Ovalau (pronounced ) is the sixth largest island in

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

. It is located in Lomaiviti Archipelago. Situated at 17.70° South and 178.8° East, (60 km north east from the national capital

Suva Suva () is the capital and largest city of Fiji. It is the home of the country's largest metropolitan area and serves as its major port. The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in Rewa Province, Central Divi ...

and 20 km off the east coast of

Viti Levu Viti Levu (pronounced ) is the largest island in the Republic of Fiji. It is the site of the nation's capital, Suva, and home to a large majority of Fiji's population. Geology Fiji lies in a tectonically complex area between the Australian P ...

), the island is about 13 kilometers long and 10 kilometers wide. It covers a total area of 106.4 square kilometers and has a population of around 9,100, approximately half the Lomaiviti population.

Levuka Levuka () is a town on the eastern coast of the Fijian island of Ovalau, in Lomaiviti Province, in the Eastern Division of Fiji. Prior to 1877, it was the capital of Fiji. At the census in 2007, the last to date, Levuka town had a population ...

, Fiji's former

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...

, is the largest of 24 towns and villages on the island. Ovalau is characterized by its rugged

topography Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...

, with little flat land apart from the

Lovoni Valley {{coord, 17, 42, S, 178, 48, E, display=title, region:FJ_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki The Tikina of Lovoni is made up of the Fijian villages of Lovoni, Nasaumatua, Vuni-ivi-savu, Visoto, Nukutocia and Nacobo. The latter three villages are loc ...

in the centre of the island. The island is an eroded volcanic crater with a narrow belt of flat to undulating country between the encircling lagoon and the steep crater sides. The highest peaks are Nadelaiovalau, with an altitude of 625 meters, in the east, and Tomuna, 526 meters, in the south.

Transport around Ovalau

There is one road which circles the island. However, between the villages of Rukuruku and Buresala the road is little more than a track, as travel between these points is uncommon, most traffic being directed from these two villages to

Levuka Airport Levuka () is a town on the eastern coast of the Fijian island of Ovalau, in Lomaiviti Province, in the Eastern Division of Fiji. Prior to 1877, it was the capital of Fiji. At the census in 2007, the last to date, Levuka town had a population o ...

, which handles twice-daily

Air Fiji Air Fiji was an airline based in Nausori, Fiji. It operated inter-island services to destinations within the Fijian Islands. Its main base was Nausori International Airport, Suva, with a base at Nadi International Airport.Flight International 27 ...

flights to and from

is located on the west of the island, next to the Bureta District School compound. There is one flight in the morning, and one in the evening, with only the evening service operating on Sundays. Flights cost around FJ$150 return. Ferry services also connect Ovalau to

- the

Patterson Brothers Shipping Company LTD Patterson Brothers Shipping Company LTD is Fiji's longest running inter-island ferry operation bridging the gap between Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, and Ovalau daily, They also provide trips to Kadavu and Koro Island. The company is a family r ...

ferry company runs a service between Levuka, Buresala,

Natovi Natovi Landing is a ferry port in Tailevu Province, Fiji, linking cargo trucks to the three big islands of Fiji. Nearby Korovou is the closest drop off for travelers trekking with local busses, the post is mainly service by Patterson Brothers Shi ...

, and

depending on the day. Transport around the island is mainly by carrier. There is one bus service, which runs once daily from the west of Ovalau to Levuka in the morning, and returns at 5pm, and is mainly used by schoolchildren and PAFCO workers. At an unknown date, two environment designers from the game developer studio, Bohemia Interactive, visited the island to collect geographical data and environmental data for the studio's new expansion for their game, Arma 3 Apex. File:ChurchLevuka.jpg, Sacred Heart Church,

, Ovalau File:St johns ovalau.jpg, St John's Church, Ovalau File:Lovoni village.jpg,

Lovoni {{coord, 17, 42, S, 178, 48, E, display=title, region:FJ_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki The Tikina of Lovoni is made up of the Fijian villages of Lovoni, Nasaumatua, Vuni-ivi-savu, Visoto, Nukutocia and Nacobo. The latter three villages are loc ...

Village, Ovalau File:Ovalau.jpg, The south western side of Ovalau

References

External links

*
Levuka Fiji
{{authority control Islands of Fiji Lomaiviti Province