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It’s A place to steal your heart, immerse you in island culture and to see Islandunspoilt natural wonders, the Solomon IslandsTime is a must for your bucket-list writes Dan Morris. lifebeginsat.com.au Summer 2018 39 TRAVEL WITH DAN MORRIS eet the hidden paradise of the Once fed and pampered in Honiara, back of the boat, the real magic island with coconuts. He fi nally MSouth Pacifi c, an archipelago it’s time to hit the other islands. First happens when you get in the water. found his coconuts on Olasana of 992 unspoilt tropical islands. Feel stop Munda. I’ve fond memories of a pod of Island 4 km away. He swam back, the freedom of adventure above and dolphins playing in the waves made grabbed his crew and they all swam MAGICAL MUNDA below the sea and take in the WWII by the boat on our way to explore back to Olasana. The explosion of history of the Battle of Guadalcanal For me this is where the real nearby local villages. PT109 was spotted by an Australian or simply embrace yourself in the Solomon Islands magic starts. Coastwatcher who sent two locals GLORIOUS GIZO out in a canoe to search for survivors. culture and get infected by the A short fl ight from Honiara will allow With the ocean as our highway, With the waters occupied by more Solomon Islands smile you to explore the western province we putted our way through inner than 10,000 japanese troops, the Also known as ‘the hapi isles’, once of the Solomon Islands. In the small lagoons and between islands locals were easily mistaken for you have visited the Solomon Islands town of Munda owning a boat to glorious Gizo - well almost, passing fi sherman. At fi rst the locals you will see why. The locals, although gives you similar status of a King as we landed at Fatboys Resort on spotted the survivors of PT109 and shy at fi rst, quickly open up and are everything in Munda happens via the Mbabanga Island a ten-minute mistook them for Japanese but with warm and friendly. Communication is ocean. boat ride from the township of some shouting and convincing from made easy with most locals speaking Apart from home stays the only Gizo, the second biggest city in Kennedy they came ashore. English. The locals speak mainly in real accommodation option is the Solomon Islands. Fatboys was Pidgin among themselves. It’s fun Coconuts are the lifeblood of the Agnes Gateway Lodge in which our home while in Gizo and what a to try to learn Pidgin as it’s easy to Solomon Islands and they sure saved the attached Dive Munda offers fantastic setup they have. Owned by follow as it’s like a shortened version JFK and his crew in more ways than everything from Scuba diving, an Australian family and run by the of English. one. Eleven survivors could not fi t snorkeling, day trips, fi shing trips and locals you will not be disappointed. in a dugout canoe so JFK had the even surf breaks for you to enjoy. A 3 hour direct fl ight from Brisbane The name ‘Fatboys’ is derived from locals deliver the following message will land you in the capital Honiara Two land based must do activities the character ‘Joe the Fatboy’ in he scribed into a coconut back to and opens up opportunities to the book “The Pickwick Papers” while in Munda is to fi nd the headquarters. explore the biggest city within by Charles Dickens. Young Joe is Peter Joseph WWII Museum. This NAURO ISL the Solomon Islands. I chose The a cheeky, lazy young man with an museum, or should I say Barney Heritage Park Hotel to base myself insatiable appetite for food, sleep Poulson’s shed, came about while COMMANDER... NATIVE KNOWS for my time in Honiara. It boasts and doing as little work as possible. exploring the hills behind his home. POS’IT... everything you would expect in a Fatboys offers this with ocean front Barney found a dog tag belonging HE CAN PILOT... 11 ALIVE world class hotel. bungalows and a bar set out 100m to US navy personnel Peter Joseph over the water - but there is too NEED SMALL BOAT... KENNEDY Whilst in Honiara be sure to explore Palatini. Since that day Barney has much to do to be like young Joe! the Honiara Central Market. Watch been salvaging mementos left over The natives paddled 65 Kilometers fresh fi sh straight off the trawlers and from WWII. Along with the local KENNEDY ISLAND to relay the message inscribed on bustling locals shopping for supplies. community Barney has thousands the coconut and a successful rescue The Solomons is rich in WWII history Visit the US War Memorial and pay of items all found within a kilometre was conducted. JFK later had that and one of the most celebrated respect to the lives lost in the bloody of his home and has everything coconut returned to him and it was landmarks is Kennedy Island. battle of Guadalcanal in which from Tommy guns to grenades and used as a paperweight in the white Located directly opposite Fatboys up to 30,000 lives were lost in the has since been in touch with Peter house. It’s now on display at the Resort and named after the former 6-month ordeal. With so many ships Joseph Palatini’s family and would John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, President of the United States, for and planes lost during this battle, you believe it, he is still alive and is Massachusetts. the exploits of a then 26-year-old they renamed the stretch of water in the process of being reunited with JFK, Lieutenant and Commander SERIOUS SCUBA off Honiara to Iron Bottom Sound his dog tag some 75 years later. Also, of the American patrol torpedo The Solomon Islands boast some formally Savo Sound. keep an eye out for Alfi e, a colourful boat PT109. It was sunk after being of the most exciting and distinctive character who found a WWII Jeep Honiara is slowly moving forward run down by a Japanese destroyer diving and snorkeling sites in the rusting out in the jungle. With a with some high end restaurants, and Amagiri in August 1943. Two died world. Professional scuba operations little bit of love Alfi e has restored the brand-new Coral Sea Resort & and eleven survived as they swam such as Dive Munda and Sandbis the Jeep to working order and I was Casino has raised the bar in terms and drifted for more than four Dive run day-trips and extended lucky enough to take a ride. of quality and service in Honiara. hours to Plum Pudding Island now tours showcasing the coral gardens, For a special treat check out the Whether it’s world class diving you’re known as Kennedy Island. The only wall diving, drift diving and brand-new Jing Spa & Beauty after on some of the best WWII problem, there were no coconuts numerous WWII wrecks. Once you which consists of two levels of pure wrecks in the clearest waters in the on the island and being a strong get under the water a whole new indulgence. world or trolling for kingfi sh off the swimmer JFK set off to fi nd an world awaits with visibility extending TRAVEL WITH DAN MORRIS eet the hidden paradise of the Once fed and pampered in Honiara, back of the boat, the real magic island with coconuts. He fi nally MSouth Pacifi c, an archipelago it’s time to hit the other islands. First happens when you get in the water. found his coconuts on Olasana of 992 unspoilt tropical islands. Feel stop Munda. I’ve fond memories of a pod of Island 4 km away. He swam back, the freedom of adventure above and dolphins playing in the waves made grabbed his crew and they all swam MAGICAL MUNDA below the sea and take in the WWII by the boat on our way to explore back to Olasana. The explosion of history of the Battle of Guadalcanal For me this is where the real nearby local villages. PT109 was spotted by an Australian or simply embrace yourself in the Solomon Islands magic starts. Coastwatcher who sent two locals GLORIOUS GIZO out in a canoe to search for survivors. culture and get infected by the A short fl ight from Honiara will allow With the ocean as our highway, With the waters occupied by more Solomon Islands smile you to explore the western province we putted our way through inner than 10,000 japanese troops, the Also known as ‘the hapi isles’, once of the Solomon Islands. In the small lagoons and between islands locals were easily mistaken for you have visited the Solomon Islands town of Munda owning a boat to glorious Gizo - well almost, passing fi sherman. At fi rst the locals you will see why. The locals, although gives you similar status of a King as we landed at Fatboys Resort on spotted the survivors of PT109 and shy at fi rst, quickly open up and are everything in Munda happens via the Mbabanga Island a ten-minute mistook them for Japanese but with warm and friendly. Communication is ocean. boat ride from the township of some shouting and convincing from made easy with most locals speaking Apart from home stays the only Gizo, the second biggest city in Kennedy they came ashore. English. The locals speak mainly in real accommodation option is the Solomon Islands.