Samarai Island
In the early 1900's Samarai island was the thriving colonial capital of the territory of Papua and the town's streetscape carries reminders of those bygone, halcyon days. Back then it was described as one of the most beautiful places in the South Pacific.
Despite its faded-glory atmosphere, commerce is still the lifeblood of this tiny island, just 24 ha in area, with inter-island trading ships frequenting the harbor. Our small group took a walk through the town past the Church, the Trading Company, the Pearl operation and onto the sports ground, which I understand is still the scene of fiercely contested cricket matches.
The China Strait islands surrounding Samarai have a history of witchcraft which persists despite the best efforts of missionaries to debunk stories of ghost ships and mysterious lights.
Kwato Island
Just 3 kilometers west of Samarai is Kwato Island, where European trades broke their journey en route to the South Pacific in search of gold and to trade in mother of pearl, sandalwood and sea cucumbers.
The island is peaceful, with the remnants of boat-building equipment evident amongst the trees. A shady road leads to a hilltop clearing in the centre of the island and the impressive old stone church and the stunning sweeping views of the surrounding seas is very much worth the climb. During WWII this spot was used as a strategic gun position.
Deca Deca Island
After lunch Orion was repositioned to take advantage of the fabulous snorkeling at Deca Deca
Island. The water was so wonderfully clear and the coral was amazing. There were hundreds of fish of every color and it was extremely hard to leave this glorious little island.
No comments:
Post a Comment