The Hibiscus Highway runs from Savusavu along an 80-kilometre route to Loa Village; from there, unpaved roads branch north and south along the coast. Nearby, rock sites and traditions surrounding Dakuwaqa add to the picture. When searching for accommodation with Loa as your destination, it is worth treating road routes, ferry connections, and the area's cultural themes as separate planning priorities.
Road routes around Loa
The Buca Bay Road reaches Buca Bay at Loa Village. The northern road passes through a dozen fishing villages to Nabuka at the tip of Natewa Bay, opposite Rabi Island. These offer different ways of getting your bearings: the 80-kilometre route from Savusavu and the sequence of villages along the northern road. Check current road conditions before setting out.
A pedestrian crossing with a culvert was inaugurated in Dakuniba after access to the village had been difficult and unsafe for vehicles and pedestrians during heavy rain for years. The crossing improves villagers' access to health services, shops, public transport, and government offices in Tukavesi and Savusavu.
Ferry connections to Taveuni
Buca Bay is the terminus for ferry connections between Vanua Levu and Taveuni. Natuvu Landing is two kilometres south of Loa and is a departure point for ferries to Taveuni. Check schedules and departure points before travelling.
Culture and landscape in the area
Buca Bay is named after Buca, one of the villages on the peninsula. From the bay, the view extends to the islands of Kioa and Rabi. Buca is also the home of Jerry Tuwai, a rugby sevens player and two-time Olympian.
According to tradition, the Buca River, which flows past Buca Village, is the birthplace and home of the fish god Dakuwaqa. Dakuwaqa's underwater cave in Buca is known to locals as Qarani’anaca and is part of the village's identity and legend. At the stretch of river near neighbouring Tukavesi, red-coloured stones are said in tradition to mark the place where Dakuwaqa was born. A village meke about Dakuwaqa is performed only on special occasions.
Rock sites near Dakuniba
The Ndakunimba Stones in Dakuniba comprise 14 large stones with deep petroglyphs and are dated to 500 BCE. They are said to have originally formed a single, 15-metre-high, monolith-like structure. Their formation and the petroglyphs are explained solely through myths; further research is needed.
Near Dakuniba, the Vatu Vola are ancient rocks with enigmatic inscriptions. The path to the historic rocks passes through hilly, densely forested terrain; the rocks lie on a wooded slope, and the climb is considered strenuous. Nai Kelekele is a rock in a stream at the upper end of the mountain, about a 30-minute walk from the Vatu Vola.
Agriculture and yaqona
A 2017 report describes an agricultural association with 36 members and 617 acres of farmland in and around Loa Village. Yaqona was the main crop grown; 400 acres were used for its cultivation. At the time, the association also sold its kava drink directly at the Labasa market, without intermediaries.
For the broader travel overview: Cakaudrove.
