Mulifanua is a village on the north-western tip of the island of Upolu

Upolu

Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean. The island is long, in area, and is the second largest in geographic area as well as the most populated of the Samoan Islands. Upolu is situated to the east of...

, in Samoa

Samoa

Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...

. In the modern era, it is the capital of Aiga-i-le-Tai

Aiga-i-le-Tai

Aiga-i-le-Tai is a district of Samoa which includes the small islands of Manono, Apolima and tiny uninhabited Nu'ulopa lying in the Apolima Strait between the country's two main islands of Upolu and Savai'i....

 district

Districts of Samoa

Samoa is made up of eleven itūmālō . These are the traditional eleven districts that were established well before European arrival...

. Mulifanua wharf is the main ferry terminal for inter-island vehicle and passenger travel across the Apolima Strait

Apolima Strait

The Apolima Strait is about 13km wide and separates the two largest islands of Samoa, the island of Savai'i to the northwest, and Upolu to the southeast....

 between Upolu and the island of Savai'i

Savai'i

Savaii is the largest and highest island in Samoa and the Samoa Islands chain. It is also the biggest landmass in Polynesia outside Hawaii and New Zealand. The island of Savai'i is also referred to by Samoans as Salafai, a classical Samoan term used in oratory and prose...

.

Ferry terminal

The ferry terminal at Mulifanua wharf is five minutes west of Faleolo International Airport

Faleolo International Airport

Faleolo International Airport is an airport located west of Apia, the capital of Samoa.Until 1984, Faleolo could not accommodate jets larger than a Boeing 737...

. The government's Samoa Shipping Corporation operates the ferry service, seven days a week, between Mulifanua and Salelologa

Salelologa

Salelologa is a village district at the east end of Savai'i island in Samoa. It is the main entry point into the island with the only ferry terminal on Savai'i...

 at the east end of Savai'i island. A one-way trip between the two islands takes about 90 minutes. The ferry usually runs every two hours during the day. There are several small shops selling snacks, and there are always buses and taxis available at the terminal for departures and arrivals.

Archaeology

In 1973, archaeology in Samoa

Archaeology in Samoa

Archaeology of Samoa began with the first systematic survey of archaeological remains on Savai'i island by Jack Golson in 1957. Since then, surveys and studies in the rest of Samoa have uncovered major findings of settlements, stone and earth mounds including star mounds, Lapita pottery remains and...

 uncovered a Lapita

Lapita

Lapita is a term applied to an ancient Pacific Ocean archaeological culture which is believed by many archaeologists to be the common ancestor of several cultures in Polynesia, Micronesia, and some coastal areas of Melanesia...

 site at Mulifanua where 4,288 pottery sherds and two Lapita type adzes have been recovered. The site has a true age of circa 3,000 BP based on C14 dating on a shell. This is the only site in Samoa where decorated Lapita sherds have been found, although pieces of Polynesian plainware ceramics are commonly found throughout the Samoan islands. The submerged site was discovered during work carried out to expand the inter-island ferry berth at Mulifanua.

2007 South Pacific Games

Aggie Grey’s Resort and Spa at Mulifanua and Faleolo was the venue for the sailing

Sailing

Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...

 and va'a (outrigger canoeing)

Outrigger canoe

The outrigger canoe is a type of canoe featuring one or more lateral support floats known as outriggers, which are fastened to one or both sides of the main hull...

 events at the 2007 South Pacific Games. It was founded by the Maumasi Aiga.

External links

• Mulifanua at the official site to the 2007 Pacific Games