A Vagrant Life

....

"As to when i will visit civilisation; it will not be soon, I think. I have not tired of the wilderness; rather I enjoy its beauty and the vagrant life I lead, more keenly all the time. I prefer the saddle to the streetcar and star-sprinkled sky to a roof, the obscure and difficult trail, leading into the unknown, to any paved highways, and the deep peace of the wild to the discontent bred by cities. Do you blame me then for staying here, where I feel that I belong and am one with the world around me?.....

.... I don't think i could ever settle down. I have known too much of the depths of life already, and I would prefer anything to an anticlimax."

An excerpt from the last letter ever received from Everett Ruess, a 20 year old somewhat romantic vagrant, to his brother, Waldo, dated November 11, 1934. Eight days after mailing this letter he wandered into the deep canyons of Southern Utah and was never seen again.

(Reference: 1996, Krakauer. Into The Wild, Random House, New York)

....

Uninhabited, Uninhibited
Lone sailor in a dug-out canoe paddling through the calm waters of Langa Langa Lagoon, Malaita. We had a village stay on an artificial island (made from exploded coral rock) in the middle of the Lagoon. My mate Ben got bitten by a vicious dog. Not funny at the time, but now...

....

Black sands of Rendova Island
Village Pikininis (children) simultaneously shy and curious

....

Sharks Patrol These Waters
(Swim, Swim, Swim like a motherf*cker)

Four blacktip reef sharks closely congregating during feeding time on Tetepare Island. The wildlife here is in abundance as the whole island is uninhabited - it is believed local people abandoned the island 150 years ago due to a severe illness that befell the people. Today the myth is still pertinent and has evolved to a belief that the island is possessed by the devil. A conservation group runs an eco stay on this island where you can get involved with turtle monitoring, crocodile spotting and other wildlife escapades. 'Twas here where a dugong frollicked with us on one of our snorkelling expeditions and rates as one of the most amazing experiences I've encountered so far in the islands.

....

Auki Jetty

Two fibreglass boats and a timber jetty (not much insight on this one) in Auki, Malaita

....

Slow Food of the Solomons

.....

Find an Island to Call Your Own

All you need is an outboard -powered canoe and sunblock, a couple of mates and an esky of SolBrew on ice

....

Get a Ride While You Can
The bustling streets of Auki, Malaita for Independance Day. Many people, few cars and even fewer cold beers to be found

....

Turning into Blue
The view at dusk from our bungalow built over the water on Langa Langa Lagoon

....

Head Hunting Trophies
A skull shrine on Skull Island, Munda. The ancestral tribes of these regions would attack neighbouring tribes, behead the men and bring back their skulls to place in their shrine. They also abducted baby boys and brought them back for a ceremony. The baby would get passed around a circle of village men - if the baby cried during this ceremony, they would eat him alive. If he did not cry, they would raise him as one of their own and mould him into a fearless head hunter of the next generation. True Story.



....







Frankie
My mate Frankie on the deck of my house strumming out some traditional island tunes. He hasn't lost his head to a shrine yet - just booze and betelnut! I intend to visit his village soon and learn to 'shit on the beach'..... Now that's cul-cha.... !

...