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# The tale of Pigeon Island Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Solomon Islands
ozziegiraffe 11:14 UTC 24 Mar 2009 | From the Solomon Star: (I have visited Pigeon Island, with a relative of the Hepworths by marriage, and can vouch for the difficult sea voyage to the Reefs). The tale of Pigeon Island Monday, 23 March 2009 IF you happen to travel to Pigeon Island in Temotu Province you will not miss meeting Ben Hepworth. Ben is the owner of the Ngarando Faraway Resort on Pigeon Island, one of the tiny dots surrounding the Reef Islands in the eastern outlayers of Solomon Islands. Originally from England but was born in New Zealand, Ben came to live among the Melanesians because of his parents, Thomas and Diana Hepworth. His parents are traders after the World War II. They lived in Vanuatu before travelling to the Solomon Islands. Ben and his brother Ross (a former Temotu provincial assembly member) are the only two children in the family. Ben told Solomon Star on the resort last Thursday that his parents sailed from Vanuatu to Temotu looking for trochus because the prices have dropped. “They found their resting point at the Pigeon Island. “When the British High Commissioner visited the island, on his once a year tour, my parents arranged to have the island. “After returning to Vanuatu, the British High Commissioner sent a lease agreement to them,” he said. Following the signing of the lease agreement in Christmas 1958, Ben said his parents returned to the Pigeon Island and settled permanently. Ben went to New Zealand to undertake his secondary education from 1975 to1978. He then went to England to do his tertiary education. He returned to Temotu in 1980 and lives there until today. He is married to a woman from the Reef Island. Asked how he feels to live among Melanesians, Ben said Solomon Islands is his home. “I enjoyed life although I sometimes want to go overseas for holiday. “Fishing is my hobby,” he said. Ben said pijin is his first language now. His brother Ross speaks pijin and understand reef language as well. The two brothers lived on Pigeon Island until their father and mother passed away. Their father died on 19 July 1994 after a short illness. Their mother passed away after a heart attack on 27 August 2008. Ben continued to operate the family business while Ross travels to Honiara and involved in other business. Asked what his future plans for Pigeon Island, Ben said he wants to develop the rocky island into a big tourist resort. “But first, I would like to see an airstrip construction on in the Reef Islands. “Currently, we are still struggling with responsible authorities to build an airfield,” he said. Ben said an airfield is important because a boat trip from Lata provincial headquarters on Santa Cruz Island to the Reef Islands is often unpredictable due to the distance and rough seas. Ngarando Faraway Resort The resort is situated on a beautiful, park like, six acre (24,000 square metres) raised atoll island. The island is part of the Reef Island group. On one side is Mohawk Bay, on the other is the lagoon. The resort consists of a couple of skilfully built lodges supported by ancient crystalline coral with little coves and two beaches. To the north, there is a deep water anchorage. To the south, a stretch of reef separates a shallow lagoon from the cobalt blue of the deep. To the east, there were other islands much larger and sprinkled with many picturesque villages. To the west, there are many square miles of pristine reef reaching out to the distant Tinakula volcano. Thus, Ngarando resort is remote and very private. It accommodates only six guests and cannot be found on any tourist map. Local people refer to the island as "the faraway place", because it was where spirit worshiping rituals were held back in the olden days. Despite its remoteness, there are lots to enjoy on the island. From flora, which is amongst the most varied to be found anywhere in the region, to the pleasure of fishing, scuba diving, bird watching, canoeing, shell collecting or exploring the fascinating cultures in the local villages. You can sit under the waving palms reading a book from Ngarando's extensive library or stroll along the fine white sand beaches. A cool sea breeze is almost always blowing. For the adventurous, you can explore the outer reefs and other fascinating islands by motorised canoe. But if you are planning to spend more time on the island, two houses are available for long term rent - from three months to a year. They were the Nanivo Cottage (the school house in "Faraway") which is available for AUS$80 (US$46) a week and Lucy's house for A$60 (US$35). These cottage suit writers, artists, ham radio operators, or archaeologists or even a family that would like to give their children the island experience. Electricity is available from solar panels and a generator which is used in the evenings between 6 and 10 or by arrangement at other times. With approximately 300 meters separating the island from the nearest populated island, disease carrying mosquitoes are no where to be found on the Pigeon Island. In surveys carried out in the Reef Islands, no female anopheles mosquito (that carries malaria) has been found on the island. And despite its remoteness, Pigeon Islands is not isolated from the world because email service via HF radio (provided by Sail Mail) is available. Kayaks and masks and snorkels are provided. All meals are available "en facsimile" if desired. To enjoy the beauty of Temotu Province, travel to Pigeon Island and enjoy the peaceful and beautiful surrounding of Ngarando Faraway Resort. By EDDIE OSIFELO |
victoria1979 10:25 UTC 26 Apr 2010 | Hi - I have just found a Pathe news clip from 1947 of the Hepworths preparing to set sail from Brixham in Devon. Enjoy! http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=47940 | 1
ozziegiraffe 15:58 UTC 26 Apr 2010 | Thanks for posting this, Victoria - I will have to wait until I get home to look at it, as I am in a Greek Internet cafe at the moment. However, I recently discovered an internet travel agent that can organise travel to Pigeon Island - maybe through Ross Hepworth in Honiara. | 2
ozziegiraffe 14:55 UTC 10 Jul 2012 | Dear "Truegiraffe", Did you read the first line of my post? The article was posted in the Solomon Star: I did not write it. I was aware of the disabled sister, as I know many Reef Islands people who are related to Ben's twin, Ross, by marriage. Ben was away when I visited Pigeon Island, but I have had some connection with Ross and his family, who live mostly in Honiara. | 3