Solomon Islands?

[Moneybox]

Sounds like it's going to be a great trip bundyjd. If you're heading overseas this is the type of place to go. The's not much point in spending a lot of time and money on trips into countries where the the living standards and culture is much like ours. You may as well take a local vacation. You only live once and this looks like a fossickers paradise. You might want to check those grenades and other weapons before you fly home or at least book them on a different flight to the one you take

 

[bundyjd]

Sounds like it's going to be a great trip bundyjd. If you're heading overseas this is the type of place to go. The's not much point in spending a lot of time and money on trips into countries where the the living standards and culture is much like ours. You may as well take a local vacation. You only live once and this looks like a fossickers paradise. You might want to check those grenades and other weapons before you fly home or at least book them on a different flight to the one you take

Thanks Moneybox, it should be a good caper. I don't plan on bringing any weapons or ordinance home, there are pretty tight restrictions on taking any relics out of the country in fact. Anything of significance found gets reported or taken to the national museum, who decide what to do with it. I have heard of a few people bringing home souvenirs after getting the appropriate permission, also of a few others who didn't do that and found themselves in a spot of bother. It seems like the government are now taking a dimmer view of having their history plundered by tourists.

At the end of the day I'll be happy just having had the experience.

 

[bundyjd]

What's the WW2 interest for looking at over there... that is if it's not rude to ask. Sounds like it could be an adventure story maybe ? :Y:

The last post of Japan in the Corals Sea etc. They had pushed down into southern mainland New Guinea, centered on Rabaul (or Kokopo) under Yamamoto. Defeated in the push for Port Moresby (Kokoda, Milne Bay, Coral Sea battle), they held on in Rabaul as allied forces pushed northeast from New Guinea mainland and north from New Caledonia towards Rabaul in a pincer movement. As a result, the Solomons became a major battle ground, and you can see abandoned hardware everywhere. I know as my dad was a 16 year old radio officer in US Army Small Ships at Milne Bay (we were up there for the 75th Anniversary of the Milne Bay battle late last year) and he was later In New Caledonia as American troops prepared for the push north.

You seem to know your way around PNG mate, are you familiar with Karkar Island?

 

[user 4386]

You seem to know your way around PNG mate, are you familiar with Karkar Island?

No, sorry - I only know where it is on a map. PNG is a big country in terms of number of islands, high mountains, and lack of roads (you can't even drive from the north to the south on the mainland, and major places are not connected by road). You would have to live there for decades to know it all.

 

[bundyjd]

No worries, it's just another place on the bucket list.

My grandparents lived and worked on a plantation there called Kulili. They feature in this book about life on the island, so have always wanted to visit and meet the descendants of the original owner.

http://www.crawfordhouse.com.au/catalogue.php?isbn=1863333320

 

[Dave79]

Sounds like an awesome adventure. Family, history and getting into the local culture in a beautiful place. I'm jealous. I'm sure it's like many underdeveloped countries and if you go in with an attitude of giving more than you take you will meet some great people and discover some amazing things.

 

[BigWave]

Dave79. I like that idea of giving more than you take :Y:
In hindsight, I certainly did with my taxes and council rates

 

[Dave79]

Yeah, our governments certainly don't subscribe to that theory!