Pacific news continued

[happy daze john in oz]

From Alotua we sailed on to hree small island comunities on the islands of Doini, owned by an Australian, Kiriwina and Kitiva, owned by a Scotsman, all part of the Trobriand islands. Here all passengers had to be taken ashore by tender using the ships life boats for the purpose. There is little difference between them apart from size. Their customs, food style and dress are all similar. The world health authority has declared these people, due to their diet of yams, sweet potato, fruit and fish, to be the heathiest on the planet. They have no diabetes, cardio vascular disease, obesity, cholesterol, blood pressure, arthritis or any of the other many complaints the western man experiences. It is the usual tourist gallery with items for sale, many looking as though local. We were to find out that the majority of goods for sale in the line of wood were not made locally. It is obvious from the finish on some that they were in fact factory made. Most come from factories in Thailand, supplied to the locals on a sell and commission basis. There are many local made items but mainly from beads or items of clothing. The locals are however not silly, they know the tourist area source of income so if you wish to take a photo of the local dancing group, or the guy doing acts then there will be a charge, mostly about $2. Many groups sit and sing with signs telling they are from the local church seeking funds or a local school seeking assistance. The tourists are more than willing to part with money into their buckets and far more is earned there than from the sale of goods. I saw in one bucket what may well have been around $500.

From these islands to Kabul where we docked. This is at the furthest north eastern point of PNG. This region was devastated inn 1974 when a volcano erupted. Local tours take passengers top the foot of the volcano, an interesting place where the green of the jungle meets the harsh grey volcanic ash. A hot spring with temperatures of about 30 centigrade bubbles along. The locals put food into plastic bags and lower them into the hot water to cook. One of the locals caught a two meter python which he brought along for the tourists to see. I had a feel of it, bit odd as all it does when you touch is move the muscles. Having taken a couple of photos the guy got smart, found a box, put a sign on it and began charging $5 per photo.

From there to a local school, church and part village rebuilt since the volcanic eruption. They have done s good job on rebuilding but more needs to be done.
Around the harbor area is evidence of action during WW2 with a cemetery for the fallen. Originally the head stones were of stone but years of weathering had taken it's toll. All have been replaced with metal ones set on concrete plinths. The gardens are a credit ti the locals who tend them with not one blade of grass out of place.

Our next port of call was Guadalcanal and the capital ,of the Solomon islands Honiara. It was here during WW2 that a great sea battle with the Allies and Japan took place. It was the locals who formed the 'coast watch' that gave the allies the assistance required to defeat Japan there. They were the eyes and ears that gave the allies the information they needed. The local museum tells the story of all that occurred there during WW2 with the USA taking some 6 months to gain control of the island. Many ships lie at the bottom of iron bay sound, along with tanks, vehicles and armament lost ashore during battles.
Two memorials to the fallen of both sides and a cemetery in as good an order as the one in Rabul.
The Solomon Islands consists of 908 islands but only about six are inhabited. We visited the parliament house where 50 politicians represent, 5 to each of the ten sectors, the population of some 600,000. The term is four years with a five year term for the president elected by the parliament. Though they use the Westminster system the speaker is not a politician, rather a public servant with law degree over 31 and a Solomon island born person.

Leaving Honiara the ship slowed to about 5 knots and began to circle somewhere around three nautical miles from Honiara. Not far is the island of Savo, it was here on the morning of August 9th 1942 that the HAMS Canberra, lead ship of the screening force was hit by surprise Japanese engagement. She was hit 24 times and 84 killed. Next morning it became obvious she could not be saved so was scuttled. But she did not go easily taking 300 hits and 5 torpedoes to take her down. At the bottom of that sound there are some 50 ships lost during the bloody campaign including New Zealand and British ships. At 1700 hours now circling over the spot where she lies a service was held and a wreath lowered onto the water. Some 500 passenger attended the short service with two veterans of later wars giving readings. It was for this service and the ports of call involving WW2 that so many of an older generation took the cruise.

Having now visited these South Sea theatres of war seen the memorials and attended the dedication service I now have a better understanding of the events in that region and the sacrifices made for us and future generations.
As a foot note, after the loss of the Canberra as a recognition of it's part in the battle the US navy named a heavy cruiser 'Canberra', some thing never done previously.

An excellent cruise, not just for the holiday but for the information gained and the privalige of visiting such places of importance to the world.

[John Arton]

John in OZ
C.P. had the contract to ship 75% of the Palm Oil exports from PNG.
One of the Ports we used to load in was Oro Bay which was a huge forward base for the USA during WW2. A friend of mine from C.P. was the chief engineer at one of the Palm Oil factories there and he told us that even as late as the 1980's they were still discovering abandoned war machinery (planes, tanks, ammunition) left behind by the USA at the end of WW2. It was also one of the best places for diving enthusiasts due to the numerous wrecks from WW2 and the lovely clear waters in the area. Later as a Port Captain for the Greek lot that took over C.P.'s chemical and veg. oil ships and contracts, I had to visit many of the PNG ports to check the Berths out as we would be bringing bigger ships into them.
In the 70's the PNG Government had been placing ads. in the MNOAA magazine for jobs as pilots and harbour masters in PNG so it was no surprise when meeting the head of the PNG Harbours Board to find he was an Brit expat. This was in Port Moresby and I spent a very pleasant afternoon with him going over the approach charts and berths for a number of the PNG ports, all channels being well marked and the berths having been rebuilt with the income from their Palm Oil revenue. From Moresby I flew down to Alotau in a twin engine Otter plane piloted by, I kid you not, a one eyed German pilot with a scar running down one of his cheeks. The flight down was a bit flying between the mountains and stopping off at grass strips carved out of the jungle. In Alotau I was to stay for a couple of days visiting one of the Palm Oil Plantations. I was put up at the house of the plantations accountant and nearly all the managers were again Brits expats. as many of the plantations were started out under CDC (Crown Development Corporation) project. It was most weird walking down the path from where the houses were to the plant, tall grass with all sorts of strange noises of animals coming from the grass, to turn a corner and to be met by an English lady pushing her child in the buggy and being greeted by her in an Oxford accent saying "good morning, beautiful day is it not", just as if we had met on a street in London. The accountant I was staying with, although he had a U.K. passport and was a U.K. citizen had never lived in the U.K. His parents had worked for the CDC in Africa where he had been born and apart from the time he spent at boarding school in the U.K. had only ever visited, never lived there.
The berth in Honaira was a bit of a bugger as it was open to swells and in not too great a condition. I can recall that war graves cemetery and if I recall there was a beautiful wooden church at its entrance and also just off the dock area there was again a large wooden building that was the government seat.
My time out there visiting PNG loading Palm Oil, sailing through and visiting all those Indonesian Islands loading Palm Oil, loading Timber and cocoa nut oil in the Philippines and the islands in the South China Sea was amongst the best times I spent at sea, fantastic scenery, fantastic clear waters.
rgds
JA