1858: Secrets of Melanesia 18 Oct 2018

Day 1: Thursday 18th October
Honiara (arrival day), Solomon Islands

Landing at Henderson Airport, on the large mountainous island of Guadalcanal located in the Solomon Islands, was a surreal experience for some of us, given this was the exact airfield during WWII that provided the stage for ferocious fighting between the Japanese and the allied forces – the later regaining control of the airfield. Guadalcanal is well-known for its pivotal role in World War II, some say the ‘Battle of Guadalcanal’ turned the tide in favour of the Allies in the Pacific theater. Soon we were transferred to our central hotel the Solomon Kitano Mendana, downtown Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands and regrouped for a welcome dinner.

Day 2: Friday 19th October
Honiara (touring day & departure), Solomon Islands

This morning was a meeting of groups as the birders from both Melanesian expeditions merged for an avian assault on Mount Austen, Guadalcanal. As light slowly crept across the sky the birders were all in place on a rough track on the edge of the forest. A shrill call shattered the silence, Woodfords Rail, a large flightless and endemic species but a seriously difficult species to see. They slowly advanced towards us calling but clearly saw us before we saw them and vanished into the tall grass unseen. Behind us a tall dead tree hosted an obliging Blyth’s Hornbill quickly followed by a stunning Yellow-bibbed Lory in its vivid red, yellow, green and black plumage. Along the track a pair of Chestnut-bellied Monarch whistled their territorial limits whilst Knob-billed Imperial Pigeons perched aloft of the tallest trees. Further into the forest we located Black-headed Myzomelas and Steel-blue Flycatcher whilst a low booming heralded the presence of the remarkable Buff-headed Coucal. After a little searching we found two of these huge and striking birds sunning themselves against the canopy. A Brahminy Kite grabbed a large lizard from the top of a tree perching in full view to devour it. A handful of Mackinlay’s Cuckoo Doves and Stephan’s Emerald Doves shot across the track and above us Solomon’s Cockatoo’s screeched from tree to tree. All in all a productive start to this new expedition.

For everyone else, after a leisurely morning enjoying bustling Honiara, we joined the afternoon highlights tour, taking in the local sights of the market, Japanese and American World War II memorials, a scenic drive through the suburbs, a visit to the museum ending at the craft market and gallery. Soon we boarded the Spirit of Enderby, anchored close by in the harbour, and were shepherded to our comfortable cabins onboard by the Cruise Director Rachel Iveson-Brown. After mandatory safety briefings, emergency assembly practice, staff introductions by the expedition leader Aaron Russ, we were all excited for the journey ahead and the ‘Secrets of Melanesia’ with Heritage Expeditions.

Day 3: Saturday 20th October
Talise Village – San Jorge and Utuha Islands, Santa Isabel Province, Solomon Islands

Nestled in ‘Thousand Ships Bay’, a name given by the Spanish explorer Alvaro de Mendaña y Neyra Mendana during his 1568 voyage for the expanse of the harbour, we were soon exploring the mangrove fringed channel bound for the small village of Talise.

The birding Zodiac departed the ship at 0600 and headed inshore through calm seas towards an old logging camp. Even before we had made landfall White-billed Crows harshly croaked their presence as they flew along the forested bank behind the shore and Solomon’s Cockatoo’s also noisily moved between the trees. After landing we headed off up the old logging track climbing through the gardens which held a very smart Pied Goshawk and a number of Midget Flowerpeckers. Flocks of Cardinal Lory’s passed by as did a handful of Song Parrots, the latter showing well as we descended back down the track later. Melanesian Megapode mounds were in evidence in the softer ground and our local guide found a freshly laid egg in one pit. A pair of territorial male Solomon’s Monarch dashed out across the trail in front of us chasing each other but soon turned their attention to our presence giving good views. A pair of Finsch’s Pygmy Parrots gave fleeting glimpses as they shot between trees but the final new bird of the morning was a cracker, a pair of Metallic Pigeons back down at the landing site. Once again the bank behind the shore was very birdy and these stunning pigeons landed in full view giving excellent scope views. As our intended departure time arrived, so did the rain and boy did it rain! Luckily a well placed hut allowed us to shelter until Aaron arrived.

The cultural group were greeted by Chief Samuel Voti, Stuart Kelly and Jim Avalu. With school gifts of books and soccer balls hoisted high on our shoulders, we commenced the short hike to the school, eager to deliver our gifts. Perched above the village, with a vantage point to view the harbour and Spirit of Enderby anchored below, the primary school teacher was grateful of our visit. Some wandered the village to talk with locals, providing a wonderful immersion experience. Our farewell was herald by the melodically voices of the local children with an amazing rendition of gospel and traditional songs. During early colonialization time, mid 1800s, Anglicans were more successful in this area than other missionary denominations, as they trained local people in both New Zealand and Norfolk Island early in the piece to help with effective Christian conversion. The humidity of the morning was soon washed away with a torrential tropical downpour. While we were drenched to the skin, nothing could dampen our spirits as we returned to the ship for lunch, followed by a snorkel briefing in the Lecture Room with our resident marine biologist Courtney Rayes. In the afternoon a special visit was planned to Utuha Island, Santa Isabel Province, where chiefs Wilton and Silas Valira welcomed us with a bamboo and panpipe band perched on the sand.

Following on from the pipe band we were treated to the delightful underwater world just off the island corner. A diverse array of soft and stony corals spread across the reef flat and the sea was incredibly calm. Fish were lively, forming large schools above coral boulders and blue and yellow fusiliers scouted the edge of the reef. Indo-pacific sergeant, staghorn damsel, and triggerfish were notable species crowding above the coral heads. Some lucky snorkelers enjoyed observing a moray eel, and others an octopus. A variety of other invertebrates including a range of worms and echinoderms were thoroughly enjoyed by all.

We joined Tim Flannery late afternoon in the Lecture Room for an incredible tale about Basiana’s Pig – one of murder, redemption and reconciliation among the Kwaio people on Malaita Island, spanning a period from 1927 till 2018. Tim and Michael McCoy led an explorative expedition in this area during 1987 to find unique mammals, rumoured to be living high in the mountains. Grateful for the villagers assistance Tim provided guidance 30 years later to form a community conservation program and struck up a close relationship with Esau, a Kwaio elder who was the architect of the 2018 reconciliation along with Dr David MacLaren, a medical anthropologist from James Cook University, North Queensland. To our surprise we were to visit the Kwaio people the following afternoon, and were told this would be a ‘first tourist contact’ visit.

© S. Noakes
Day 4: Monday 21st October
Leili Island (snorkeling), Abito’ona (Christian) & Gala (pagan) Village, Malaita Province, Solomon Islands

For the birders we headed off at first light into the mangroves where a truck awaited us ready to transport the party a few kilometres up hill to an old gravel extraction road. Here we worked hard to find a few key species, the main target, Malaita White-eye showing itself well. Amongst the other highlights a second calendar year Variable Goshawk also showed well as did a small flock of Song Parrots, Cardinal Lory’s and Solomon’s Cockatoos. The event of the morning came in the form of a visit to the local police station! Whilst not on the scheduled itinerary it proved a fascinating insight into local life and politics with a letter of trust being brokered and signed between the tribal chiefs, local birder and Chris (our logistical support agent), to allow access into the forest for future birding.

After dropping birders ashore, we repositioned Spirit of Enderby beside Leili Island for the remainder of us to start the day with a refreshing snorkel. High tide allowed us to pull straight onto the beach this morning and enter our breath-taking snorkel site directly from the beach. The reef formed a narrow band along Leili Island before dropping off into the blue. Soft corals were diverse and abundant filling any gaps along the reef and wire corals and barrel sponges sat on the sloping drop-off. Schooling long-jawed mackerel zoomed along the reef edge. The colours were vibrant and fish-life energetic. Sprinkled in between stony branching corals were numerous anemones and an assortment of anemonefish species. Two lionfish were also hidden within a large barrel sponge on the drop-off.

After lunch we repositioned beside Malaita Island, a mountainous island home to one-third of the Solomon’s total population, with pristine rivers and tropical forests, ready for our onshore activities. Dr MacLaren and Esau joined us onboard to brief us on the afternoon program and introduce us to the Kwaio people, providing an overview of protocol and etiquette. We were intrigued to learn that at Abito’ona Village we were instructed to cover-up due to their devout Christian faith, while in Gala Village we were encouraged to strip off and go ‘au-natural’ based on their pagan beliefs. We sensed this had the potential to be a highlight of the journey, let alone providing a wardrobe dilemma. Excited for the experience, we boarded the Zodiacs and slipped into a secret passage way weaving through a mangrove swamp, which lead into an inner lagoon. After our welcome ashore by one of the leaders of Abito’ona Village, complete with loud speaker and symbolic pantomime of a warrior attack, we were treated to informative talks on how climate change and rising sea waters is a challenge for the village of Abito’ona. We were interested to hear the speaker advise that other islands laugh at them because their village is often flooded, however our visit is assured to lift their status in the region. Coconuts were served with environmentally friendly leaf straws and we sampled delicious traditional food of bamboo baked paw paw and sweet potato, mangrove nut with coconut cream pudding and fish. Hand in hand with our new found friends we were ushered to the other side of the lagoon for the traditional part of our visit to Gala Village. The Kwaio hill people are pagans and live an organic lifestyle free from clothing and cling to ancestral beliefs. Even though they had travelled upwards of two days from their hidden hilltops to meet with us, they were full of energy and ready to showcase their songs, dancers and culture. A cacophony of sound greeted us with a traditional dance performed by athletic men clad only in a cloth belt and leaf lap lap. Sounds of local birds were mimicked through the use of bamboo on stone, unique only to this village. Museum quality hair combs, woven from orchid stems, head bands, wooden clubs and woven goods were on display in the market. After a demonstration on how the sort after shell money is made, we explored a prepared rainforest trail with tribal women, leading us to the beach. The call back to the dance arena provided a rare opportunity for some of us to shed our inhibitions and strip to cloth or leaf waist bands, as we were invited to join the villages in the finale dance – a rambunctious circle of thigh and hand clapping. An incredible experience! Tim later advised our visit would be seen as a momentous occasion for Gala, given they are often chastised by the Christian village Gala as being primitive mountain people. The evening recap was given over to the festive spirit that enveloped us all on our return to the Spirit of Enderby.

© D. Brown
Day 5: Tuesday 22nd October
Star Harbour, Tora (surfing) & Namuga Village (Queen visited 1974), Makira Island, Solomon Islands

Arriving in Na Munga village at 0730 the birders set off through the village to an old road through the forest, now overgrown and reduced to a narrow, single-file path by the verdant undergrowth. The forest provided highly productive for everything with plenty of bird activity. Mottled Flowerpeckers and Sooty Myzomelas fed on fruits and flowers, whilst gourdy Yellow-billed Lory’s also took advantage of the flowering trees. A pair of stunning White-headed Fruit Doves showed amazingly well above the track and a highly vociferous Maker Honeyeater directed us towards a Tree Boa coiled high in the canopy. Chestnut-bellied Monarchs and Makira Starlings added to the haul whilst side interest for bug-gets rather than birders including some stunning spiders, large freshwater shrimps, a cluster of Lesser Sheath-tailed Bats roosting under a leaf and a large arboreal lizard. Returning back to the village they were even pleased to find the first Cardinal Myzomela feeding amongst myriad butterflies and moths on the flowering tree in the village centre.

During the afternoon those keen on seabirds enjoyed some stunning conditions and a fine selection of birds to go with it. Sooty Terns were harassed by Arctic Skuas whilst a lone South Polar Skua was also seen. Wedge-tailed Shearwaters were well scattered but once again the best bird was the final bird with a sighting of Magnificent Petrel.

Makira (San Cristobal) is the most easterly of the main island group in the Solomon’s archipelago, and covers some 3100sq km. Queen Elizabeth II visited here in 1974, making Namuga Village, her first stop on the South Pacific odyssey. Travelling deep into Tora passage we were soon swallowed by the mangrove forest and delighted with the antics of the hermit crabs scurrying over the mangrove floor raising their claws in defiance of our presence. A reseeding tide pulled us up short of reaching our final destination, requiring us to abandon the comfort of our dry Zodiac and trudge calf deep in slush and mud to the landing area. Aaron, who had gone ahead earlier to scout the village, burst out of the mangroves to welcome and guide us through a botanical wonderland of tall native trees, giant taro, sago palms and fruiting coconut trees into the scenic village of Tora, dramatically nestled in the shadow of massive limestone cliffs. A stirring in the undergrowth caused some to be apprehensive, given this once was home to furious head-hunters. Suddenly we were descended upon by ochre clad youths welding spears and clubs aggressively asking if we were friends or enemies. Thankfully we established friendship and continued our walk to Tora Village. On arrival Chief Rastas welcomed us, inclusive of what felt like the entire village, to his ‘million-dollar’ view. After the welcome dancers, we were invited to the sea shore to explore the intertidal pools and watch the children surf the waves on ingenious boards crafted from sago palms, held in place by betel nut palm doweling. Some say the youths are replicating the antics of international surfers that visit this location from time to time. The athletic amongst us joined a competitive soccer match, including Chef Ed and Tim Flannery, all abiding by the visiting team protocol rule to allow the home team to win or at least draw. On our return to Star Harbour, Chief Alfred Murray was standing proudly in front of his canoe shed, complete with moiety totem sentinels to welcome us to a courtyard brightly decorated with hibiscus, frangipani and comfortable chairs lined up in the shade of a beach almond tree which was covered in moths. Our short stay allowed us to explore the bulletin board in the reception room of Alfred’s guest house, noting the fabled photos of Queen Elizabeth’s visit to the South Pacific in 1974. With the afternoon at sea our program was filled with insightful and informative presentations, commencing with Courtney’s ‘Fishy Facts & ID’; Suzanne our regional cultural specialist and local representative Chris Mauleau talked on ‘Traditional money and ceremonies of the Solomon Islands’; finishing with ornithologist Dan Brown on an ‘Introduction to the Birds of Melanesia’.

© S. Noakes
Day 6: Wednesday 23nd October Nendo – Noipe Village, Santa Cruz Islands, Temotu Province, Solomon Islands

The Melanesian island group of Santa Cruz lies southeast of the Solomon Islands group and north of Vanuatu. Santa Cruz is administered as part of the Solomon Islands, but biologically shares more in common with Vanuatu. The Spanish navigator Alvaro de Mendana de Neira tried unsuccessfully to establish a colony here in 1595. For the birders rain delayed play. The group headed up towards Noipe late morning, ahead of the main group. Whilst the truck afforded little in the way of comfort the visibility was excellent and it wasn’t long before Kevin had spotted a rail close to the road. Reversing, the group enjoyed stunning views of a close Buff-banded Rail. This turned out to be one of seven on the way up! Rain had clearly just passed this area and many birds were sitting up on tree tops including a couple of Red-bellied Fruit Doves and a handful of Cardinal Myzomelas. Arriving in Noipe we grabbed a quick snack and headed back down the road birding. We managed to located the endemic Santa Cruz White-eye before torrential rain kicked up forcing us to take refuge under a large Pandanus, the fruits of which we tried while waiting. Eventually the main group appeared and the bulk of the birders returned to the village with them whilst Jay and Helge continued to bird the road finding Polynesian Triller and Rusty-winged Starling.

For the rest of the group we started the day on a picturesque sandy beach along Malo Island, with the local village allowing us to explore the fringing reef. While the reef flat harboured several large coral boulders, the best snorkeling was on the outer reef edge. Here, juvenile squid were gracefully maneuvering throughout the blue and beds of garden eels were observed on the sandy slope rising into the water column to feed before retreating back when anything came too close. Groups of palette surgeonfish, otherwise known as ‘Dory’ were cruising around coral heads and boring giant clams had burrowed deep into reef cracks forming dense colonies of brilliant colours.

A tropical downpour greeted us as we travelled ashore to Luova Village where we huddled inside the local church waiting for transport – open air trucks with wooden planks in the back tray, the best available. Noipe Village was a wash of tribal warriors, politicians, elders and excitement. After welcome songs we were led to the dance arena where elders and chiefs circled the traditional dance pole and showcased their endurance, periodically supplemented by wild betel nut hanging in the middle. Guided under cover we were invited to taste traditional food of steamed greens in coconut and baked sweet potato and viewed the making of the prized red feather money. Feather money is used in Santa Cruz as a form of currency and is predominately used for settling important obligations in both bridal wealth, mortuary celebrations and compensation payments (although now Solomon Islands currency is also used for this purpose). This currency, known as tevau, is formed as coils resembling long belts and can reach up to ten meters long (approximately five centimeters wide). The manufacture of the feather coils is limited to just a few hereditary specialists, working on one island, who are thought to receive their skills from spirits. One man locates the small Scarlet Honeyeater birds (Myzomela Cardinalis) living in the rain forest, and traps them using sticky perches. He then plucks the feathers from their heads, breasts and backs. A double coil of currency may consist of around 50-60,000 red feathers. Another man assembles the platelets from which the coils are composed. Using sap from a shrub as an adhesive he glues together Grey Pigeon feathers using a wooden gauge to check that each platelet is the correct size. A narrow strip of red feather is then glued onto each platelet. The currency binder assembles the platelets using a fiber cord base. The platelets are overlapped so just the red feathers are visible. The finished piece may be decorated with strings of seeds, shells, and turtle-shell, and attached to a ring of bark. The value of a coil is dependent on its condition – newly made vivid coloured examples are most valuable. The coils are wrapped in leaves and bark cloth for storage. The cultural program rolled on uninterrupted with competing women’s dance, with the scheduled wild rooster race cancelled given the rooster had escaped. Heartfelt goodbyes were sung with all the village shaking our hands on departure – an emotional ending which will stay in our memories for some time.

© C. Rayes
Day 7: Thursday 24th October Tahua artifical island, Ngauta Village – Taumako Island, Temotu Province, Solomon Islands

Another morning kicked off with snorkeling. The site at Duff Island was very unique, with finger-like projections running out from shore creating caverns and overhangs galore. After a very shallow entrance we plunged into the deep water between the rocky fingers. We were greeted with beautiful corals and great fish life. Some of the branching coral flats were home to innumerable juvenile redfin butterflyfish cruising alongside black-tailed dascyllus. For those looking closely commensal peacock-tail anemone shrimp were positioned inside their anemones and just meters away from the entrance a school of juvenile squid were parading around. In deeper waters in the center of the finger valleys juvenile black tip sharks were spotted dashing off into the distance. A thorny stingray also rested on the bottom underneath some of the rocky structure, unperturbed by our presence.

The exceptionally isolated nature of the Duffs means the avifauna is low but at least one of the species that occurs, Palm Lorikeet, is tough to see elsewhere. During the morning snorkel session Helge and Jay strolled along the beach and managed to locate a handful of these petite and unassuming lorikeets at the back of the beach. Following the afternoons amazing welcome to the island a group of us headed into the coconut gardens just north of the village where we found a number of Palm Lorikeets all feeding on palm flowers. Whilst they could be tough to pick up we eventually all had great views. Above us Red-bellied Fruit Doves, Melanesian Whistlers and Pacific Imperial Pigeons lurked in the huge fig trees that clung to the crags.

The sight of the majestic mountains of Taumako was reminiscent of a journey to Jurassic Park. Allowing the tide to raise enough for us to maneuver our flotilla of Zodiacs through the reef to the village of Ngauta, we left the ship mid-afternoon bound for the Polynesia outlier island of Taumako. Renowned for their traditional sailing and ocean going vessels the people of Taumako have been actively rekindling their skills as craftsman and sailors. On shore each of us were formally presented with intricate woven baskets and lead to the performance arena. We were lucky to enjoy the rehearsal of a youth group, who would soon be departing to another island to compete in an Anglican Christian rally. Reciprocity is a tradition that is practiced within Melanesia and after we had been treated to songs, dances and ceremonies we thought it only proper to show of our dancing skills and joined the finale song, much to the amusement of the locals. In the cool of the afternoon some of us joined Tim Flannery to talk one on one with village elders about challenges that face the community from climate change, over population and food supply. Others adopted a new friend and explored the village, some were more energetic playing a cat and mouse game with the younger kids of the village.

On return to the ship we were rewarded with a magnificent sunset – all enjoying the moment to watch the molten sun dip into the Coral Sea.

© R. Iveson-Brown
Day 8: Friday 25th October Usili Village – Vanikoro Island & Buma Village – Te Anu Island, Temotu Province, Solomon Islands

Today the birders embarked on a tough-mudder challenge to find the island endemics of Vanikoro. Leaving just after dawn we Zodiaced in to the tranquil sand beach and quiet village of Usili where our quest began. Guided by one of the villagers we headed out through the gardens and to the edge of the coconut groves where the gloom of the mangroves encroached. Here we started a 300m wade through the majestic trees and their buttress roots in mud and up to knee-deep water! Eventually we reached drier land and carried on birding though the going was tough. A Melanesian Whistler showed very well but with no sign of the monarch or white-eye we headed back through the mangroves and to the outskirts of the village. A striking Rufous (or likely split Vanikoro) Fantail, came to investigate us and along the shoreline Clifford took us to a spot where he had seen Vanikoro White-eye. Sure enough after a couple of minutes four appeared. Next stop, an area of Mangrove where he had heard the Monarch. After patiently waiting in the shade we got a response but it wasn’t the Monarch, it was Melanesian Flycatcher which sounds remarkably similar. Still it was great to get this attractive new species.

Our entry into Vanikoro’s island was surrounded by a dramatic barrier reef, which had claimed the French explorer Jean-François de La Pérouse vessels La Boussole and Astrolabe, when he mysteriously disappeared on his 1788 ‘Voyage around the World’. We were welcomed into the family village of Usili by Chief Chris and entertained by his young wards, expertly playing bamboo (PVC) pipes. We were to learn that these youths were also bound for the Christian rally scheduled in the coming week. Tim lead us into the undergrowth, and off the beaten track on a journey to discover swamp sago, mangroves, endemic tree variants and flying foxes.

Later in the morning another unique snorkeling site was awaiting us. We rounded the point of the reef to the right of Usili Village and made our way along the deep drop-off between two Zodiacs. Conditions were excellent, with great visibility and calm waters. Lots of big bright angelfish were cruising around and blue-streak cleaner wrasses were lively – even approaching snorkelers to offer their services. Schools of black spot snapper were resting underneath overhangs and sweetlips were roaming below. Along the deep wall numerous sea fans were projecting into the current and wire corals were everywhere. Some lucky snorkelers managed to glimpse a large turtle in the distance. The toughest part of the morning was having to end the snorkel experience for lunch.

Later in the afternoon, on our Zodiac cruise, we took time to meander down a mangrove channel and visit the monument to Le Perouse, erected by fellow explorer Dumont Durville in 1827. As well as the obvious historical interest around La Perouse monument the isolated mangroves here are superb for waders and a mixed flock relocated to another nearby mangrove before filtering back to the original trees in dribs and drabs. Whimbrels lead the way followed by a multitude of Wandering Tattlers, and a handful of Pacific Golden Plovers and Ruddy Turnstones. A single blotchy Pacific Reef Heron also flew in to join the waders.

In the nineteenth century Charles Darwin made a number of observations there about the formation of atolls. In the 1920s a New Zealand-Australian company began logging and milling kauri logs for export, based at Peou. This day in 2018 the inquisitive travelers of the Spirit of Enderby stepped onshore to explore Buma Village on Te-Anu Island. We were surprised when giant grass clad figures with brilliant red horny masks took to the dance arena – unlike anything else we have seen so far. These devil figures danced with the villagers to the drumming beat of large bamboo and PVC pipes colliding with the ground, sending a tremor to touch our souls. Later we would learn, to keep the spirits intact, masks are generally destroyed after each performance. The presentation culminated with a traditional women’s dance. After giving our rendition of ‘three happy cheers’ (one low, one medium, one crazy), we sipped on freshly cut coconuts as we wandered through the pristine village. On return to the ship Tim presented his ‘Climate Change out to 2050 – What Will the Future Bring’ talk. Whilst a sobering prediction was given, it was noted that it only takes a few committed people to bring about change.

© A. Russ
Day 9: Saturday 26th October
Sola Town – Nereqon Village, Vanua Lava Island (Banks & Torres Islands), Torba Province, Vanuatu
This morning we arrive into Vanuatu at the northern outpost of Vanua Lava, the largest of the Banks Islands, which is crowned by the volcanically active Mt Séré’ama. We completed clearance quickly, which saw us stepping onto the shores of Vanuatu a little early than expected. Local guides Robert and Ricky soon had us organised into two groups, one off to the traditional end of town to the village of Nereqon bound for a ‘kastom’ house and a chance to try some kava, the other off on a birding exploration. Expecting a low key welcome, the village visitors were surprised with the extent of the program including demonstrations of basket weaving, bamboo weaving for walls, food preparation of nangai nut and roasted coconut oil and flesh creating a traditional pudding called ‘nalot’ – truly delicious, concluding with a women’s and men welcome dance. Chief Melkio offered the highest degree of honour by individually farewelling us with shells of kava – a cultural kastom and favourite pastime of Vanuatuans.

The birding around Sola is some of the easiest of the trip. Arriving on the beach the birders turned right and away along the lane at the back of the village to search for a couple of key species. It was a matter of minutes before the first of many Vanuatu Honeyeaters appeared eventually giving great views. Vanuatu White-eyes also put in an appearance amongst the tall street-side trees. Our local guide Robert took us to his leafy property which held a very obliging Mackinlay’s Cuckoo Dove, a stunning pair of Long-tailed Trillers nest building, Pacific Emerald Doves strolling the sandy ground and a chirpy Streaked Fantail which bounced around above us. Further along the lane a lone White-breasted Woodswallow perched on top of a dead tree. On returning to Roberts place he showed us his tame freshwater eels which instantly came to him when he appeared with some crab, an unexpected highlight of the morning.

This afternoon we discovered a local Vanua Lava snorkel site with a wonderful array of plate corals. A slight current provided the perfect opportunity to relax and drift between the Zodiacs. Schools of indopacific sergeants and yellow fin goatfish formed aggregations on the reef. The tiers of plate coral interspersed by branching stony corals created a very structured feeling, as if this reef had been architecturally designed. Deep cuts ran up the edge of the reef before it dropped into the deep blue presenting another unique layout. However, by far the most exciting observation of the day was the adult dugong that joined in the snorkeling. It was seen cruising away from the reef before making a graceful u-turn and speeding back towards the snorkelers staging a magnificent display.

© C. Rayes
Day 10: Sunday 27th October
Champagne Bay & Luganville Township, Santo Island, Vanuatu

As we arrived on Champagne Beach in the half-light the trees rang out with the sound of myzomelas and gerygones. We headed off in our Hilux’s on an hour journey to Vatthe Reserve where the heavens opened as we arrived and didn’t stop for the next two hours. Not the best start to a morning of birding but the rain did not dampen our spirits and slowly we worked our way along the trail, guided by Bill who knows the area intimately. Whilst the rain quietened activity down we slowly found a number of species including Streaked Fantail, Buff-bellied Monarch, Melanesian Whistler, and Metallic Pigeon. A Vanuatu Imperial Pigeon could just about be pieced together in the canopy through the ‘scope, a Vanuatu Kingfisher called but did not appear. A highly obliging Southern Shrikebill sat just above the track devouring a large insect whilst in the thick understory Vanuatu Megapodes called but refused to leave the safety of the shadows (though Heather who had remained on the forest edge managed to get good views of not only a Megapode but also Buff-banded Rail in the same field of view!). One of the most interesting sightings of the morning was a strange large Kingfisher with rich rufous-orange upperparts and gleaming white underparts. It showed briefly twice but never long enough to grab a photo.

For the remaining passengers, you could not ask for a better start to the day than a champagne toast on champagne beach. Add a bit of snorkeling, craft buying and an outstanding display of water dancing by the locals, and you have perfection. Schools of yellow stripe scad swarmed around the sandy bottom and a range of fish species including convict and striped surgeonfish were exploring the reef. On the outer reef patches, red and black anemonefish were defending their anemones tucked in between branching coral. A blackspotted pufferfish was weaving beneath the rocky outcrops and a female spotted boxfish built up the courage to leave its refuge and check out the snorkelers. For most, it was the numerous schooling fish groups which provided the best entertainment, and a turtle cruising around close to shore didn’t seem to mind the snorkelers watching either.

The remainder of the morning activities included a presentation from Suzanne in the Lecture Room on ‘Cargo Cults of Melanesia’ followed by an afternoon bus tour exploring Santo and downtown Luganville, the provincial capital. During WWII, particularly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, the island was used by Allied forces as a military supply and support base, naval harbor, and airfield. In a highly fictionalised form, it was the locale of James Michener’s ‘Tales of the South Pacific’ and the subsequent Rogers and Hammerstein musical, South Pacific. After visiting million-dollar point, named for its worth after thousands of tons of US construction equipment was dumped into the sea after WWII, we headed to the memorial site of the SS Coolidge – a converted American luxury ocean liner that was converted into a troop carrier during WWII and sank as a result of hitting two US mines. All, but two of the 5,340 men on board was saved. The SS Coolidge along with Million Dollar Point have now become world renowned dive sites on Santo. Other stops included bomber plane wrecks and significant airfields. We ended at the unique Matevulu Blue Holes, these natural phenomena are formed when underground streams originating in the island's western ranges resurface as springs, cutting deep circular pools into the karst. Filtered by limestone, the water in these holes is pure and gin-clear, manifesting in luminous shades of blue.

Following our refreshing dip in the blue pool two Zodiacs full of excited bat watchers slowly cruised back down the channel. As dusk fell activity started with Vanuatu Flying Foxes emerging to forage on the flowering trees on the banks of the creek. At this point the bat detector and torches came out. Soon after a second species shot across the water. Tim suspected it was a Bent-winged Bat species and over the course of the next half hour many more appeared hawking low over the water and right past the Zodiacs. What may well have been a Horseshoe Bat also appeared over the water echo locating at around 90-100khz. To add to the excitement an Eastern Barn Owl circled us and we located several roosting birds in the mangroves including a smart Melanesian Kingfisher. The final excitement was navigating back to the ship through the inky darkness with flickers of biophosphoresence glowing in the wake – what a way to end the day.

Day 11: Monday 28th October
Ambrym Island – Fanla Village, Vanuatu

The smoke from the two active volcanoes, Marum and Benbow created an ethereal backdrop to the island of Ambrym, as we stepped out onto the bow early morning to view our final stop on the Secrets of Melanesia. Owing its name to Captain Cook who anchored off there in 1774, it means “here are yams” (ham rim in Ranon language). Ambrym is first and foremost a “black” island due to its volcanic ash, black sand and ‘black magic’ practiced by the locals, steeping this land in mystery. Ancient customs play a significant part in everyday village life including unique characteristics such as the sculpted tam-tams (slit gongs), sand-drawing, tree fern statues and local mystical dances. After landing at Lonpokor Village, we were soon ascending the tropical hillside, some on foot, others in the back of the only pickup utility on the island to reach Fanla Village. Our local guide, John Willy, was soon ushering us into the cool of his house with family members tending our thirst with freshly cut coconuts. Further on, at the staging point, John briefed us on protocol and the etiquette we needed to follow whilst visiting the sacred dance ground called the ‘nasara’. The sense of something exciting is herald with the rhythmic sound of stomping feet, vibrating the ground they stood on, and magnificent tam-tams as village chiefs and elders ceremoniously entered onto the nasara, wearing nothing but namba (penis sheath’s) and a red hibiscus flower to demonstrate their high social status. Soon the mythical Rom dancers burst out of the forest – the air heavy with ancestral spirits and ancient chanting. Donned with brightly coloured masks, hidden beneath dried banana leaf cloaks, the surreal figures guided by the lead dancer, reached a fevered intensity towards the end of the performance. The most striking custom dance we had seen this trip, the Rom dance is traditionally an exclusive male event and kept a guarded secret. A complex highly formalized system of intellectual property rights, men continue to this day, to sell the rights to learn how to make the costume, masks and participate in the dance. Each initiate negotiates a payment of pigs, rooster feathers and money to his mentor for the privilege. Like a good stage performance – it maintains costume production standards and preserves local culture.

Our final day of birding was a pretty leisurely affair as we headed ashore with everyone else and made the climb up to the village on Ambrym, Grey-eared Honeyeaters abounded in the coconuts on the ascent and Vanuatu White-eyes were also numerous. Following the amazing Rom dance we took a birding stroll back down the hill and quite rapidly discovered a pair of Tanna Fruit Doves which obligingly perched in the open for all to enjoy. Pacific Imperial Pigeons and Red-bellied Fruit Doves also put in an appearance.

After a demonstration of sand drawing and a chance to purchase artefacts, the best so far on the trip, we returned to the Spirit of Enderby ready for our final expedition activity.

We all had one last chance to enjoy the tropical waters this afternoon before departure the next day. Ambrym provided a stunning black sand reef site, with patches of reef intermittently positioned adjacent to shore. We had the calmest conditions of the entire trip and the visibility was incredible. Our local guide informed us that the villagers were no longer fishing this area to help protect the reef, and this was definitely apparent in the great fish life present. Furthermore, the sandy area just off the reef provided great viewing for several other species like the blue-spotted stingray, garden eel beds and schools of goatfish sifting through the sediment. One rocky boulder was also smothered in anemones and red and black anemone fish. It was a fantastic way to end the snorkeling for the trip!

As we waved farewell to Ambryn and steamed into Selwyn Strait it was instantly apparent this must be a rich area of water. A quartet of Pantropical Spotted Dolphins appeared off the back of the ship, whilst ahead a melee of terns and some more cetaceans were visible. As we approached a wheeling mass of Sooty and Bridled Terns, Black Noddy’s and a handful of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters were feeding close to a group of Short-finned Pilot Whales. As we pushed out east of the island terns persisted and a handful of Lesser Frigatebirds were also noted and the sunset behind the impressive volcano chain.

© D. Brown
Day 12: Tuesday 29th October
Port Vila, Vanuatu

With over 1300 nautical miles covered and over 20 expedition stops over a 12-day period, we certainly feel we have explored some of the secrets that Melanesia can offer and travelled to places that no other expedition ships venture to enjoy a number of ‘first contact’ experiences. Early morning, we bid farewell to the Spirit of Enderby, crew and the Heritage Expedition team.