Islandliving solomon from the editor
SPRING 2016 | ISSUE 17
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ext issue, we will be celebrating four years of Pacific Island Living. We started this magazine for Pacific people – to find, review and recommend things to see and do, and ultimately, buy. We are proudly an aspirational magazine, we want our readers to sit back and indulge just as much as we want to tell the world how great the Pacific really is. From Georgie Gordon’s health and beauty columns, to Carolyn Ernst’s gardening tips, we hope you agree Pacific Island Living has something for everyone. In four years our market has grown from Vanuatu and Nauru Airlines to cover most of the Pacific. We’re particularly proud of our market share in Fiji and the Solomon Islands as well as our distribution in Australia through Qantas Club lounges. As I write this column I’m in Fiji, having just flown in from Vanuatu. Next month it will be Nauru then the Sollies. Pacific Island Living truly is a Pacific magazine and we’re so pleased you have enjoyed it and helped its growth over the last four years. Please do keep in touch via our website, Facebook page, Instagram or Twitter. Happy reading. Tiffany Carroll
Festivals WOGASIA
Great Dining CORAL SEA CASINO
Fashion Flash WEDDING STYLE
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and Instagram at instagram.com/pacisliving or read this and all our magazines online at www.pacific-island-living. com Cover images - Fiji Island Living courtesy Adrenalin Fiji; Solomon Island Living, by David Kirkland; Nauru Airlines Cover courtesy Nautilus Resort, Kosrae; Vanuatu cover courtesy Pavol Stranák.
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Copyright: All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. Articles express the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of Nauru Airlines, Tourism Fiji, Vanuatu Tourism Office or Pacific Island Living.
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FOOD+HEALTH+MORE islandliving | 1 pacific
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elcome to the Solomon Islands – the hapi isles. With so much to see and do, the Solomons offers something for everyone. Chances are, you’ll be exploring many of our fantastic islands without interference from other tourists, but not for much longer as our arrival numbers continue to climb. We think the Solomons has the best diving in the Pacific,
a unique and culturally diverse populace and certainly has plenty of paths less travelled. So what are you waiting for? Get out and explore these magical islands and please do keep in touch with us by posting your holiday pictures on our facebook and Instagram pages. Search for Pacific Island Living and you’ll join over 78,000 other followers or find us at @pacisliving
Happy travels
PICTURES: SIVB. Cover by Fiona Harper.
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island adventures
Wogasia
Spear Festival Fiona Harper travels to Santa Catalina island to iwtness the Wogasia Spear Festival.
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he intrusive cackle of a chicken penetrates my slumber. It’s not the only sound to infiltrate – Aorigi village is anything but quiet. Loud music emanates from a hut nearby, a mix of tinkly island-style crooning and 80’s hits. Villagers come and go drawing water from the communal well located a few metres away. Pre-dawn, the church bell rings out from the neighbouring South Seas Evangelical Church daily as the faithful are called to prayer. Dogs bark. Then they fight. Children cry. Crowing roosters cock-a-doodle-do 24 hours a day. At least they keep their distance. Unlike the brazen hen which is strutting around near my head, cackling in glee. Festivities marking the start of Wogasia (pronounced Wog-arse-ee-ah) Spear Festival are anticipated to start around midnight so I’m catching some mid-afternoon rest in anticipation of 48 sleepless hours. The exact festival launch time is ambiguous, determined by stars and tide aligning. Village chiefs will make the call when ‘the time is right’. The homestay hut I’m billeted in, with hosts Greta and Joash, daughter Janet and grandson Joash Jr, is stifling. Sweat trickles in rivulets from my body, making sleep almost impossible anyway. I’ve come to Santa Catalina Island, Makira Province to join the annual festival to celebrate fertility, friendship and the promise and hopes of
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Young boys painted head to toe in orange clay scramble through the forest, rushing down the mountain with spears aloft while men chant prayers to their ancestors.
PICTURES: Fiona Harper.
a successful future yam crop. It’s the biggest event of the year in these parts and everybody gets involved. Welcomed by Chief Silas, the Chairman of Santa Catalina Development Association, he says “Welkam, welkam, welkam to our visitors. The facilities we offer you are the best we have, please bear with us. You are amongst the sweetest people in the Solomons, almost as sweet as their coconuts.” It’s true, villagers have opened their meagre homes and their generous hearts, welcoming us warmly. Post-midnight, Greta walks me to the village square where about 30 conch shells are removed from their shrine, marking the start of Wogasia festivities. The haunting call of the conch is the cue for villagers to fiercely beat the ground with palm frond spikes. It sounds like firecrackers exploding as beaters run through the darkness dodging flaming coconut husks being tossed at them along with foul-smelling liquid concoctions. It’s a way of seeking atonement for wrongs over the past year. Beaters are then tossed into the ocean, now cleansed of their former troubles. The entire village amasses on another beach awaiting dawn when the first spear fight begins. The anticipation and excitement is palpable. Betel nut is passed around amidst much chewing, gnashing and spitting. Teenagers
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Above: Above: Young Young girls girls covered covered in in banana banana leaves. leaves. Opposite Opposite page: page: iniatied iniatied men men throw throw spears spears and and children children blow blow conch conch shells. shells.
are permitted to approach one another during this time to show interest in one another, in a sort of chaperoned courting ritual otherwise discouraged. As golden sunlight hits the beach the first spear fight begins. Males from opposing tribes hurl wooden spears at each other to settle grievances while demonstrating their masculinity, cheered on by villagers rooting for their loved ones. There are a hundred or more warriors tossing spears at each other. Most miss their mark. The fight lasts for about 15 minutes before Chief Matthew calls time. Returning to Greta and Joash’s hut, over breakfast of biscuit and black tea they explain the day’s activities.The women will ascend the central plateau to collect yams and prepare costumes made from banana leaf. Young girls will dig up clay from a secret spot which boys and men will use for body painting. “We’ll go up the mountain at 9 o’clock,” Greta tells me. The timing however is irrelevant as I’m the only one who has a
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watch. It’s close to 11am by the time we join other women already up there. Ladies are seated on the forest floor stripping banana fronds that young girls have collected. They sing in a high-pitched chant, invariably collapsing into laughter at the end of each round, their songs inspired by hope and promise for a successful upcoming yam season. The yam crop provides the basis for sustenance and is vital for their health and wellbeing. Descending from the mountain a few hours later the women form an orderly line balancing woven baskets on their heads. Young boys painted head to toe in orange clay scramble through the forest, rushing down the mountain spears aloft while men chant prayers to their ancestors. The rhythmic hum of conch shell bugling sets the pace for a mock raid through the village. The second spear fight takes place between men and initiated boys. This one is much more intense as spears fly through the air with serious intent. Before too much damage
Spears are tossed into the ocean symbolising settled grievances as bad spirits are carried away on the outgoing tide.
is done however Chief Matthew calls it off, all is forgiven and warriors pay their respects at the kastom house. Girls with their identity concealed beneath striking costumes made entirely from banana leaves parade into the village square. Toes poking out beneath a sea of swishing green are the only clue these mesmerising creatures are human. Festivities reach a crescendo as conch shells are handed over to women who rush into the sea, giving a final cacophony of conch shell blasts. Spears are tossed into the ocean symbolising settled grievances as bad spirits are carried away on the outgoing tide. I don’t realise until later, but by virtue of visiting during this significant festival I’m initiated into my hosts’ tribe. By the time I leave I’m ostensibly related to half the island. We celebrate family, friendship and the promise of a new yam season, feasting on communal pudding made from coconut flesh topped with smoked fish.
Sharing village life on a small island devoid of electricity, running water and flushing toilets has its challenges. What villagers lack in facilities, however, they make up for in friendship. Smiles are offered freely and strangers are welcomed warmly. Meals consist predominantly of root vegetables: yam, pumpkin and taro along with pana (otherwise known as breadfruit). Bananas and coconuts are in abundance. Wayward chickens and roosters also make it into the pot occasionally. Don’t let the lack of modern conveniences deter you though – living with village people is a rare opportunity to enjoy low impact grassroots travel. Tourist dollars also make a significant contribution to villagers who have few income earning opportunities. More information Solomon Island Visitor Bureau and book with Solomon Airlines at www.flysolomons.com
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Your guide to the Hapi Isles . . . d do
n a e e s o o o t t t e d i wha u g g n i n i d a and
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rade the city life for a few days for a slower pace to enjoy the sea breeze under a coconut tree. Whether you have an interest in WWII, scuba diving, experiencing a new culture or just want to relax, Solomon Islands has a lot to offer even for a short break. This unique country is known as the Hapi Isles and this is immediately evident when you meet any local Solomon Islander. From the happy smiles to the friendly ‘hello’ or ‘morning morning’, you will feel welcome in this special Melanesian culture. If this is your first visit to the Solomon Islands, here are some tips on what there is to do in the capital. Be sure to pack your snorkel gear, sun glasses, swimwear and if you are more adventurous good hiking shoes to enjoy Honiara and all it has to offer.
Entry requirements
Where are the Solomons?
Climate
An archipelago of 992 islands, we are located in the South Pacific, north-east of Australia between Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Vanuatu.
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Australian, New Zealand and most EU passport holders can enter for up to 30 days with a visa on arrival. Passports must be valid for six months. More information can be found on our website: www.visitsolomons.com.sb
People & Culture
Solomon Islanders are a blend of mainly Melanesian, Micronesian and Polynesian people with a population of around 550,000. Our cultural values stem back thousands of years and are very much linked to our land and surrounding seas. Most of the population still live a subsistence lifestyle where family and village community are the centre of social life.
Tropical. The drier and cooler months are April to October. It’s warmer and more humid from November to March. Average day time temperature around 28c.
Honiara Central Market
The Honiara Central Market is the hub for shopping especially organically grown produce. Fishermen land their banana boats and unload large eskies full of freshly caught fish, squid and lobsters. Enjoy a vast array of tropical fruits particularly bananas, pineapples and papaya grown in a perfect Pacific climate full of flavour that is unbeatable elsewhere in the world. Cluttering the entrance to the market on a Saturday morning you will find many exotic varieties of freshly cut flowers at unbelievably cheap prices. sarongs, (locally known as lava lavas) tie-dyed and stencil-printed make a great present for family and friends. Locally crafted jewellery including necklaces, earrings, bangles and traditional shell money can be purchased for very reasonable prices.
Diving & Snorkelling
Warm water coupled with wrecks make the Solomon Islands a diver’s dream. The best part is you don’t need to be in a boat for hours to dive a wreck and explore amazing sea-life, it is often within a short swim from shore. A 10-minute drive from Honiara are two well known dive spots – the Japanese transport ship wrecks at Bonegi I – Hirokawu Miru, and Bonegi II – Kinugawa Maru. The best part about these dive spots is they are excellent for snorkellers as well with a diverse array of sea-life visible through crystal waters. There is a small custom fee to access the beach and for diving, but enjoying a private beach, the coral reefs and beautiful scenery surrounded by coconut trees is worth it. For more dive information and gear hire contact Neil from Tulagi Dive at dive@tulagidive.com .
Nggela (Florida) Islands
Escape the capital and cross the horizon to the islands in the distance. A two-hour boat ride will take you from Honiara to the Nggela islands and more amazing dives. If you want history visit the old capital Tulagi and see the foundations of
the old British residence which has a sensational view of the surrounding islands. Have lunch or stay at Raider’s Resort, which has a private beach and offers trips to neighbouring islands and escorted dive spots. Visit a local communityrun resort in the Nggelas and enjoy excellent snorkelling or relax in a hammock just a few steps from the water. If you are chasing dolphins or a volcanic trek then Savo Island is the place to visit. No matter the resort or island you visit you are guaranteed to have access to an uncrowded beach, great snorkelling and swimming in the warm waters and true relaxation opportunities to take in the island time!.
Museum & Art Gallery
Visit the National Museum for a taste of Solomon Islands culture, it is located in the central part of town and close to most of the main hotels. Solomon Islanders posses many talents particularly in the arts and like many in the Pacific, are blessed with melodic voices and Melanesian island rhythm. From knitting, tie-dying and basket weaving to crafting jewellery from shells or paper, there are beautiful items to purchase to remember your time in the ‘Hapi Isles’. Taking inspiration from the sea, Solomon Islanders craft and carve amazing bowls, statues and wall hangings. The carvers use several types of wood including rosewood, kerosene wood and queen and king ebony. They delicately set shell inlay for decoration to create beautiful and practical artwork. You can purchase directly from the carver at the Art Gallery best done during the week as many locals attend church on the weekends. However if you are visiting during the last weekend in the month, Sunday is ‘Art in the Park’ held at Rove playgrounds.
Relax at a beach
The tropical warm waters are just a short drive away offering a choice of pebble, coral, or fine sand beaches. The water is crystal clear and tepid in temperature. Drop into the ocean
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from a rope swing at Kakambona beach, a coconut-tree lined pebble beach. A local favourite is Turtle beach. Relax in the shade and shelter from the sun in little leaf huts or under the canopy of trees just metres from the beach. Take a 30-minute drive to a small Catholic convent at Visale where a picturesque bay with calm waters offers snorkelling and a coral beach. Most beaches close to Honiara have signs and a small access fee (custom fee) payable to enter. Try a local roadside BBQ for a great picnic lunch.
Fishing
Deep tropical waters provide the perfect environment for an abundance of fish. If you’re an angler but don’t have time to visit the provinces then go on a fishing charter. Henk from Ripples can organise a charter for you. The charter can be tailored to your personal requirements if you should want to stop at an island for a swim or snorkel. Ripples’ boat comfortably seats 12 adults and is reasonable in price. Contact Henk on ripplesfreedom@hotmail.com to arrange a charter.
Solomon Airlines flies to 22 domestic ports from Honiara. There are regular shipping services to many parts of the Solomons from Honiara.
Business Hours
Most shops in town open from 8.30 am to 5.00 pm Monday to Friday and until noon on Saturday.
Language
English is the official language of the Solomons, but Pijin is spoken by about half the population. In the early 1900s, copra plantations were established, the labourers employed on them had also worked in Queensland where they had used pidgin English. The local variety stabilised early and several religious missions adopted it for use.
Taxis are widely available in Honiara. While some have meters, it is advisable to set the price prior to commencing your trip. Ask at your accommodation reception desk prior for an estimate on trip prices. Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau staff can also assist – contact them for more information. Buses generally operate along the main East-West corridor from King George School at the eastern end to Rove and White River to the west. Services also operate inland to up to Naha. Less frequent routes also extend further afield. Rental cars are also available.
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PICTURES: UEPI ISLAND RESORT.
Transport
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