Pacific Harbour is a planned resort development, laid out in the 1970s on a swampy stretch of the southern coast, with canals, golf fairways and neat lots, and it has since settled into being Fiji's self-styled adventure capital. The name is a little grander than the place, but the setting is real. A broad lagoon sits offshore, sheltered by the reef, and beyond it the island of Beqa rises in a green hump. It is a good-looking, quiet, slightly theatrical spot, and it makes an easy overnight between Suva and the Coral Coast.
The ride here along the Queens Road from the west brings a gradual change. East of the Coral Coast the climate becomes wetter, the vegetation thicker, and the sky heavier with cloud, because this side of Viti Levu catches the trade winds. Rain is common and sometimes heavy, so waterproofs are sensible at any time of year. The road itself is generally well kept, with gentle curves through coconut palms and forest, plus the usual hazards of dogs, speed bumps and slow trucks. The distance from Suva is about forty kilometres, an easy morning's ride.
Beqa Lagoon is the headline attraction for divers. It is famous for shark dives where several species, including bull sharks and, with luck, tiger sharks, are drawn by feeding in a marine reserve, and it has made Pacific Harbour a name in the diving world. On land, the Navua River runs close by, and boat trips run up its gorge through rainforest and waterfalls. The island of Beqa is also the home of the traditional firewalking ceremony, in which men walk across heated stones without injury, and performances are sometimes given for visitors at local hotels.
Pacific Harbour has the services a rider needs: a few shops, restaurants, a small fuel option and accommodation, though Suva, the capital, has the main supply of everything and is the place to fill up fully. Fresh seafood is excellent here, and a meal of grilled fish with cassava and a cold local beer is hard to improve on. Keep an eye on the sky, and if you are caught in a downpour, wait it out under a shop awning with a hot cup of tea.