Water wonderland on Qamea Island in Fiji

FORGET the laid-back life, explore the clear waters at this Fijian resort, writes Angela Saurine.

qamea resort

IT'S the one word you never want to hear when you are snorkelling in the ocean.

"Shark! Shark!" our guide Suka calls above the water. I look in the direction he is pointing and spot a small, slender grey shark darting out from behind the coral. He eyes us warily as he quickly swims away. In this case it definitely appears he is more scared of us than we are of him. The white tip shark is one of many marine creatures we spot during our full-day snorkelling safari circumnavigating Qamea Island. After donning our snorkel, mask and flippers we jump into the amazing turquoise-coloured water at the first snorkel spot, Cabbage Patch. It quickly becomes clear how it got its name as we are confronted with a large cluster of giant lime-green cabbage-like coral in the middle of the reef. As the day progresses we float above a range of mauve, pink, yellow, blue and orange coral at various snorkel spots and see zebra fish, tiny electric blue fish and parrot fish chasing a school of smaller fish. At lunchtime, we anchor near a secluded white-sand beach, step off and wade through the warm knee-deep water to shore. The crew carry firewood off the boat and start a fire on the beach, and we soon hear the sound of sausages, steak, chicken and fish sizzling. When it is ready, we devour the meat alongside a pasta salad, potato salad, watermelon and pineapple. After lunch, we head to the last snorkelling site of the day, known as Magic Mystery. We swim above a series of deep trenches and over the shipwreck of a boat once used to ferry officials between the islands. On the way back to Qamea Resort we cruise past the uber-luxury Laucala Island, and see the $35,000 a night waterfront villa where Oprah Winfrey stayed after her trip to Australia a couple of years ago. The small private island, developed by Red Bull billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz, even has its own 18-hole championship golf course. Qamea Resort and Spa, the only one on Qamea Island, is only a few minutes' boat ride from the much larger Taveuni Island. There is no jetty; the island experience begins the moment you arrive when a crew member ties the boat up to a coconut tree and you step into the lagoon and on to the white-sand beach. There are no shops or roads on the island, with people instead travelling between villages by boat. After our day snorkelling I head to the Jungle Spa for a pre-arranged treatment. As I walk over the boardwalk to the spa I see crabs scurry back into their burrows out of the corner of my eye. The spa has a treehouse-like feel with five treatment rooms in small, screened bamboo bures (huts) with thatched roofs. I'm intrigued by the warm seashell massage, in which heated shells are placed on your body, but decide instead on the Fijian hibiscus and coconut wrap, followed by a one-hour massage. As I lie on the massage table, wearing only a sarong, I hear birds tweeting and waves crashing against the shallow lagoon in the distance. My body is brushed and cocooned in coconut body butter before a palm leaf and three red hibiscus flowers are placed over me. Hot cloths are wrapped around my hands and feet while my scalp is massaged. After the treatment I stroll back along the beach to my bure at dusk. Feeling relaxed, I stop to watch the blazing hot pink sunset poking out above dark grey clouds. It is nearly dinner time but I decide to go with the flow, sit in the sand and soak it all in. As it gets darker I realise just how beautiful the beach is, gently curving around in front of my bure towards a cliff. Unlike some resorts where the guests barely talk to each other, at Qamea everyone mingles at pre-dinner drinks each evening. The other guests are mostly couples on honeymoons or celebrating anniversaries, but also include a jilted bride celebrating what was supposed to be her honeymoon with a friend, with more vigour than the Sex and the City film cast. Kava - a sedative drink made from the root of the kava plant popular throughout Fiji - is served to guests and performers several nights a week when a Fijian band plays. Friday night is meke night, when about 20 men from a nearby village come to perform traditional music and dance. At the end of the night, the resort's popular barman, Bubba, also sings and plays moving songs on his guitar, much to the delight of guests. The writer was a guest of Fiji Airways and Qamea Resort and Spa. Go2 - QAMEA Getting there: Fiji Airways (formerly Air Pacific) flies to Nadi from Sydney. From Nadi it is a one-hour domestic flight with sister airline Pacific Sun to Taveuni Island. Staying there: Qamea Resort and Spa has 17 bures with airconditioning, outdoor showers and electronic-key lock doors. Prices start at $US425 ($A440) a night for an ocean-view bure. Valid until March 31 next year. Doing there: Tours are offered on certain days. Activities available (some at an extra cost) include hikes on Taveuni Island, snorkelling, scuba diving, kayaking, village tour and more. More: Fiji.travel "Like" Escape.com.au on Facebook Follow @Escape_team on Twitter