066 VIRGIN AUSTRALIA LOST FEBRUARY 2019 FEBRUARY historical shipwrecks waters and teeming untamed landscapes, cultural exchanges, journeyA through the delivers WORLD with stunning marine life. Words LAURA WATERS

PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY FEBRUARY 2019 VIRGIN AUSTRALIA 067 operator Belinda Botha explains: “The Solomon Islands are OPPOSITE PAGE, unique and unspoilt. There are very few places left on the CLOCKWISE FROM TOP planet like it. Cruising allows us to showcase the best of what LEFT Locals sell ROM THE MOMENT the islands offer.” And there is plenty to see, do and experience. produce in their canoes; hawksbill you step foot on the Aboard the 30-metre MV Taka (a custom-built dive boat), sea turtles are the Solomon Islands, it the company’s itineraries explore both the Western and Central only reptiles that can reflect light as feels as if you’ve Provinces, each offering a blend of culture, history and wild fluorescent colours; landed at a wild natural beauty. But it is the dazzling good looks that really natives in Honiara make a traditional frontier. The steamy grab you. Green volcanic mountains mingle with low-lying palm basket; equatorial nation — coral atolls fringed by white sand. Sunsets are often dramatic, children from the with almost 1000 creating bubblegum pink and orange skies cut by towering remote village of Sasavele; stunning islands across a relatively small patch of tropical clouds. Beneath the ocean’s surface, the kaleidoscope coral and sea life. the South Pacific — is home to active of colour continues across pristine coral reefs that buzz with OPENER Brilliant blue water surrounds volcanoes, giant crocodiles and turtles marine life, offering a paradise for snorkellers and scuba divers. the Solomon Islands. Fthat glow in the dark. Emerald forests If you’re not already certified, an introductory dive is included tumble into water with the clarity and with the cruise to help whet your appetite. colour of a cut sapphire, while sacred Anywhere is a prime place to submerge yourself in the burial mounds hidden in thick jungle Solomons, however a night snorkel at Mane Island, north- bear the skulls of a headhunting past. west of Honiara, is nothing short of magical, providing an As a global concern, overtourism is opportunity to witness coral biofluorescence. With a yellow something that rears its head regularly, mask lens and blue light torch in hand, the darkened reef is but there are no such transformed into one of strangely glowing problems here. Walk pinnacles and mounds, almost as though the streets of capital “THE someone had randomly daubed it with Honiara on the island SOLOMON luminous green paint. It was here, just three of , or go years ago, that marine biologist David Gruber to Gizo, one of the ISLANDS ARE discovered that the local population of nation’s other most- UNIQUE AND hawksbill sea turtles possessed the ability to populated areas, fluoresce, in turn becoming the first reptile and you’ll be hard- UNSPOILT. THERE known to science exhibiting biofluorescence. pressed to spot any ARE VERY FEW other tourists — yet LOCAL CUSTOMS it’s only a three-hour PLACES LEFT Life in this slice of paradise revolves around flight from Brisbane. ON THE PLANET the water, which stays a balmy 27—31°C all Statistics reveal more year round. The islanders travel on it, play than 25,000 people LIKE IT.” in it and pull their food from it. About three visit annually, mostly quarters of the population lives off the water to relax on remote islands, scuba dive and land, growing fruit and vegies to complement their catch. the pristine reefs or take advantage of The presence of our ship often draws a flotilla of dugout canoes DETAILS crowd-free surf breaks. helmed by locals selling produce — papaya, melons and bundles With limited transportation and of leafy greens. Solomons Pijin is spoken by the majority of Agnes Gateway infrastructure options, exploring beyond the population, but English is the nation’s official language, Hotel www.agnes hotelsolomon.com. the resorts scattered across the islands so the impromptu floating markets are prime opportunities Dive Gizo www. largely involves the enlistment of for exciting cultural exchange. It’s from unplanned encounters divegizo.com. Dive a private guide. But as interest in unique such as these that great travel memories are made. Munda www. mundadive.com. travel experiences increases, operators With only 26 passengers and 12 local crew, life on the MV Oravae Cottage are stepping up to meet the demand. Taka has the informal vibe of hanging out with a group of www.oravaecottage. com. Papatura www. One such enterprise is Solomon friends. On one island stop-off, the crew demonstrates machete papatura.com. Sanbis Islands Discovery Cruises, which offers skills learned young, quickly whipping up a few tables and Resort www.sanbis resort.com. Solomon small-group excursions that solve any ready-to-drink coconuts hacked from the forest in preparation Islands Discovery accessibility issues while opening up the for a sunset barbecue on a powder-white beach. Dive instructor Cruises www. sidcruises.com.au. opportunity for meaningful connections Sunga proves to be the go-to man for learning exactly how to Uepi Island Resort with the country and its people. Owner- weave flexible green palm fronds into ‘dinner plates’. www.uepi.com.

068 VIRGIN AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 2019 PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY NOVEMBER 2016 VIRGIN AUSTRALIA 069 070 with a lovely lagoon. the ultimateescape Uepi Island Resort is access to top breaks. and Gizoprovide surfers, Santa Isabel of headhunting. For peer into a history Island, where you’ll gateway for Skull diving andisthe Munda hassuperb Hellcat fighter plane. Toa Maru Japanese freighter wrecks such asthe dive thereefs and volcano or scuba- climb Kolombangara Province. In Gizo, hub of the Western the main tourism in water, mostly in be had,on landand great experiences to There are plenty of to explore. wrecks for divers of shallow-water Islands has plenty The Solomon VIRGIN AUSTRALIA THE ISLES EXPLORING or a US

FEBRUARY 2019 FEBRUARY DOLPHINS APPEAR APPEAR DOLPHINS OF OUR CRUISE, CRUISE, OUR OF THE LAST LEG LAST THE BOTTLENOSE TO RIDE THE THE TO RIDE BOW WAVE. BOW AS WE SAIL SAIL WE AS 2000 and now sprouts trees and vines across its decks. The ship wreck of cruiseshipMS with a few potted flowers, andthere’s a schooland a church. live. Thatched bamboohuts are linked by tidily kept trails lined offers a glimpse of how the vast majority of Solomon Islanders accessed through rainforest, ishometo about 400peopleand made using seashellsanddolphin teeth. The nearby village, a welcoming songanddance in grass skirtsandheadbands and ways —andare treated to local women performing learn of a visit now, before therest of the world catches on. is raw yet beautiful, untamed yet safe. And it is worth making the many sightsandstories heldhere. The Solomon Islands inviting a slower pace of life. It would take monthsto unearth wave andhammocksswing on thetop deck of theMV of our cruise,bottlenose dolphinsappear to ridethebow South Pacific a sleepy idyll once more. As we sailthelast leg Islands namedKennedy Island after him. coconut as a paperweight on his desk. In return, the Solomon the two men throughout therest of hislife, andeven using the president never forgot theincident,maintainingcontact with watcher, ultimately prompting a rescue. The future American Gasa, putting their lives at risk, delivered it to an Australian coast a message asking for help into a coconut shell and Kumana and canoe —Eroni Kumana andBiuku Gasa. Kennedy scratched stranded, before beingspotted by a couple of localmen in a days on nothing but coconuts, convinced they were completely the young lieutenant andhisstricken shipmates survived for F Kennedy. After swimming to an unoccupied nearby island, a patrol boat —the Province, near Gizo, where, in 1943,a Japanese sank of warships andaircraft now littering itsfloor. earned itselfthemoniker of Ironbottom Sound for thedozens cliffs pocked with bullet holes. Nearby, a stretch of water has once stored ammunition tucked into hillsidesandlimestone VISITWWW.VIRGINAUSTRALIA.COM CALL 13OR 67 89AUSTRALIA). (IN THERE GETTING Just offshore, lying stricken in Roderick Bay isthedramatic Stopping off at Roderick Bay in theCentral Province, we Peace haslongsince returned, leaving thispocket of the Another historical quirk can befound in the Western kastom

TO YOUR BOOK FLIGHT TO THESOLOMON ISLANDS,

practices —a Pijin term for traditional beliefs

PT-109 of , tourist officer Simon Teva across theSolomons and,on theisland floor of the Solomons. just oneof many scattered about thesea more recent than most, the wreck is and isa focal point for visitors. Though has become a localkids’ playground you can still see the Quonset huts that 1942 to fight theoccupying Japanese, Beach, where Allied forces landedin history that was madehere. At Blue points out somereminders of the World Discoverer World War IIfeatured fierce fighting —commanded by a youthful John , which was beached in , whichbeached was

Taka ,

PHOTOGRAPHY GETTYALAMY, GETTY IMAGES, KLAUS OBERMEYER