A JOURNEY BY SEA FROM HONIARA
TO MUNDA
On the M.V. Fair Glory
If you need to travel from Honiara to the West Province of the Solomon Islands, the quickest way is by aeroplane, the cost being SB$1,300. The cheapest way to travel is on the Phoenix, a cargo boat which takes 2-3 days to complete the journey. The other options include the M.V. Pelican Express which leaves Honiara at 7am on Sunday mornings as long as the weather is set fair: the cost is SB$450; the trip takes 12 hours. For the same price you can travel on the Fair Glory which leaves Honiara at 9am (Solomon Time) regardless of the weather. The cost is also SB$450 and the trip takes 24 hours, but there is a “canteen” on board and two screens for your entertainment! It is in fact a rather nice cruise, as long as you avoid the cyclone season, which is February & March.
These views show the centre of Honiara, with the new Hyundai mall on the left, the residence of the Prime Minister “ontop” and the United Church rest house below and to the right. The commercial district and port are further to the right by and nearer to the sea. This is the place where the Portuguese conquistador raised the Spanish flag in 1567, never to be seen again!
It is also the site of one of the fiercest battles of WWII between the U.S. forces and Japan in 1941. After the defeat of the Japanese forces, they retreated to Munda and the U.S forces moved to Rendova to prepare for the battle for Munda in 1942, during which J.F.Kennedy was ship-wrecked near Gizo and sent his famous “message in a bottle” to his compatriots on Rendova.
Above on the left is a view of the island of Savo in the Central Province. It is volcanic with hot sandy beaches – a favourite place for the megapods to bury their large eggs and then fly away. On the right the mayhem just before departure is depicted.
After several hours we pass the Russell Islands to the south (photograph above left) and looking north we can just see Isabel Province, with the eye of faith! Above right is the sunset in the Marovo Lagoon, having left Seghe.
The view avove on the left shows the village of Ughele on the island of Rendova, where the ship stops, allowing passengers tobuy food from the market. As we travel urther west, we have a more distant view of Rendova Island with waves breaking on the reef in the foreground.
Offshore at Munda, the canoes line up to act as “sea-taxis” as the ship does not dock here, but moves north to Noro. The photograph on the right shows a sailing boat with Kolumbangara (King of the sea) in the distance behind.