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habitats, they are pools some distance away from the sea but which still maintain tidal influence. In actuality most of the pools are brackish due to interactions between the lens of freshwater under the island and the tidal influence. Linked with these anchialine pools is a great network of caves
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comes from the bark of the paper mulberry tree and all over the island there are small clearings in the forest which have been planted with this tree. A visit to any of the island's four villages will bring with it the unceasing and hypnotic sound of heavy wooden clubs striking repeatedly against
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something solid. If you pluck up enough courage to venture inside the tin shed from whence the sound comes, you will see a sweating woman pounding strips of bark, flattening and softening the fibres sufficiently to make into the highest quality
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Vatulele is a raised coral limestone paradise that lies to the south of Fiji's main island of Viti Levu. Vatulele, often discussed but rarely visited, has figured prominently in Fijian legend because of its extraordinary red prawns. Known as
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Vatulele possesses petroglyphs, early Fijian rock art, dated at 3000 years old. The face, with its 12 "hairs" is one of the most prominent rock paintings in a group only a kilometre from the island's resort.
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The islanders treat the prawns with great respect, consider them sacred and are forbidden to kill or harm them in any way. Legend records that anyone who tries to take them away will suffer a shipwreck.
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Vatulele has some of the best hard corals in Fiji and because of the relatively low fishing pressure there are many more large fish than one usually sees in Fiji.
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incorporate triangles and this motif has become one of the symbols of the
Vatulele Island resort.
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Vatulele (ringing rock) is home to Fiji's most skillful makers of tapa cloth (
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hand printed tapa. Vatulele is known for its legend of the red prawns and
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Scientists may not share the explanation of the origins of the
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and is regarded as one of the independent islands in Fiji.
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Vatulele is located between Viti Levu and
Kandavu islands
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A coral & volcanic island south of Viti Levu, Fiji
370:(red prawn), they have to be seen to be believed.
386:and passages, most of them virtually unexplored.
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53:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
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310:island 32 kilometres (20 miles) south of
117:Learn how and when to remove this message
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321:There are four villages on the island:
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51:adding citations to reliable sources
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341:farming, fishing and selling of
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221:32 km (12 sq mi)
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192:18.54167°S 177.62778°E
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768:Fiji geography stubs
604:Significant outliers
318:'s largest island.
197:-18.54167; 177.62778
47:improve this article
568:Other major islands
366:(cooked prawns) or
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107:December 2010
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32:This article
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713:expanding it
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45:Please help
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637:Lau Islands
611:Conway Reef
483:Nananu-i-Ra
368:uradamudamu
351:Vunisa Levu
347:petroglyphs
208:Archipelago
195: /
183:177°37′40″E
171:Coordinates
752:Categories
554:Vanua Levu
383:anchialine
323:Lomanikaya
180:18°32′30″S
77:newspapers
66:"Vatulele"
763:Viti Levu
559:Viti Levu
498:Viti Levu
325:, Ekubo,
312:Viti Levu
156:Geography
34:does not
493:Vatulele
468:Leleuvia
379:ura-buta
364:ura-buta
308:volcanic
294:Vatulele
289:Vatulele
264:Division
161:Location
130:Vatulele
595:Taveuni
488:Nukulau
473:Naigani
357:Tourism
335:coconut
331:Bouwaqa
327:Taunovo
302:) is a
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55:removed
40:sources
616:Rotuma
590:Ovalau
580:Kadavu
343:Fijian
226:Length
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707:is a
304:coral
278:Ekubo
234:Width
98:JSTOR
84:books
709:stub
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585:Koro
463:Beqa
404:masi
400:masi
395:masi
391:masi
339:taro
337:and
329:and
316:Fiji
306:and
257:Fiji
218:Area
70:news
38:any
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