1959: Secrets of Melanesia 24 Oct 2019

Day 1: Thursday 24 October
Honiara, (arrival day) Solomon Islands

We flew towards Honiara’s Henderson airport, the town stretching out below us along the coastline, a wide scattering of galvanised roofs in among lush green. A landscape that has clearly seen a lot of action, we could see terraced crops in the hills behind the town, and several hillsides had been denuded of trees, red raw earth showing in broad blazes.

The airstrip we were approaching was the airstrip built by the Japanese forces in WWII using local and Korean labour. The Japanese were attempting to secure a foothold from which to launch into a take-over of countries southwards. US forces moved in and, with intense bombing plus land and sea battles centering on Honiara and the airstrip, the US managed to push the Japanese troops back – a turning-point in the Pacific theatre.

On arriving, our group of staff and guests were transferred to the Solomon Kitano Mendana Hotel in downtown Honiara, the capital of the Solomons. We settled in, enjoying the view out over the bay, and soon gathered in the restaurant for a welcome dinner.

Day 2: Friday 25 October
Honiara (touring day & departure), Solomon Islands

The very first activity of the new voyage was a birding excursion. Meeting at 0500 the party of five; Rita, Li, Michael, Shelley and Julia, headed out of Honiara and up to Mount Austen arriving just as dawn was spreading. Our first birds were a pair of North Melanesian Cuckoo-shrikes which shot overhead, quickly followed by scope views of a pair of Yellow-bibbed Lory’s who were very much engaged in their own time.

On the edge of the grassland two pairs of Woodford’s Rails announced their presence, but despite trying hard they were reluctant to leave the cover of the thick grass to cross the track. As we descended down the track Blyth’s Hornbills whooshed overhead and Buff-headed Coucals called noisily from the tangles beneath us. A pair of Steel-Blue Flycatchers showed amazingly well in the morning sun, unlike the Ultramarine Kingfishers which refused to put on any kind of performance. At our furthest point Samson, our local guide, took us off piste to look for Oriole Whistlers. While they failed to show a pair of Buff-headed Coucals sat out on a sun-lit branch in full view, a real bonus. A male Song Parrot also sat out in full view for all to see and enjoy. The return walk produced a Chestnut-bellied Monarch, a strikingly dark Pied Goshawk and back at the vehicles an incredibly obliging Solomon’s Sea-eagle just overhead.

As the birders were getting a drink a small dark bird was spotted crossing the track. Some quick manoeuvring failed to lure out the presumed Woodford’s Rail so further searching was required. There lurking furtively in the grass was a Red-backed Buttonquail. Unfortunately it was superbly good at evading detection and only a few of the group managed brief views before it vanished literally between our legs.

Guests and expedition staff at the Mendana Hotel enjoyed a buffet breakfast, and met a group from the Spirit of Enderby, who had completed the previous tour along the coast of PNG. This group set off on a tour of Honiara, while the newcomers had a free morning, variously exploring Honiara’s markets, art gallery, and shops. The crew dealt with bags, supplies, and an airport transfer for departing guests.

After lunch, the Honiara highlights tour for the newcomers set off, taking in the local market, American and Japanese World War II memorials, a tour around Parliament, and a visit to the museum. 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. Rachel and expedition leader Judd Hill provided a welcome, mandatory safety briefings, and staff introductions in the lecture room. We were all excited to embark on the journey ahead and discover the ‘Secrets of Melanesia’ with Heritage Expeditions.

Day 3: Saturday 26 October
Talise Village - San Jorge and Utuha Islands, Santa Isabel Province, Solomon Islands

We arrived into ‘Thousand Ships Bay’, a name that Spanish explorer Álvaro de Mendaña gave during his 1568 voyage, on seeing the expanse of the harbour.

This morning the birders set out early in search of a few key birds in the forests of St George. Arriving into a small former logging village they set out on foot up the path and were rapidly greeted by many Solomons Cockatoos, Cardinal Lories and Red-knobbed Imperial-pigeons. A pair of Variable Goshawks stood proud on a trackside tree giving great views and one of our targets, the White-billed Crow, soon showed very well with three pairs all around the lower reaches of the walk.

As the birders climbed they passed a series of Melanesian Megapode mounds flushing a single bird from the trackside on the return journey, which rapidly vanished into the scrub. The striking black and white Solomons Monarch put in an appearance early on as did Chestnut-bellied Monarchs. Midget Flowerpeckers buzzed around the mid canopy and there were tantalising views of a Finsch’s Pygmy Parrot as it buzzed by but refused to stop! More obliging were a pair of Ultramarine Kingfishers who posed beautifully together on an open bow. All in all a very successful morning.

The group setting off to visit the village of Talise settled themselves into zodiacs. It was low-tide, and several Zodiac pilots and guests jumped out to help guide the craft up the channel to the village. The group was greeted by Talise community leaders, and we all took a short hike up to the school. The school is a simple, two-storey building, and serves two villages. Even though it was Saturday, a substantial group of children were there and delighted us all with energetic songs, each with complex harmonies and clapping accompaniment.

Heading back to Talise, we found a panpipe band waiting for us. Made from lengths of bamboo, the panpipe sets ranged in size from those about a foot across that could be played by a child, to those that were many feet across, mounted on a frame and played with a flip-flop paddle. Once we were all settled on the steps of the community hall, the band started in earnest, and three lines of girls from the primary-school carrying white fringed dance wands danced for us, a foot-stamping, wand-waving dance that had our toes tapping. It came to the moment when visitors were invited up, and Hilde and Alyson happily joined in.

Like other communities in Santa Isabel, Christianity has melded with traditional ways of understanding the spirit world to create a syncretic belief system. Here, it is the Anglican Church that has had the most sway. The Anglicans sent in ‘Mission Teachers’ (islanders who had already decided to convert) from Aotearoa New Zealand and Norfolk Island to present the new religion in a way that chimed well for Solomon Islanders. This method was used by various other denominations across the archipelago. Today about 92% of Solomon Islanders identify as Christians.

We returned to the ship for lunch, followed by a snorkel briefing in the Lecture Room with our resident marine biologist Courtney Rayes. We were then whisked away to a remote picturesque island to enjoy our first snorkelling experience. Some chose to enjoy a nature walk on the island, others enjoyed relaxing beach time, and the rest of us got straight into the water to check out the reef.

A variety of stony and soft corals created an expansive reef for a range of fish life. Some very territorial anemonefish swam right up to cameras, while a timid moray eel snuck back into its crevice. Garden eels were reaching up into the water column, creating a head bopping performance. Reticulated dascyllus, damsels and anthias were hovering in and out of the branching coral heads. Into the blue, a school of barracuda, Blacktip Reef Shark and Black-spotted Whipray were spotted. Longfin Spadefish drifted over a patch of reef seemingly undisturbed by our presence.

In the recap session Aaron and Jenny gave an outline of a dramatic story of murder, strife and reconciliation that had played out on Malaita. In 1987 Tim Flannery, a mammologist at the Australian Museum, a high-profile Climate Change communicator and former Australian of the Year, had been looking for unique mammals rumoured to be in the mountains of Malaita. Maintaining a connection with the Kwaio people of the area over the following 30 years, he assisted with establishing a community conservation program and a cultural centre.

Also working with the Kwaio was David MacLaren, a medical researcher of infectious disease from James Cook University, Queensland. A Kwaio elder, Esau, was anxious for their safety on the island, as there was ongoing anger on the island since 1927, when the British colonial government had ordered an Australian ship to carry out a punitive raid, massacring Malaitans. This had been retribution for a Malaitan killing a British tax collector of the ‘head tax’, a method to force men to work on the new plantations in order to earn cash to pay the tax.

Esau worked with villages around the island to agree to a reconciliation ceremony, and though it was still a very volatile situation, Tim and David (with the agreement of the Australian Consulate) took part in a ceremony that laid a lot of ghosts to rest. We would be visiting the Kwaio people the following afternoon, the third visit by Heritage Expeditions to this proud, traditional community.

Day 4: Sunday 27 October
Leili Island (snorkelling), Abito’ona Village/ Gala Village, Malaita Province, Solomon Islands

Torrential rain hampered the efforts of the birders today. Having arrived on the island the 4x4s struggled up the road and by the time the group were birding the trail, torrential rain had quelled all bird activity and dampened spirits. Unperturbed the group found refuge in a small garden under a palm shelter and waited out the shower. As soon as it had passed bird activity resumed and very rapidly species like Yellow-bibbed Lory and Song Parrot were very much in evidence. Malaita White-eye showed well as did Barred and White-bellied Cuckoshrikes.

The undoubted highlight though was Finsch’s Pygmy Parrot. This miniscule parrot had eluded us until now. One buzzed overhead and vanished. The sound of a camera shutter from behind alerted us to Li’s train of attention and there, just a few metres in front of him, was a stunning little Finsch’s Pygmy Parrot! It showed superbly well for a couple of minutes before vanishing. The walk back up the track produced a very obliging Metallic Pigeon, a species which rarely shows let alone well! So despite the rain it ended up a successful morning.

This morning those on board decided there was no better place to be when it’s raining than in the water snorkelling. The reef extending out from Leili Island was popping with colour and was made up of a diverse coral range including plate, leather, wire and boulder corals. Coraline algae, sponges, worms, mollusks, echinoderms and other invertebrates were nestled in every crack, and fish were crowding above the coral. Large fan and barrel sponges stood tall on the drop-off, with several fish species sheltering inside the sponges. Protective orange Spinecheek and red and black Anemonefish were enjoyed by everyone, and brilliant pink and orange Anthias put on a lively display. It didn’t take long for the sun to come out and really bring the colours to life. Overall, it was a wonderful way to start the day.

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 David MacLaren came on board with Esau, his wife Dorothy and their son David (Dr MacLaren’s namesake). They introduced us to the Kwaio people, providing an overview of their kastom practices, protocol and etiquette. They are proud of being the only non-Christian community in the Solomon Islands, and asked that we join them in wearing traditional dress for the dance at the end of the morning’s activities. As traditional dress is a single leaf for men and a small rectangle of cloth or grass worn at the front for women, we could see this was going to be a request that would take some courage to fulfill! Excited to meet this community, we boarded the Zodiacs and slipped into a hidden passageway weaving through a mangrove swamp, which lead into an inner lagoon.

Landing on shore we were ambushed by a symbolic challenge from yelling warriors who burst from the undergrowth brandishing clubs, festooned with leaves and charcoal-sooted faces, before being led up into a beautifully-appointed nasara (ceremonial ground) with a two-storey lodge and stalls displaying handicrafts and traditional foods. We had a welcome from the leader of the village hosting us; the Kwaio’s own village is a 12 hour walk up the mountain. Members of Malaita’s communities had travelled upwards of two days from their remote hilltops to meet with us, a great honour and an indication of how effective Esau’s peacemaking between villages and reconciliation with white outsiders has been.

Some local women served us coconuts with environmentally-friendly leaf straws. We sampled delicious traditional food of bamboo baked pawpaw and sweet potato and koa pudding made of shaved mangrove bean mixed with coconut cream and fish.

On the tables around the nasara were museum-quality hair combs, armbands and headbands, woven from thin strips of bright yellow orchid leaves and young coconut leaf dyed red with nono fruit, along with beautifully-patterned shell-bead necklaces, and wooden items including clubs and bird-form dance paddles.

We split into two walking groups – one for the beach, another heading to a lookout point, through forest to look out over the sea. On returning there was a performance of music with some men blowing through bamboo panpipes, others gathered around clapping a hand against a pad of leaves; the music was captivating and earthy. The call went out for guests to join the dance, and some of the men and women from our group took the opportunity to show respect and togetherness with the Kwaio, shedding our inhibitions and stripping to cloth or leaf waist bands and with our own leaf bundles in hand, we joining the music-making.

Day 5: Monday 28 October
Sikaiana

A new stop for the Spirit of Enderby, the coral atoll of Sikaiana is very remote – and very lovely. Settled by about 2000 BCE, the atoll has since received settlers by voyaging canoe from Tonga, Samoa, the Gilbert Islands in Micronesia, and Malaita. The first of Sikaiana’s people to have sustained contact with Europeans was a man called Luka who was kidnapped by de Quiros to work as a translator on the trip around the region and back to South America. Luka was never returned.

A party was taken ashore in the morning. This atoll had a truly oceanic feel to it and not least through its avifauna. Arriving on the village beach we were greeted by ethereally pale White Terns and striking Black Noddies cruising around above the canopy. On the shore Turnstones, Whimbrel and Grey-tailed Tattlers foraged next to a pair of Pacific Reef Egrets. Across the atoll we could just make out the cloud of birds above the trees. Apparently this is a breeding site for Lesser Frigatebirds, Boobies, Noddies and Tropicbirds.

Once Judd had established a safe low-tide passage through the reef, the remaining passengers were expertly maneuvered around the coral bombs and approached the village.

As we arrived, a set of men and boys came out into the shallows and, yelling, performed a Sikaiana version of a haka. If we had been foes we would have been intimidated, but as we were friends, we enjoyed the warm welcome that followed directly on the heels of the staged challenge. We were given songs, women’s and men’s dances, all with strong Polynesian and Micronesian elements, as well as some recognisable Melanesian components. Two of the girls wore fine loom-woven banana fibre dresses, continuing the tradition of loom weaving that settlers from islands in Micronesia would have introduced.

Passenger Maria reciprocated the songs we had been given, by singing two songs from Aotearoa New Zealand. We were all proud to have been able to give something of beauty in return. After the performances were over, and coconut candy handed around for everyone to enjoy, we were able to explore the village, and to buy woven pandanus fans with handles decorated with coloured yarns.

Speaking to several locals, Jenny heard how the atoll is now being managed by the Solomon Islands National Adaptation Plan, as they are experiencing serious implications from salt water inundation, coming up through the coral substrate as the sea level rises causing over-washing of this low-lying atoll. Billy Lamongisa, the local medical officer, spoke about the problems they are having with their swamp taro and other crops. Coconut palms on the edges of the atoll are falling into the sea. With the need for reliable fresh water and food sources, the Solomons Government is investigating securing funding for relocating the islanders in years to come.

The time for us to leave came all too quickly, and we bid farewell to people we would have liked to know better – we were all touched by the warm welcome and broad smiles of the people of Sikaiana.

Day 6: Tuesday 29 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 Mendaña de Neira tried unsuccessfully to establish a colony here in 1595.

As the stormy Islands loomed on the horizon we encountered a number of seabirds with Black and Brown Noddies forgaing on bait fish whilst a Brown Booby and Lesser Frigatebird cruised by. The birding highlight was undoubtedly two Magnificent Petrels which slowly cruised by the ship. Slightly closer inshore we discovered an incredible aggregation of Melon-headed Whales and Pantropical Spotted Dolphins intermingling before charging around with great energy. It would be fascinating to know what interactions and communications were going on between the two species.

We travelled ashore to Luova Village then jumped aboard open-air trucks with wooden planks in the back tray, the best available. As we walked the short track to the village, we were ambushed by suitably alarming warriors, yelling and threatening us with bows and arrows. A woman – the peacemaker – called them off and we were permitted to proceed to the village.

Noipe Village was busy and there was a buzz of excitement. After welcome songs we were lead to the dance arena, where elders, chiefs and younger members of the community circled around, singing and stamping in time. After several of these circuits, we were invited to join the line, which many of us did, bringing grins and laughter to the locals watching.

The two chiefs leading the dance line were wearing traditional ornaments; the tema (circular ornament of white clam shell topped by a finely-carved turtle-shell piece representing frigate bird tails and fish) and the striking nelo, an intricate open-work rectangle of pearl shell, pendant from a pin piercing the chiefs’ nasal septum. One of the chief’s wives danced with a roll of feather-money, tevau, on her head – making clear her status and the wealth they had acquired when they gave away their daughter in marriage.

We were invited to watch the making of this prized red feather money for which the island is famous. Feather money is used in Santa Cruz as a form of currency and is 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). Tevau is built up as a long belt and can reach up to 10 metres long (approximately five centimetres 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 onto a fibre 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 wrapped around a sturdy 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.

As soon as the excitement of the welcome dances and demonstrations had finished the birders started out along the track. One of the first birds to put in an appearance was a pair of Santa Cruz White-eyes although they didn’t hang around. Coconut Lorikeets zipped overhead while a Mackinlay’s Cuckoo-dove and an Orange-bellied Fruit-dove showed briefly. Overhead Pacific Imperial Pigeons cruised by and along the track both Glossy and Uniform Swiftlets hawked for insects at eye level.

The range of items on sale, displayed under a covered pavilion, was impressive, and many purchases of carvings, small batons of feather money, jewellery, and other items were made. After a tour of the village to see kava root drying in the sun on racks, the school and other significant features, John sent his drone up to take an aerial photo of the village, to the delight of the locals. We were treated to a farewell song and we were loaded back onto the trucks, in company with people from nearby villages who had come up for the festivities.

Day 7: Wednesday 30th October
Ngauta Village - Taumako Island and Tahua artificial island, Duff Islands, Temotu Province, Solomon Islands

We arrived at the Duff Islands, ready to visit Taumako Island and the artificial island, Tahua.
Courtney took a group snorkelling in the morning. Fingers of coral reef extended out from shore and passageways and overhangs had been created from the constant water movement in and out of the channel.

Wading out from the shallows, we were able to see numerous anemones, sea cucumbers and urchins inhabiting the seagrass beds before reaching the reef itself. One of the highlights included a Lionfish casually wandering on the reef. Inquisitive Pompano came in for a closer look at some snorkellers and Needlefish were schooling at the surface. Some long white antennae were spotted projecting out from a crevice, belonging to a couple of Painted Spiny Lobsters, and Nudibranchs were seen mooching along the rocky walls. There was something for everyone, as others enjoyed some beach time and birders went exploring in the nearby bush.

These tiny islands might seem like they are at the end of the earth but birds have still managed to colonise them. The torrential rain that passed overnight and into the morning had caused many migrating waders to pause on our snorkel beach. Amongst them Bar-tailed Godwits and Ruddy Turnstones on their way to New Zealand, and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and Pacific Golden Plovers probably bound for Australia. It’s likely that many of these juvenile birds had never seen a human before.

Taumoko was originally settled by Lapita peoples in approximately 900 BCE, followed in the 1400s by Austronesian speakers from Melanesia as well as Polynesian settlers. The island identifies as Polynesian, speaking a Samoic language branch called Pileni; as well as Pijin and English. The Duff Islanders are renowned for their skills in making and sailing ocean-going canoes, navigating by reading the sea and night sky. We were fortunate to see a dugout canoe in progress as we arrived on the island.

Reciprocity is an important part of maintaining good relations between people in Polynesia and Melanesia, and after we had been treated to songs, Maria sang for the assembled community, as she had in Sikiana. Dances followed, and we thought it only proper to agree to join in the final circle dance. The community was especially pleased to see the children among our group, something they could not recall having happened before, and they were included in the linked-hands dance ‘chain’ as well as the circle dances.

After the welcome, everyone explored the village, some joined in a game of volleyball, while others were led by the hand by children to see the school and medical clinic.

The birders headed off in search of their main target, Palm Lorikeet. A few calls from the coconuts alluded to their presence but it wasn’t until they arrived in the school grounds that our birders finally saw their target. A large flowering palm was adorned with excitable Palm Lorikeets and a number of vivid Cardinal Myzomelas all frantically feeding on the nectar.

Speaking to locals about the impacts of climate change on the island, a few of us heard about the rising sea levels that are causing their strip of habitable land to be flooded and eroded. One man we spoke to is hoping that people will visit them soon with skills to help construct concrete seawalls to protect them from the rising waves.

The day was drawing to a close and we had to pull ourselves away. We stopped briefly at one of the Tahua artificial islands. The chief of the island was not sure when it had been built, but said it was where the Christian missionaries had maintained a settlement, with converts. Records reveal that Spanish explorer de Quiros had sighted the artificial islets in 1606. The missionary ship Duff had landed in 1797 (hence the group’s English name), but the main period of missionary activity came later. There was a dysentery epidemic on Taomako during the 1910s-1920s, and it is possible the islets became important as a quarantine area, and by the 1950s the entire population was living on these artificial islands. The chief of Tahua mentioned the foundation of the island had been thrown up a very long time ago by a big storm; further building on top of this foundation created the habitable land we see today.

We hurried to leave as it was clear the large swell and choppy conditions were worsening; the ride back by Zodiac was a wet one and the transfer onto the gangway made everyone appreciate the solidity of the Spirit of Enderby’s deck!

Day 8: Thursday 31st October
Usily Village - Vanikoro Island & Buma Village - Te Anu Island, Temotu Province, Solomon Islands

As soon as we landed in Usily village the birders headed off in search of their targets, Vanikoro Monarch, Flycatcher and White-eye. The first area checked was among the mangroves and Beach Mahogany along the coast, but this drew a blank and with the temperature rising fears grew that we could dip these endemic species. The next move was to tackle the mangrove swamp behind the village. Visually this swamp is pretty spectacular with towering mangroves anchored into the black mud with large buttresses and interspersed with thousands of knee roots, short knobbly air roots that project up from the surface of the mud.

Making our way across and out the other side we found ourselves in jungle thicket where lianas and palms dominated the mid canopy. In a small clearing a pair of Melanesian Whistlers showed very well and were soon joined by the Vanikoro subspecies of Rufous Fantail and also two Cardinal Myzomelas. Just a few metres further on a tree fall had opened up another small patch and after trying hard we finally got a response from a Vanikoro Flycatcher. Initially it proved elusive before a second suddenly appeared and much to our elation a pair of Vanikoro Monarchs popped up right next to us, chattering a scolding call at our presence. At one point we even had the Monarch, Flycatcher and Fantail all perched together, quite some sight. Time had ticked away and we had to beat a hasty retreat back across the swamp. The thick mud endeavoured to consume Michael’s Crocs but without success and the entire party made it back to the beach complete with all belongings!

We were welcomed into the family village of Usily by Chief Chris and entertained by a group of young men, expertly playing PVC pipes of various length, hit with paddles of rubber.
A highlight was discovering a large voyaging canoe (tepuke) from Santa Cruz resting at the edge of the village, having landed last year when bad weather necessitated a stop en route for Vanuatu. The voyagers are trying to raise funds for repairs for the boat to enable the voyage to continue.

Jackson Yai, a schoolteacher in Usily, explained the island is suffering considerably from the impacts of climate change. Most people have moved inland, to evade the floods with higher tides. The weather patterns are changing and have become harder to predict; the elders used to be able to advise when storms were coming by watching signs in the atmosphere and night sky, but this does not work anymore. The fruits are not coming at the right season – they are coming late, in the cyclone season, and they often get knocked down by strong winds.

Just around the corner from Usily village was a beautiful reef wall sheltered by the outcropping reef and alive with fish and colour. All shapes and sizes of coral were present and many new species of fish were enjoyed. Larger Sweetlips and Snapper stood out, with several juveniles also spotted in their unique colourations and patterning. Abundant mushroom coral littered the reef and deceptively delicate sea fans were attached under the overhangs displaying their magnificent structures. Back to the ship for lunch before we set off on the next adventure.

In Buma Village we were greeted and treated to dances, including tall, other-worldly masks of red and blue with stalk-like protrusions, and long fine fringes. Dancing and running across the dance ground, the tall spirit figures were accompanied by ‘minders’ and a clowning character dressed completely, entirely covered, in a loose suit of plaited coconut fibre. Jumping around and, on leaving the dance field slapping its bottom, the figure drew delighted laughter from the crowd – locals and visitors alike.

Later in the afternoon, on our Zodiac cruise, we took time to meander down a mangrove channel and visit the monument to French explorer Jean-François de La Pérouse, erected in 1827 by fellow French navigator Dumont D’Urville. The La Pérouse expedition disappeared in 1788 partway through their voyage around the world; in the years following it was gradually established that both of the expedition’s ships, l’Astrolabe and La Boussole had wrecked on the reef in Vanikoro. Some of the crew settled there, others crafted a small two-masted boat and, it has recently been discovered, got as far as the Torres Strait before wrecking on a reef off Murray Island. The ship’s boy was the only survivor of hostilities that broke out.

In the mangroves around the monument over 100 waders and 20 Pacific Reef Herons were roosting up, these included many Whimbrel and Grey-tailed and Wandering Tattlers.

Day 9: Friday 1st November
Sola Town – Nereqon Village, Vanua Lava Island (Banks & Torres Islands), Torba Province, Vanuatu

This morning we arrived 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. As the ship cruised towards Vanua Lava the birders kept vigil on the bridge. A brisk wind created a bit of motion but also helped to keep seabirds moving and as we tracked between the islands Brown and Red-footed Boobies made their way into the breeze along with Wedge-tailed Shearwaters. The highlight of the morning though were two Magnificent Petrels, one of which tracked alongside the ship for some time.

Our arrival into Vanuatu also provided a great opportunity to catch up with a few birds in the village of Sola. The open landscape made locating the vocal Vanuatu Honeyeaters pretty straightforward, whilst energetic Vanuatu White-eyes and Silvereyes tumbled through the canopy alongside the road. A small homestay proved incredibly fruitful. Here the mature gardens held five very obliging Pacific Emerald Doves as well as Mackinlay’s Cuckoo-doves, Long-tailed Trillers, honeyeaters, white-eyes and Coconut Lorikeets. A small stream here was home to a number of Short-finned Eels. Back along the road a small flock of Red-bellied Fruit Doves fed in a tree whilst Glossy and Uniform Swiftlets cruised back and forth.

As we arrived ashore our local guide had soon organised another welcoming group of young people giving us a flower garland welcome into the village including a formal receiving line of council members and other government representatives. We were then treated to a range of well-organised demonstrations, in marked-out areas: first weaving bamboo strips to create wall panels, sewing leaves to batons to create roof panels, and the preparation of nangai nut and roasted coconut meat and oil to create a traditional pudding called nalot. We were then presented with a women’s dance, and a men’s dance which was a sea snake dance, with the men and boys painted up with white stripes and grass caps on their heads to mimic the sea snake. The morning finished up with being served shells of kava to drink – an important part of kastom and favourite pastime of Ni-Vanuatu men.

In the afternoon, surrounded by mountainous landscape and an expansive reef, we were treated to some fantastic snorkelling. Large rocky reef extensions and boulders were interspersed by deep sandy depressions and the shallow reef tops created great viewing platforms of the tiered plate corals. Hawkfish were perching proudly on the coral branches, keeping a close eye on the advancing snorkellers, and loads of Damselfish, Surgeons and Wrasse were milling around the reef. Burrowing urchins sat flush in their hollows which they dig into the calcareous rock using their mouths (Aristotle’s lantern), waiting patiently for nightfall when they move across the reef feeding on algae. The great visibility coupled with a swaying motion of the slight surge rolling in made for a completely relaxing snorkelling experience.

Day 10: Saturday 2nd November
Champagne Bay & Luganville Township, Santo Island, Vanuatu

After a 0430 continental breakfast the birders were up and out and heading ashore. As first light spread across a grey sky they pulled up to Champagne Beach and rapidly made their way across the island to Vatthe Conservation Area, a small area of intact forest protected and managed by Bill, a dedicated local of Matantas village. The morning was to be spent working their way slowly along the narrow forest trails in search of the endemics and range-restricted species.

As soon as the group entered the forest a Vanuatu Kingfisher announced its presence and was soon giving great views above us. Southern Shrikebills and Streaked Fantails foraged in the mid-canopy whilst vivid Melanesian Whistlers sang from the trees. Two Buff-bellied Monarchs put on a great show only interrupted by the occasional Vanuatu Flying Fox flapping through the trees. A handful of Vanuatu Imperial Pigeons showed briefly, while a Vanuatu Megapode proved very elusive only showing for a couple of seconds, and a pair of Island Thrushes were even briefer rapidly dashing across the track. High in the canopy two Melanesian Flycatchers flitted from branch to branch whilst Vanuatu White-eyes rippled through the leaves. Out of the forest flocks of Coconut Lorikeets were more easily visible as they fed on flowers. Back at the vehicles the drivers had prepared a fine feast of Mango, Papaya, Pineapple, Banana and coconut, a very pleasant surprise.

Startled on waking by the beauty of Champagne Bay around us, the remaining guests were eager to get ashore. It cannot get better than starting the day off with champagne on Champagne Beach followed by snorkelling with great fish life. Seconds after entering the water a Lionfish was spotted coasting along the bottom and Yellowstripe Scad were schooling around us. Across on the reef, fish were abundant and busy feeding their way along the coast. Most notable were the Parrotfish, Surgeonfish and widespread cleaning stations with Wrasse. Colourful bivalves were nestled in their crevices including several giant clams, oysters and scallops. A lone Nudibranch was enjoyed by many, with bright blue colours and yellow spots, and a few timid Pufferfish were weaving their way in and out of the coral. The peaceful snorkel ended with a call to head in for a performance.

At 0900 a group of women dressing in leaves walked in procession past us, and into the shallows to perform water music: cupping and splashing the water and creating a surprising range of sounds, from deep, drum-like booms to high register splashes. Developed while washing in the lakes in the island’s interior, this was music particular to the island’s women. Many of us tried our hand at it afterwards, the women obligingly trying to teach us, with only marginal success! After a photo shoot with the performers, and some buying of handicrafts, we headed back to the ship.

After lunch aboard Spirit of Enderby, the main group boarded three mini-busses and went on an afternoon bus tour exploring Santo and downtown Luganville, the provincial capital. During WWII, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, the island was used by the US Armed Forces as a military supply and support base, naval harbour, and airfield. During this time 100,000 US soldiers were stationed here, with 500,000 passing through. At any one time in 1943-1944, there were at least 100 ships in the harbour.

Santo was also the setting of James Michener’s Tales of the South Pacific and the subsequent Rogers and Hammerstein musical, South Pacific.

After visiting the South Pacific WWII Museum in Luganville, we travelled to Million Dollar Point, named for its worth after thousands of tons of US construction equipment and military hardware was dumped into the sea at the conclusion of the war (the British side of the combined Condominium government had bought some of the equipment, but the French side spent too long prevaricating about the cost of the rest and missed their chance).

We headed to the memorial site of the SS Coolidge – an American luxury ocean liner that was converted into a troop carrier during WWII. The Coolidge’s captain had been given misinformation about which entrance was the safe one, and thus hit two US mines. All but two of the 5,340 men on board were saved. The SS Coolidge along with Million Dollar Point are now world renowned dive sites. The beaches are littered with metal debris and countless pieces of Coca Cola bottles, rounded over the decades into so much sea glass. We also visited bomber plane wreckage scattered through a forest near an old airfield. Another, more detrimental, leaving of the US Military was the ‘Mile a Minute’ vine, introduced to provide camouflage for their buildings – it has continued to grow and choke the island’s forests; it can grow as much as half a metre a day.

Some of this approach to using the island brings to mind the way de Quiros made a claim on the island for Spain in 1606, declaring it Espiritu Santo, and attempted to establish ‘Nuova Jerusalem’, building a wooden settlement with 130 crew. Relations deteriorated to the extent that after 50 days de Quiros’s men lifted anchor and sailed away while de Quiros was asleep on board.

We ended the day 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.

The final three Zodiacs pushed away from the Blueholes as dusk started descending on this serene landscape. Dan had bought his bat detector with him and the Zodiacs slowly cruised back down the river as the first Pacific and Vanuatu Flying Foxes emerged followed by the two species of microbat, one common one almost certainly a Lesser Sheath-tailed Bat, and also a Dobsonia species, also known as Bare-backed Fruit Bats. The Zodiacs emerged out in to the channel as darkness fell and returned just in time for a later bar and dinner.

Day 11: Sunday 3rd November
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 the final stop on our Secrets of Melanesia voyage. 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 black sands and the ‘black magic’ practiced by the locals. Ancient customs play a significant part in everyday village life, alongside the practice of Christianity. The unique features of kastom practices here includes the sculpted tam-tams (slit gongs), sand-drawing, tree fern statues and the ceremonies, practices, and restrictions on behaviour that keep kastom a living practice, managing relationships between people, land and spirits.

After landing at Lonpokor Village, we were met by our guide, John Willy, and set off up the hillside, some on foot, others in the back of two pickup utility trucks, to reach Fanla Village. On arrival we were served freshly cut coconuts. The chief of the village and his wife Rhoda were welcoming. John briefed us on protocol and etiquette we needed to follow while visiting the sacred dance ground, the nasara, to witness the public portion of the rom grade-taking ceremony. While the rom is a men’s ceremony, the women of the Spirit of Enderby were permitted to watch, as outsiders to the system of kastom.

We arrived at the nasara and waited behind bushes while a chief performed a welcome. Ushered into a seating area at one end of the nasara, and with a light sprinkling of rain and strong gusting breeze, we were mesmerised by the rhythmic sound of stomping feet, vibrating the ground, and magnificent tam-tams as village chiefs and elders ceremoniously entered onto the nasara, skin gleaning, the several chiefs accompanying the rom dances wearing nambas (penis sheaths) and a red hibiscus flower or set of white feathers to demonstrate their high social status.

Soon the rom dancers, achieving the effect of looking non-human, and of the spirit world, were entirely covered by mask and fringing skirt reaching to the ground. The tall, pyramid-shaped masks carried strong geometric designs in bright red, green, black and white, the peak topped by rooster feathers and below a chin fringe of banana fibre. Beneath the masks the dancers were covered with a long, thick fringing skirt of banana leaves. Stomping in time, singing and calling out, the dancers and chiefs advanced slowly to the centre of the nasara. The most striking custom dance we had seen this trip, the rom dance is traditionally an exclusive male event and kept guarded from women or outsiders. A complex, highly-formalised system of intellectual property rights continue to this day, in which men sell the rights to learn the costume designs and to participate in the dance. Each man taking a grade negotiates a payment of pigs, rooster feathers and money to his mentor for the privilege. These exchanges keep links of obligation active, and mark out a man’s achievements in gathering wealth.

The ceremony came to a close, and we were invited to take photographs from a respectful distance. We were then treated to a performance of sand drawing, a well-known Ni-Vanuatu practice, for story-telling, teaching, or passing on messages. After a frame of straight lines is marked out, the drawer uses one finger in a continuous, sinuous line, to mark out a symmetrical design. We were shown drawings representing the edible blue snail, the kingfisher, and an especially complex drawing representing the heart, lungs and respiratory system. Many of us took up the opportunity to purchase carvings, flutes and necklaces. A bountiful array of fruits awaited us before bidding farewell to Fanla village.

While the focus was very much the incredible culture here, birders never miss an opportunity and following the ground-shakingly good performance they headed off slowly back down the track in search of anything they could find. Grey Fantail and Grey-eared Honeyeater were both new for the voyage and it was good to see Vanuatu White-eye again but sadly the hoped-for Tanna Fruit-Dove did not materialise.

Returning from the steep hill climb, it was time to refresh with a unique snorkelling site over black sand and reef patches extending from shore. The contrast between the black sand and vibrant coral was outstanding and the large boulder corals were very impressive. Others made a great effort to find the mysterious dugong to no avail, however Bluespotted Ribbontail Rays and garden eels proved fantastic alternatives. The final expedition activity completed, everyone returned to the Spirit of Enderby, to take stock.

Day 12: Monday 4th November
Port Vila, Vanuatu

With more 1300 nautical miles covered and over 20 expedition stops during 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. We have been granted privileged access to communities who are visited very rarely, and who had welcomed us with wonderful, heart-felt hospitality and generosity.

Early morning, we bid farewell to the Spirit of Enderby, crew and the Heritage Expedition team.