Blogs from Solomon Islands, Oceania

As the years pass by and I gradually add to the number of countries visited, it seems a more spontaneous travel approach is beginning to flower within your intrepid travel correspondent. I'm happiest when the experience of a country begins to unfold as a result of my visit, and lately have shied away from burying myself in information about countries prior to arrival. It goes without saying the occasional surprised look comes my way in the first few days after arrival, nevertheless I bury myself in each destination and the experiences on offer to ensure I'm enriched by the country and her people. The inaugural visit to Solomon Islands has been the latest example, where it all magically unfolded for me over the course of ten days, and what a wonderful experience it's been! For a ... read more

SOLOMON ISLANDS LIFE ON THE LIVEABOARD What is there to say about diving on a liveaboard? Well…we do a lot of diving. I was on the Taka for seven days and did nineteen dives. Most days four dives are scheduled. That seems like a lot, but diving on a liveaboard is easier because your dive gear is always set up. Each diver has an assigned tank secured to the bench and it is filled between dives by a long air hose attached to the compressor. We each have our own dive station and our loose gear, fins, mask, booties, etc. are in a bin under the bench below our tank. Because we were doing so many dives each day we were all using Nitrox, which is a mix of air and oxygen and means you don’t ... read more

THE SOLOMON ISLANDS OFF TO A BAD START The Solomon Islands…the name conjures up stories from my childhood memory. When I was young I had a set of Christian books about Kings, and of course King Solomon is one I remember. On the other hand, I know next to nothing about the war in the Pacific. I don’t even know where my uncles served during the war, and now family members who could have told me have all passed away. The first time I visited the Philippines many years ago there were still remnants of the military presence in the Philippines. On this trip I discovered wrecks abound in Papua New Guinea. The German Channel in Palau was a site of military activity in WWII. But I didn’t learn about the war in the Solomon Islands ... read more

After our debacle 10 years back in the Solomons, courtesy of Solomon Airlines, confidence wasn't at its peak with the narrow changeover between our international flight from Oz and the subsequent inter island flight scheduled only 45 minutes after touchdown in Honiara. But, Hey Presto, our fears were unfounded, initially because Solomon Airlines have lifted their game dramatically and also because we were assured the ongoing flight would wait for us. Wait for us? How many airlines would delay a flight for 2 plebs like us? As it turned out, we 2 plebs comprised 40% of the entire passenger list so they really couldn't take off without us. Five passengers plus pilot nestled into a lawnmower with wings skating up, around and under cloud banks with textbook tropical islets dotting the ocean below. The landing strip ... read more

In 2003, the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) arrived in Honiara. Foreign troops and police quickly stopped the violence, restored security and disarmed the militias. RAMSI's nation-building efforts, however, have been less effective. Australia is now trapped in the Solomon Islands for the long haul. A new strategy is required and I propose a more decentralised government. For all its troubles, the Solomon Islands receives much foreign aid and assistance. Like many developing nations, the Government has become aid-dependent. 2008 estimated GDP for the Solomon Islands was US$642 million (nominal GDP). url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/islanders-look-for-ramsi-exit-strategy/story-e6frg7e6-1225804532935Australian aid was A$223 mil... read more