Marovo Lagoon

Introducing Marovo Lagoon

Here’s the province’s trophy piece. The geography says it all: on New Georgia’s eastern side, Marovo Lagoon is the world’s finest double barrier–enclosed lagoon, bordered by the mysterious, volcanic New Georgia and Vangunu Islands on one side and a double line of long barrier islands on the other. It’s rife with dramatic scenery, including hundreds of beautiful small islands, most of which are covered by coconut palms and rainforest and surrounded by coral.

The main gateway to Marovo Lagoon, Seghe, is strung along the Njai Passage, which links Noro Lagoon to Marovo Lagoon. Most of the islands’ villages are dotted along the coast.

Despite its sexy proportions, Marovo is far from being the gin-stained Edenic paradise that’s often touted on posters or websites. A few notable things may leave you disillusioned. First, the island shorelines are heavily wooded – it’s more mangrove-fringed coastal swamps than sweeping stretches of sand. Then there are the strains on the environment. Years of intense logging on New Georgia Island and Vangunu have left their scars literally. The side effects? Run-off both discolours the lagoon water after rains, which changes from aqua blue to brownish, and chokes up the reefs. The contentious logging issue discouraged the proponents of listing Marovo Lagoon as a World Heritage site.

Last updated: Mar 2, 2009