Solomon Islands

If you’ve ever wanted a great Surfing/Fishing adventure you’ve got to get yourself to Papatura Island Retreat in the Solomon’s. (I worked there for 6 weeks as a Surfing/Lifeguard/Fisherman) Where Peter and Marg Blanchard are your host. www.papatura.com/ When you book tell Nick you want to be there when iRONPHIL is working for the best $ rate.
After landing in Honiara the capital (with a 30kg bag limit and as many surfboards, SUP’s and fishing gear you can carry without excess baggage fee, THAT’S GOLD) by Solomon Airlines, you then catch a 20 seater Twin-Otter landing on the grassy Suavanao airfield.

Then it’s just a 5 minute boat ride to Papatura Island Retreat where it’s very isolated raw scenery sleeping with ocean views in Solomon


The Guest Room



The Lifeguard Room


style wooden cabins, sleeping under a mosquito net (believe it or not there’s NO malaria on Papatura island).
You’ll be blown away with lunch and dinner they are just world class 5 star meals made by Jimmy the Solomon Chef, with every meal being different from the last and if you’re a lover of huge mud-crab or lobster (in fact any seafood dish) you will not be disappointed also with many other delicious meals. You can even catch squid off the jetty to go with the nuts and popcorn bar snacks when you’re having SolBrew beers (served by Bobby the barman) after you’ve surfed/fished all day. You won’t be disappointed being served by Bobby the barman, he has a good heavy hand when it comes to the spirit nip measurement - Thank You Bobby. Cheers


When the surf is flat and you want a break from catching too much fish, there’s amazing hikes to do like a Mangroves, Jungle, bush walks all combined into one. Just make sure you have a pair of Volleys and not flip-flops like I did, flip-flops are brutal, but remember at times you need to be aware of crocodiles lurking in the Mangroves. I never saw any but they are around.


Go for a SUP or Kayak paddle around the island, or snorkel the many reefs or the World War 2 plane wreck. Also you’ve got to check out the local village, hang with the locals and Talk Story (e.g. have a conversation) all day while having a few SolBrew’s and try the local Betel Nut for the ultimate buzz.

Betel nut are chewed with crushed lime coral for their effects as a mild stimulant, causing a hot sensation in the body, heightened alertness and sweating, although the effects vary from person to person. The areca nut contains tannin, gallic acid, a fixed oil gum, a little terpineol, lignin, various saline substances and three main alkaloids: Arecoline, Arecain and Guracine which have vasocontricting properties. In the Solomon Islands, fresh areca betel nut, and crushed lime coral are sold on street corners.
Betel nut chewing is a social pastime as a means to extend friendship, and can be found in most, large gatherings as part of the food display.Regular betel chewing causes the teeth and gums to be stained orange/red, a color that was formerly considered attractive in certain cultures. In Telugu poetry the slightly red-stained lips of a young woman chewing betel nut are considered a mark of beauty. It is believed that regular chewing increase mouth ulcers and gum deterioration caused by betel nut chewing may outweigh any positive effects.According to traditional Ayurvedic medicine chewing betel nut is a good remedy against bad breath. Certain studies have sought to prove that regular chewers of betel nut have a higher risk of damaging their gums and acquiring cancer of the mouth and of the stomach.

Fishing will blow your mind, the ocean was boiling with Mackerel Tuna every day I was there. I just love fishing I’m like a little grommet with ADHD that’s had a glass of red cottee’s cordial. I get so excited even when someone else catches a fish because I’m the number one Gaffer I love Gaffing the fish.



How’s this for being the April fool; I had to go fishing with Jimmy the chef and Johnny the shark fisherman as we needed fish for the resort, anyway we’re having fun fishing talking story for a few hours when Johnny’s hooked up to a Mac Tuna after we went through a nice boil. So I thought I’d better wind in so we wouldn’t get in a tangle with Johnny when all of a sudden I’ve hooked up as well so I’m winding this fish in thinking she’s only a small Mac Tuna because she didn’t put up much of a fight on, so I’m playing with her as the the drag was way too loose so I get her beside the boat after having some fun - only to realise it’s a BIG sail fish in the 50kg size - like WTF. She’s then spat the pink skirt out of her mouth and presided to hang beside the boat for like a minute, Johnny and Jimmy are going ballistic saying throw the lure back in so I’ve thrown the pink skirt back in and the sail fish has taken the lure again but after just a 30 second fight she’s thrown the pink skirt again, so the Sail Fish was laughing thinking the April Fool is on you mate. I was bulk cut but that’s fishing. I must be the only fisherman on earth that’s caught the same fish twice and still lost.

Types of fish in the Solomon’s
Spanish Mackerel
Wahoo
Sail Fish
Yellow Fin Tuna
Dog Tooth Tuna
Mackerel Tuna
Mahi Mahi
Cobia
Barracuda
Blue Trevally
Papuan Trevally
Turrum
Red Bass
Sweet Lip
Coral Trout
Coronation Trout
Foot Ball Trout
Green Job Fish
Black Spotted Cod
Snub Nose Cod
Mangrove Jack
Spot Tail Bass
Wolf Herring
Paddle Tail
Diamond Trevally
Marlin
Squid

At night if you’re feeling a little bored and want some entertainment you can go Shark fishing off the jetty with Johnny the local Solomon it’s bulk fun but be careful you may catch a BIG shark, you may even see A big mummy Dugong with her calf come for a feed (graze) under the jetty, I did - it was awesome.

The Jetty

Surfing - there are some great waves at Papatura, Anchovies is a Right Hander can hold 20ft+ in size. There was a big Hurricane in the Northern Hemisphere coming south the isobars where dark purple it was a huge swell, I was told by Nick Blanchard Ian Walsh and Kelly Slater were coming to surf this big swell and had to keep that information quiet. I started getting nervously scared “Help Me Please Mr Wizard” thinking how big is it going to get I’d better pack my 8’2’’ gun, that boards made for 15ft but I haven’t surfed waves of consequence that size for a good 10 years. We got hit by a big Low Pressure System that hit Vanuatu killing a few people stoping the huge Hurricane swell coming down from the north. Kummas is a fun rip-able left - I surfed there a lot. Tarzan’s is a wave I’d love to surf in the 6-10ft range it’s a perfect V-shaped reef with one take off spot you can go left or right it’d be like surfing backdoor pipe and pipe I surfed it at 3ft but it just teasers you, this wave needs size. You can SUP the waves at Papatura as well.

The “sea slug” or “Sea cucumbers” are a main source of income for the local villages. What they do is boil the slugs for half an hour then slice them open down the middle take the insides out then leave them in the sun to dry out. Sell them I think for $80 Solomon Dollars (equals $13 Australia dollar) per kilo to the Chinese. The Chinese turn it into food additives, pharmaceutical drugs or aphrodisiacs.


Trivia:- I’m a big lover of Bananas they are a favourite food of mine I eat around 6 bananas a day 365 days a year. Did you know there are around twelve different species of bananas grown in the Solomon Islands - Yellow ones, Green ones, Black one’s, Brown one’s and so on, I tried 6 different species of banana while on Papatura island. I would have loved to have gone to Makira Island while I was there in the Solomon’s.
Makira Banana Collection Project. There are hundreds of varieties of banana in the tropics and subtropics. A project on the island of Makira, Solomon Islands, has collected, planted and documented local varieties of banana’s on the island of Makira. A total of 81 different varieties have been collected and planted in a large garden which functions as a field gene bank at a rural training centre.

SUPERSTITIONS OF THE SEA
It’s common knowledge that seafarers are a superstitious breed - but why?
My theory is that it’s because few professions contend with so many variables which are completely and utterly out of their control. The weather has a mind of its own, sometimes the fish bite and sometimes they don’t, and of course, there’s the ever present danger of sea monsters and falling off the edge of the world.

NEVER CARRY BANANAS
There are several suggested origins of this well known superstition. It is true that Polynesian seafarers believed bananas harbored evil spirits as their supplies would rot prematurely in the presence of these yellow devils.
Another finds its source in documented cases of merchant sailor strikes in the 18th Century. The working mariners refused to carry bananas due to the detrimental effect this fruit had on the rest of the cargo during the month long voyage from the Americas to the auction houses in Europe. Poor quality produce on the auction floor resulted in a lower price under the hammer which in turn meant less money for the sailors, if they got paid at all.
Science has since produced the answer. Bananas release ethylene gas which is a primary catalyst in the ripening - and rotting - process of many foodstuffs

The Chinese say 100 miles of travel is more educational than a 100 years of school.
Happy Travels
iRONPHIL GREGORY

Looks good....

I went up there when it was a couple of rooms - incredibly beautiful place. On two couples as guests. No jetty then.

Basically unspoilt paradise. Local are terrific

I went out of season and surf was small. Snorkeling, sailing , canoeing were excellent. Unspoilt coral.

Glad they have Sups now - had shorties & mals when i was there.

Good to hear cooking has improved - 6-7 years ago they had the raw produce and did not know how to cook it properly - glad they have worked it out.

Will look at going back.

Lights under sups would be a great experience. Shallow coral near resort should be full of life at night.

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BetterIwas said..

I went up there when it was a couple of rooms - incredibly beautiful place. On two couples as guests. No jetty then.

Basically unspoilt paradise. Local are terrific

I went out of season and surf was small. Snorkeling, sailing , canoeing were excellent. Unspoilt coral.

Glad they have Sups now - had shorties & mals when i was there.

Good to hear cooking has improved - 6-7 years ago they had the raw produce and did not know how to cook it properly - glad they have worked it out.

Will look at going back.

Lights under sups would be a great experience. Shallow coral near resort should be full of life at night.

Yep you wont be disappointed the place is awesome. But I got paranoid swimming from jetty to jetty due to the croc's so I couldn't do it.

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E T said..
Awesome read Phil, thanks.

20' or 10' plus. Too old for that stuff, looks like a magic place to be though.

Do they have normal waves for normal people?

It looks like. A place that I could take my grandson.

ET.

Yes there are normal waves for normal people

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E T said..
You are one handsome man DW.

I reckon you could pass for Tom Sellek in photo 6. Easy.

Cheers

ET.

Thats funny E T I got my hands on a original Tom Sellek Hawaiian shirt way back in 1985 when I was on Oahu (it was a chick magnet) you can kind of see the shirt under my jacket getting a photo with a Marilyn Monroe look a like. That same shirt was in a lot of his TV series

Would have been nice if they had mentioned the crocs.

We were snorkelling out to that reef out front and over to the mangroves

Did you see any or evidence of any ?