and navigators often travelling vast distances between islands in Pacific region settling mainly coastal areas and leaving behind their distinct pottery. Formed over thousands of years the sand dunes are the result of erosion in the coastal hinterland and the fine sand is peppery grey in colour with windblown peaks reaching between 20 and 60 metres in height and up to one kilometre in width. There are one-hour and two-hour hiking courses around the undulating dunes which are considered quite challenging but worth it for the views – and for hiking enthusiasts the best time to tackle this trek is during the cooler hours of the day either in the morning or late afternoon.
Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park, with dunes reaching heights of 60m, is worth a visit for its wild beauty, excellent walks and archaeological treasures. The Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park is the location of one of Fiji’s earliest settlement sites. One of 14 National Heritage sites around Fiji…
Standort
Queens Road
Yadua, Western Division