Island sights in Pacific
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Funafuti Marine Conservation Area
If you've ever indulged in a desert-island fantasy, now's your chance to visit one for real. The five islets of the Funafuti Conservation Area are strung in a necklace along the western side of the atoll; all are uninhabited and - with the consent of the landowners - are protected as no fishing, no hunting, no gathering areas.
The islets, varying in size from small to tiny, are fringed with white sand, sport a dense cluster of native forest and palm trees and are alive with the noise and activity of colonies of seabirds; one of the joys of stepping ashore is finding yourself eyeball to eyeball with an exquisite and curious fairy tern hovering in front of you. Green turtl…
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Kwato Island
China Strait and the surrounding islands have a reputation for witchcraft and, despite the influence of missionaries, superstitions linger. Strange lights, ghost ships and sirens (the singing kind) all crop up. Just 3km west of Samarai, Kwato Island was once an educational centre and home to a thriving boat building industry. The remnants of the old machinery lie where they were discarded in the tall grass and today the island can be eerily quiet.
The Reverend Charles Abel and his wife, Beatrice, founded a non-hierarchical church in 1891. Even though they 'belted' the Bible pretty hard, it wasn't until the 1930s that the last of the nearby cannibal tribes was 'saved'.
If …
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Nan Madol
For many travellers, Nan Madol is the highlight of their Micronesian odyssey. An important political, social and religious centre built during the Saudeleur dynasty, Nan Madol was a place for ritual activity and the homes of royalty and servants. Comprising 92 artificial islets it's built on the tidal flats and reef off the southeastern side of Pohnpei.
Wide basalt pillars, up to 7.5m (26ft) long, formed naturally into hexagonal columns. They were quarried on Pohnpei Island and hauled to the site by raft, then stacked horizontally around the islets as retaining walls; the resultant twisting canals are known as the 'Venice of Micronesia'. On the level surfaces were temples…
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Peleliu
Peleliu imparts a peaceful, easy feeling. There's not much to do and that's entirely the charm, for you can really hear the silence; often it will seem like you've got the entire island all to yourself (you might not spot another tourist during your entire stay, and maybe not even a local if you walk far enough). It's a really lovely little place and that's why it's so hard to imagine it torn apart by war.
The Peleliu Wall, southwest of Peleliu, is one of the world's finest dives, an abrupt 300m drop that starts in about 3m of water. It's a veritable treasure-trove of sharks, hawksbill sea turtles, black coral trees, mammoth gorgonian fans and an amazing variety of fish. …
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Nananu-i-Ra
This pocket-sized paradise is a must on any northern Viti Levu itinerary. Beautifully hilly, the 3.5-sq-km island is surrounded by scalloped bays, white-sand beaches and mangroves. A history of cattle grazing has cleared much of the dense vegetation and today rolling hills of grass dominate the interior.
It's only 3km north of Ellington Wharf, but the atypical landscape and small enclave of upmarket holiday homes exaggerates the distance. Nananu-i-Ra is an excellent option for those who want an offshore-island experience but minimal boating and associated cost. It's also renowned for windsurfing and diving. The island has no roads and no village - most of the residents ar…
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Abemama
Abemama, which still has a 'royal family', nearly became the Gilbert Islands' post-war capital, but Tarawa finally won out because of the easier access through its surrounding reef.
An unusual species of tiny yellow 'barking' frog is found here, most likely introduced from Tuvalu to keep the mosquito population in check.
Robert Louis Stevenson dropped by Abemama in 1889 and his wife designed a silly flag for the island (including a shark wearing a crown), which understandably was never used. The British placed the Kingdom of Abemama under their protection in 1892, and it was declared a Crown Colony in 1911.
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Yap Island
Yap Proper's main island, Yap Island features the tiny capital, Colonia, which wraps around Chamorro Bay, offering sea views most everywhere. Walk to the stone-money bank in the nearby village of Balabat, or visit the Ethnic Art Village, which does a great job of celebrating and preserving indigenous art.
Not far west of the airport is the old German Cable Station, built in 1905, that linked Shanghai through Guam and the Philippines; nearby are two Japanese Zeroes, their wings surprisingly intact. Up north, Bechiyal is a friendly beachside village with Yap's oldest faluw (men's house).
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Lelu Ruins
Lelu Island, connected to the larger island of Kosrae by a causeway, is where a massive walled city was built between the 13th and 14th centuries for Kosraean royalty. Lelu's ruins, including burial mounds and dwellings, are hidden behind thick tropical vegetation, in the kind of isolated setting you might imagine trekking hours through dense jungle to find.
You can still see the dwelling compounds of the high chiefs, two royal burial mounds, a few sacred compounds and numerous large walls, built from huge hexagonal basalt logs stacked like a log cabin. On-site signs tell the full story.
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Artificial Islands
One of Malaita's features is the large number of artificial islands, particularly in Langa Langa and Lau Lagoons. Some of these islands date from the 1550s and new ones are built each year. Stones and dead corals from the lagoons are piled on a sand bar or reef, then sand is spread around, houses are built and coconut palms are planted. The islands serve a dual purpose: protection from head-hunters and freedom from mosquitoes.
The largest islands exceed 1 sq km in size and can be very crowded; some are surrounded by a coral wall. Most, however, are tiny.
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Nanumea Atoll
One of Tuvalu's most beautiful atolls, Nanumea features a fresh-water pond (unusual for atolls) and a large church. It suffered several Japanese attacks during WWII. Plane wrecks and a wrecked cargo ship near the main settlement serve as reminders. Aside from this history there's little to do but relax and enjoy island life.
The only way to reach Nanumea Atoll or any other of Tuvalu's Outer Islands is by government supply ship. The Nivaga II and Manu Folau typically visit each of the outer islands once every three or four weeks.
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Fakaofo
Having dominated the other two atolls in the 'Tokelau Wars' of the 18th century, Fakaofa still refers to itself as 'the Chiefly Island'. It has a prime example of a traditional village hall, with a coral slab personifying the ancient Polynesian god Tui Tokelau still standing outside.
Its 62 islets don't make it the biggest of Tokelau's three atolls, but it has the highest population, at around 580. There are also three churches to cater to the atoll's Protestant and Catholic inhabitants.
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Wuvulu Island
Manus Province comprises a handful of very remote offshore islands, including Wuvulu Island, which was made famous by Jean-Michel Cousteau when he conducted several Project Ocean Search expeditions in the 1970s. Other islands worthy of note are Hermit and Ninigo, about 240km to the north-northeast of Wewak. Due to their far-flung location, these spots rarely see foreign visitors, bar a few divers on live-aboards (starting from Wewak).
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Hiva Oa
Hiva Oa contains some wonderful archaeological sites. One such place is Iipona, an exceptional me'ae (sacred site) featuring five monumental tiki (carved human figures). In the Faakua Valley are the Tehueto petroglyphs, where stylised, horizontal human figures have been carved into an enormous basalt block. The island is also noteworthy for being home to Belgian crooner Jacques Brel from 1975 to 1978.
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Nukunonu
Nukunonu has 24 islets and was named Duke of Clarence Island by Captain Edwards of HMS Pandora in 1791, while he was searching for HMS Bounty mutineers. It's the largest of Tokelau's three atolls and has the largest lagoon; it's traditionally said to be blessed with an abundance of pandanus trees for weaving. The other main feature of note here is the extremely pragmatic village hall - a cargo shed.
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US airbase
If you head to Los Negros Island, east of Lorengau, check out the remains of the US airbase at Lombrum. There's a fine anti-aircraft gun as you enter, and rows of old hangers. General MacArthur's HQ is still in use by the PNG Navy. The former Australian refugee detention centre, where asylum seekers who were arriving in Australia were processed during Australia's 'Pacific Solution' days, is located here too.
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Goat Island
The largest island in the bay, Goat Island, west of Sydney Harbour Bridge, has been a shipyard, quarantine station and gunpowder depot in its previous lives. There are different tours of Goat Island - Heritage tour, Gruesome Tales tour or Picnic Day tour. All tours are booked at, and depart from, the park's office at Cadmans Cottage located at 110 George St, The Rocks, 9247 5033.
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Abaiang
Abaiang (the name means 'north land') is the most easily accessed of the outer islands, but it still offers a typically remote experience. Small children shout a timid mauri to an I-Matang (white person) and women can be seen weaving thatch or salting clams to send to Tarawa. You can cycle up to the Catholic church, which has rainbow-coloured window frames.
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Funafala Islet
This beautiful islet has a sandy beach and is good for a day-trip escape or a few days relaxation. Americans relocated villagers here in WWII and while most moved back after the war there is still a very small community here. The more traditional village lifestyle in this remote paradise gives a taste of what the outer islands are like.
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Kaileuna Island
Of the islands off Kiriwina, Kaileuna Island is the easiest and cheapest to access as boats carrying buai (betel nut) travel from Losuia most days. The villages of Kaisiga, in the south, and Tawema to the north have beautiful white-sand beaches and predictably relaxed locals. Ask around the wharf to see if a boat is going.
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Vivigani
The most northwesterly of the group, Goodenough is one of the most steeply sided islands on earth, with Mt Oiautukekea reaching 2566m at the summit. There are fertile coastal plains flanking the mountain range and a road runs around the northeast coast through Vivigani, site of the major airstrip in the group.
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Butaritari
One of the Outer Gilbert Islands, Butaritari is Kiribati's greenest island, with breadfruit, coconut, pandanus and other fruit-bearing trees flourishing on its rich soils. Butaritari also has a sobering WWII history, as the lopsided wreckage of a Japanese seaplane near Butaritari village attests.
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Atafu
Atafu is the smallest and most traditional of Tokelau's three atolls. Protestant fervour means there are rationed alcohol sales and a greater reliance on old-style dugout canoes. The island also has more traditional houses, largely due to its prized supply of building wood, kanava.
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Narimo Island
Narimo Island can be seen offshore from the Vanimo Beach Hotel. This is an excellent place for picnics and swimming. The hotel may be able to arrange a boat to take you there or else ask about boat hire at West Deco village near the main wharf on the other side of the peninsula.
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Clark Island
Clark Island off Darling Point makes a great picnic getaway, but you'll need to hire a water taxi or have access to a boat to reach it. Facilities include drinking water, picnic tables and toilets. To visit you will need a permit from Cadmans Cottage in The Rocks.
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Bolubolu
Bolubolu is the main settlement, about 10km south of Vivigani. In the centre of the island there is a large stone, covered in mysterious black-and-white paintings, which is said to have power over the yam crops.
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