Tinakula and Nendo Islands, Solomon Islands
Ask a young child to draw a volcanic island, and the odds are pretty good that the picture they would draw would look like the island of Tinakula. A perfect cone rising from the ultramarine waters of the South Pacific, with puffs of volcanic ash from the cloud shrouded peak. The southern slopes are clothed in verdant forest, but the north-west slope is another story. Here volcanic activity has destroyed the forest and we could see a clear cline from forest to virgin rock with the stark stems of denuded trees in between. From the deck of the ship we watched a lava flow inch down the slope, dislodging boulders which rolled downhill causing ash clouds to rise, while at the waters edge wisps of steam rose as hot rocks met the ocean.
Unfortunately, the South Pacific has been less than pacific today. A large swell from the south-west prevented us from landing where we originally intended. So, in expedition style, we moved on to plan B and arrived at Nendo Island. Here we snorkelled and dived before going ashore to a traditional greeting from the village. Fierce warriors challenged our arrival and even boarded the Zodiacs, but once the threat was over we were welcome. Dances followed and the chance to purchase local handicrafts. Each island seems to have a specialty, and here we found feather money. Traditionally used as a bridal payment, the brilliant red feathers of the cardinal myzomela (a type of honeyeater) are woven into decorative items.
As we move from island to island, in addition to the changes in crafts we are also experiencing biogeographic changes. On each of the last three days we have encountered a new and localised species of myzomela. Today, the birders had their first chance to see the cardinal myzomela, and we glimpsed several ‘money birds’ still sporting their red plumes in the canopy of the trees around the village.
Ask a young child to draw a volcanic island, and the odds are pretty good that the picture they would draw would look like the island of Tinakula. A perfect cone rising from the ultramarine waters of the South Pacific, with puffs of volcanic ash from the cloud shrouded peak. The southern slopes are clothed in verdant forest, but the north-west slope is another story. Here volcanic activity has destroyed the forest and we could see a clear cline from forest to virgin rock with the stark stems of denuded trees in between. From the deck of the ship we watched a lava flow inch down the slope, dislodging boulders which rolled downhill causing ash clouds to rise, while at the waters edge wisps of steam rose as hot rocks met the ocean.
Unfortunately, the South Pacific has been less than pacific today. A large swell from the south-west prevented us from landing where we originally intended. So, in expedition style, we moved on to plan B and arrived at Nendo Island. Here we snorkelled and dived before going ashore to a traditional greeting from the village. Fierce warriors challenged our arrival and even boarded the Zodiacs, but once the threat was over we were welcome. Dances followed and the chance to purchase local handicrafts. Each island seems to have a specialty, and here we found feather money. Traditionally used as a bridal payment, the brilliant red feathers of the cardinal myzomela (a type of honeyeater) are woven into decorative items.
As we move from island to island, in addition to the changes in crafts we are also experiencing biogeographic changes. On each of the last three days we have encountered a new and localised species of myzomela. Today, the birders had their first chance to see the cardinal myzomela, and we glimpsed several ‘money birds’ still sporting their red plumes in the canopy of the trees around the village.
