Munda

Well it's not been the trip we planned. A rude awakening thinking our unpredictable backpacker days were behind us.
Arrived in Honiara on the 17th and waiting in a typical Pacific arrival longe with customs staff on island time where the other queue definitely moved faster. The covers were off the engines of the plane for our connecting flight to Munda. We should have read the tea leaves better at that point.
Eventually we were bundled on an otter plane. Pretty certain we were about to have the luggage down the isles but the airline did well to find a solution and get us moving albeit a few hours late. Flew via Gizo where the airport is on an island only slightly larger than the runway. Gizo is a 10 min boat ride for $50 SID. 5SID =1NZD. Then on to Munda. The terminal was a tarpaulin over a frame while at the other end of the 2km runway the Chinese are building an enormous terminal building to take international flights. Can't help but see it other than a real estate and political grab. Only a few internal flights currently occuring and no other infrastructure to support more tourism currently. The runway was being overlaid with a new seal and was pretty impressive for this relative backwater.
The accommodation is definitely understated and under-maintained but no big deal and what we were expecting. Good to be there. No one at the dive shop however.....Read more