Nagigia Island, Fiji surfing magazines reviews

Sunday Telegraph, Sydney, Australia, 12 January 2003
Center page feature article in Saturday Travel Edition

"A Must Read" is this Article and Photos

Chick Magazine - Australia
March/April 2001

Once we were over the coast, you could see the swell was pumping and the amp was on to get from Kadavu to Nagigia by boat in the shortest time possible.

But no matter what we'd expected, nothing could have prepared us for the welcoming committee waiting for us in Nagigia. ......It was so amazing, the gorgeous smiling Fijians all gathered to bring us ashore and on to their island. If I hadn't already been feeling like the luckiest person around, I sure started to then.

.....We spent the rest of that first afternoon watching perfect barrels go freight-training through, unridden. Being Sunday it was against Fijian custom to go surfing. ......The first day in the water it was pumping and we surfed straight out the front of our new home-away-from-home at a break called King Kong Left (named after the mountain nearby where they'd filmed the movie King Kong). After three epic surfs in one day, we used the rest of the afternoon to go snorkelling before settling in for an early night.

.....The last night the Fijians threw a huge party with lots of music, lots of dancing and lots of kava (a traditional Fijian drink). It was the funniest night. There was mountain of traditional food and they were showing us all there Fijian dances. Eventually we had them all up dancing with us.

.....Life's pretty darn strange sometimes, but if you'd told me a month ago that today I'd be on my way home from Fiji after one of the most epic trips ever, I'd have laughed in your face. Really loudly too. That was until the day I got this amazing phone call......

Waves Magazine - Australia
November 2000
.... Over the next couple of days we continued to surf the left directly out in front of our bures. It was a powerful little mother, even though it was small. Short and sweet with a good section that resembled something like a mini Teahupo'o.

We came into a flat spell for a couple of days where the surf was only one-to-two feet and although you could still rip into it and have fun they weren't the kind of waves we'd come all this way for. We passed our time fishing, snorkeling and doing other resort stuff.

The last couple of days were unusual but at last a little bit more swell had begun making its own way to the outer reefs. ........ the trade winds had stopped and the summer winds had picked up. ...... We all piled into the boat and within 10 minutes we were surfing four-to-six feet clean barreling rights. It was a fantastic relief to finally get a head-high wave before packing our stuff and heading off.

In retrospect, I'd have to say that Nagigia is one of the most incredible places in the world
.... we were lucky enough to enjoy super fun waves with fantastic scenery and beautiful hosts who made staying there a dream. I look forward to one day returning to this small friendly island...

Surfing World Japan
October 1999

The photographs say it ALL!!

New Zealand Surfing,
September/October 1998

(Nagigia).... is one of only two places in Fiji that faces offshore to the trade winds (Cloudbreak being the other).

....The surf was a solid six to seven foot upon arrival. The wave jacks up out of nowhere, pitches out as far as it is high into a full barrel before meeting with a horrible side wave (called the Jaw) just before the shallowest part of the reef. The place is legendary.

....On the first morning the Cape (Washington) turned on a nice glassy five foot wave to play on. It didn't take me long to realise I'd met my ultimate holiday destination.

Only three of us in the water, all friends. As we paddled over to the peak, Tram turns to me and says, "Have any wave you want Ant, any wave. Just call it and its yours. We surf here every day - you're only here a week" That was the point where I landed one of those bullshit smiles on my dial that lasted for the entire week.

Over the following four days we were blessed with some perfect conditions and even one day of larger swells.

...Unfortunately, the Resort won't be formally opened for reservations until early next year. But when it does, make sure you're there for the simple enjoyment of great surf, no crowds and the remote and rugged countryside.

Author: Ant Williams

Australian Surfing magazine - 1989

The swell was in the six foot range and we could see a right hander and two lefts. The right turned out to be a real tease, the swell needed to be coming from a different direction but the two lefts were producing fast hollow tubes. The guys were charging.

Beau scored successive tubes, one with his hands dropped casually at his sides and the next with them stretched high above his head.
"It's the best tubes of my life. I was in there and had to wiggle to get speed. I didn't think I was going to make it" was his grinning comments later in the day.

The spots we were surfing were just dimples on the main reef. The bigger waves would barrel from the start, not even giving you a chance for a bottom turn. All you needed to do was set a rail and pull in. The tube sometimes took on an almond shape while on others it formed a complete O.

Dog described one of his days surfing as "the best barrels I've had in years!"