1557: Melanesia Discoverer 11 Oct 2015

View a Species List from this Expedition here, or for a comprehensive birding report from this expedition, click here.

 
Day 1
Sunday 11 October
Madang, Papua New Guinea

A burst of tropical warmth filled the cabin of our Air Niugini plane as the door opened and we disembarked onto the Madang airport tarmac. After collecting our luggage, we were shepherded to the Madang Resort for our first night of our ‘Melanesia Discoverer’ expedition. We all re-grouped in the evening for our welcome dinner, when expedition leader Nathan Russ introduced us to the expedition team: Adam Walleyn our ornithologist, kayak instructor Judd Hill, Suzanne Noakes our cultural interpreter, marine biologist Nathan Ellemor and the expedition's doctor Rand Rudland. Soon we were heading off to catch up on our sleep, eager for the voyage ahead into the land of the unexpected.


 ©R.Barthel

Day 2
Monday 12 October
Madang

Our first full day together started early for six intrepid birding enthusiasts who departed for the Madang coast road in the company of Adam accompanied by our doctor Rand, himself a keen birder. They had a productive morning, recording around 65 species in the forests.  This included two species of birds of paradise – the Lesser Bird of Paradise and Glossy-mantled Manucode.  Some other nice birds through the morning included Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Palm Cockatoo and some restricted range birds like Edward’s Fig Parrot, Black-browed Triller, Northern Variable Pitohui and Grand Mannikin.
 
The remainder of the group departed Madang Resort at the more leisurely time of 8:30am, with half heading to the lighthouse memorial and half to the Madang Museum, then swapping a short time later. During our visit to the museum our expedition team gave an expert and enthusiastic overview of the region's history, from ancient through to early colonization and World War II. We also viewed the many natural history pieces including replicas of the trading vessels, masks, drums, carvings and traditional head-dresses.
 
The groups then reunited for a trip south, passing roadside markets, schools and tropical rainforest, eventually arriving at the delightful coastal village of Bil Bil. Here the villagers put on an enthusiastic ‘sing sing’ entering the dance arena in a procession to the beat of kundu (hour-glass shaped) drums. This village is renowned for its unique hand made and fired pottery. Before our departure we were lucky enough to witness how these pots are created.
 
We enjoyed lunch after our return to the Madang Resort and after some energetic artefact shopping, transferred to the MV Spirit of Enderby, which was anchored close by in the harbour. Once aboard we familiarised ourselves with the ship and were soon back on the bow saying farewell to Madang as the ship sailed, guided by a pod of Spinner Dolphins. We headed inside for our welcome recap followed by dinner.

 
 ©R.Barthel


©S.Noakes

Day 3
Tuesday 13 October
Kopar Village, Sepik River

Our Cruise Director, Katrin, woke us from our slumber to rise early before heading out on a Zodiac cruise along the mighty Sepik River (See-pik) at first light. The meandering Sepik, over 700 miles (1,200km), is the longest river in Papua New Guinea and the fifth largest river in the world. Starting at the West Papuan border, the Sepik twists its way towards the Bismarck Sea. A couple of enormous freight ships stood high in the water at the mile wide river mouth, waiting for logging cargo to transport down the river. As we entered the river some of us spotted several impressive White-bellied Sea Eagles, along with a variety of parrots and egrets. Numerous rafts of floating debris, logs, water hyacinth and Salvinia were being swept towards the sea. Small tributaries feeding the Lower Sepik were lined with dense wetland jungle dominated by Sago Palms, with occasional mangroves and emergent rainforest trees. Sago, the staple diet of the Sepik people, is cultivated on a regular basis to obtain flour which is used to make pancakes and a pudding with steamed fish and greens. The fibre of the trunk is pounded and washed. Then the starch is gathered once it settles in the bottom of a collection canoe.
 
As the Zodiacs carried us along the river, we kept a keen eye on the foliage along the banks and the sky above. Many birds were spotted, including cockatoos and even a hornbill on the wing.  The birding boat’s highlights included some Great-billed Herons, Spotted Whistling Duck, Raja Shelduck, four species of imperial pigeons, skulky White-bellied Thicket-fantail and the poorly known Meyer’s Friarbird.
 
After brunch back on the ship, we returned to the riverbank and the village of Kopar, built on a thin clearing of muddy soil. Here we were greeted by a dance group and arrived dancing the whole way to the delight of the locals. School children sang the Papua New Guinea national anthem and after official speeches and gift giving, we were privileged to see a spectacular tumbuna dance (time before white man) complete with a masala spirit mask that resembled the head of a dragon and the long body of a crocodile held high by local men.
 
A short pantomime followed, depicting a local legend about two blind women and a man who stole their food. He was then kidnapped and killed, only to miraculously come back to life and burn down their hut in revenge, killing the women inside. We were all a little unsure about the moral of the story, but none the less thoroughly enjoyed the performance, as did all of the locals in attendance, and eagerly showed our appreciation. Oral history plays an important role in Melanesia as it delivers ancestral stories, myths, legends and folklore. We had plenty of time to wander past the treasure trove of Sepik artefacts spread out for some distance and also had time to explore the village before returning, treasures in hand, to the Spirit of Enderby.
 

©S.Noakes


  ©R.Barthel


Day 4
Wednesday 14 October
Bipi Island

Our fourth day of the expedition began with another early morning wake up call and a fine breakfast. Soon we were all aboard the Zodiacs again for a trip to Bipi Island where we were welcomed with speeches, dances, and a ‘sing-sing’ from the enthusiastic Bipi locals. The first dance included men dressed to represent the great eagles of the area in a mythical story narrated by a village elder. The antics of the winged men appeared to be a source of great mirth for the locals and though much of the laughter seemed enigmatic to us, it made for a buoyant mood. Other dances followed, enjoyed as much by the locals as by ourselves, and then we had the opportunity to join in while the local men beat the rhythm on the tribal drums.
 
Once the drummers were exhausted, the villagers dispersed and so did we for a stroll around the village, visiting community sites like the school and the church, gardens and farms, while talking with the local people about their daily lives. The birding group was pleased to see large numbers of Bismarck Black Myzomela – a species that lives on only a few remote and difficult to access islands. As heavy clouds on the horizon promised a break to the island's drought and the wind threatened to shake the coconuts from the trees, we eventually boarded the Zodiacs again, waved a fond farewell to our hosts and pushed our way through stormy waters back to the ship. Over lunch we waited for news about the deteriorating conditions on the reef that would determine whether we would be able to venture back out in the afternoon for a snorkel or kayak. Unfortunately this was not to be, as the wind and swell made it too treacherous an option, so we weighed anchor and set sail toward our next destination of Manus Island.
 
As the Spirit of Enderby carried us on, lectures were provided in the lecture theatre in lieu of outdoor activities. Suzanne delivered an entertaining and informative session about island culture, and then our marine biologist Nathan introduced us to the fundamentals of coral reef structure and their living communities, including the physiology of reef-building scleractinian corals. Following drinks and another superb dinner, the education continued in the lecture theatre with a documentary film about the wildlife of the South Pacific islands.
 

 ©R.Barthel

Day 5
Thursday 15 October
Manus Island

Today we awoke moored off Manus Island. By 8am we had eaten breakfast and were headed for the shoreline in the Zodiacs. A couple of buses took us up into the highlands where we enjoyed sweeping ocean views and a local Seventh Day Adventist community. After days at sea and on low lying islands, it was good to get a birds eye view of the world again and the villagers welcomed us in what has become a very familiar manner, never failing to impress upon us how generous and friendly the Papuan people are.
 
We visited the church, saw the children learning in the school and were taken on a tour of some of the village's slash and burn agriculture. The same locals also guided us along a forest track, where we learned about local flora and how some of it is used in construction, medicine, healing and even fishing. Back in the town of Lorengau, we strolled around the vibrant markets where the Manus people gather to buy and sell their regular produce: fruit and vegetables, smoked fish, dried tobacco and more.
 
The birding group came back all smiles, having seen and photographed one of the holy grails of Melanesian birds including the beautiful, elusive and very range-restricted Superb Pitta.  They also saw stunning Nicobar Pigeons and most of the other island endemics – Manus Monarch, Manus Cuckooshrike and Manus Friarbird (the locals call this bird Chauka).
 
Choppy seas met us once again on our way back to the vessel, as the wind was picking up. Again we waited over another fine lunch for news about the conditions on the nearby reef, as we were hoping to get out for some outdoors activities in the afternoon. This time we were in luck and the weather permitted a bouncy Zodiac ride to the little island of Hawei where we could relax on the beach, donning our fins and masks for a snorkel around the lagoon, or go for a walk. Many novice snorkelers among us took the opportunity to familiarise ourselves with the practice, and though the reef here was dominated by algae close to shore, presumably due to island nutrient runoff, an abundance of sand made finning practice easier. Beyond the algae there was a patchy reef with numerous colonies of short branching corals, plus the occasional brain and mushroom coral. Along with a collection of fish, especially damsels such as the Black-tailed Dascyllus (Dascyllus melanurus), the echinoderms seemed to steal the show here with numerous species of sea star and several species of sea cucumber (holothurians). These included many Snakefish Sea Cucumbers (Holothuria coluber) standing upright from the base of the reef, broadcast spawning.  On land, the birders had a great walk around the island recording many species, but most surprising was a Manus Fantail, an endemic known on only a few islands and apparently never before seen on this one!
 
The seas had quelled a little by the time we headed back to the ship in the mid afternoon, and once safely back aboard we were treated to another anthropology lecture from Ras about funeral rituals and the living aspect of dealing with death in island cultures.
 
Drinks in the bar and a briefing on tomorrow's aspirations followed this, then dinner. Between dinner and bed, for those with a little stamina remaining, Suzanne showed a BBC documentary about the oceans.
 
Kayakers Log: We paddled from the ship to Rara Island, which we circumnavigated and then headed to the mainland and up the Lorengau River. A beautiful river with dwellings on both sides for the first part then rainforest plant species further up. We went looking for a waterfall but it ended up being a broken mains water pipe which had created the falls! After exiting the river we headed back to the ship and got transferred to the town of Lorengau for a short time onshore. 7.6km.
 

©K.Schlegel 


©K.Schlegel 

Day 6
Friday 16 October
Mussau Island & Little Mussau

We awoke to a hot and clear blue day anchored off a collection of islands around the volcanic island of Mussau. The birders headed to shore while the rest were breakfasting, but soon we were all aboard Zodiacs. Passing through the narrow reef opening we were delighted to encounter a Manta Ray gliding around the water surface with the tips of its 'wings' breaching the surface as it turned.
 
On shore we were met and welcomed by yet another community of smiling Papuan faces. Greetings and a few introductions followed in the church hall, attended by the many high school students who board there.  While a few of us stayed behind at the school to interact more with the locals, a large contingent took off for a nature walk to the river, past farms and vegetated hills where old growth forest had once been logged, although that practice had stopped with a ban more than a decade ago. Fields under cultivation included corn, sweet potato, yam and tapioca.  We entered old growth forest as we reached the river and a swim in a cool fresh rock pool complete with rope swing was a pure delight. Following that, some of us retraced our steps back along the road, while a small posse of adventurers took a guided trek through the forest along the river, returning to the village by a less trodden and more circuitous path.
 
The birders again returned to the ship all smiles, having accomplished the feat of seeing all three of the island’s endemics – Mussau Monarch, Mussau Fantail and the virtually unknown Mussau Triller (known from as few as two previous sets of field observations!)
 
We bade farewell to our hosts on Mussau and gathered back on the ship for lunch. After time for a brief rest we were off again in the Zodiacs, this time to a beautiful sandy beach on the nearby cay of Little Mussau, where sun and snorkelling were the order of the afternoon. An additional treat was provided in the form of a BBQ and some cold drinks on the beach – as if there were anything more we could have wanted! The snorkelling was excellent here with a healthy array of staghorn acropora, massive poritid, and solitary mushroom corals (Fungia, Herpotolitha, and Heliofungia). Numerous vibrantly coloured giant clams (Tridacna spp.) stole the show, in competition with a multi-coloured multitude of Christmas Tree Worms (F: Serpulidae) embedded in the corals. These in combination with the abundant surgeonfish, butterflyfish, angelfish and wrasse provided a veritable feast for goggled eyes.
 
In the evening, Suzanne presented an enthralling lecture on the phenomenon of the Cargo Cult and how these have played, and continue to play, a part in the complex culture of these Pacific island communities.
 
Kayakers Log: Conditions were picture perfect so we headed out to explore the islands to the south of main Mussa Island. Rounding our first island we came upon four mushroom shaped small islets of limestone. After landing on the first one we wove our way through the other three and headed to a longer island with a small settlement on it. Local kids followed us along the beach and even caught a ride on our kayaks at one point.  We then headed across to Little Mussa Island and had a short stop and swim at a beach that can only be described as paradise before returning to the ship. 12.7km
 

 ©R.Barthel


©K.Schlegel 


©K.Schlegel 


Day 7 – Nusa Island & Kavieng, New Ireland, Saturday 17 October
With the El Nino winds continuing a pattern of increasing in the afternoons, today's activities began with an early morning snorkel off the sandy beach of Kavieng. A chop was already present from an easterly breeze, but a steep wall on the southwestern reef edge provided shelter and an abundance of fish and invertebrate life. Smooth flutemouths (Fistulariidae) patrolled the depths adjacent the reef, and shoals of fusiliers (Caesionidae) swirled around closer to the surface. The reef itself was a network of soft and hard corals teaming with a healthy abundance of surgeon fish, butterfly fish and damsel fish, with the occasional bluestreak cleaner wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) advertising its services where the patient observer could see the other fish pausing to have their gills and mouths checked for parasites. Sleeping featherstars were perched prominently in the shallows, apparently unconcerned about predation. There was a notable presence of anemones too and at least three species of associated anemone fish, including a Clark’s Anemonefish (Amphiprion clarkii), and a beautiful Tomato Anemonefish (Amphiprion bicinctus) in a Bubble Tentacle Sea Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolour). Even the beach itself was alive with hundreds of small scurrying hermit crabs (Diogenidae) in a colourful variety of gastropod shells.
 
Back on the ship we showered and gathered for a welcome brunch, then went ashore again, this time to the port of Kavieng on New Ireland. From there we went across the straight to Nusa Island for an excellent display of local dancing and a particularly enthusiastic ‘sing sing’ performed by the school children. There were many beautiful carvings and other artefacts to see and buy under the shade of the pandanus trees before we made our way back to the Spirit of Enderby.
 
The birders returned to the ship at this time having departed at the very early hour of 0330.  It had been a long but productive day for them as they got up onto the Lelet Plateau and recorded some of the island’s endemics including a number of Paradise Drongo, New Ireland Myzomela and Hunnstein’s Manakin.  Other nice birds included Black and Finsch’s Imperial Pigeon, White-bibbed Fruit Dove, Red-chinned Lorikeets, White-necked Coucal and Black-tailed Monarch. Arguably the highlight of their day was watching a White-bellied Sea Eagle hunting and eventually catching a Great Flying Fox – the largest bat in the world – quite a sight!
 
Kayakers Log: We headed from the ship to Lemus Island but the tide was too low to circumnavigate, so after a quick explore we crossed over to Nusaum Island. We circumnavigated the island then stopped on the sandy point for a snorkel before heading back to the ship. There were loads of baitfish with the usual predators (both fish and birds) zeroing in and some spectacular coral. 4.4km
 

©S.Noakes


 ©R.Barthel

Day 8
Sunday 18 October
Rabaul, New Britain Province

After waking to the melodious tones of Katrin and another delightful breakfast by Ralf and Andy, we headed out in the Zodiacs and landed at Kokopo Beach Resort around 0800 in perfect weather. Four waiting minibuses took us in two separate groups on a tour of Rabaul, which had been devastated by a major eruption of the Volcan and Tavurvur volcanoes on 19 September 1994.  The first group drove about 30 minutes to one of over 300 of the Japanese tunnels that were built by POW's to house amphibious barges that were used to offload the submarine supply vessels during WWII.  We were taken on a tour of the 200m deep tunnel that still housed the remains of five barges, most now in poor condition and received an excellent presentation by Suzanne and the proprietor of the property about the history of the Japanese occupation. 
 
From there we drove along Simpson Harbour, named after one of the early sea captains who ‘discovered’ the bay, up to the Volcano Observatory.  There we were met by one of the volcanologists who sacrificed his day of rest to give us an excellent tour of the facility.  We read the descriptions on the wall and saw the equipment used to monitor the rumblings of the sleeping giant, Tavurvur, whom the locals watch closely to gauge any activity.  There had actually been an eruption exactly one week before we arrived which triggered a moderate earthquake.  Afterwards we had time to appreciate the magnificent vista from the ridge overlooking the six volcanic cones, bay, the new settlement of Kokopo, which is now the provincial capital and the wasteland that was once Rabaul.  As we were driving through the region Suzanne told us about how ‘Queen Emma’ rose to dominance during the mid 1800's and how her influence is still felt today. Originally from Guam, she was schooled in Australia before being expelled for "lewd and lascivious" behaviour. She hopped a ship and arrived in Papua New Guinea, fearful of returning to Guam because of the expected backlash from her parents. She proved to be an exceptional entrepreneur and quickly became a major landowner and capitalist, manipulating each of her four husbands before their questionable demise, believed to be due to poisoning. 
 
We drove through the remains of the pyroclastic flow (ash and pumice) and entered the centre of what was once the heart of Rabaul.  The highlight was being able to visit the bunker of Admiral Yamamoto, one of the architects of Japan's war in the Pacific and the leader of the attack on Pearl Harbour.  On the way back to Kokopo we stopped at the Blue Lagoon viewpoint for a nice view of the harbour and surrounding volcanoes.  Next we stopped at the Kokopo War Relic Museum which had a great collection of primarily Japanese equipment from WWII including significant parts of aircraft, tanks, artillery, naval guns, bombs and vehicles including tractors and armoured personnel carriers.  There were other buildings on the grounds that housed colonial and native artefacts plus memorabilia from the war.  We were so engrossed in the museum that we only had about 15 minutes to enjoy the large market in town before heading back to the ship for a late lunch. 
 
While we were out on our tour the birders again had a long drive to access the low mountains around Wild Dog Mine and found another suite of endemics – Blue-eyed Cockatoo, White-backed Woodswallow, New Britain Friarbird, Black-bellied and Ashy Myzomelas and bird of the day, a soaring Black Honey Buzzard.
 
Expedition Leader Nathan had planned on making a stop nearby for the snorkelers and kayakers, but the afternoon wind was a bit too strong, so we had a relaxing afternoon on the ship enjoying a couple of lectures before our evening wrap up.
 

 ©R.Barthel


©Heritage Expeditions

Day 9
Monday 19 October
Nissan Island, North Solomons

This morning we entered the North Solomons province, with a human habitation history of some 28,000 years and some 23 different languages. After another early start we had the privilege of visiting the community of over 7,000 people on Nissan Island, where we were awe-struck by the preparations that had evidently been made for our arrival. The welcome began with a traditional cleansing, followed by a long walk through the village past lines of smiling and engaging locals in what felt like the PNG equivalent of a red-carpet welcome. The people of Nissan Island are related to the people of New Ireland and some of the ‘sing sings’ (dances/festivals) we saw originated there.
 
After some formal speeches to begin the proceedings, we were treated to a programme of ‘sing sings’ and dances performed by the school kids, their teachers and contingents from various other villages around the island. These included 6 dancers with Malagan looking spirit masks enacting what appeared to be a fishing scene. At the behest of our hosts, we too contributed to the festivities with an impromptu performance of the hokey-cokey, led and directed by Suzanne which proved to be a big hit with the villagers!
 
At the end of official festivities, we were taken in hand by groups of willing local guides, many of them school children, and escorted enthusiastically around the island and the villages to see the way the community lived. We were led around gardens with staple crops of kaukau (sweet potato), coconuts, some cacao and drying sea weed. There were three distinct population groups on the island and our guides appeared to be a congenial mix of each of them. The birders went for their usual birding walk and found conditions very difficult with all the birds being very shy, but eventually found the two specialities of the island – Louisiades White Eye and Atoll Starling.
 
After fond farewells, we retreated to the ship for lunch while the now familiar afternoon winds picked up enough to make an afternoon snorkel a difficult proposition. Nevertheless, two Zodiacs were dispatched with a dozen or so intrepid snorkelers, who experienced quite an impressive reef in the wind shadow of the island. We were joined by an energetic crowd of locals who swam out from the shore to tread water and frolic amongst us. The reef life below the water did not disappoint, with many brightly coloured corals interspersed with anemones and another suite of anemone fish and other damsels such as the prominent Bicolour Chromis (Chromis margaritifer). Due to swell crashing over the inshore reef, we were limited to snorkelling about five meters above the bottom with duck-diving needed for closer inspection. However the clear water provided a sort of bird’s eye view of the reef that many snorkelers found enjoyable.
 
Kayakers Log: The wind and swell was up early but it was manageable, so we paddled in through the northern channel to the village on Green Island and stopped there for a ‘sing-sing’ and village visit. We then paddled back out the northern channel and hugging the coastline, headed to the northern side of the island for some protection from the winds. After passing some awesome limestone cliffs we continued paddling over a nice reef with azure coloured water and came across a fishing canoe. Had a quick swim off the kayaks and returned to the ship. 7.2km
 

©Heritage Expeditions


©Heritage Expeditions


Day 10
Tuesday 20 October
Bougainville Island

We are amongst the very few who have been able to explore the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, which until recently had been closed to visitation due to internal conflict raging over 10 years from 1984 to 1994. The conflict was brought on by tensions of self-determination, disputes over indigenous control of land and inequality of profit distribution from the copper mine established on Bougainville in 1963.
 
After landing at Arawa, the adventurous birders clambered into the back of a pickup and were driven to the highest point of the road so they could walk downhill throughout the morning.  Their bird of the day was the cryptic little Bougainville Bush Warbler, a species only recently described to science and only ever seen by just a handful of people!  They also had prolonged views at what appeared to be the virtually unknown Mayr’s Swiftlet.  Other top sightings included the endemic Bougainville Crow, plus Pale Mountain Pigeon, Red-capped Myzomela and Yellow-throated White-eye and a magnificent Solomons Sea Eagle being attacked by a Brahminy Kite.
 
The rest of us continued towards the Bougainville Copper mine site of Panguna, a visible scar on the landscape and within the hearts of the landowners that now lays derelict deep in the mountains. Our local guides told tales of troubled times in paradise and the loss of land and fortune. We enjoyed an excellent study tour of the mine site visiting the main pit, standing atop the massive tailings canal and the crusher plants. In its day the mine was the largest open cut copper mine in the world stretching over 5km long and deep, employing over 7,000 people and providing facilities such as schools, cinemas, shops, residential rooms, sports centres, churches and markets. International companies and countries alike now bid for annual contracts to remove large amounts of the scrap metal, contributing to the cash on the island. Bougainville people culturally associate themselves more with the people of the Solomon Islands than Papua New Guinea, giving rise to a referendum due to be held in 2020 on whether to secede from Papua New Guinea or stay as an Autonomous Region. Before returning to the ship we could not let the chance to visit a local food market go by. Here we wandered the crammed stalls and walkways, filled to the brim with local produce, course cut tobacco, root vegetables with the top shelf overflowing with dried fish, tapioca, donuts and local nuts. A small artefacts section included lavalava (sarongs), beaded necklaces and the famous Buka baskets and bags offering a chance for us to spend our last Papua New Guinea currency (Kina). The baskets intricately woven with two tone grass sheaths originated here in Bougainville however due to the expansive employment tentacles created by the mine site in its early days of operation, this style of weaving can now be found duplicated throughout most of Melanesia.
 
We have begun to realise that each landing brings with it a surprise of some sort and today was no exception. Later in the afternoon we returned to Kieta, some by Zodiac with a few intrepid kayakers, to a secluded bay not far from our original landing site and were immediately greeted by a battle of the ‘sing sing’s. Three groups vied for our attention and applause, complete with an amazing compliment of musical instruments ranging from bamboo flutes to large wooden trombones made from cylinders of wood topped with coconut sheets. Traditionally dressed women in each group performed a mix of ancient songs and contemporary square dancing. When the official dance procession finished the real dancing commenced with the locals sparing each other in a jovial competitive mood with water stored in bamboo tubes, enjoying every minute as if we were invisible. It was truly an amazing experience when local dancers enjoy the moment more than visitors.
 
This backdrop was the setting for the recent movie ‘Mr Pip’, which we had a chance to view on-board later in the afternoon. The film recounted the story of Mr Watts, the last Englishman remaining on the small island of Bougainville during the violent civil war, who took up the duties of teaching children and influenced them by reading the stories of Charles Dickens, particularly ‘Great Expectations’. Whilst a confronting story based on true events of the time and captured from the award winning book by Lloyd Jones, it gave us a sense of both despair and hope for the future of these proud people.
 
Kayakers Log: Afternoon. Kieta, Bougainville Island. First we paddled to the sing-sing that was being held at the school in Kieta. After a great performance we headed past the wharfs and into Riga Lagoon, which was very shallow but interesting as we came across a little boy with a bow and arrow hunting fish. We headed out of the lagoon and along the coast as far as Mission Point and crossed the channel to Bakawari Island. The village of Poboka on Bakawari Island was a magical place but while we didn’t land we paddled along in front of it and even had some kids catch a ride on our kayaks. We returned to the ship in some spectacular light with the mountains of Bougainville dusted in mist. 8.7km.
 
 
©S.Noakes


©S.Noakes


©S.Noakes

Day 11
Wednesday 21 October
Choiseul Island, Solomon Islands

We awoke early today due to a change of time zone in the Solomon Islands.  After breakfast we took a Zodiac ride up the Sui River that flows out of Choisel Island. The river was narrow and quite shallow in places, and its banks were a tangle of aerial and prop roots supporting a lush mangrove forest. Behind the mangroves, the rainforest spread thick and far and flying above us were many birds including cockatoos, eagles and Brahmany Kites. The stars of the show however were the beautiful blue kingfishers that darted around the river bank and perched for photographs not too far from the boats. The birding Zodiac had a successful trip, seeing four species of kingfisher – the endemic Ultramarine Kingfisher and North Solomons Dwarf Kingfisher and the more widespread but equally stunning Beach and Collared Kingfishers.  Other highlights were good numbers of Solomons Cockatoos, Cardinal Lory, and one pair of Brown-winged Starlings at their huge nest and best of all, the bizarre and often-shy White-billed Crow.
 
We left the river and motored over to Tarekukure village. As we pulled in to shore, a contingent of local men in full battle dress sprang from the undergrowth yelling and waving their weapons in mock hostility! Recovering from the surprise, we made it safely to land and were ushered into the village for an official welcome followed by a number of traditional dances. These culminated in an entertaining pantomime performed by the gregarious young men of the village. Later we were treated to fresh coconuts and explanations about traditional shell money, clay pottery and woven baskets still produced in the village. We ended the morning activities with a stroll round the small station of Taro. The enjoyable walk along a boulevard of small shops, administrative buildings and markets, ended with a brief stop at the Choiseul Women’s Resource Centre. This community sector programme is sponsored by the Australian Government and Soroptomist International. Extensive reunification projects are the result of a major conflict within the Solomon Islands in the late 1990’s, in particular Guadalcanal and Malaita Islands, which impacted government, services, safety and community.
 
After lunch back aboard the ship it was time for some to retreat to a sandy beach on the island opposite Taro, while for the more adventurous there was snorkelling available on the nearby marine reserve. The reef did not disappoint, teaming with life of all colours, shapes, and sizes. The deeper waters were patrolled by Giant and Bluefin Trevally (Caranx ignobilis and Caranx melampygus) while schools of smaller fish such as Blue Fusiliers (Caesio teres) moved among the corals. Several different species of anemone fish were observed, including the False Clown (Amphiprion ocellaris) and Skunk Anemonefish (Amphiprion akallopisos). An interesting feature of this reef was the relatively large number of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (Acanthaster planci). Although we had seen these voracious coral predators at other reefs, here they were particularly plentiful, and we saw large tracts of white coral skeletons in their feeding wake. The Crown-of-Thorns Starfish is known for population outbreaks and we hoped this reef was not in great danger from them.
 
After more than an hour of reef browsing, we headed back to the ship for a warm shower and a drink at the bar, followed by another delicious dinner. The next instalment of the South Pacific documentary series was aired in the lecture theatre in the evening.
 
Kayakers Log: We took advantage of the flat calm conditions and headed out for an extended morning paddle. Firstly we paddled to Sipozae Island and followed the eastern coastline before crossing over and circumnavigating Parama Island. The reef off Parama Island was alive with loads of fish and many black tip reef sharks cruised the shallows. From there we headed to a river mouth on Choisel Island and explored the mangroves before heading to a village for a cultural performance. Afterwards we crossed from the village to Taro Island via Mbochombochoro Island and explored the small town there before returning to the ship. 12.8km
 
 
©R.Rudland

Day 12
Thursday 22 October
Arnavon – Santa Isabel Island

Our activities today began with an excursion to a turtle conservation centre situated on the Arnavon Islands. Apart from a few conservation officers these islands are uninhabited by humans. Their main concern is the conservation of turtles and in particular the Hawksbill Turtle. This involves protecting the nests of incubating eggs from natural predators, as well as educating nearby villagers about the sustainability challenge of harvesting these endangered animals for food. The highlight of our visit was the opportunity to witness a clutch of recently hatched Hawksbills flapping their way from the nest high on the beach to the ocean that would become their new and permanent home. After seeing the last of the clutch make it safely out past the waves breaking over the reef, we spent time wandering around the sun soaked island, looking for birds or fish in the inshore waters. Creatures seen in the water included Eagle and Dasyatid Rays, Blacktip Reef Sharks and the magnificent spectacle of a Manta Ray leaping out of the water, a practice believed to help these giants rid themselves of ectoparasites.
 
A birding walk around the island was very productive with the shy Beach Thick-knee seen very well, in addition to six species of herons and 12 species of waders, almost all long-distance migrants from the Russian tundra!  We also eventually tracked down and enjoyed great views of some shy Melanesian Megapodes.
 
The ship lifted anchor and headed south as we enjoyed lunch. The afternoon activities included two lectures. Nathan the marine biologist talked about invertebrate life on coral reefs and then Suzanne told various secrets, historical and cultural snippets about the Solomon Islands. There was also shopping to be done as Katrin opened the Sea Shop. After dinner some stayed up to watch a documentary in the lecture theatre about John F Kennedy's WWII misadventure in Solomon waters on the ill-fated US patrol boat PT109.
 
Kayakers Log: We awoke to a beautiful tropical morning and headed out to circumnavigate the main island in the group with the Hawksbill Turtle rangers huts on it. Firstly we went to the huts to see some baby turtles hatching from their nest. After that amazing experience we circumnavigated the island anti-clockwise before having a stop on one of the small islands to the south. Awesome water clarity and reefs and the stingrays and turtles bobbing and flying under us made this a very pleasant paddle. 13.5km
 

Day 13
Friday 23 October
Tetepare, Solomon Islands

One of the last wild islands in the South Pacific awaited us early this morning. Tetepare, a long, rugged island, cloaked in primary lowland rainforest and fringed with diverse reefs, is noted as the largest uninhabited island in the world and showcases unique terrestrial and marine animals protected by a permanent Marine Protected Area. The island has been uninhabited for 200 years and while headhunting certainly played its part, no-one is sure why it was abandoned. When the logging companies came in 2001 with their promise of easy money, the descendants of the original landowners chose instead to establish the Tetepare Descendants’ Association (TDA) to protect the environment and culture of the island, focus on conservation and manage the island’s resources sustainably.
 
Onshore we were welcomed by Allan Bero the operations manager of TDA, who was joined by the effervescent hospitality manager, Mary and local rangers, who we did not at first recognise as rangers due to their traditional warrior attire, complete with bows, arrows and axes. Their ferocious charges were punctuated by squeals of delight from our group, and we were all thankful to be allowed entry and treated as friends and not foes! Marine turtles, such as the critically endangered Leatherback, nest on the volcanic black sand beaches here. Green and Hawksbill Turtles feed in the island’s sheltered lagoons, while Dugongs are often seen grazing in its sea grass beds. Sharks, Crocodiles and a myriad of fish species inhabit the reefs surrounding Tetepare, while several rare and endemic bird and bat species are found in its forests, making people one of the rarest creatures you’ll see.
 
After an initial greeting we split into two groups with the ‘moderate walkers’ setting out to traverse an overland track at the western point of the island, while the ‘easy walkers’ took the opportunity to wander the manicured gardens and walkways surrounding the research centre and eco-lodge. The excitement of the shark feeding station was equally matched by the buzz at the impromptu market waiting for us at shore side. Exquisite artefacts of polished rose and ebony were laid out for us under the shade of a Beech Almond tree.
 
The birders had a very productive walk around the lodge grounds and into the forest. Bird hunting ceased a generation ago on this island and it was so refreshing to see plentiful birdlife with no fear of humans.  The Melanesian Megapodes that are so shy on other islands strut over the lawns here. Stunning Claret-breasted Fruit Doves and Red-knobbed Imperial Pigeons feed peacefully in overhead fruiting trees while the birders stand underneath and watch.  The endemic Tetepare White-eyes were plentiful and we obtained great views of White-capped Monarch and Crimson-rumped Myzomela.  Inside the forest interior we enjoyed good looks at Buff-headed Coucal and Cockerell’s Fantail – this is a very special highlight.  The undoubted highlight of the morning occurred during a quick Zodiac ride around the island where the local knowledge and the great eyesight of our local guide brought us a memorable encounter with the rare Solomon’s Nightjar. The idea that we were perhaps the first birding group ever to see and photograph this poorly known bird making it a moment to savour!
For all who wanted to feast their eyes on the underwater world one last time, there was a quick turn-around between the ship and Zodiacs again and a suitable location for snorkelling was soon reached. This was a boat-entry snorkel and the reef here was another delightful display of fringing reef with a brightly coloured patchwork of hard and soft corals below tranquil waters. A dramatic edge to the reef provided vertical walls and some small caverns for adventurous duck-divers, and there was a very healthy population of large fish such as snapper (Lutjanidae), parrotfish (Scaridae) and groupers (Serranidae) hiding among the crevices. More obvious fish included yet another species of anemonefish, Allard's Anemonefish (Amphiprion allardi), lovely Moorish Idols (Zanclus cornutus), small schools of Blue Fusiliers (Caesio teres), and a couple of Blacktip Reef Sharks were spotted swimming out to deeper water. Some of us were even able to apply the information from yesterday's reef lecture to identify several examples of invertebrate reef life including the white stringy feeding threads of spaghetti worms (Polychaete Annelids), sponges (Porifera), and the uncommon Cushion Star, Culcita novaguineae (Oreasteridae, Echinodermata).
 
After lunch we completed the formalities of settling our accounts, returned snorkel gear and all too soon we were sitting in the lecture theatre for our final re-cap, culminating in a magnificent expedition review. Images of our journey through Melanesia, both above water and under, were soon flashing by us with over 1,600 nautical miles travelled, 23 activities executed and a life-time of memories gathered. We were reminded of the remote villages, unique cultures, rare birdlife and animals, but above all the friendliness of the people. Above all however we were thankful for the opportunity to visit regions less travelled. For the die-hards, the final episode in the BBC South Pacific series was screened after our delicious farewell dinner.
 
Kayakers Log: Tetepare Island. We headed out from the ship to the western point of Tetepare Island and along the southern coastline past many reefs into a large lagoon that lead to the Field Station. After a nice explore of the station area we kayaked back the way we had come and into Waugh Bay on the northern coastline, passing a few green turtles on the way. The fringing reef along Waugh Bay was spectacular so we stopped at a small beach for an awesome snorkel before returning to the ship. 10.5km
Total for the trip of 8 paddles for 77.4km
 
Day 14
Saturday 24 October
Honiara

Our expedition over, we disembarked in Honiara, returning home to all parts of the globe with fond memories of our Melanesian adventure.
 

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