What To See

On The British

Solomons

In accordance with recent

;w plans to develop tourism in

e British Solomon Islands,

ivate organisations there and

e BSIP Chamber of Com erce are providing facilities for jitors. lOACH tours are being arranged ' by Guadalcanal Travel Service Honiara; sightseeing charter flights the local Megapode Airways; and y cruises by the Travel Service in nj unction with owners of local inches.

The bus used for the coach tours II seat 20 plus the European tour der and the cost of excursions is deed out on a charter basis—i.e., ; more passengers the smaller the it cost. There are usually facilities ■ morning or afternoon tea.

Coach Tours Fours available are as follows: HONORIA TOWN: This tour, in t, extends along the coast as well, far as Henderson Field to the east I Kakambona to the west. It in des the residential ridges behind town from where there are ex sive views over the sea to the >rida Group and Savo Island, lies of the war with Japan still paining in the the town area are ited and so are the exhibition of ;ive artifacts in the British Solo ms Training College at Kukum 1 the exhibits of the Geological *vey Department.

Fhe mileage covered is approxi tely 30; time taken is two hours i charter of the bus is £l4.

EASTERN TOUR: This covers the a that was the main battlefield *r the landing of the US Marines re in August, 1942. It includes its to Ilu Farm, Guadalcanal Plains ; project; Kukum fighter strip, . 1; Henderson Airfield; Gainey field; invasion beaches, Lunga (US rines landing); plane wrecks at iaru; St. Joseph’s School, Tenaru; ere Leprosarium; Roroni Village, home of Sergeant-Major Vouza, : of the local heroes of the Guadal lal campaign; and the mouth of the iaru River. fhe mileage covered is approxi tely 45; time taken three hours I the cost is £l7/10/-.

WESTERN TOUR: This covers visits to copra and cocoa plantations, to the Japanese wrecks at Bonegi and Mamara; and the Roman Catholic Mission and school at Visale.

The tour then continues on another half-dozen miles to Maravovo and Cape Esperence. Mileage is approxi mately 55; time taken is hours and the cost is £2O.

Charter Flights

Megapode Airways use Dove air craft which carry seven passengers.

They operate from Henderson Air field and ordinary charter rate is £45 per hour. Special flights for tourists are, however, available.

Flight A is of one hour’s duration and covers the battlefield area and coast around Honiara. Cost is £3 per head, which includes transport to and from the airfield.

Flight B, of 1 hour and 20 minutes, includes all of Flight A plus Tulagi and Savo Islands. Cost is £5 per head including transport.

Day Cruises

A local motor launch capable of carrying eight passengers and with a speed of 14 knots is available. Hire is on a charter basis and each trip takes a full day.

Cruise A is from Honiara to Tulagi, the small island lying close to Gela or Florida, and the former capital of the BSIP. Passengers go ashore at several places before re turning to Honiara. Cost is £24 (that is, the cost works out at £3 per head if there are eight passengers).

Cruise B is to Savo Island which is off the extreme north-western tip of Guadalcanal. It is an extinct volcano—which can be climbed.

Visits are arranged to the megapode hatcheries (these birds bury their eggs in leaf mounds so that the heat from the fermentation of the vegetable matter hatches them); and native dancing can also be seen. Cost £2O.

Cruise C is a combined Tulagi-Savo trip without extended shore visits.

Cost £2B.

Other Tourist Attractions Gilbertese and Melanesian dancing and music can be arranged through the Guadalcanal Travel Service.

Charge is by the evening and £5 to £7 covers a dozen performers.

The Travel Service can also ar range extended tours for longer periods than any of the above; or visits to outer islands and the scenes

naval and land battles for modal purposes. Visits to remote as for cultural or scientific study i also be arranged if adequate tice is given. \ dramatically scenic road to the nmit of Mount Austin on Guadal lal has been constructed by the al Public Works Department. A 'kout post from the top commands superb view of the Guadalcanal ins. The road was built as part the access system to the site of a iposed dam in the Lunga Gorge.

"Canberra" Cruise fhe Solomons are on the route a P and O-Orient cruise from Iney to Japan in October next r. The cruise will be made by 45,000 ton Canberra. )n her way to Yokohama the tberra will pass through New >rgia Sound (the famous wartime >t”) in the BSIP; the first time has travelled over that route, he will pass near Savo Island, ;re a brief ceremony will be held board to commemorate the loss the Australian cruiser, HMAS i berra, in those waters in August, 2, This area is known as Iron :om Sound because of the num of sunken ships there.