Greeted by a cheery stranger with blood red teeth stained by the chewing of copious betel nut, sitting at the local black market on my way home, it could have been any other day in Honiara over the last fourteen months but I am only now struck with the realization that this is all coming to an end... With a hint of sadness, strolling in the hot sun I've arrived home and here in front of the laptop, am shaking the melancholy vibe to instead think back to my recent trip West with a rag tag trekking crew of family and friends from Australia. I was just departing when last I wrote and for better or worse, it was a trip unlike anything I've experienced and well worth telling the tale so I shall try……

I'd better not name names on here without checking but my brother and partner had arrived after a long period of anticipation along with one of my best mates from school days and the plan was for a mighty trip to the Western Province here. Another on the program here in Honiara also got on board and Danielle and myself rounded out the six.

It's funny each of our bunch would have a unique take on the coming days and some are in a far more deserving place to tell the stories but it has fallen to me to paint their pictures so I hope I do them justice.

I had managed to wangle my way out of a professional development activity of my program deemed compulsory just in time for my crew's arrivals at the airport and as such had a few days with them before Danielle (who hadn't been as lucky) was available to join us. So it was back to Kahove and out to Bonegi wreck for the general tourist experience that and some festive drinks filled our first few days along with a trip to the fishing market and a few expat haunts. In the blink of an eye the free days in Honiara had passed and we were packed and ready to head to off on the road less travelled first stop Munda…