God, minerals and mud: thousands flock to Fiji's 'miracle spring'

The impoverished town of Natadradave, home to just 27 families, has become a site of global interest thanks to 'healing properties' of its natural pool

The crowds begin to gather before dawn, snaking along with dusty backroads of Tailevu district in eastern Fiji, humid jungle pressing at them from every side.

Ambulances and open-topped trucks bearing stretchers are allowed to pass first, then those who can walk, and finally the healthy arrive, loaded up with empty water bottles to carry home to sick relatives and friends.