This gallery contains 28 photos.
We were staying on the Trobriand islands; port of call today Kaileuna Island – and more specifically the village of Tawema at the Northern side of the island. The stop at Tawema was certainly one of the more memorable ones … Continue reading
The ship retained its position over lunch – and in the afternoon there was another opportunity for a shore landing. This time at the small island of Nuratu, less than 500m off the coast of Kitava.
The stop here was a pure beach stop – with the island – once more – fitting into that small and uninhabited island with a palm-fringed beach category. So – after the cultural performance and village exploration in the morning – it was now time for some swimming, snorkeling (not as spectacular as during the previous beach stop – but still not bad), relaxing – and a walk around the island.
This gallery contains 16 photos.
A new day, a new island – we had covered 159 nautical miles over night and made our way to the Trobriand Islands. This morning’s destination was Kitava Island. Today we were looking at a dry landing at the island’s … Continue reading
This gallery contains 20 photos.
Over lunch – with a schnitzel special (which to me just felt wrong) – the ship had moved 5 nautical miles and we were now looking at Dobu Island. The focus in the morning had been on nature – the … Continue reading
This gallery contains 20 photos.
Over night we had covered 150 nautical miles, now sitting at Southern tip of Fergusson Island, the biggest of the D’Entrecasteaux-Inseln. Our morning adventure was just around the corner. We made it ashore (wet landing) at the small village Sebulugomwa; … Continue reading
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).
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.
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.
This gallery contains 12 photos.
After lunch it was back to the island – this time for a bit of physical effort – a short hike from Ghupana village to Natagera village – a one-way distance of 4km, slightly sloping (one-way gain/loss of 85m) – … Continue reading
This gallery contains 20 photos.
We had followed an Western course over night – covering 214 nautical miles – for a morning arrival at Santa Ana Island. After breakfast we were ready, to get ashore – we were facing another wet landing today – right … Continue reading