We awoke this morning to a picture perfect morning as we cruised into Tufi Harbour, Cape Nelson Peninsular, aboard the Oceanic Discoverer.
The morning’s program was filled with every possible water sport imaginable, rotated in a seamless manner, allowing us ample time to enjoy all options made available to us. Guided Zodiac trips explored deep into the fjord-like valleys discovering hidden fishing villages, endemic bird life, and mangrove inlets. We learned that this quite harbour was transformed in December 1942 into a PT naval base for the American forces in WWII as they readied for the Buna-Gona battle. The adventurous kayaked along the edges of the dendritic mountain ranges where the velvet green undergrowth submerged into crystal clear turquoise water, home to some of the most fascinating soft coral—the best we had seen all trip. Some enjoyed the refreshing cool of these waterways by snorkelling along the fringing reef within the harbour or observing the underwater world from the glass-bottom boat. The energetic divers enjoyed a muck dive, seeking out nudibranchs and other unique marine life living in a silted terrain. Some of us seized the moment to swim straight off the back of the ship, including our illustrious Captain Pete. Surely this is true paradise. Locals soon arrived on the scene ready to sell various artifacts and local fruit, and to see what these new visitors were like. Shuttles from ship to shore allowed us time to wander through the tropical gardens of the local dive lodge, perched high on the ridge offering spectacular 180 degree views of the surrounding fjords and the Solomon Sea.
After lunch we journeyed the short distance on Xplorer to Komoa Village. Climbing high above the shoreline, we were meet by ash-painted warriors thrusting spears and calling out if we were ‘friend or foe.’ Thankfully those at the head of the group had the foresight to reply friend. The immediate response was “Oro Oro” (welcome in local language). Passing under coconut shrouds we entered the dance arena ringed by artifact sellers and everyday life demonstrations like fire making, tattooing, basket and billum bag weaving, to name a few. Sheltered from the sun we eagerly awaited the entrance of the dancers, hailed by the traditional calling of the conch shell. Soon row after row of men and women, complete with tapa loincloth and lava lava, entered the dance arena. Superbly sculptured physiques glistened with coconut oil. Magnificent birds of paradise head dresses filled picture frames as we captured this unique moment on our cameras. Our welcome sing-sing (dance) was soon followed by a theatrical performance telling of ancient times and cannibalism, culminating with the burning of a small hut in the middle of the proceedings. The look of surprise and then complete enjoyment on our faces was relished by locals, all watching eagerly as the pantomime unfolded. Leaving these extraordinarily friendly people one can only imagine the stories about the funny folk that came to visit would last for some time after our departure.
