1559: Secrets of Melanesia 23 Oct 2015
Day 1 – 23 October 2015
Arrival Honiara
Solomon Islands
There was no mistaking we were in the tropics, as the warm air hit us on disembarkation at Henderson Airfield, Solomon Islands, the site of a strategic battle during World War II. Early evening, we all gathered for our welcome dinner hosted by Expedition Leader, Aaron Russ.
Day 2 – 24 October 2015
Honiara
Solomon Islands
The morning was spent at leisure with the group re-connecting for lunch at the Solomon Kitano Mendana Hotel before boarding our bus for an informative tour around Honiara led by the Heritage local agent Chris Maelaua (Aka ‘Mr Solomons’). We enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the central market, where one of our number made the surprising purchase of a coconut crab, which was later to be photographed and released on an uninhabited island. We visited the memorial garden at Henderson Airport, drove through the industrial area and made a reflective stop at the World War II Guadalcanal American Memorial on Skyline Drive, which overlooks the town of Honiara. Descriptions of the decisive battles played out in this arena are inscribed on the walls. Our tour ended at the National Parliament building where we were introduced to the intricate way tribal laws are intertwined into the Westminster style of governance, resulting in a sometimes tenuous state of affairs given a vote of no-confidence being tabled against the current parliament and prime minister the following Friday. Meanwhile the birders had a full morning walking down the hill at Mt Austen to the Lunga River and then returning by car to Honiara. Bird activity was subdued due to the dry conditions, but most of the specialties were seen. The Buff-headed Coucal, White-billed Crow and Ultramarine Kingfisher were the pick of the list although the rather drab Black-headed Myzomela was also notable as it is a Guadalcanal endemic.
We all boarded the Spirit of Enderby in the late afternoon and moved into our cabins before joining Aaron for introductions to the remainder of the expedition staff. They were Katrin Schelegel (Cruise Director), Andy Baumgaertner and Ralf Barthel (chefs), Rand Rudland (doctor), Adam Walleyn (ornithologist), Courtney Rayes (marine biologist) and Suzanne Noakes (Melanesia cultural specialist). Following a ship orientation, introduction to the ship and the ‘Secrets of Melanesia’ journey we completed the mandatory safety drill before enjoying our welcome aboard dinner.
©SNoakes
Day 3 – 25 October 2015
Saint Jorge Island & Utuha Island, Santa Isabel Province
Solomon Islands
Early morning the intrepid birders departed the Spirit of Enderby to venture onto Saint Jorge Island. Few if any birders or ornithologists have ever visited the island and we were quite pleased to have very active birding, some of the busiest of the whole trip. Large passerine flocks dominated by Yellow-throated White-eyes also included Red-capped Myzomela, Solomons and Chestnut-bellied Monarch and others. White-billed Crows and Solomons Cockatoo were pleasantly common and easy to observe and it was also great to get perched views of the incredibly small Finsch’s Pygmy Parrot!
The remainder of the group went ashore ready for our traverse to the school and village of Talise. After an energetic walk following a recent logging road we arrived at the junction point where some confusion occurred between the local guides over whether we could actually make the onward journey to the village on the road, or whether we needed to turn back. Our expedition spirit prevailed and we elected to continue the adventure, with Aaron returning to relocate the Zodiacs shore-side to allow a one-way walk option. On reaching the second summit we were elated to find the school and view the Spirit of Enderby in the distance, allaying any fears that we were ‘lost in paradise’. Soon we were being welcomed into Talise Village with a mix of curiosity and excitement, probably much like the early day explorers would have experienced in the late 19thcentury. The good news for us on this occasion, was that head-hunting is no longer prevalent! After official welcomes and a few hymns from the children we were ushered out of the village and loaded into our Zodiacs for return to the comfort of our small exploration ship and a well deserved lunch.
Today was the first day of snorkeling on the expedition and the shallow reef surrounding the isolated island of Utuha really produced. Once past the slightly turbid shallower waters we came across a diverse range of stony/soft corals and fish. Hiding amongst the coral heads and macroalgae was the infamous true clownfish attempting to defend the anemone from the humans peering in. Also well hidden under stony coral was a common lionfish, not such a great sight in the Caribbean, but lovely to see in the Solomon Islands. For those who had not snorkeled for a while this was a fantastic introductory site, with an easy beach entry and shallow water.
Later in the afternoon we returned to tiny Utuha Island to be serenaded Solomon Island style, by the Natatia Band from nearby Tha Tha Je Village. The bamboo flute and base band ensemble provided an entertaining mix of island meets reggae, as the sunset deepened. It was a fitting way to end the day.
©SNoakes
©SNoakes
©SNoakes
Day 4 – 26 October 2015
Malaita Island (Leli Island & Kwai Village)
Solomon Islands
The birders headed ashore really early this morning and as the first hints of daylight appeared, boarded a flat-bed truck for a lengthy drive into the interior of the island. We received our only significant rain of the trip that day and got a good soaking sitting on the open trucks. It was all worth it though, as we quickly located the endemic Malaita White-eye and plenty of other interesting birds including a Solomons Sea Eagle that perched up in the scope. A speculative stop on the way home produced the very rarely seen endemic Red-vested Myzomela. Sadly it did not stick around for long and only some in the group got to see it.
The remainder of us were eager to be back in the water after honing our skills the day before, assured of better visibility given we would be launching from the Zodiacs today. The large rock boulders made it easy to weave our way through the shallows to take in the diverse array of species. Back on the drop-off, larger schools of surgeonfish were combing through the coral for food and damsels, butterflyfish, wrasse and parrotfish were abundant amongst the stony and soft corals. Two exciting sightings were made – one a saddled snake eel in the intertidal zone and the other a Bumphead Parrotfish along the coral slope. The diversity of fish species was definitely the next level and the calm, gin-clear water made for a perfect snorkeling site. Towards the end of our time the heavens opened up and we were soon wetter in the Zodiacs than we had been in the water.
After a warm shower and quick turn-around we enjoyed our inaugural lecture from Suzanne who gave an ‘Introduction to the Solomons’. In the cool of the afternoon we visited Kwai Village, a coral atoll perched precariously above the high water tidemark. In fact, half of the island has artificial retaining walls to help halt the increasing erosion effect which has already laid claim to a church and a number of houses. There was talk amongst the locals that some were looking to relocate to the main island of Malaita or even further onto Guadalcanal Island, an issue itself with regards to land ownership and farming rights. We arrived to what seemed like a throng of thousands, and were swept along to a marriage demonstration complete with akwala afu (traditional shell money used for bride gift), yams and a squealing pig which is a compensation gesture to the bride’s family for the loss of their daughter to another family. With pandanus mats placed underfoot, the bride glided through the sandy lanes to be ceremoniously handed over to the groom’s family. Soon we were departing with treasures in hand and fond farewells from this tight-knit community.
©KSchlegel
©KSchlegel
©KSchlegel
Day 5 – 27 October 2015
San Cristobal Island, Makira Province: Star Harbour, Namuga Sub Station (Tora, Geda & Namamaru Villages)
Solomon Islands
No bacon for the birders this morning as they headed out yet again before daybreak, again in search of as many of the Makira lowland endemics as they could find over the course of the morning. In this they were very successful, tracking down the stunning White-headed Fruit Dove plus good views of Makira Honeyeaters (in its own genera!), Sooty Myzomela, Makira Starling and the cute little Mottled Flowerpecker. Another great highlight was a couple of flowering trees just full of the spectacular Duchess Lorikeet.
In a more leisurely manner the remainder of the group explored Star Harbour, one of the stops Queen Elizabeth II made on her 1974 voyage. Cruising deep into the narrow Namuga passage, our Zodiacs were soon surrounded by magnificent towering red mangroves (Rhizaphora). Their prop roots marched out into the brackish water providing both habitat for a rich assemblage of other organisms and creating an appearance of mythological ‘Ent’ trees straight out of the fabled ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy. As it was low tide, it quickly became apparent we were soon to swap our dry ride for a muddy entry as we walked the remainder of the islet. Our path to Tora village took us through lush tropical jungle, sago palm filled gullies and newly cultivated gardens of yams and swamp taro, both significant cultural food in this area. Chief Rastas accompanied us on our walk as we continued to the founder’s village of Geda, situated on the foothills of the massive limestone cliffs that rim the eastern side of the island. Realising that half of the group had mysteriously disappeared, we turned back to find a commotion shore-side. A number of young children were proudly displaying their locally crafted surfboards. Mimicking the regular visits from international surfers, young boys had long planks of sago palm joined together with bamboo dowel which were shaped expertly by yielding a large machete. After applauding their ingenuity, we watched their prowess in body surfing and spent some time exploring the marine pools before returning to our original plan of walking to the end village. The tide pools were full of brittle stars, sea slugs, hermit crabs and more. Several people were captivated by the unique method of feeding by the brittlestars, and others enjoyed watching the brilliant red Spanish dancer nudibranch dance to the bottom of the tide pool. A large ‘snake-like’ spotted worm sea cucumber was also spied on the way back to shore.
Returning to our original objective we continued onto Geda village, where Chief John was proud to show us a traditional ceremonial bowl, some six feet long and two feet wide. This was going to be used to honour his father who had passed away some two years before. Mortuary ceremonies are traditionally strong in the Makira Province, with some continuing for many years. Once the ceremonial hut and bowl was completed, taro pudding would be baked, pigs roasted and then shared with the whole village from the communal ceremonial bowl within the specific hut. We learnt how they process their coconut milk, firstly by grating the meat then placing it into bags for the final stage of pressing by a large mallet. All too soon we were returning to the mouth of Star Harbour where we were unexpectedly invited into Namamaru Village by Chief Alfred. Under the shade of a beech almond tree and the Star Harbour Lodge, we were entertained by a number of local dance groups combining traditional and contemporary styles. Decked out in kastom ornaments of dolphin and flying fox teeth necklaces, locals and visitors alike were thrilled to see traditional lullaby dancers culminating in the finale of the middle school girls practicing their end of year concert routine. With scented floral leis we returned to the ship and were soon learning all there was to know about ‘Tropical Fish ID’ from Courtney in the lecture room. A moderate sea swell rocked us to sleep.
©SNoakes
©SNoakes
©SNoakes
Day 6 – 28 October 2015
Nendo Island (Noipe Village) – Temotu Province
Solomon Islands
Early morning at sea was quite productive for the birders as they saw a couple of interesting species of tubenose seabirds – Collared Petrels and Tropical Shearwaters.
During our morning passage to Nendo Island we joined guest lecturer Rod Eime for his presentation ‘The Guadalcanal Campaign, quick and dirty’ an overview of the strategic battles that engulfed this arena during World War II. Although snorkeling was not on the agenda for today, the decision to squeeze it into the mornings schedule at Nendo Island was a great one! The site had a beautiful sheltered bay, a secluded beach, coral terraces and small caverns covering the rock face – the quintessential tropical hide-away. In addition, we had calm clear water offering some superb snorkeling for everyone on-board. Stony corals, sea fans, tree soft corals and tunicates covered the rocky reef and the fish life was the best on the trip so far. Numerous ledges and caverns provided the perfect areas to spot some nocturnal species like squirrelfish and bigeyes, and for those who reached the far end, a group of sweetlips was resting down below. Tucked up against the colourful reef were plenty of gobies and blennies, and a honeycomb grouper, which was very well concealed. Scurrying from one coral perch to another, we were fascinated by sunray beams seemingly being generated from the depths giving an overall strobe-like effect. Truly magical!
On shore we were soon piling onto the back of pickup trucks to make the journey some 30 minutes into the interior to Noipe Village. Here our entry was greeted by a rush of warriors weilding bows and arrows, all staged to welcome us into the community and one to which we had become accustomed. After official welcome speeches by chiefs and local parliamentary member, the Hon Joselyn Wesley-Ipei (Minister of Tourism for the Temotu Province), we were crowned with pungent floral leis and ceremoniously handed bettlenut, which was eagerly consumed by some, with the remainder secretly dispensing it to the locals waiting in the wings of the purpose-built welcoming hut. Refreshed by young coconuts, we circled the main arena and witnessed the devil and masali (spirit) dance from Nole Village on Mendana Point. Before Europeans arrived, the Melanesian's knowledge of the world seldom extended beyond their immediate neighbours with whom they traded and fought. Still to this day each community has its own coterie of mythlogical beings (masali). Some are benevolent and others malevolent to help explain social changes that have occurred and are often portrayed in dance and theatre. Next we were to learn about the skillful art form of creating red feather money rolls (Tevau). This must be one of the rarest and most unusual forms of money in the world. It is limited and valued because of the limited supply of red feathers which are plucked from the small scarlet honeyeater (Myzomela cardinalis). 50,000-60,000 feathers are needed for each money coil. Firstly grey pigeon feathers are glued together using sap, then a narrow strip of red feathers is glued along the edge of each platelet. Generally, 10-12 metres long, the Tevua is used as currency for important payments in life like bride price, purchasing pigs or very large canoes.
We were privileged to witness the return of two elders (a husband & wife) who were ceremoniously escorted into the dance arena of Noipe village. They had been absent from any celebrations for the past two years due to the death of a family member and the excitement of their return could hardly be contained. The woman had a glorious Tevau balanced on her head as they both took to the dance arena, trailed by numerous chiefs decked out in their refinery of shell necklaces (Tema) and delicate nose piercing. The raw emotion of the villagers was evident as close relatives flocked together in the rhythmic circle, their chanting and stomping pulsating with the fever of the occasion. The afternoon birding through the forests near Noipe was much quieter. Still, with perseverance we did track down the Santa Cruz White-eyes for great views and even had a flock of the bizarre Sanford’s White-eye come through just before we returned to the ship. After tribute dances to the Hon Joselyn Wesley-Ipei and our ship agent Chris Maelaua, we all lined up and shook hands with each one of our hosts before departing to strains of ‘we thank you our friends, and look forward to seeing you again’.
Soon we were skimming across the golden rimmed waterways as the sun sank into the Coral Sea, exhausted but elated by the events of the day. The evening movie was the first in a number of documentaries we would watch from the award winning BBC South Pacific. Tonight’s programme was entitled of ‘Castaways’ and it explored how plants, animal and humans colonised the most remote islands, showcasing the ocean voyages of the Taumako people of the Duff Islands.
©SNoakes
©SNoakes
©SNoakes
Day 7 – 29 October 2015
Duff Island (Temotu Province), Taumako Island (Ngauura Village)
Solomon Islands
To the northeast of Nendö, is a cluster of 11 small isolated islands which make up the Duff Islands. Here on the tiny island of Taumako in the Solomon Islands’ eastern province of Temotu, live some 600+ people who have both Melanesian and Polynesian heritage. These islanders are renowned for their great navigating abilities and their mighty canoes. Recent years have seen a revival in the building and sailing of traditional voyaging canoes using completely traditional methods. We circumnavigated Taumako Island so top deck viewers could enjoy the craggy coastline, blow holes and outlying reefs, all remnants of ancient volcanoes. Later we landed on the quintessential secluded palm fringed tropical island beach with white sand and a beautiful blue lagoon. As we snorkeled out from the beach, things got really interesting right on the verge where seagrass beds morphed to coral reef. A lone anemone sat occupied by juvenile fish and commensal shrimps. Ten metres away the depth dropped, opening up beautiful swim-troughs beneath the reef where a stingray lay buried under the sand. Loads of other fish life darted in and out of corals and a single lionfish was resting under a rocky ledge.
Later we navigated the shallow islet to Zodiac cruise past the artificial villages offshore, landing to what seemed like a procession of all the inhabitants eagerly waiting our arrival. Welcomed by the three resident Chiefs, our master of ceremonies, Dr Simon and master craftsman William, escorted us to the dance arena. Wave after wave of dancers filled the sandy stage, with performances resembling their Polynesian ancestry. Taking advantage of our time on shore we were invited to walk the length of the coastline to Ngauura Village and William’s hut. He had recently completed a model display of the famed Ta Phue, the ocean voyaging canoe, for our viewing. There was not one nail in sight. The craft had been lashed together with coconut rope, secured by thousands of years of knowledge and topped off by woven crab-like sails. In true expedition style time was not an issue and soon we were clambering the steep hillside in search of the hull from the original Ta Phue, hidden in someone’s yam garden. The children scampered up and down the hill with the ease of mountain goats, whilst the remainder of us tentatively navigated the stony path. Looking seaward we were told that the off shore island of Lahoe was the land of giants and should be avoided at all costs. The birders had a rather quiet day today but were very pleased to encounter plenty of the tiny emerald coloured Palm Lorikeets that seem to thrive on the coconuts of this remote island.
As the sun dipped into the South Pacific Ocean, flying fish escorted the Zodiacs as we made our way out from Taumako and back to the Spirit of Enderby for our southward journey. After dinner we enjoyed the next programme from the BBC South Pacific – ‘Endless Blue’ which followed the 19th century story of the shipwrecked Essex, a tale that inspired the novel ‘Moby Dick’.
©KSchlegel
©KSchlegel
©KSchlegel
Day 8 – 30 October 2015
Vanikoro Vaniolo (Usili & Buma Villages)
Solomon Islands
Our entry into Vanikoro’s five islands was surrounded by a dramatic barrier reef, which later in the afternoon would prove to be one of the snorkeling highlights of the trip. French explorer Jean-François de La Pérouse was stranded here after both his vessels, La Boussole and Astrolabe, struck this reef in 1788. The birders were back to their early starts and the theme of dry conditions and slow birding continued. However we were determined and persisted until we tracked down both of the island’s endemics – the Vanikoro Monarch and the Vanikoro White-eye, both of which have only ever been seen by a handful of people! Another good sighting was a pair of Rusty-winged Starlings apparently building a nest and we did catch some brief views of the very recently rediscovered Vanikoro Flying Fox.
Some 900+ people inhabit Vanikoro, with approximately 600 Melanesian islanders and 300 Polynesians originating from nearby Tikopia. We were soon ashore and enjoying the company of the family members who migrated from the main village of Buma to colonise the idyllic setting of Usili Village. Chief Chris officially welcomed us to his family unit of 30+, under a specially built archway. A wonderful morning was had as we experienced a ‘slice of life’, from weaving roof tiles and baskets, baking breadfruit (with the spoils shared after it was cooked), fire creation by friction on soft bettlenut timber and coconut husk and finally a bow and arrow making demonstration. Once the display of daily chores was completed the artefact shop (mat) was open for business, with the prized crocodile skull and chief’s walking stick being the first to be snatched up. We then enjoyed a walk past kava fields to Chris’s gardens where he grows swamp taro and cassava under the shade of an enormous strangler fig. Beachcombing is an art form here in Melanesia, a practical pastime used to scavenge for treasures that are recycled into everyday life. Treasured items include netting to lash down houses during storms, buoys which are cut in half to harvest rainwater, crates for chairs and foam for mats. Nothing is wasted in these island communities, in fact Melanesians have been recycling long before it became fashionable in the Western world!
Our snorkeling excursion today began with a black tip reef shark spotted at the surface as we made our way along the outer reef drop-off. Once beneath the waves, surgeonfish and parrotfish were seen schooling below and large table corals sat in terraces on the steep reef wall. On the smaller side, damselfish, blennies and gobies were at home amongst the coral heads, and hawkfish were perched comfortably looking out on the amazing view. To top it all off we had a school of cephalopods weaving their way around the snorkelers on the surface, seemingly undisturbed by our presence.
Our Zodiac cruise this afternoon passed through mangrove-lined shores as we explored hidden islets and passed the monument to Le Perouse which was erected by his fellow explorer Dumont Durville in 1827. The birders experienced a jolt of excitement when they realised that over 100 arctic-breeding waders use the mangroves to roost and we had great views of 11 Bristle-thigh Curlew, a species only known to breed on a few mountains in western Alaska!
The villagers of Buma surprised us with a welcome dance as we stepped ashore. This involved numerous shrouded masala (spirits) complete with ceremonial masks bursting from the seclusion of the houses to the delight of visitors and locals alike. We were now seeing a cultural shift highlighting the Vanuatu/Polynesia style of dance. An undercurrent of tension was felt within the village with half happy for the increase in wealth brought about by the resumption of logging on the island while the remainder were concerned this would be a short-term folly. They are worried that the logging will ultimately be a negative impact, delivering the disadvantages of land slips along with forest and cultural degradation.
After dinner Suzanne’s presentation ‘Introduction to Vanuatu’ included a short DVD documentary of the ‘Land-Divers of Melanesia (Pentecost)’ filmed by Harvard University in 1972.
©SNoakes
©SNoakes
©Heritage Expeditions
Day 9 – 31 October 2015
Vanua Lava Island (Sola Sub Station)
Vanuatu
We arrived this morning at the northern outpost of Vanua Lava in Vanuatu. This is the largest of the Banks Islands which is crowned by the volcanically active Mt Séré’ama. On deck the diverse landscape unfolded in front of us, whilst the prevailing winds that had been plaguing us for the past few days followed us into town. For the budding birder, today offered up the opportunity for everyone to wander with the birding group and those that came along were rewarded with views of some of Vanuatu’s endemic birds including Tanna Fruit Doves, Vanuatu Honeyeaters and Vanuatu White-eyes.
This afternoon we visited another very different, but spectacular snorkeling site off Port Patterson, on a reef running out from the corner of an isolated island - truly a scene out of Robertson Crusoe. This site was all about abundance, with many of the same species swimming around. Amongst the most common were striped surgeonfish, as well as various wrasses, gobies, butterflyfish and blennies. Two snorkelers enjoyed the presence of a pod of spinner dolphins passing by, while others lay on the white sand beach. Towards the end two large groupers made an appearance and gained several followers as they passed through. Once again the table corals stood out from the rest and a variety of coloured giant clams were discovered amongst the reef. It was another great snorkeling site to remember. Returning to the ship we passed shoreline blow holes (where according to the locals the sea breathes), and were soon spying a cloud of Flying Fox (fruit bats) skimming the white caps, returning to their island roost to reclaim their territory.
Late afternoon we were back down in the lecture theatre enthralled to learn more about the Seaview Survey project Courtney was currently involved in. Over the last 30 years we’ve lost over 40% of corals due to pollution, destructive fishing and climate change. According to the scientific community, the world’s coral reefs are in a dramatic state of decline which will affect 500 million people globally who rely on them for food, tourism income and coastal protection. In response to this issue XL Catlin Seaview Survey (see http://catlinseaviewsurvey.com/) is creating a baseline record of the world’s coral reefs, in high-resolution 360-degree panoramic vision. It will enable change to be clearly monitored over time and will help scientists, policy makers and the public at large to see and understand the issues reefs are facing and work out what needs to be done to best protect coral reefs now and into the future.
In the evening Suzanne told us that we had all been invited to attend a local wedding on Sola the next day. Unfortunately our schedule would not allow such a delay, so she gave an overview of the ceremony and told us how the locals would have spent the past week preparing to feed nearly the whole town of 500+. Marriage is an important event in the ongoing relations between kin groups and neighborhoods and typically involves the exchange of goods. On this occasion a newly slaughtered cow was the main course complimented by multiple containers of steamed kumera (sweet potato), greens and rice.
©Heritage Expeditions
©Heritage Expeditions
Day 10 – 01 November 2015
Espiritu Santo
Vanuatu
The final very early morning for the birders saw them set off eagerly to visit Vatthe Conservation Area. This wonderful expanse of lowland rainforest is full of birds and amongst the many recorded species the highlights were scope views of Vanuatu Kingfisher, beautiful Buff-bellied Monarchs and even several brief sightings of the “scrab dak” or Vanuatu Megapode.
A tropical paradise welcomed the remainder of us as we stepped onto the turquoise splendor of Champagne Beach. Katrin had created a special cocktail she named ‘Cape Cooper’ in honour of our special morning ashore. Strolling on a stunning white beach, dipping into the clear cool water and snorkeling what some said resembled an aquarium, was a truly magical way to start the day. It was here that we saw our first banded krait sea snake. It was weaving between the staghorn coral at about two meters depth before returning to the surface to breathe. Just out from the reef, schools of bluestripe snapper were schooling, several species of goatfish were stirring up the sand to feed and a pair of blue blanquillo (a species of tilefish) was seen swimming past. A variety of other marine life was present on the reef and the shallow depth made it an ideal place to get some good footage. Back on board we enjoyed an informative guest presentation by Rod Morris, a professional nature photographer, on the art of capturing stories through the lens.
Dodging the midday sun we landed at Oyster Bay to take advantage of a full afternoon ashore to make the most of Vanuatu’s largest Island, Santo; location of James Michener’s ‘Tales of the South Pacific’. As we traversed the island to Luganville Espiritu Santo our local guides versed us on the WWII history that entwined this island, traditional cultural and key points of interest. The island was used by Allied forces as a military supply and support base, naval harbour and airfield. We enjoyed a cultural demonstration which included kava tasting, some of us wanting more as the desired effect had not hit home. A stop at Million Dollar point prompted an informal presentation from guest historian Rod (Eime) and after a quick stop at the local market we concluded our tour with a stop at the famous Blue Hole. The crystal-clear, deep blue pools are fed by a freshwater spring and are unique to Vanuatu. These holes are true natural wonders where clear, fresh water comes to the surface through layers of limestone and coral producing water of jewel quality blue. Here the birders had one final treat in store as they obtained views of a few Vanuatu Imperial Pigeon, a completely unexpected species at this location and a new bird for everyone in the group – even Adam – what a way to end the birding! It was a wonderfully refreshing end to yet another glorious day before we returned to the Spirit of Enderby via Zodiac.
After a delicious dinner we drifted to the lecture theatre to view the BBC South Pacific documentary ‘Oceans of Volcanoes’. It was quite appropriate as a majority of the islands of Vanuatu have volcanic origins.
©SNoakes
©SNoakes
Day 11 –02 November 2015
Ambrym
Vanuatu
The last full day of our expedition began with early morning views of magnificent Ambrym Island with its dramatic black volcanic sand beaches fringing the massive active volcano which towers above the waves. Onshore we left our lifejackets and wading shoes under the watchful eye of Chief John from Ranon Village and followed our local guide and expert carver, John Willie who led us on an infamous ‘30 Melanesia minutes’ walk to Fanla Village where we hoped to see the fabled Rom Dance. The Rom or ‘Masked’ dance is a sacred event associated with magic and it is believed to influence harvests. Some of us held out hope that the one and only vehicle on the island was on its way to help transport us up the steep hills, but unfortunately this was not the case. On arrival at the remote village we were surprised to find that quite a few of the local village men work as seasonal fruit pickers in both Australia and New Zealand. The remittance for this labour was evident in the elaborate building materials of homes such as cement bricks, concrete and corrugated roofing iron – a departure from the traditional bush materials we had become accustomed to in previous villages. Excitement started to build as the seductive sounds of tantam’s (slit drums) beckoned us into a secluded part of the forest, where we were greeted by the sight of traditional dancers clad only in penis sheaths (nambas) and ceremonial boars tusks, surrounded by mythical figures shrouded in dried banana fronds. Each face mask is unique and can only be made in complete secret by specialist mask makers. We were instantly mesmerized by the costumes, sound and rhythmic movements of the Roms as they glided effortlessly around the dance arena as if not held captive by gravity. Later we witnessed a display of mysterious ‘Black Magic’ performed by a special sorcerer (‘the man blong blak majik’) followed by ancient sand drawing. Ambrym is known for its fine carving in wood, volcanic stones and tree fern and given it was our last chance to share our booty, we purchased carvings directly from the artisans.
After our rigorous hike in the morning, snorkeling was the perfect way to spend our last afternoon together. Close to our landing point we spotted two Dugongs on the surface but our attempt at a stealthy entrance to the water managed to scare them off. Fortunately they appeared on the surface again after the snorkel. After hoping to see a Dugong for the past ten days, we were all extremely pleased with the sightings. Down below we found a very unique reef, with black sand leading into scattered rocky outcrops, which were covered in hard corals and fish life. Although it was not the most diverse area, the abundance of fish was very impressive. It was a fitting way to spend our last afternoon together.
The final installment of the BBC South Pacific series ‘Strange Islands’ showcasing the unusual animal life of the South Pacific aired this evening after our farewell dinner.
©SNoakes
©SNoakes
Day 12 – 03 November 2015
Port Vila
Vanuatu
Our ‘Secrets of Melanesia’ journey came to an end in the early morning and we disembarked in Port Vila, Vanuatu’s capital on the island of Efate. It was sad to end what some have heralded their best adventure yet, but we all headed home keen to share the unique moments and memories of Melanesia, captured by both our camera lenses and our hearts.
“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.”
― Pat Conroy
