Page 460 - Melanesia
P. 460
The gardens of the National Art Gallery are MARY’S ISLAND: is a popular site with plen- UEPI ISLAND: The diving around Uepi Island
popular, while the reconstructed Govern- tiful reef sharks and big schools of jacks mainly consists of a combination of coral
ment House and the National Museum and barracuda. Big bumphead parrotfish gardens and magnificent drop-offs. There
are worth visiting. The spectacular Tenaru are commonly seen here and you may see are a multitude of dive sites available rang-
falls can be found a one hour’s drive and a an occasional napoleon wrasse or tuna. ing from the beautiful reef eco-system, to
three-hour hike from Henderson Interna- Typically, an entire day of diving is done the wreck of a P38 fighter plane just 1 hour
tional Airport. During World War II, Gua- here. This is the main place for “big stuff” - from the resort. Most dives range from
dalcanal came to international attention as definitely a wide-angle site. 15-30 meters - from here you can spot the
the stage for one of the bloodiest battles of resident sharks and an enormous diversity
the Pacific campaign. Bitter fighting raged MUNDA: About an hour’s flight from Ho- of reef fish. A favorite dive site is Kicha,
between American and Japanese forces niara, on the west side of New Georgia, which is known for lots of reef sharks, big
for six months on Guadalcanal Island until offers spectacular walls, caverns, and coral schools of friendly spadefish, barracuda,
the Japanese withdrew early in 1943. Now gardens, as well as numerous WWII plane and a beautiful reef covered in hard and
many war wrecks and relics can be seen on wrecks. soft corals.
both land and underwater. These include
ships, aircraft, guns, cannons and tanks. The RUSSELL ISLANDS: The Russell Islands lie WESTERN PROVINCE/GIZO: The provincial
waters around Honiara, where the Battle of between Honiara and Western Province. The capital, Gizo, is roughly a 90 minute flight
Guadalcanal took place in November 1942, highlight would have to be the caves there from Honiara, and offers a good mix of
are now littered with so many wrecks and - not scary enclosed caves, but shallow healthy reefs, wrecks, and diverse marine
war debris they have become known as caves that are really just cuts in the reef, life. It’s also a great example of a sleepy
“Iron Bottom Sound”. with gorgeous big shafts of light, and you South Pacific island community, with
can look up into the jungle canopy above. several small resorts, a handful of shops
MAROVO LAGOON: Located on the east side Leru Cut, Custom Cave, and Mirror Pond are and restaurants, and an open-air market.
of New Georgia Island, Marovo Lagoon is three well known sites. Like the rest of the Solomons, this region
the world’s biggest saltwater lagoon. Uepi is steeped in WWII history, including the
lies on the edge of it, and is home to the island where John F. Kennedy and crew met
highly regarded a Japanese torpedo aboard PT-109.
