The Bula Spirit & Diving in Fiji - Kathy Koyamaibole and Junior explain why Fiji is more than a dive trip - it’s a transformative cultural experience. From world-class diving to immersive cultural traditions, Fiji welcomes divers into its communal, living culture with open arms and the unforgettable “Bula Spirit.”
Thursday, 30 October 2025
Monday, 13 October 2025
Fiji Dive Travel: Volivoli Beach Resort Group Tips
Discover why Volivoli Beach Resort is Fiji’s top dive travel destination for groups, instructors, and dive professionals. In this episode of Marketing Minutes by Scuba Diving Industry Magazine, hosts William and Britain Cline interview Simon Doughty, Sales & Marketing Manager at Volivoli Beach Resort, to explore what makes this world-class resort a premier choice for group dive travel to Fiji. Simon shares how Volivoli Beach Resort supports dive retailers, group leaders, and instructors with seamless logistics, luxury accommodations, and both recreational and technical diving opportunities. From beginner divers to advanced tech training, Volivoli offers an unmatched Fiji dive experience with easy access thanks to new nonstop flights from Dallas and other major U.S. hubs. Learn why Fiji dive travel is booming, how Volivoli’s dive packages and on-site amenities create exceptional group travel opportunities, and why working with a trusted, proven resort partner makes all the difference. Simon also highlights how instructors and group leaders can maximize revenue and guest satisfaction by offering group trips to Volivoli Beach Resort. Whether you’re a dive shop owner, instructor, or travel wholesaler, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you plan, promote, and profit from group dive travel to Fiji. 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube @clinegroup 👉 Learn more: https://www.volivoli.com 👉 Visit our magazine: https://www.scubadivingindustry.com 👉 Subscribe for more dive business tips and interviews with industry leaders!
Monday, 25 August 2025
Nukubati Partners with National Geographic Pristine Seas to Showcase the Great Sea Reef and Fijian Community Leadership
Nukubati Partners with National Geographic Pristine Seas to Showcase the Great Sea Reef and Fijian Community Leadership Local ownership, community connections, and dive leadership highlighted in global expedition. Macuata, Vanua Levu, Fiji [18th August 2025]
Nukubati Island Resort is proud to announce its partnership with National Geographic Pristine Seas during their expedition to the Great Sea Reef (Cakaulevu), the world’s third-largest barrier reef system.
The Pristine Seas team, led by renowned explorer and underwater cinematographer Manu San Félix, is in Fiji documenting the health, biodiversity, and importance of Cakaulevu. Nukubati was honoured to host and support the expedition, contributing its deep-rooted community connections, local knowledge, and conservation leadership.
As one of the few locally owned and Fijian-led resorts in Fiji, Nukubati played a key role in facilitating community interviews with traditional leaders and fisher communities, ensuring their voices and stories are at the heart of this global conservation effort. “Our strength has always been in our people and our community networks,” said Jenny Leewai Bourke, owner of Nukubati. “Hosting National Geographic Pristine Seas is not just about showcasing our pristine environment, but also about amplifying Fijian voices, traditional knowledge, and the importance of local stewardship in protecting the Great Sea Reef.”
The expedition also highlighted the work of Leone Vokai, owner of Great Sea Reef Divers and Nukubati’s resident dive instructor. Originally from Mali Island, Leone established his dive business to create opportunities for local youth and to empower the next generation of ocean guardians. Today, operating from Nukubati, he and his team are the trusted guides for Pristine Seas’ underwater documentation of the reef.
“Growing up by the reef, I always knew it was our lifeline,” said Vokai. “Working with Pristine Seas shows our young people that they can be both protectors and leaders in ocean conservation, while also building meaningful careers in diving and tourism.”
This collaboration reflects Nukubati’s long-standing commitment to sustainability, regenerative tourism, and cultural empowerment. From employing local communities and practicing farm-tofork dining, to spearheading conservation initiatives such as mangrove restoration and living seawalls, Nukubati continues to be a model for how tourism can protect the environment while uplifting local people.
The presence of National Geographic Pristine Seas at Nukubati further cements the Great Sea Reef’s global importance — not only as a biodiversity hotspot, but as a living cultural landscape that sustains Fijian communities.
About Nukubati
Nukubati is a boutique, locally owned island resort located on the edge of Fiji’s Great Sea Reef. Run by Fijians for over three decades, Nukubati champions sustainable tourism, cultural authenticity, and marine conservation. Its team of local hosts, farmers, and dive leaders provide guests with immersive experiences that celebrate both the reef and the communities who depend on it.
Wednesday, 20 August 2025
Fiji’s ocean stories hit the big screen
National Geographic’s Pristine Seas is in Fiji and it is here to do more than just explore.
It’s capturing our ocean stories on film, turning tradition into something permanent.
Environment and Climate Change Permanent Secretary Dr Sivendra Michael said the project was about more than research, it is about preserving identity and passing on knowledge to the world.
“Because stories get passed down at different levels so coming from like our traditional leaders would be a very different lens to seeing it from a science lens to seeing it from like first-hand camera, you know, and just visualising what that means. I think that’s really important because people can then resonate with that story.”
Dr Michael said the stories from our people become evidence, powerful proof to help push for stronger ocean protection globally.
He also states that global recognition of Pacific climate challenges is crucial, and that true empathy emerges when others witness the impacts firsthand not through statistics, but through lived stories of rising seas, dying reefs, and disappearing island homes.
Blue Prosperity Fiji Regional Director Arther Sokimi explained that this partnership means better data, better decisions, and a clearer future for Fiji’s oceans.
He adds that proper equipment has been provided to explore the depths of Fiji’s ocean and examine its various strata.
Sokimi said this would also deepen our understanding of what lies beneath and what doesn’t, helping to inform key decisions for the country.
Kelera Ditaiki
Multimedia Journalist
July 27, 2025 12:02 pm
https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/news/fijis-ocean-stories-hit-the-big-screen/
Monday, 28 July 2025
Depth of vision – The Cammicks and the heart of Fiji’s reefs
Fiji’s tourism industry has been graced by many dreamers, but few have shaped its course as profoundly as Ric and Dorothy Cammick.
With a pioneering spirit, enduring grit, and infectious charisma, Ric remains not only a living legend, but a working one.
At 84 years old, he continues to play an active role in the day-to-day operations of the exquisite Taveuni Island Resort, which he and his beloved wife Dorothy, fondly known as Do, built from scratch. Their story is not merely one of business success; it is a saga of love, for each other, for adventure, and above all, for Fiji.
From earthworks to island dreams
RIC Cammick’s journey to paradise didn’t begin on a tropical beach, but in the rugged trenches of New Zealand, where he worked as an earthworks contractor, laying water cables and pipes. Dorothy was a schoolteacher when they met, two grounded individuals with no inkling they would become icons in a Pacific Island nation thousands of kilometers away.
Their leap into the unknown came in 1973, when Ric’s father, an avid reader and newspaper publisher, spotted an ad for land for sale in Taveuni, Fiji. The Cammicks landed on the lush northern island and quickly bought an acre in Soqulu.
A fateful encounter at the local country club with Keith Douglas, founder of the now-renowned Matangi Island Resort, led Ric to a breathtaking stretch of coastal land near Matei. Initially, he acquired four acres to build a holiday home, but the dream soon evolved into a life mission.
Pioneering an industry: Scuba diving in Fiji
In 1974, Ric and Do built Fiji’s first dedicated diving resort, an act that marked the birth of an entirely new industry. At a time when scuba diving was virtually unknown in the country, Ric discovered the pristine marine wonderland off Taveuni’s coast. What he found would later be hailed as the Rainbow Reef, a kaleidoscopic underwater paradise that earned Fiji its global reputation as the Soft Coral Capital of the world.
Unlike the Cousteaus’ globally resourced expeditions, Ric brought scuba diving directly to this remote corner of the Pacific. He wasn’t broadcasting to an international audience, he was building infrastructure and opening access to the reef, island by island. This hands-on, ground-breaking effort brought adventure tourism to life in one of the most untouched marine environments on Earth.
Through determination and vision, Ric single-handedly mapped and promoted the reef, placing Fiji firmly on the global diving map. Together with Do, he trained instructors, built boats, and welcomed the world to explore Taveuni’s submerged treasures. Their 1974 resort launch did more than start a business, it sparked a national tourism revolution.
More than tourism: Conservation and community
Ric and Do weren’t merely business pioneers, they were conservationists and cultural diplomats. Recognising the fragility of the reef, they spearheaded some of Fiji’s first large-scale marine protection initiatives. With tireless diplomacy, they gained the support of 90 tribal chiefs to protect key reef areas, laying the groundwork for what would become enduring community-based conservation.
Their efforts caught the attention of famed oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau. Together, they established Fiji’s first recompression facility, a critical safety resource for divers and an essential piece of dive tourism infrastructure. This partnership not only underscored Ric and Do’s leadership, but also set new standards for sustainable adventure travel in the region.
In recognition of these remarkable contributions – to conservation, to indigenous partnerships, and to the nation’s dive safety infrastructure – the couple was inducted into the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame in 2012.
Building paradise: Taveuni Island Resort
Over the course of four decades, the Cammicks expanded their dream into the Taveuni Island Resort, a boutique sanctuary seamlessly integrated with the island’s natural beauty. Now managed alongside their sons Doug and Matt, the resort stands as a monument to their enduring vision.
Doug and Matt, who spent most of their lives on Taveuni, were raised on the island and are deeply rooted in the local culture. Though they attended high school in New Zealand for a few years, their hearts, and their home, have always remained in Fiji.
Sustainability is at the heart of TIRAS. From its organic farm supplying fresh produce to its support of neighbouring outer islands with limited agricultural capacity, the resort remains deeply tied to its environment and community. Even during the challenges of COVID-19, the Cammicks didn’t scale back – they rebuilt, reimagined, and reinvested. Today, they are expanding into wellness tourism with upgraded spa facilities and immersive experiences.
Vision beyond the reef
Ric’s imagination has always gone beyond the shoreline. While most saw beaches and boat rides, he envisioned rainforest treks, cultural journeys, and walking tracks that rival the world’s best.
“We have some of the best walking tracks in the world, but hardly anyone knows,” he often says.
One of his dreams is to see Taveuni recognised as a World Heritage Marine Park, a lasting tribute to its ecological significance and a promise to future generations. With the growth of eco-tourism and dive operations across the island, that dream edges ever closer to reality.
A golden milestone
In February 2024, Ric and Do celebrated 50 years of dedicated service to Fiji’s tourism industry, a milestone few could imagine, and even fewer could match. Yet if you visit Taveuni Island Resort today, you’ll likely find them welcoming guests, organising dive trips, and ensuring everyone feels less like a customer and more like family.
Their legacy lives not only in coral reefs and luxury villas, but in the lives they’ve touched. Employees like Storm Goulding, whose father was Taveuni’s first certified dive instructor and long-time guide at the resort, are living proof of the generational impact Ric and Do have had on the island.
The legacy continues with a new milestone: on Friday, July 25th, the new website for Taveuni Island Resort goes live, marking the first time in 50 years that guests can book online. This digital leap forward opens new doors for global travellers to connect with the island paradise the Cammicks have cultivated so lovingly.
The legacy lives on
Ric and Do’s story goes beyond business or adventure, it’s a story of love. Love for each other, for Fiji’s breathtaking natural beauty, and for its people. They built more than a resort, they raised a family, nurtured a community, and helped shape an island’s entire tourism industry. As stewards of both land and sea, they empowered others, protected reefs, and redefined what sustainable travel could look like in the South Pacific. Now, after 50 years of vision and grit, they prepare to entrust that legacy to the next generation, who will carry the story forward, rooted in love, shaped by the sea, and grounded in the spirit of Taveuni.
And perhaps the most beautiful part? They’re still building.
Stunning aerial view of Taveuni Island Resort (TIRAS). Picture: SUPPLIED
Ric and Dorothy Cammick celebrating 45 years of marital bliss. Picture: SUPPLIED
https://www.fijitimes.com.fj/feature-depth-of-vision-the-cammicks-and-the-heart-of-fijis-reefs/
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