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It is probably worth explaining some of the waterfall albums I have included on here, I don't think I have said much so I hope I am not doubling up.
There are four main falls walks that I have discovered around Honiara, though as this place goes there could be a heap more to hear about. Anyway of the four, I have managed to get out to three so far, each walk is unique with its own charm and challenge but all have been absolutely stunning.
The first attempted was Mataniko falls with a group of volunteers way back when and I am sure to have mentioned that one before. Anyway we went back a second time with a different group of volunteers who managed to accumulate a string of minor injuries (soft I say) but so started my walks reputation for injury haha, oh well could be known for worse.
Mataniko is beautiful, you hike across rolling grass covered hills before descending into rainforest passing an old WWII warhead on the side of the path and reaching the area of the falls. The falls themselves are nice not huge but with some nice jumps and the mess of Honiara drifts away with the sound of rushing water. There are two things that make this walk unique, there is a cave that is quite deep which supply much of the falls and you can swim around in pitch darkness. The other special part of this trip is getting back instead of hiking you swim back along the river or drift with a truck tube kindly supplied by the guides. This fall also has a story of tragedy with a tourist falling among the rock in the past and his body being found washout out to the beach at the end of the river. Sad for the poor b*****, better move on.
Tenaru is the next of my stories and for sheer breathtaking awesomeness, size and beauty, it can't be matched by the other walks. There are two very high falls opening on to a large open lake area where you can swim and jump. The force and height of the flowing water means there is a constant mist blowing across the lake both adding to the surreal look of the place and cooling the temperature. With moss covered logs and pristine scenery including orchids growing in the surrounding cliffs its no wonder it has been used as the setting for the Solomon Island's first music clip to be aired internationally on MTV. The walk itself isn't much fairly flat with lots of shallow river crossings and a few slippery banks.
Well I am yet to make it to Borore cascades, which leaves me with the last and latest of the four to cover. Kahove Falls or 'Trenches Creek' in English. I found this walk online and it hard a hard rating (above the previous two) but when contacting the local lady here in Honiara she said it would be about 1 ½ hours in and 1 ½ hours out, so I figured it couldn't be too bad. Anyway this one took two attempts the first was with some volunteers and it rained us out. We tried to soldier on but when people started getting tired and slipping we had to go back and jeez I am glad that we did, that group were soft hahaha turns out we had only made it about a quarter of the way… They had no chance.
So for the sequel I took my English class for one last trip before the guys head off to Taiwan. So this was a real team, fit early twenties blokes and Solomon Island's women. Aa pretty even match though I tell you, the girls (most mid 30's mums mind you) still put us to shame. This walk is fairly hardcore it was seven hours all up with about an hour just at the falls jumping off the impressively high jump there and resting before the walk back down. It is not flat though and the entire walk is clambering up the smaller falls and creak boulders to get to the main fall. Really rewarding though both in the scenery along the way and the feeling of success at the end. Well that's long enough and those are the falls!
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