THE SIGATOKA SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK

• Located directly west of the mouth of the Sigatoka river
• The extensive dunes cover an area of 650 hectares of rich combination of interesting land-form features, archaeological history and remains and natural beach forest
• Approximately half the area is unstable, especially in the East
• Fiji’s first ever site to yield Lapita pottery and remains the largest
• Declared as Fiji’s first National Park in 1989
• Visitor Centre established in 1997 with specially designed display of archaeological skeletons and Lapita pottery photographed after excavations
• A circular trail is designed for long and short walks
• Residents adjacent to the dunes and the nation as a whole have every reason to take great pride in this unique landform

HOW ARE THE DUNES FORMED?

The massive ‘U’ shaped elongated dunes are called ‘Parabolic Dunes’. These dunes are predominantly formed from quartz sand, drained from weathered rocks in the Sigatoka Valley.

• The sand is carried down the Sigatoka River into the sea where it forms a sandbar at the mouth of the river
• Longshore coastal currents spread the sand along the coast from east to west
• The wide gap in the reef attributing the coastal plains allows for sea waves to carry the sand onto the beach, where it dries
• Beyond the beach, the sand accumulates forming parabolic dunes that slowly move inland

The distinct ‘U’ shape of the dunes is formed from the direction of the prevailing south easterly winds. This process of building parabolic dunes continues today..