Author Archives: Björn

The Beach

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Who does not dream of that break on uninhabited, remote South Sea island, complete with that palm-fringed beach, nice warm water and a nearby reef for a bit of snorkeling?

Well – we were about to turn that dream into reality. It had taken us 500 nautical miles and a full day at sea since we left Honiara – and now we were at Siva Island, one of the Duperre Islands and part of the Bramble Haven atoll in the Louisiade Archipelago.

We made it here in the morning; the Papua New Guinean officials were already waiting for us – and after the ship had been declared into the country, the preparation for our landing in this South Sea paradise moved into gear. Quickly later the first zodiacs were on their way to the island – and we were set for a full day beach stop. This meant plenty of time for relaxation at the beach (at least until some idiot in the afternoon brought a Bluetooth speaker along), swimming, great snorkeling (plenty of fish at the reef drop) and an island walk. There was also stand-up paddling and kayaking available (but I did not bother).

On to the current Capital – Honiara

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During lunch the ship moved the 20 nautical miles to Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands. We were in a proper harbor today – complete with a gangway and easy access to the city.

I had booked an afternoon excursion for a trip around town. We were picked up by bus shortly after arrival. From the harbor it was straight to the national museum – here  a collection of artifacts, displaying the country’s traditions, was waiting for us. There was also a section on WW2 (and the area here played an important role in the Pacific war)  and the development towards an independent country. The most significant exhibit to me was the display of red feather money (picture below, more info here).

From the museum we continued to the city’s main market – for a quick visit and look around. It was easy to see here, how the main staple in the Solomon diet is not bread or rice (as one might expect in this region) but starchy tubers – mainly manioc/yuca/cassava and a local sweet potato – add to this the sago, we had seen in the villages.

Continuing the tour we were now running into street construction on our way out of the city – passing by stadium and sports facilities that are currently being built for the upcoming South Pacific Games. Our destination was a small museum at an Adventist school. The museum showcased an odd collection of war artifacts (and a bigger souvenir market). The Guadalcanal Memorial was more interesting to me. Here we had not only a good summary of the island’s WW2 history – but also great views across town.  Our final stop was at the Parliament of the Solomon Islands – for a guided tour – which was an interesting touch, as it provided insight into the political realities (and difficulties) in this nation of islands.

Well – our time on the Solomon Islands had come to an end – we were stamped out and on our way for Papua New Guinea.

A bit of History in the former Capital

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We had made a further 200 nautical miles overnight, following a North-Western course – and had now arrived at Tulagi – the former capital of the Solomon Islands.

We were welcomed right at the pier, followed by the 1.5km walk to the Charles Woodford Stadium on the other side of the island.

On the way, we were passing through the Tulagi cut – a road pass, hewn out of the rock by prisoners – and the town itself, with glimpses of church, the hospital, police station, market – and a bit of tourist infrastructure (a hotel and a diving base). This was very different from the traditional and more laid-back villages that we had visited during the previous days.

Coconuts were offered in the stadium, while we waited for the show to start (and a technical glitch to be fixed). After the show (which was unexpectedly short) there was still a bit of time, to explore the island – a guide showed us up to a viewpoint with views across the island and beyond; from here we continued to a cave that used to be a Japanese watch-out/ hiding place during the second world war (WW2).

Talking of WW2 – we were actually on historic ground here – Tulagi has been invaded by Japan back in May 1942 – followed by a major liberation battle between Japanese and Allied forces in August later that year.

Well – for us it was back to the ship – for lunch and the trip over to Honiara, the current capital of the Solomon Islands.

Around Tinakula Volcano

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It was Easter Saturday today – and the ship had undergone a bit of a transformation over night – with Easter eggs, bunnies and other decoration showing up everywhere.

Today was also the first real expedition day – starting off with a circumnavigation around the Tinakula volcano – a classic stratovolcano, 3.5km wide and more than 850m high (that is, from sea level; add another 3 to 4km if you want to start from the sea floor).

During the first part of the journey we were accompanied by dolphins and flying fish.

Busy Relaxation at Sea

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We now had to cover a distance of 829 nautical miles and as such were facing two days at sea – advertised as “relaxation at sea” and busy with a full plan in reality.

The first day (holy Thursday) was pretty much a preparation day, to actually enable us, to fully  enjoy the days to come. Snorkeling gear was handed out, a mandatory zodiac (safety) briefing took place, the expedition team introduced itself – and the lecture program already did kick in. Of course, the ship also had to be explored – from fitness room to spa, from restaurants to bars.

Before dinner a cocktail for single travelers took place – and after dinner the captain held his welcome cocktail – including an introduction to his team and all the department heads on the ship.

On the second day (Good Friday) more lectures were following; we also had the first of many previews, of what the following days were to bring (nicely set up during cocktail hour before dinner). We also could make out the first bigger island on the horizon today – Tikopia Island – the southernmost inhabited island of the Solomon Islands.

 

All aboard …

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We made our way from the hotel to the airport in the late morning – in time for the afternoon flight to Fiji. A good four hours later we landed at Nadi’s International Airport.

Going through immigration and customs took a while (well – for those, who – like me – were seated at the rear end of the plane) – but there was no hurry, as there were enough transfer buses waiting for us.

I ended up on the last bus – and 22km (and less than an hour later) we were at the port of Lautoka, where the Hanseatic Nature was already waiting for us. Check-in was quick and painless – including the Covid test. I was in my cabin within less than 15 minutes after leaving the bus (my luggage was slower…).

As we were the last bus and me with the last, to board – the mandatory sea rescue exercise happened soon after (well – probably as soon as all the negative Covid test results were in). Afterwards a late dinner was offered in one of the restaurants – followed (in my case) by major unpacking action – and being a witness of us casting off.

Good-bye Fiji (of which I have not seen anything) – and on to two days at sea …

Sydney City Tour

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Today I was turning from an individual traveler to a package tour tourist – going on a group city tour, as part of the cruise package.

The tour started after a fantastic breakfast; we boarded a flotilla of buses, first making our way through the CBD, then towards the Haymarket, along Darling Harbour to a Harbour Bridge viewpoint (all places, I had already discovered during the last two days – now with the added commentary and background).

From here we continued to the Opera House – where a tour of the inside was already booked and arranged (I had tried the same on Sunday – only to learn that the tours were booked out days and weeks ahead … well – I now understand way). The tour through the building actually was quiet good and it was great, to get a glimpse of the interior of the opera house.

From the opera house we continued for the viewpoint at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair (so a repeat for me – albeit today with blue skies). Lunch was had in a meat restaurant in Campbell’s cove.

After lunch we were heading East and towards the coast – first towards Watsons Bay – for views towards the Pacific at the Gap. A stop at Bondi beach (without the trail) and a quick foot dip into the Pacific concluded the tour – and made appetite for the things yet to come in the following weeks.