Tipping Point Peak: Wayasewa Island, Fiji

Bula and welcome to Fiji! The Yasawa islands, a chain of about 20 islands, fling off to the left of the mainland and circle round north. The island group covers a total of 52 square miles and was sighted in 1789 by HMS Bounty but natives had been living on the island for thousands of years prior to this.

With easy access by ferry on the Yasawa Flyer which runs twice daily between the mainland Port Denarau and 12 different islands, there is no excuse to miss this archipelago of white sand beaches and rocky outcrops.

“Yasawa” means heaven in Fijian and once you step foot off the boat and onto any island in the group, its hard to disagree. The culture of Fijians nationwide is welcoming and friendly, and locals on this island group will go out of their way to teach you about their heritage, be that weaving reeds into jewellery or baskets, learning traditional dance or watching the brewing process of Kava, a mildly narcotic drink made from the root of the pepper plant and drunk in great quantities throughout the country.

Whilst exploring the Yasawa islands, we stayed at Wais & Ele Homestay on Wayasewa Island. Staying here was exactly what we had hoped for; staying in a local persons home, disconnecting from digital devices with limited electricity, back to basics cooking, washing and living. Whilst on the island, we couldn’t resist the hike up Tipping Point Peak. Standing high above us and jutting out into the air was a giant rock which looked precariously balanced. The highest point of the island and said to be the root of many myths and legends. The peak beckoned to us, inviting us up it’s steep stony face.

Start/end point: Wais & Ele Homestay (close to Wayalailai Ecohaven)

Average duration: 2 hours

Distance: 6km return

When to go: Year round (hot and humid between November-April, dry and mild between May-October)

Difficulty: Moderate

Maps/Info: The walk is not signposted but there is trodden pathways which are quite easy to follow and you simply need to remember you are heading up towards the peak! If unsure, ask a local to take you up; this is what we did and it’s not only quicker but more rewarding as they will tell you stories and information about the peak.

There is no link or brochure available for this walk that I can find.

The hike:

Starting out from the beachfront, you need to head back on yourself as if you were walking to the centre of the island geographically. The inner parts of the island is home to a diverse range of plants which grow wild wherever they can take root. The path winds flat for about 1km through pockets of dense grasses, bush and trees. Keep an eye out for small animals which may be on the ground such as reptiles; frogs, iguanas and geckos are common enough on the islands and don’t want to be trodden on! Tramping through the trees you will most likely spot native birds; extremely colourful and noisy parrots, lorikeets and finches. If you stand still you will hear a cacophony of jungle-like animal discussion, and you will see bananas and pineapples growing organically.

After about 1km of walking, the path starts to lead you uphill at quite a steep angle; you will need quite sturdy shoes for this walk as you manoeuvre around sharp granite rock on slippery gravel paths. Continue walking uphill for 1km, making sure you aren’t led off the main path by the many crisscrossing walkways on the island. You will reach a clear T junction where if you turn back the view behind you is already a great vantage point of the island. At the T junction, turn left and continue uphill for the last 1km of the walk to the peak; the giant Tipping Point rock will be visible above you now.

There is a small amount of rock climbing or scrambling involved as you near the peak of the rock. There is no clear defined route to the top, and there are several smaller rocks around Tipping Point where you can admire the view over the edge of the rocks down to the beachfront where you started. The day we visited was so clear we could see the reef hugging the coast around the island.

If you climb onto Tipping Point rock as is done by most people, take great care of the smooth surface as it is slippery and a fall from this height is a fatal one! It was a little scary sitting on the rock; I daren’t put my feet over the edge but of course my daredevil husband was straight there with dangling legs. Brave or stupid? Maybe both.

We stayed up here for a good 45 minutes admiring the view, taking photos and having fun. We’d ascended as a group of 5, four of us and the guide from the homestay. Tom and I decided we wanted to make it down off the peak before darkness fell and so we hiked back down on our own as the sun started to sink in the sky (the others wanted to stay longer at the top). We found our way back onto the main beachfront and were rewarded with the most shockingly beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen; hues of red, orange, purple and pinks smashed together to create a burning sky. We sat on the beach with a couple of beers mesmerised and soaking up a feeling of awe until the sky darkened.