My home town is called Sigatoka, pronounced as Sing -a-toka.  Sigatoka Town is the only urban centre for Nadroga Navosa Province,  one of the 14 provinces in Fiji.  The area covers some 127 hectares on both sides of the Sigatoka River on the Queen’s highway.  Sigatoka is the main commerce and trading centre for the coral coast region of Fiji, with its close proximity to the resort and tourist attractions on the Coral Coast. Sigatoka has become a very important centre. When I have time I normally spend some at the new library at the Sigatoka Town Council building.

Don’t expect to see large department stores and the type of sophisticated shopping centers that you have at home.   The shops in Sigatoka town are mostly small, family run businesses and you won’t find the hustle and bustle of big cities.

The local market in Sigatoka is a highlight for tourists visiting the Coral Coast and a most interesting place to visit. The market is important as it connects the whole of Fiji – to the wide range of fruits and vegetables that come from the famously fertile farming district known as “Fiji’s salad bowl”.  Every day locals come to trade and sell their produce. The Saturday market is extremely busy and active with farmers bringing their products from all over the Sigatoka river valley.

It’s fun and interesting to wander around the market to see the wide variety of tropical fruits, vegetables, root crops including yagona roots (kava) and spices, freshwater mussels, fish etc.  I forgot to mention that we also have one of the biggest Hindu temples here.  The temple’s grand opening was in November 2010. Our town council is doing a fantastic job by keeping our town clean and further developing “My Town”. More updates to come soon…

I am lucky to be living in the magical Islands of Fiji.   The islands are just tiny dots in the middle of Pacific Ocean and when you look at them on a map of the World, you really have to concentrate to find them.  One of the things I like the most is that Fiji has a beautiful tropical climate – it’s like summer time all year long. Viti Levu and Vanua Levu are the two main islands in Fiji however there are 333 islands altogether, most of which I haven’t even visited yet

 Fiji was a British colony but in 1970 we gained independence. We speak mostly English as it is our main language but the Fijian and Indian languages are spoken too.  I live on the Coral Coast, on the Southern shores of Viti Levu. My local town is Sigatoka which lies at the heart of the Coral Coast and is a very nice place.  It is not too urbanized. You can see lush tropical forests around you but always find the stunning view of the blue Pacific Ocean right around the next corner. Sigatoka is threaded by the Sigatoka River, and further inland, up the Sigatoka Valley is a farming area called the Salad Bowl of Fiji and this is where we get our fruits and vegetables from. There is so much to do and see on the Coral Coast. From riding a Zip Line to splashing under a waterfall, there are Eco Parks and caves to explore, sand dunes to climb and surf to ride,   fish to catch and treks to hike. There is no such thing as boredom on the Coral Coast but if relaxation is what you enjoy, then just find a shady spot on the beach and watch the white ribbon of the waves as they break off shore on the ocean reef that protects this coast and forms our Lagoon.

View of the Sigatoka Bridge and River