Conquering the highest peak in Fiji!

I am still comprehending the fact that we conquered Mount Tomavini, the highest peak in Fiji at 1,324m. Just know that I sit here writing this in pain, the good kind and feeling all sorts about this amazing weekend.

We kept talking about hiking Mount Tomavini for the past 2 years but never followed through with it for various reasons. If you know our group, you will know how we enjoy going off on these adventures that push us out of our comfort zone. Knowing that we were well overdue for an adventure, we decided to do this to celebrate Shane’s 31st birthday.

My parents completed this hike, I think a year ago and so I got the details from them and the Talanoa Treks Website. You can either drive to Navai village the same morning that you plan to hike or you can camp at the village a night prior or stay at a hotel/air BnB in Tavua or Rakiraki. Check out the Talanoa Treks Website for more information. We were supposed to camp at the village but opted to stay in Volivoli, Rakiraki and drive out from there Saturday morning.

We had 2 guides Joey and Paula, help us through this 9km hike and learned that Mount Tomanivi is part of the Tomanivi Nature Reserve in Fiji, Birdlife International notes this as one of the important bird areas.

Our group of 7 were at varied levels of fitness, and of course, we had one group take off and reach ahead of myself and Anabel. The hike was gradual and tough, and we realized that we were walking along a ridge, the volcanic crater to reach the highest point.

I kept thinking, why am I doing this when I could have been at the Fiji Fashion Week Launch instead of being covered in mud, bruised and in pain! That thought wore off quickly when we completed the hike because it was such an incredible experience. I guess, I enjoy both extremes- being fancy and fashion, and then rolling in mud!

I can't describe what it is, but I am still feeling “super elevated” albeit in pain right now, but there is something completely magical about being out in nature and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Shane popped open Champagne and we celebrated his birthday being on top of the highest peak! Now that is iconic! The way down was just as tough and most of us slid, slipped and fell, finding our way to the bottom.

It still feels so surreal but a proud moment knowing that we conquered the highest peak in Fiji. If you love doing crazy things like this, then I highly recommend that you add Mount Tomavini to your list. I didn’t take as many pictures and videos as I usually do because I had to watch my footing and did not want to fall on my face but also I felt like I just wanted to be in the moment. We also saw 2 rainbows while trekking higher and higher.

When you find your kind of crazy people that vibe the same, it makes life so much more fun and also easier to accomplish such adventures. We returned to Volivoli to continue celebrating Shane’s Birthday, the hike, life, and everything magical.

What a weekend and I am still not over it! Cheers!