Vatoa

Vatoa is an island in the far southeast of belonging to Fiji Lau Islands. The island is about 4 km long, up to 1.5 km wide and is the central, to 67 m high island of the atoll same dar. Vatoa has about 300 inhabitants and is thus according to Ono- i- Lau zweitsüdlichste the inhabited landmass in Fiji represents the entire island consists of limestone of the Miocene. Just a few kilometers south-west is the ring-shaped coral reef Vuata Vatoa.

Vatoa is the only island in Fiji that has ever been hit by James Cook. When Cook discovered the island on the second in July 1774, he was received by some locals, with whom he exchanged merchandise. Since Cook saw some turtles on a reef near of the island, he saw Vatoa in his charts as Turtle Island.

The island has for this region of the South Seas, by the frequent occurrence of trade winds, relatively cold weather.

At the highest point of Vatoa there are remains of ancient fortifications.