Conference Field Trip
A one-day conference field trip will be offered. The field trip will focus on a visit to
A one-day conference field trip will be offered. The field trip will focus on a visit to
two islands located on large reef complexes located 8nm east of Suva adjacent to
the largest river delta in Fiji, the Rewa River. These islands are composed of a matrix
of carbonate material deposits after the Holocene high stand between 6000-3000
years ago. Both islands are well vegetated with Nukulau having a developed water
table that has been mapped using both resistivity and ground penetrating radar.
During the early part of the last century the islands were used as quarantine centres
for the Gurmit arrivals to support the development of the sugar industry in Fiji. The
contrasting difference in the island geomorphologies are most interesting with
Makaluva Island proving historically to be the more dynamic of the two. Existing
infrastructure on Makaluva from those early times now occupy positions on the reef
platform providing excellent markers for geo-referencing imagery. Causes in such
dynamic shoreline position are attributed to be both natural and anthropogenic
impacts, the building of channels. The 1953 Tsunami is considered to have impacted
the island as well. The field trip will provide first-hand experience as to the difficulties
of infrastructure development on such dynamic island environments. A look back in
history in respect to their settlement will also be a feature of the field trip.