Lelepa Island

For about $78 they will take you on a day trip to Lelelpa Island. Ironically over the years there have been lepers on this island which were confined to living in some caves for fear of infecting others with the disease. Our day started with an hour bus ride up through a steep and muddy tracks to get to a ferry landing. It rains every day here during the wet season, so the bus driver seemed to know what he was doing. Thankfully. There was another bus along the way that was bogged.

Once at the landing, a ferry picked us up and took us to the island just a couple of hundred metres to the east of Etafe Island. The water here is a rich aqua blue which is a stark contrast to the hazy brownish green we are so used to in Sydney. They took us snorkelling at a couple of different locations around the island which was amazing too. There are heaps of coral reefs and the fish just swarm around you having a look and going about there business.

If you really look hard enough you can see the fish. Trust me you had to be there ;)

The locals still live in their local villages spread around the islands. The houses are very basic, usually made out of metal sheets or if your lucky concrete. Our tour guide, Reuben, was part of the "royal family" on Lelepa Island and so had a nicer concrete on which had been half painted white. But despite being seemingly lacking materially, these people look truly happy. Just satisfied with the simple things in life. Living in paradise wouldnt hurt much either. About 300 live in the village on Lelepa Island which has a church and a primary school too. Everyone seems to wear those fake Crocs around here. Apparently during WWII the Japanese fought the USA here aswell. There have been heaps of atifacts found around the island. Especially those old Coke bottles. Apparently the Americans went through ALOT of Coke. I guess war makes you thirsty.

As a consequence of the rain too, the entire place is incredibly green. When you fly over in the plane, you will see dense forest and thick jungle all over the islands.  Hardly a patch without green.