The Detouring Doctor

Kiribati was home to one of the pivotal battles of WW2. After the “day that shall live in infamy”, the bombing of Pearl Harbour on 7 December 1941, the Japanese forces on land and sea secured breathtakingly rapid victories overrunning all of South East Asia and the Pacific. Tarawa was their southernmost base in the Pacific.

In May 1942 the Battle of the Coral Sea was a turning point. The Japanese fleet was heading to invade Moresby and were met by an Allied force. The resulting naval battle was a brutal affair with the Allies sustaining greater casualties and losses but the Japanese, while inflicting greater damage could not pass and were forced back for the first time.

As an alternative the Japanese decided to take Moresby overland along the Kokoda track and between July and November 1942 were resisted by and eventually repelled by a smaller Australian force inflicting the first on land defeat on Japan. The Australian soldiers who fought in Kokoda arguably changed the course of the war. They are somewhat unfairly overshadowed by the equally gallant ANZACs but a loss in Kokoda would have been a prelude to a Japanese invasion of Australia.

Fast forward to November 1943. The Americans are ensconced in Ellice Islands and the Japanese are here in the Gilbert Islands. On the island of Betio here the Japanese built an airfield and an extensive network of bunkers and gun emplacements. The Japanese commander boasted that “it would take 1 million men 100 years to conquer the island”

The Americans attacked at dawn on 20 November. Mistakes reading the tides and the long mudflats rendered the amphibious vehicles useless and the Japanese guns initially mowed down the first wave of marines. Eventually a few made it ashore to establish a beach head. The Allied cause looked forlorn for the first 36 hours when serendipity intervened a random shell from offshore naval gunfire took out all of the senior Japanese officers meeting together in what was a random “pot shot”. With no one issuing orders the Japanese soldiers were rudderless and the battle was won by the Allies in 3 days. Of 4000 Japanese troops only 17 survived. 1000 Americans out of a force of 5000 died. It was the first of what would become many Pacific Islands retaken by the Allies.

Betio today still has a number of bunkers and gun emplacements to explore. Hardware is rusting in the sea and there is a moving memorial to those who lost their lives here.

We are at the immigration desk and the lady asks the purpose for our visit. We respond “tourism”. Undeterred she asks if we know anyone in the country. We respond in the negative and a seemingly disbelieving smile crosses her lips. “What do you want to see here?” I feel as though I am being quizzed in my final exams. If I fail with the answer do we get sent back? Boldly I responded there are Japanese relics here from WW2 and would like to do some snorkelling. I passed my exam and our passports are duly stamped. On a plane full of returning Kiribati from fruit picking work in NZ and Australia where the only other white people are aid workers we are  novelty.

The third least visited country in the world was originally the British colony known as the Gilbert Islands. This collection of 32 atolls is now known as Kiribati, pronounced “Kiribas” as “ti” in the local language is pronounced as “s”. The population here is 100,000 almost all in the capitol, Tarawa but you wouldn’t pick it in this sleepy hollow, South Pacific town. The highest elevation here is 3 metres putting this nation at similar risk to rising sea levels.

This is a much larger chain of islands around a lagoon than Tuvalu. Most of them are linked by causeways allowing for easy albeit slow driving. The speed limit here is only 40km/h. Sadly there is a distinct rubbish problem here all around are impromptu mounds of largely plastic trash.

We hire a basic “tinnie” boat to take us to the outer islands. The plan was to include snorkelling. When we arrive at the snorkelling beach at North Tarawa there was a moderate swell and the batman deemed it unsafe but I am still not clear if it was for the boat to land or for us to snorkel. Nonetheless the island where we landed for lunch was pretty as the sand bar where we stayed for a long swim instead.

The afternoon was at a sand bar at South Tarawa ostensibly to snorkel again. This was a no event with absolutely nothing to see despite snorkelling a long distance out. Nonetheless it was a pleasant day overall.

As with all Pacific islands the true beauty lies underwater. One of my favourite snorkelling spots is the beach next to the Naviti Resort on Fiji’s Coral coast. These days it is not free for resort guests it belongs to the local tribe. But for a nominal price one can ask the local chief for permission and the coral and fish are easily accessible off the beach. In the early days underwater photography was specialised and required expensive equipment. Around 10 years ago I bought a cheap digital waterproof camera which served me well.

Increasingly over the last few years I struggled with snorkelling and photography. Increasingly I found myself pointing the camera in hope that I have aimed correctly and the photo would be OK.I surprised myself at the positive hit rate but it was really frustrating. A year ago I updated and upgraded my camera again I struggled to see the view screen. Ultimately the penny dropped and invested in goggles with glass at my refractive error. Today was it and what a joy! The snorkel and the photography was an absolute delight!

This resort, while fiendishly expensive, is beautifully set in replanted natural rainforest. Conservation is taken seriously here and emblematic is their iguana breeding and protection which has increased the endangered local crested iguana population tenfold in the last 10 years. They treat and rehabilitate any injured or diseased specimens. They breed and return young ones to the wild when full grown.

I followed this up with the steep 25 minute walk up to Lucas Point lookout. The heat was enervating and the views were somewhat obscured due to the vegetation it was  still worthwhile.

Flights between the least visited countries and Fiji are infrequent and we have to spend 5 nights in Fiji in between. This is our 5th visit here and interestingly in the decades since we were last here a lot of development has occurred and much of the Nadi streetscape seems very western.

When planning for this trip I asked my life partner to look at and select the accommodation. When she looked at Tuvalu and Kiribati she turned to me and said “you must be joking”! The negotiation to get her over the line was to allow her to be as extravagant as she likes with the Fiji accommodation. She did not disappoint!

I am typing this in a massive suite metres from the beach with its own plunge pool. We are at Likliku resort on Malolo Island The view from our luxurious king bed is across turquoise water  to Mana Island and a number of other smaller islands.

It is remarkable how the image of a languid, leaning coconut tree transports the viewer to impressions of white sand, deserted beaches, a relaxed paradise. While this photo is taken in Tuvalu this is not typical of this tiny island nation, formerly the “Ellice” in Gilbert and Ellice islands.

This is my “least visited” trip and Tuvalu the least visited country on earth has only around 4000 visitors per year. There is no tourist industry here at all. No travel companies no fridge magnets (much to the chagrin of my life  partner) no souvenirs at all. The population here is 10,000 all up and the vibe of its capitol Funafuti is scruffy and down market. Accommodation is sparse and basic, eateries are few. The main island of Fongafale is a narrow affair arcing gracefully around one side of the 100 square kilometre lagoon.

Tuvalu has one other claim to fame. It is already a victim of rising sea levels. Metres of the beach have been lost to the lagoon. The highest land is 4.5 metres above sea level and is dwarfed by the ugly mountain of rubbish in the tip at the northern point of the island. Forecasts estimate that 50% of Funafuti will be underwater by 2050. The islanders I have spoken to are phlegmatic about the problem and possible solution. Despite the poor standard of living they all expressed a desire to stay in this, their homeland. Interestingly there is a massive project underway to dredge sand from the sea bed and deposit onto lost land as an attempt at reclamation. Hopefully this works. Plan B is relocating the population and this is already happening. Australia has agreed to take 400 Tuvalu and per year as permanent residents and the first tranche is this year. The ballot process to select them in 2025 was massively oversubscribed.

For our first day here the lodge owner organises a boat ride across the lagoon and we visit two of the 9 islands. Both uninhabited and both deserted island paradises.

The capitol is Funafuti and houses 6000 Tuvaluans. There are few shops here, shelves are half empty and the buildings have a ramshackle look about them which I find unusual having travelled through most of the South Pacific I find that the people may be poor but they are “house proud”. Their villages are neat and well maintained. Not so here. This island was occupied by the Americans in WW2 who built an airstrip as this is a skinny long island the airstrip bisects Funafuti becoming a playground and picnic area for locals except for 2 hours on 4 days a week when flights enter and leave from Fiji. A blast of the air raid siren clears the runway of locals.