Nadi History Guide: WWII Airfield, Girmit, Sugar And Temple Stories
By Scott Levoune, founder of Wealth Through Property · Published
Most visitors meet Nadi through an arrivals hall and a transfer window. Stay a few days and a much richer story appears: the first-landing tradition at Vuda, cotton farms on the Nadi River, the Girmit labourers who built the cane country, a wartime airfield that became Fiji's front door, and a temple built by craftsmen from India at the end of the main street. This guide pulls those stories together so you can see them on the ground, at an easy pace, from a Wailoaloa Beach base.
Key Takeaway
Nadi's history sits in plain sight. The airport began as a New Zealand-built airfield around 1939 to 1940 and became a major Allied base in World War II. The cane country around town was shaped by Indian indentured labourers who arrived from 1879, and the Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple was consecrated in 1994. Each can be seen in a half day or less from Wailoaloa Beach.
Before You Go Exploring
A few simple checks make history days in Nadi smoother and more respectful.
1Dress for respect: Cover shoulders and legs for the temple and any village visit.
2Watch the calendar: Village tours generally do not run on Sundays, and temple festivals bring big crowds.
3Confirm details: Check current hours and fees directly before you set out, as they can change.
Three Layers To Look For
Nadi's story is easiest to follow if you think of it in three layers, each visible from a different place.
1The land and the sea: Nadi Bay, the Nadi River and the Vuda first-landing tradition.
2Cane and Girmit: The plantation era that shaped the town's Indo-Fijian character.
3War and flight: The airfield, the gun batteries and the jet-age gateway.
Why Nadi's History Is Worth An Afternoon Or Two
Nadi has a reputation as a transit town. Planes land, transfers leave for Denarau and the islands, and many travellers only see the road between the terminal and the marina. That is a pity, because few places in the Pacific pack as much modern history into such a small area.
Within a short drive of Wailoaloa Beach you can stand near the runway that ferried Allied bombers across the Pacific in 1942, walk through the main street of a town that only became a township in 1947, and visit what is often described as the largest Hindu temple in the Southern Hemisphere. Drive a little further and you reach Vuda, the district whose name is said to mean "our origin", where Fijian tradition places the arrival of the first ancestors.
None of this needs a tour bus or a packed itinerary. The best way to take it in is a series of short, unhurried outings, with time back at the beach or by the pool in between. That suits Nadi's warm late-spring weather too, when the middle of the day is better spent in the shade.
The airport, the cane fields and the temple are not separate attractions. They are one story about how western Fiji was made.
Start On Wailoaloa Beach: Reading Nadi Bay
The easiest first history lesson is free and right outside the door. Wailoaloa Beach runs for about three kilometres through the heart of Nadi Bay, according to the Rough Guides description of the area, with views back towards the mountains of the interior rather than out to a postcard-white lagoon.
That view explains a lot. The flat land between the bay and the ranges is the farmland that made Nadi valuable, first for cotton and cattle, then for sugar cane. The mangrove estuaries along the bay, which Rough Guides notes can make the water murky, are where the rivers drain that same plain into the sea.
Look west over the water and you are looking towards the reef passages that brought ships into western Fiji. During World War II those passages were considered a real invasion risk, which is why gun batteries were built to cover them. Standing on open sand looking out to sea, it is easy to picture how exposed this coast once seemed.
A five-minute startSailors Beach is listed as about a five-minute walk from the apartment, so a short beach walk can open or close every history day without any driving.
Vuda And Viseisei: The First-Landing Tradition
Fiji's written history only begins in the nineteenth century, when missionaries introduced a written form of the language. Before that, the story was carried in oral tradition, and one of the most important of those traditions belongs to the coast just north of Nadi.
By tradition, Viseisei village at Vuda Point, between Nadi and Lautoka, is the oldest settlement in Fiji. It is said to have been founded by the chief Lutunasobasoba when the first canoes beached at Vuda Point. Frommers records the oral account that the canoe Kaunitoni brought the first Fijians to this coast some 3,000 years ago, and notes that the district name Vuda is said to mean "our origin". These are traditions rather than documented dates, and they are told with great pride locally.
Viseisei also has a modern place in Fijian life. Ratu Josefa Iloilo, who held the chiefly title of Tui Vuda and later served as President of Fiji, came from the village. He died in 2011 at the age of 90.
Viseisei is a living village, not a museum. If you would like to visit, go with a tour that includes the village or by invitation, and follow the village etiquette set out further down this guide. A respectful visit with a local guide will teach you far more than a drive-past.
Cotton, Cattle And The Nadi River
The Nadi River is the reason the town sits where it does. Rough Guides describes the area before the 1870s as rarely documented by European explorers and missionaries. In 1870 a British settler community, known locally as the "Nadi Swells", set up cotton and cattle farms along the river.
Cotton did not last as the main crop. Sugar cane, and the labour system that came with it, would soon change the plain completely. But the river stayed central. Its floods shaped where buildings went, and as you will see below, they even influenced where the temple stands today.
There is also a well-loved story about the town's name. A Fiji Times history of Nadi Airport recounts that the name comes from the Hindi word "nadee", meaning river, used by Indian farmers when asked where they lived. Like many place-name stories it is best enjoyed as local lore rather than settled fact, but it neatly ties the town to the river and to the families who farmed beside it.
Girmit: The Labourers Who Built The Cane Country
One of the biggest forces in shaping Nadi's people is the Girmit era. Girmit refers to the indenture agreements that bound labourers from India to work on Fiji's plantations.
According to the Fiji Times, the first Girmitiyas arrived on board the Leonidas on 14 May 1879 to work on cotton and sugar cane plantations. Between 1879 and 1916 a total of 60,965 indentured labourers came to Fiji, most of them from what are now the Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Contracts typically bound them to plantation work for five years.
The indenture years are remembered seriously in Fiji. The Fiji Times describes the Girmitiyas as essential to developing and expanding the sugar cane sector, which later became the foundation of the Fijian economy and helped make Fiji one of the world's top sugar producers. Rough Guides describes how sugar cane and labourers from India transformed the Nadi region into an Indo-Fijian market centre.
You can feel that heritage in town today: in the Indian restaurants along the main street, in the temple at its southern end, and in the farmland around Nadi, where sugar cane is still one of the mainstays of the local economy.
A respectful way to learn moreIf you meet Indo-Fijian locals during your stay, many are happy to talk about family Girmit stories. Ask gently and let them lead the conversation.
Sugar Mills And Cane Country: The Lautoka Connection
Cane needs a mill, and the largest one CSR built in Fiji is just up the coast at Lautoka. The Fiji Sugar Corporation's own history records that the Australian company CSR began operations in Fiji in 1880, opened its first mill at Nausori in 1882, and opened the Lautoka Mill, CSR's largest, in 1903.
CSR left the industry in 1973 after the Fijian Government bought its interest. The Fiji Sugar Corporation, set up by an Act of Parliament in 1972, took over milling from 1 April 1973 and still runs it today.
For visitors, the cane story is something you see from the car window rather than in a museum. Drive north from Nadi towards Lautoka and you pass through the farming country this industry shaped. Lautoka itself is Fiji's second-largest city and an important port. Rough Guides singles out its municipal market under a concrete dome as one of the most spacious markets in Fiji.
A Lautoka run pairs easily with the Vuda coast. Go in the morning, walk the market, have lunch, and head back to Wailoaloa for a late swim. Check current trading hours before you go if the market is the main reason for the trip.
1939 To 1942: Building The Airfield
The story most visitors pass through without knowing is the airport's. Accounts differ slightly on the earliest dates, but the broad story is clear. Wikipedia's history of Nadi International Airport records that New Zealand began building an airfield in August 1939 and completed it in March 1940, with the British colonial authorities paying. A Fiji Times history describes a small grass base suitable for light aircraft being completed by March 1941, with a Royal New Zealand Air Force unit arriving in November 1940.
Everything changed as war in the Pacific loomed. In late 1941, plans were made to build airfields across the South Pacific to ferry B-17 bombers towards the Philippines. The Fiji Times records an agreement that the United States would finance two 7,000-foot runways at Nadi, and the first construction equipment arrived from New Zealand on 30 November 1941.
The attack on Pearl Harbor a week later added urgency. The first partially completed runways were tested by a Hudson aircraft on 6 January 1942, and in early January three B-17s from Canton Island landed on the unsealed runway. The Fiji Times calls this the moment Nadi emerged as an international airport.
The first big aircraft to land at Nadi were B-17 bombers in January 1942, on a runway that was not even sealed yet.
Wartime Nadi: Bombers, Fighters And A Famous Visitor
From 1942 the airfield, known to the Americans as Nandi, became a busy Allied base on the ferry route from Hawaii to Australia. Pacific Wrecks lists a long run of United States Army Air Forces squadrons that passed through, flying B-17 and B-24 bombers, P-39 and P-38 fighters and B-25 Mitchells, many of them moving on to Guadalcanal. A Royal New Zealand Air Force squadron of P-40 fighters was also based there in 1943.
One visit stands out. On 24 August 1943, Eleanor Roosevelt landed at Nadi, toured Viti Levu and left the next day. It is a small detail, but it shows how important this quiet stretch of western Fiji had become.
The coast was also armed. Rough Guides notes that Britain built gun batteries around Nadi Bay, and Tourism Fiji describes the Momi battery as one of six built in Fiji during the war to protect against a possible Japanese invasion. The invasion never came.
If you want to see the guns themselves, Momi Battery Historical Park is a worthwhile bigger day, about 45 minutes' drive from Nadi according to the National Trust of Fiji. The National Trust lists it as open daily from 8am to 4:30pm, including public holidays, with adult entry at FJ$10 and a family pass at FJ$25. A 10 to 15 minute walk takes you past both six-inch gun emplacements, the command post and the range-finder, with views over the Navula Passage. Confirm current hours and fees with the National Trust before you go.
From War Base To Jet-Age Gateway
After the war the airfield did not go quiet. A British Commonwealth conference in February 1946 set up the South Pacific Air Transport Council to run Nadi Airport, and control was handed to New Zealand on 20 December 1946. Wikipedia records that the first tarmac runway was built in 1946.
The jet age arrived in the early 1960s. For a period, Nadi was where passengers from Auckland transferred onto the new DC-8 and Boeing 707 jets bound for North America and Europe, until Auckland's own international airport opened at Mangere in 1965. Fiji's government joined the running of the airport after independence in 1970, and full control passed to Fiji in 1979.
The national airline has a Nadi story too. Fiji Airways was founded by Australian aviator Harold Gatty, famous as the navigator on a 1931 round-the-world flight. Its first service flew on 1 September 1951 from Nausori to Drasa near Lautoka. The airline later became Air Pacific after independence, moved its head office from Suva to Nadi in the 1990s, and took back the Fiji Airways name on 27 June 2013.
The terminal you walk through today is much newer. Airports Fiji Limited began a $130 million modernisation in 2013, finishing in April 2017. Today the airport sits at Namaka, about 10 kilometres from Nadi town, and is the largest airport in Fiji.
A Town That Grew From The High Ground
Nadi town is younger than many visitors expect. Wikipedia records that Nadi Township was established in 1947. The colonial government set up its offices on higher ground, businesses followed, and the town centre grew around them.
Flooding has always been part of the story. Some residents wanted to move the centre to Martintar because the existing town flooded. The move never happened, because by then the township had already taken root where it was.
Local government grew with the town. In 1967 Dr A. H. Sahu Khan introduced elected local government and became the first elected chairman of the Nadi Township Board. The Local Government Act of 1972 turned the board into a town council, with H. M. Lodhia as the first mayor.
Walk the main street today and you see the result: a busy, practical market town rather than a resort strip. Rough Guides describes Queens Road becoming Main Street, lined with shops and a lively market square, with Indian restaurants and handicraft stores towards the northern end. It is a good place to spend a slow morning, shop for souvenirs and eat well, before finishing at the temple at the southern end of town.
Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple: Nadi's Landmark
The bright, carved towers at the southern end of Nadi's main street belong to the Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple, which is often described as the largest Hindu temple in the Southern Hemisphere. It is the clearest single symbol of the Girmit story in Nadi.
Fiji Traveller notes that the site once held a much smaller temple, and that the temple's growth mirrors the journey of the Indo-Fijian community. Rough Guides records that the temple moved in 1994 from beside the flood-prone Nadi River to its current site. It was formally consecrated on 15 July 1994.
The complex is built in the Dravidian style of southern India, with pyramid-shaped towers. According to Rough Guides it was built over about ten years by eight specialist craftsmen brought from India. The main temple is dedicated to Lord Murugan, whose statue was carved in India, and the two rear towers are dedicated to Lord Ganesh and Lord Shiva. Inside, carvings and paintings tell stories from Hindu tradition.
The temple's biggest event is the Thaipusam festival, held over the full moon between January and February, when thousands of worshippers gather. Outside the major festivals it is calmer, and late spring weekdays can be a good time for a first visit.
The temple was built by craftsmen from India over about ten years. It is both a working place of worship and a record of the Girmit journey.
Visiting The Temple Respectfully
This is an active place of worship, so the rules matter. Fiji Traveller asks visitors to dress modestly with legs and shoulders covered, remove shoes before entering, and only enter if they have not eaten meat that day. It also states that photography is not allowed within the temple premises. Rough Guides adds that visitors should not attend after drinking alcohol.
Fiji Traveller lists guided tours at FJ$5, running every half hour from 8:30am to 3pm, which explain the architecture and the stories behind each structure. Fees, hours and photography rules can change, so check at the entrance or with the temple on the day and follow any signs or instructions from staff.
Afterwards, Fiji Traveller notes that the temple sits next to a restaurant serving all-vegetarian South Indian food, which keeps the day in the same spirit and saves a separate trip for lunch.
Simple temple checklistCover shoulders and knees, no meat that day, shoes off at the entrance, no alcohol beforehand, no photos inside unless staff say otherwise.
Visiting A Village: The Etiquette That Matters
If your history days include Viseisei or any other Fijian village, the visit comes with customs that are taken seriously. Tourism Fiji publishes a clear list for visitors, and following it is the easiest way to be welcomed warmly.
Bring a sevusevu
Tourism Fiji suggests a small packet of powdered kava for the chief, offered to request entry and thank the community. Your guide will explain the ceremony.
Dress modestly
Cover shoulders and legs. A sulu, or sarong, tied at the waist is an easy option.
Hats and sunglasses off
Remove them as a mark of respect, and carry bags in your hands rather than over your shoulder.
Ask first
Ask before taking photos or entering a home or communal space, and take shoes off before going inside.
Mind the head
Avoid touching anyone's head, which is considered sacred, and keep your voice low.
Not on Sundays
Sundays are sacred, and Tourism Fiji notes that most village tours do not run.
Customs differ between villages, so ask your guide about anything specific to the place you are visiting.
Why Holiday Homes Fiji Works As A Base For Nadi History Days
Holiday Homes Fiji, the Wailoaloa apartment hosted by Seema, suits this style of trip because it keeps every outing short. The listing places Sailors Beach about a five-minute walk away and Nadi International Airport about 15 minutes by car, so the beach, the town and the airport chapters of the story are all close by.
It is an entire three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment that comfortably sleeps six, with inflatable beds available for two more guests on request. Each bedroom has a queen bed, air-conditioning and a wardrobe, which matters after a warm morning in town.
Between outings, guests have shared access to a swimming pool and a gym within the complex, open from 6am to 10pm. A fully equipped kitchen with a fridge, oven, microwave and dishwasher, plus a six-person dining table, makes it easy to eat in after a bigger day.
Practical details help too. There is self check-in and check-out, one free covered parking space, road parking and lift access in the building. The listing recommends a car, taxi or transfer for Nadi Town, Denarau and further afield, while local buses also run around Nadi including Wailoaloa Beach. Check the Holiday Homes Fiji listing for the latest details and availability.
About this stay
Where Holiday Homes Fiji fits a Nadi history stay
Holiday Homes Fiji keeps every history outing short: Sailors Beach is about a five-minute walk away and Nadi International Airport about 15 minutes by car, so the bay, the town and the airport chapters are all close by.
Between morning outings, come back to three air-conditioned queen bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full kitchen and shared pool and gym access, then head out again for a sunset walk on Wailoaloa Beach.
History days in the tropics work best in two halves: out early, back for the heat of the day, then out again for a late walk or dinner. A self-contained apartment makes that rhythm easy.
After a morning at the temple and main street, the group can come back to the air-conditioned living area, cool off in the shared pool and cook a simple lunch rather than finding a table for six in town. The smart TV and lounge seating give everyone somewhere to rest.
Three bedrooms on one level mean couples or families can share without anyone ending up on a fold-out in the living room, and two bathrooms with showers save a queue after a hot day. Linen, towels, toiletries and starter essentials such as tea, sugar and milk are listed as supplied.
A Flexible Three-Day Nadi History Itinerary
Day One: The Bay And The Airport
Arrive, settle in and take a late walk along Wailoaloa Beach. Use the view across Nadi Bay and back to the mountains to set the scene: farming plain, river mouths and the reef passages that worried wartime planners. If you arrived by air, you have already seen the airport chapter from the inside.
Day Two: Town, Temple And Girmit
Head into Nadi town early. Walk the main street and market area, then visit the Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple in the morning, dressed for it and having skipped meat at breakfast. Have a vegetarian lunch nearby, then return to the apartment for the hottest part of the day. Finish with a swim and dinner close to Wailoaloa.
Day Three: Vuda, Lautoka Or Momi
Choose one bigger outing. Go north for the Vuda coast and Lautoka's market, ideally with a guide if you would like to visit Viseisei, or head south for Momi Battery and its views over the Navula Passage. Avoid Sundays for village visits. Be back in time for a quiet final evening by the pool.
Timing Your Visit Between Mid October And Early December
Late spring in Nadi is warm and humid, and the middle of the day can be tiring for walking around town. Plan the temple and main street for the morning and keep outdoor history sites, such as Momi, for the early part of the day as well.
Weather in Fiji can change quickly, so check the Fiji Meteorological Service forecast and any official advisories before a longer drive. A heavy shower is a good excuse to stay in, read up on the Girmit story or enjoy the apartment, and head out again once it clears.
Watch the day of the week too. Sundays are quieter, most village tours do not run, and some businesses may keep shorter hours. Hindu festival dates can also bring large crowds to the temple, which is a memorable experience but needs a little more patience and an earlier start.
For more seasonal and event ideas around Nadi and other WTP destinations, browse the WTP holiday home guides.
Before You Leave Home: Your Nadi History Check
1Temple: Confirm current visiting hours, tour times and photography rules on the day.
2Momi: Check the National Trust of Fiji for current opening hours and entry fees before driving out.
3Villages: Book a guided visit, avoid Sundays and carry a sevusevu.
4Clothing: Pack modest layers for every member of the group.
5Weather: Check the latest Fiji forecast and plan outdoor sites for the morning.
6Stay setup: Check the live listing for bedding, parking and any extra-guest arrangements.
Ready to turn a Nadi stopover into a proper introduction to Fiji? See dates and details on the Holiday Homes Fiji page, or explore every stay through WTP Holiday Homes.
FAQs About Nadi History And Heritage Sites
What is the history of Nadi Airport?
Nadi began as an airfield built by New Zealand around 1939 to 1940. From late 1941 it was rapidly expanded with United States funding, and B-17 bombers landed there in January 1942. It served as a major Allied base during World War II, was handed to New Zealand to run in December 1946, and came under full Fijian control in 1979.
Is the Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple in Nadi open to tourists?
Yes, visitors are welcome. Dress modestly, remove your shoes, do not visit after eating meat or drinking alcohol that day, and follow the temple's photography rules. Fiji Traveller lists guided tours at FJ$5, every half hour from 8:30am to 3pm. Check current details on the day.
When was the Nadi temple built?
The current temple moved from beside the Nadi River to its present site in 1994 and was formally consecrated on 15 July 1994. Rough Guides records that eight craftsmen from India worked on it over about ten years.
What does Girmit mean in Fiji?
Girmit refers to the indenture agreement that brought labourers from India to work on Fiji's plantations. The first Girmitiyas arrived on the Leonidas on 14 May 1879, and 60,965 came between 1879 and 1916. Their descendants shaped the sugar industry and much of Nadi's character.
Where did the first Fijians land, according to tradition?
Fijian tradition places the first landing at Vuda Point, between Nadi and Lautoka, where Viseisei village is said to be the oldest settlement in Fiji. The chief Lutunasobasoba is said to have founded it, and the district name Vuda is said to mean "our origin".
Can tourists visit Viseisei village?
Viseisei is a living village, so visit with a guided tour or by invitation. Follow Tourism Fiji's etiquette: bring a sevusevu of kava, dress modestly, remove hats and sunglasses, ask before taking photos and avoid Sundays.
How far is Momi Battery from Nadi?
The National Trust of Fiji lists Momi Battery Historical Park as about 45 minutes' drive from Nadi. It lists opening hours of 8am to 4:30pm daily, including public holidays, with adult entry at FJ$10 and a family pass at FJ$25. Confirm before you travel.
How many guests can Holiday Homes Fiji accommodate?
The listing describes a three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment that comfortably sleeps six, with inflatable beds available for two more guests on request. Each bedroom has a queen bed. Check the live listing for current details.
Does Holiday Homes Fiji have a pool?
Yes. Guests have shared access to a swimming pool and a gym within the complex, open from 6am to 10pm, with an access tag provided at check-in.
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