Bula
Denarau

By Conrad Siers

Bula Denarau (originally The Denarau Island Magazine) was founded in 1996 by my father, James Siers—a legendary author, filmmaker, and adventurer who dedicated his life to documenting the soul of the Pacific. Beginning his work in the region in the 1960s, he authored over 30 books, including the seminal Fiji in Colour, Fiji Celebration, and Fiji Islands, Gift of the Sea. His lens captured a Fiji that few outsiders ever saw, preserving the traditions and beauty of the islands for future generations.

I carry that legacy forward today. My connection to Fiji was forged in the crucible of real-world adventure. In 1976, at age 10, I was aboard the Taratai II—a voyaging canoe built and launched from Denarau to a Micronesian design from Kiribati. The expedition was more than an adventure; it was a mission my father led to prove that Pacific voyages of discovery were conducted from west to east, sailing upwind to follow Lapita archaeological evidence.

This directly challenged the prevailing “Heyerdahl theory” of the era, which had convinced much of the world that the Pacific was settled from the east via drift voyages. It is now well-established that our findings were correct: this was indeed the primary settlement pattern of the South Pacific, including Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.

Our expedition met a harrowing end when the Taratai II was broken by a storm 200 miles east of Niue. They say never abandon the vessel, and they are right—but on the night of the shipwreck, in a dark storm on an overturned hull, we succumbed to the temptation of the inviting light of the liferaft, where we spent two weeks adrift, fearing death on a constant basis.

Luckily, and very much against the odds, we were rescued. In a final, serendipitous confirmation of our expedition’s theory (and proof that you should never abandon your vessel), the wreckage of the Taratai II drifted home to Rabi Island in Northern Vanua Levu—coincidentally the home of Fiji’s Kiribati community—proving that sailing upwind provided a safety net for ancient explorers to return home if they were wrecked. Perhaps the Taratai II was simply experiencing a spiritual homecoming.

I have often reflected on the great ancient navigators of thousands of years ago who must have inevitably suffered a similar fate. My father chronicled this journey in his 1977 book, Taratai II: A Continuing Pacific Adventure (Millwood Press). It was a follow-up to his previous expedition on the Taratai, which had successfully voyaged from Kiribati to Fiji, landing at Viseisei—the legendary first landing place of Degei. That experience instilled in me a lifelong, profound respect for the Pacific and the resilience of its island communities.

My association with Denarau spans fifty years, dating back to the building of the Taratai II when the Regent Hotel was the only presence on the island and served as our generous hosts. Since 2000, I have lived full-time in Fiji, where I spent over a decade running a fishing lodge business before transitioning into full-time research, writing, and publishing. Now rooted in a Fijian family and raising my two children, I live the culture I write about.

In my view, I bring a ‘real world’  perspective for visitors to these beautiful islands.  I believe that I am well placed to help present aspects of Fijian History, Culture, Customs, and Traditions, as well as being able to help recommend high-value activity providers. Bula Denarau is the result: a unique blend of over sixty years of archival depth and the lived experience of modern Fiji. This platform is more than a blog; it is built upon a twenty-year library of genuine, high-quality images of traditional ceremonies—not tourist shows, but the “real deal”—all of which are filed with the National Archives of Fiji. And it is the logical evolution of The Denarau Island Magazine to take it online so that more people than ever can benefit from it and enjoy it.

When it comes to your time in the islands, you have a choice: you can follow the generic script of a standard guidebook only, or take a seat around the yaqona basin with me as I share stories of Fiji’s past and present. From the practicalities of where to go and what to do, to the unspoken etiquette of how to do it properly and with respect, I provide my personal, insider guidance.

While I take care to recommend only reputable partners, Buladenarau.com does not perform independent technical or legal audits of individual operators. Responsibility for the quality and safety of services lies with the respective service provider.