| ozziegiraffe21:27 UTC04 Apr 2007 | Copied from the Solomon Star:
Our trip to paradise
Submitted by Moffat Mamu on 5 April, 2007 - 1:02pm. Nation
This is the story of five ladies who were caught in the tsunami tragedy in Gizo on the first morning of what they taught would be a splendid three day holiday. These ladies Catherine Nullakia, Everyln Maelasia, Kim Loveday, Kim O’Toole and Kate Hall are survivors who return to Honiara to share their experience with us.
WE departed Honiara on the Pelican Express, at 7am Sunday April 1. Five ladies (one six months pregnant) heading out to Fatboys for three nights stay that was going to include fishing, snorkelling, a trip to paradise and a visit to our travelling companion’s island called Kolombangara.
We arrived at Gizo at 6pm and was met by Grant (the owner of Fatboys, boarded his runabout and headed to the resort.
Had dinner, beautiful brandy cream crayfish and curried reef fish and retired for the night, ready for the next day’s adventure.
However, the night was exceptionally hot, no sea breeze, mozzies rampant and none of us slept. We could not wait until the sun came up to cool off in the ocean.
We explored the island on our early morning walk, had a swim, the water was very warm. We also noticed the two other guests on the island having a swim at the side of the restaurant. Breakfast was served from 7.30am. At 7.35pm the four of us walked from our cabin and onto the pier which would lead us to the restaurant. Our other friend was still getting ready to come down.
The pier is approximately 40 metres long from the shore to the restaurant. We were all laughing and joking, enjoying the moment. As we were about to enter the restaurant the building started to shake violently, we were thrown into the ocean.
Grant was still on the wharf calling to us to swim, swim, keep swimming. We thought the restaurant was going to fall on us, the noise was horrific.
We were all swimming for our lives but the current was horrendous, we were being pulled out, then a wave came which helped us closer to the shore. Then it went back out and we were pulled back again.
Another wave returned which helped us finally making it to shore, we were able to grab the lower branches of trees on the shoreline and hang on until the water went back again and we were able to climb up the bank.
If the trees were not there, we would not be alive to tell the rest of the story that was unfolding. In a state of shock, we realised what had just happened.
At this moment, the tide then receded out past the restaurant and beyond. There was another small island 300 metres or so away, that you could have walked to. It was then flashes of TV coverage on the tsunami that rocked Indonesia hit us.
We got onto the highest point and waited. The wave came in and we also noticed water rushing in from the southern side of the island. This happened three times. The sea appeared to settle. A decision was made to get in the runabouts and get back to Gizo. We were getting in the runabout, only four of us had got into the boat when another wave came and pushed the boat onto the pier with the water subsiding leaving the boat and motor stuck on the pier. We then had to physically get the boat off the pier and back into the water. The water had returned to its normal height, we boarded the two runabouts and left for Gizo.
On the journey to Gizo, the debris was everywhere floating aimlessly in the sea. There were logs, trees, dugout canoes, coconut trees, wood, what the sea could grab it did. The closer we got to Gizo the devastation was becoming clearer of the magnitude of what had happened.
One of our companions, Cathy Nullakia is from Western Province, she knows the shoreline of Gizo, she pointed out where an entire village once stood however, it was gone, there was nothing left, the sea had taken it.
As we got to the Gizo Harbour, small boats were turned over in the bay, floating aimlessly. The wharf we were to pull into was gone. We pull up to the coral embankment. The streets were near but deserted.
We unloaded the boat and moved to the front of the Gizo Hotel, you could see where the water had risen, at least a metre high on the building. Still in shock and not knowing what our movements would be, a four wheel drive drove up to the hotel.
The male driver, who we now know to be Danny Kennedy, offered us help, assistance and support. He was the Good Samaritan we all needed at this time. He loaded our luggage into his four wheel drive, we boarded and he took us to higher ground.
The majority of the stunned, community had assembled on top of the hill. Now it was just a matter of waiting. Danny was able to tell us some information, although minimal. There had been an earthquake, with a magnitude of 8.1 which created a tsunami that had devastated the Western Province and many other communities in outlying islands had been hit badly also.
Once on higher ground the tremors continued all day and through the night and into the next day. So many homes destroyed, people injured and loss of life. The devastation was immense.
Telephone connection was re-established, water minimal, and we watched Danny filling up water containers and driving relentlessly all day assisting the people.
The hospital was destroyed and a makeshift hospital was made in a doctor’s residence and also on a hill, using tarps tied to trees for shelter. Casualties were being bought in continuously. The doctors and volunteers worked endlessly in absolute trying conditions but they never gave up. As night fell, Danny offered us all accommodation at his residence, however, the continued aftershocks sent fear through us all and we decided to sleep out in the open on the hill.
This was the case with the whole community. We got whatever bedding we could and sat waiting to ride the night out, praying for daylight.
The tremors were continuing and at approximately 1am there was another major tremor, then again at 5.30am. They just never seemed to stop. By this time we were all praying for them to go away.
Danny rose early to continue to assist the people and we decided to go with him back down the hill to arrange whatever transport we could to make our way back to Honiara.
We all piled into Danny’s truck and on the way Danny was continuing to assess the situation and the cracks in the road and the devastation was everywhere. We noticed people had started going back down to the shoreline.
Danny dropped us at the Gizo Hotel where we sat under the grass umbrellas. We needed to arrange passage to Munda. Gizo airstrip was inoperable and the closest airport to us was Munda.
While we were waiting to arrange transport (however, it was difficult because there were no boats available) we heard a helicopter come over and it landed at the local oval.
We were elated to find out it had unloaded supplies and more people to help in the situation. However, due to the arrival of the helicopter, panic ensued, thinking a helicopter had arrived to say there was another wave coming and the people started screaming and running up the hill again. It was a false alarm.
As a result, the five of us became separated. Eventually, we were reunited outside the Gizo Hotel and continued to seek transport to Munda.
Not long after returning to the hotel, a police launch from Honiara arrived. The tremors were still continuing and there was uncertainty for it to dock at the wharf. Eventually it did and a number of prison officers from Honiara had arrived to assist.
We talked to some of the prison hierarchy, who said they were trying to establish a plan to move the prisoners from Gizo prison and the officers to the Gizo Airport to clean it up to enable flights to come in.
We then met one of the local taxi boat drivers, who does transport around the islands in his small runabout. We asked him if he could transport us to Munda, as we had a plane to catch.
However, his boat was fully loaded, so he attempted to get another boat from Munda to come and pick us up.
While we were waiting for confirmation of this, another boat arrived from Kolobangara Island. We were able to negotiate with the skipper and he agreed to take us to Munda. By this time our numbers had grown from five to nine.
We boarded the boat and as we departed the wharf we cheered and clapped, we were heading home.
On our journey to Munda, there was debris floating all over the place, but that did not stop our captain, he was focused on Munda and that’s where he took us. We arrived safely and proceeded to the local airport.
We had only been there 15 minutes when another alert came through, a tidal wave was on it’s way, however, we were unsure where this came from.
People were running and screaming and the attendant at the airport locked his office and we all fled to higher ground.
Our party was again split up and our plane was due to arrive soon. We could hear a plane in the distance and our thoughts were if there was a wave the plane would not land.
However, it did, so we assumed it was a false alarm again and returned to the airport terminal. When we arrived at the terminal the plane was in fact, the Solomon Islands Police Surveillance Aircraft.
When we told them of our fears, they then took the plane back up to check the area to see if there was a wave coming. They returned within half an hour and advised there was no wave they could see, everyone was relieved and normality started to return. If that’s what normality is.
There was no radio communication at the airport terminal, the pilot of the police surveillance aircraft could see our anxiety, so she radioed the incoming flight and confirmed our aircraft would be arriving from Choiseul at 4pm. More cheers of joy and relief.
Our plane landed, it was 4pm. We boarded, we were on the last leg of our journey. We landed at Henderson Airport, perfect flight, perfect landing, we were home. We praised our pilot for bringing us home safely.
This is our story, however, we are sure there are many more. Our thoughts and prayers will continue for our sisters and brothers who remain in the devastated areas from this tragic disaster. Mother nature shows us beauty on one hand then lashes out with the other.
However, from our experience when all the bad is washed away, we thank God for his gift of life and the paradise he created called the Solomon Islands.
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