23 Oct 2019

Snorkelling WW II Wrecks and Hiking Through Conservation Rainforest

The Solomon Islands delivered another day of expedition adventures as we spent the afternoon snorkelling the wreck of a US NAVY FAF Grumman Wildcat (carrier version) World War II plane off a private island in Kolombangara and hiked through conservation jungle in the morning.

Greeted by Tokuana Islands (technically two small islands connected by a golden strech of sand) owner Lily Duri, fresh frangipanis were tucked behind our ears before warrior women gave chase to some of the expeditioners around the island. We then joined them in dance to a PVC pipe band and songs performed by a nearby village before exploring the shores, trying our hands at paddling a war canoe and snorkelling in the abundant coral gardens off the beach. Zodiacs shuttled expeditioners out to the wreck site w here, 10-metres below the aquamarine surface, rested the intact, ghostly remains of the plane on the sandy sea floor. Thought to have ditched in 1942, Lily's father told her it had ran out of gas before crashing in their aquatic backyard, however there are other stories it may have been hit pursuing Japanese in the north, the cockpit now home to numerous fish species and the wings crusted in corals.

In the morning we found ourselves sitting in the back of two 3 tonne trucks on wooden plank seating as we bounced our way 400-metres up Kolombangara Island to the Imbu Rano Lodge and Conservation Area. The rustic lodge/ranger accommodation, also used by visiting scientists from around the world, sits perched above the canopies of the lush rainforest offering a bird's eye view of the surrounding area and over to extinct volcano Kolomgangara - one of the highest points in the Solomon Islands archipelago.

Spanning some 20,000 hectares, the conservation estate takes up approximately 28% of the island, making it the largest conservation area in the Solomon Islands. Voyagers had the option of a shorter rainforest walk and a more steeper descent down to the Villa River where we were rewarded with a soak in the cooling water while our birders were out spotting Duchess Lorikeet, Crested Cuckoo-dove and Solomon's Sea Eagle among the bird-filled forest.

Returning to our landing site we found a makeshift market where the Western Province's famed master carvers, renowned for their intricate wood and stone pieces, were displaying their work. Created in Ringgi and Boba Villages, many of the carvings will decorate the homes of their proud new owners scattered around the globe.

Image (c) I.Wilson, Heritage Expeditions