First trip to Maravagi

I first went to Maravagi about three or four months after I first came to the Solomon Islands. It was my first trip out of Honiara, so I was really looking forward to seeing some of the "real" Solomon Islands. I was totally taken by the pure beauty of the place.

We left Honiara on a boat called Invader II, a large boat with a beautiful large open covered deck on top to sit and chat while enjoying the sea breeze and the view of the islands of Central Province on the three hour trip across Iron Bottom Sound. The boat left at dawn from the wharf at Point Cruz in Honiara. The wharves were packed with people and their cargo heading to other islands.

On the trip over a large pod of dolphins played in the bow wake of the boat and jumped and surfed in the side wash. It seemed as though they were competing with each other for which one could stay in the bow wake the longest and which one could do the highest or fanciest jumps. My reflexes were just not fast enough to capture the show on camera.

During the weekend trip I swam and snorkelled and watched the fish cruising around the coral from the restaurant. I took these photos looking through the restaurant "windows" - the water is beautifully clear. This is what I was to later learn is called "great vis" by divers.

The snorkelling was great. My son, then four, expressed an interest in learning to snorkel, so I got a child's set of mask, snorkel and fins sent over later. The water is sooooo warm and clear you can stay in the water for ages exploring the small reefs within walking or swimming distance of the resort. The clarity of the water and the vivid blues and greens and whites of the scenery was breathtaking. I vowed to go back again soon.

Another incentive to go back was scuba diving. I remember as a young child my father, who was a travelling salesman, talking about the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef, and I used to beg him to take me. Later, when I was twelve, a cousin put his scuba gear on me so I could try it out in very shallow water in a bay in Moreton Island. Scuba diving became one of my "must do" things. It took a few decades before I actually got about to doing it.

On this trip were a few learner divers. I watched them gearing up for their lessons, and noted with envy the rapture with which they talked about their first adventures underwater. I decided I was finally going to do it! After all, I was in one of THE best places in the world for diving. I would only be experiencing half of the Solomons if I didn't explore underwater. I am soooooo glad I "took the plunge"!

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