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Thanks, Rob.  Looks nice and peaceful.

Talking about R&R, here's a pleasant read of a travel report.  (It also touches on another subject dear to me:  Security (for our team members).  The latter has to be explored a lot more and I have started piecing facts together.)

http://solomonstarnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7378&change=71&changeown=78&Itemid=26

Monday, 16 March 2009

Deep blue yonder

There's much to enjoy above and below the water in the beautiful Solomon Islands, writes Leonie Coombes of The Australian.

TO set the scene, I am writing this while seated on the deck of my private bungalow at Sanbis Resort, tucked away in a part of the Solomon Islands called Western Province.

Gentle waves are slapping the foundations of my tropical abode as myriad coloured fish dart about the shallows. Not long ago a small reef shark passed by. Boats occasionally break the mirrored surface of Marovo, the largest saltwater lagoon in the southern hemisphere.

It is a watery five-minute ride from here to the small township of Gizo and its airstrip. Solomon Airlines planes go overhead a few times daily, transporting local people and tourists from Honiara, 90 minutes away.

These spasmodic dronings are the only sounds except for coconuts hitting the ground and a shrill willy wagtail that lives in the naru tree shading my deck. My mobile won't work and when this tract is completed, nor will I. If I were any more relaxed I would be comatose.

I have come to get to the bottom of the Solomon Islands. Attach all possible meanings to that sentence. These turquoise waters are a paradise for snorkellers and divers but not so readily fathomed is the issue of safety for tourists.

The Australian Federal Police has been deployed here since 2003, training and supporting the local police force. Civil unrest in 2006 saw their numbers boosted considerably.

A visible presence from the moment one enters Honiara International Airport, they look so cheerful it is plain that life in the Solomons isn't all stressful.

Since a new prime minister was installed, normal routine has returned to the capital, though Australians will continue to assist the local police for at least five more years. This is good news for the tourism industry, which has languished as a result of the disturbances.

The capital is safe but visitors should exercise caution at night, as in any city. The greatest crime would be to skip Honiara completely. Rather than threatening, it's a slow-paced, steamy port where a melting pot of islanders live quiet lives. It is located on the island of Guadalcanal, a name that rings bells with those interested in World War II history.
It is possible to do tours here that concentrate on the war years and their fascinating remnants, such as tanks and guns abandoned in the jungle. Even the present airport was a battlefield on which Japanese and Allied forces fought for control of the runway.

The harbour was the stage for hellish scenes as planes and huge ships, including HMAS Canberra, disappeared beneath its surface. Appropriately called Iron Bottom Sound, these waters and their wrecks draw divers from across the globe.

But from the privileged position of my deck at Sanbis Resort, I can say with some passion that Honiara should serve as a springboard to the beauty and tranquility of the Western Province. This is the place to go troppo.

Scattered around Marovo Lagoon are dozens of islands, many of which offer appealing accommodation characterised by rustic simplicity. Sophistication has no place here.

Within walking distance of Sanbis Resort is Fatboys. Named for a Dickens character, its ambience is actually more James A. Michener.

Comfortable accommodation is available in well-appointed bungalows but many people just cruise in, literally, for a meal or drink at its jetty restaurant and bar; boats are the only transport in these remote islands.

Solomon Islands Resorts offers three inviting properties under the directorship of Australian couple Shane and Sue Kennedy. They run the dignified King Solomon Hotel in Honiara and the atmospheric Gizo Hotel.

The latter, offering a pool and harbour views, is centrally located in this raffish provincial capital where a few general stores and a colourful waterfront market constitute the CBD. Gizo is a convenient base for tours and diving trips.

But the Kennedy’s' stand-out property is a new, well-equipped, three-bedroom bungalow that derives its architectural style from the open timber and thatch huts in the villages.

Commanding its own sandy beach on the waterfront at Naru Island, it provides a Swiss Family Robinson experience with an important difference: a local couple living nearby do the cooking, cleaning and drive the boat. Though it is only a few minutes back to Gizo, the feeling of isolation is deliciously real. Fishing and snorkeling are at your door, though there is no door. Such contrivances are unnecessary here because the island is all your own for $500 a night.

Not every unoccupied island is as welcoming as Naru. We go touring on Marovo Lagoon in a high-speed boat to check out some popular attractions, starting with Skull Island.

Benign-looking from the water, the name says it all. Dozens of toothy, staring skulls piled up on rocks in the centre of the island are grim reminders that the peaceful Melanesians of today, many devoutly Christian, were headhunters only a century ago. No place for a picnic.

As an antidote to an encounter with death, what could be more exhilarating than whizzing through a vast, very blue lagoon scattered with reef-surrounded islands? Only one thing: having a large school of joyful dolphins escort you, leaping within arm's reach of the boat. This unforgettable episode distracts us from the tropical beauty of palm-shaded isles in jeweled waters, most unoccupied and all looking like perfect places to be marooned until rescuers arrive.

That, however, is an illusion. Kennedy Island is named in honour of a certain young American naval lieutenant who swam for many hours to reach its shores after his vessel, PT109, was sunk by a Japanese destroyer in 1943. It is pretty but has no water source or coconut trees among its vegetation, something the young JFK and his crew desperately needed. It seems much less inhospitable now that Fatboys, with its beer, burgers and beds, is within view across the lagoon.

Before leaving Kennedy Island, we put on masks and snorkel in a wonderland that the future US president, intent on survival, was unable to enjoy.

Only 30m from shore there is a drop-off into deep water where fish in luminous lava-lamp colours dart about in a coral hide-and-seek world. We are so entranced we can barely lift our heads, but the promise of something even better tears us away.

This western part of the Solomon Islands was the scene of fierce fighting in World War II and the evidence remains, much of it on the ocean floor. Our boat takes us next to a spot where an American Hellcat fighter plane lies at a depth of 10m, its ghostly outline visible before we enter the water. We slip into the lagoon for a closer look. The sight of a reasonably intact aircraft sprawled on the seabed is eerie.

The story behind its crash is not unfamiliar. It was brought down by friendly fire. The Solomons are known as the Friendly Isles but Americans, bless them, can be overly friendly. The pilot survived and returned to visit his plane in post-war years.

Another wreck that draws tourists is the Toa Maru, a Japanese supply ship sunk by American planes in 1943. Lying in fairly shallow water and visible to snorkellers, it became even more interesting as a dive site following an earthquake two years ago that caused the intact vessel to break up. Its multifarious contents, ranging from crockery to typewriters to tanks, are visible.

This part of the Solomon Islands has a number of accessible wrecks. Throw in brilliant marine life and you have one of the best scuba-diving locations in the world.

Dive Gizo, run by an Australian and American couple for more than 20 years, organises tours to many sites. They have a staff instructor so visitors who would like to gain a Professional Association of Diving Instructors certificate while on holiday here can do so. It is difficult to imagine a better souvenir of these islands.

One can only write so much about diving before feeling the urge to go back in the water, especially when Marovo Lagoon is calling. Let it call you, too, because the Solomons needs tourists.

From my point of view, a large scattering of pristine islands only 1800km northeast of the Queensland coast, or three hours from Brisbane, is very enticing.

Those who come here are rewarded by natural wonders and the satisfaction of helping to build a stabler, more prosperous economy for great people: our neighbours.

Leonie Coombes was a guest of the Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau.

SAND BY ME

OF course room service is available at Sanbis Resort. I am told so quite proudly by the Solomon Islander who shows me to my bungalow. But a search soon reveals there is no phone. If you want room service, you have to walk to the restaurant and order it.

      That is what makes Sanbis so special: it is different. Even the name requires an explanation unless you speak Pidgin English. It means “sandy beach”, but that is an awfully bare description of this unusual holiday destination facing Marovo Lagoon at Gizo. Honeymooners' hideaway, stress-free sanctuary and comfortable eco-lodge are all appropriate qualifications. The word luxury does not apply, which is a relief if you want to escape phones, television, cars, computers and air-conditioning.

      Built in 2005, Sanbis consists of six timber-and-thatch bungalows with decks that provide viewing platforms above opalescent water teeming with life. Comfortable queen-sized beds under mosquito nets face louvred windows, revealing a tranquil lagoon view. Ensuite bathrooms complete a basic layout and I sleep to the sound of slapping waves as a ceiling fan stirs the air.

      By day I snorkel off the Sanbis jetty, discovering giant clams and a passing parade of vivid fish. One evening, drink in hand, I observe an octopus walking along the beach, tentacles only just in the water. This is priceless entertainment but, if boredom sets in, kayaks are available and boats can be hired for further exploration.

      A soaring pavilion houses a restaurant and bar; the limited menu favours freshly caught seafood, including crayfish, and good wines are available. No one dresses for dinner, especially the barefoot host, Swiss-born Hans Mergozzi, who has spent much of his life in Australia.

      He has spared no expense in making this primarily solar-powered resort ecologically sustainable, from the sewage treatment plant to the vegetable garden. Assisting him is a handful of hospitable local people who add colour to a very Melanesian experience. It is not luxurious but a fewdays here are sure to be remembered forever.

Leonie Coombes