Displaying items by tag:Gizo

With the sport of surfing now well established on a global basis, uncrowded waves have become  a rare commodity in these days of ever-growing numbers of surfers in an ever more crowded world. As every surfer knows, there is nothing worse than the dreaded ‘drop in’ and being forced to share a wave.

While the majority of travellers to the Solomon Islands springboard between the destination’s main tourism corridors via Solomon Airlines’ domestic network, there is a great alternative way, certainly a more affordable option, to discover the unspoiled beauty, culture and diversity of  these Hapi isles – by inter-island ferry.

While still  a relatively ‘new kid’ on the South Pacific travel scene, interest in the Solomon Islands continues to build judging by the ever-increasing numbers of Kiwis looking to get off the beaten track in search of a new, different South Pacific travel experience.

Gizo in the Solomon Islands’ Western Province is the second largest town in the destination and with its concentration of tourism accommodation, facilities and activities it is where many international visitors make a beeline for.

The recent start of Solomon Airlines’ Auckland-Solomon Islands flights via Vanuatu means there has never been a better – or easier – time for New Zealanders to visit this last true frontier of the South Pacific and especially SCUBA divers.

From November to April when the Northern Pacific swells sweep in to the Solomon Islands’ extensive reefs and north-western facing coastlines, the ocean comes alive with some of the most perfect – and uncrowded – waves on the planet.

What makes the Solomon Islands such a mecca for lovers of the underwater world?

The answer is simple – 992 islands and unspoilt coral reefs literally teem with huge numbers and varieties of marine life and hundreds of WWII shipwrecks and downed aircraft that litter the seabed.