Steve and Sally travel the world exploring remote places.  Below are some pictures that Steve took on their Orion Expeditions cruise to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.   They first went to Tokyo and experienced a ryokan (a traditional Japanese inn) in Kyoto, and then flew to Cairns, Australia where they took two back-to-back cruises on the MY Orion operated by Orion Expeditions.  Their first cruise spent 10-nights exploring the islands of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.   Orion took them to  Milne Bay, Deboyne Lagoon, the Trobriand Islands, and Rabaul on New Britain island which are all part of Papua New Guinea.  In the Solomon Islands, they visited Gizo on Ghizo Island, Kennedy Island and New Georgia Island.   Papua New Guinea is off the coast of Australia and is close to Indonesia.  The Solomon Islands are in the South Pacific Ocean and are east of Papua New Guinea.  They had just left Gizo when the tsunami hit the Solomons!

Orion Expeditions was founded in 2004 and is Australian owned and operated.   Their cruises on  the MY Orion have been developed to encourage guests to become a part of the region they are discovering.  The Orion was built to access the inaccessible, all in 5-star luxury.  From the ice-strengthened ice hull to the chilled champagne and superb cuisine this is expedition cruising at its finest. 
Courtesy of Orion Expeditions.
 

A common mode of transportation in the Solomon Islands.  Quite a difference from the 5-star Orion!

The Solomon Islands is a nation of Melanesia, east of Papua New Guinea and consists of a group of 1,000 islands.  The capital is Honiara on the island of Guadalcanal. The capital of Papua New Guinea is Port Moresby and the country has over 850 indigenous languages and tribes within their small population of just under 6 million.

These dancers are performing the famous Trobriand tapioca dance.   The Trobriand Islanders, as you can see, are also famous
for their carvings.

These are Trobriand dancers of Kitava Island.   The Trobriand Islands, an archipelago of coral atolls off the eastern coast of Papua New Guinea, are famed for their beaches at Kaibola and Wawela and their yams which are an important part of the islanders' diet. 

 This is a photo of the fire dancers of New Britain, the  largest island in the New Britain archipelago.  It is separated from Papua New Guinea by the Dampier Strait.   The main towns are Rabaul/Kokopo in East New Britain and Kimbe in West New Britain.

 PT-109 was visited by Steve several days before the tsunami hit Gizo on Ghizo Island.  Steve reports that this bar is no longer there.  Gizo is the second largest town in the Solomon Islands and is the provincial heart of the Western Province.

 "The area is rich in watime history and not far from Ghizo is Kennedy Island.  This picturesque speck in the ocean, formerly known as Plum Pudding Island, was renamed in honor of a famous castaway.  In August 1943, the U.S. motor torpedo boat PT109 was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer.  Amongst the 11 survivors who swam to shore was its commander - John F. Kennedy."
 Quote from Orion Expeditions itinerary " Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands".   

Left:    Rabaul, on Great Britain island  is home to Tuvurur, an active volcano.  It had an eruption in 1994 which covered the town and the surrounding villages and led to the  restablishment of the capital in Kokopo.  Orion offers a Rabaul Volcano Adventure and a historic Rabaul & Volcano shore excursion but I don't think it included this!   Steve took this fantastic photo from the deck of the Orion while anchored at Rabaul and he said that the ship shook like they were out at sea in high waves.  Papua New Guinea lies on the Pacific Ocean "Ring of Fire".   In one week they experienced a tsunami and a volcanic eruption.  You can't beat adventure like this!

Our thanks to Steve for sharing his amazing photos with us.

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