What is Happening Here?

Raro is gone? What happened?

Now Islandboi is going, or threatening to go?

And these con folks keep sneaking in and pushing their lodges and inns?

What is happening in the islands?

Raro still posts a fair amount, but does it only once every month or two. Or three...
He stopped using the forum more regularly after TT4 was introduced, out of frustration, he said at the time. As did a few other regulars back then.

Too early to comment on islandboi, I guess.

As for the commercial posters, I haven't actually noticed them on this branch too much, but sure they've become more common and more obvious on others. And mods seem less quick to delete such posts these days, if they do it at all. That is annoying indeed, I do think it reduces the overall value of TT greatly.

Raro did express a lot frustration with the new TT4 when it was introduced. But the regulars on any branch do come and go. The S Pacific branch in particular doesn't get a lot of traffic, as compared to other branches, so there's also less variety. Sometimes a regular just get tired of answering the same questions. Sometimes there's a slow build-up of frustration with too much exposure to the really dumb questions, and they need a holiday.

I visit several branches regularly. But I do get tired of specific branches/countries every once in a while, so I spend more time somewhere else.

The attractive feature of the S Pacific branch in the past has been that it did get less traffic, and the regulars were a knowledgeable bunch. It fit the character of the region, never hard to imagine myself swinging in a hammock watching the tide come in and listening to someone telling stories about the place. I spent most of my time simply reading their answers to other people's questions .. so, yes, it's a shame when one or more of them leave.

As a regular on this post I do get frustrated at very basic questions that have been asked and answered a hundred times. I wish people would use the search feature to get answers as to weather, flights and basics. Most of us have less time to devote to monitoring the posts. When I see a specific post and I know the answer I chime in. Frankly Frangipani08 is doing such a good job answering questions promptly, that by the time I see the post it is already answered.

Papa Mike

This is the one branch that I visit everyday - it helps me keep the magic I felt in the SP alive and if I can help someone, even better. When I am researching a new place to visit I will hang out on other boards; some of these boards I will continue to monitor, others I never bother with again. I see that happening here - people are so enthusiastic when planning their trips and then move on when they are completed. A number of regulars have moved over to tripadvisor where they tend to stay with just the one country they prefer. I hope the regulars here, including islandboi, keep hanging around as I enjoy reading their posts and hearing of their adventures. I read the "Survivor Samoa" thread with a great sense of dismay and wished that a bit more respect had been shown on all sides so it would not have become so divisive.

LOL - Frangipani posts on Tripadvisor. It has become a much more vibrant forum for some of the Pacific islands with local posters as well as plenty of "I just got back" reports. Some regulars are now over there.

CarolBatTT had the nerve to delete some of Raro's posts. (Like everyone couldn't see what a mess the downgrade was.) But Raro is no longer living on Rarotonga. He sold his place there. I recall that he posted that he was traveling around the States visiting family.

im am just back from Yasawas, seems most resorts are of about 50% in numbers for this time of year, so if they are squealing for clients I don't really blame them for coming in here and trying to get some attention,

Not sure who is sneaking in fake reviews etc., on b&bs etc???

And where is Crossie these days?

Link to the past

This is still a better forum for Solomon Islands than Trip Advisor, which only seems to carry posts from people visiting the resorts in the Western province, which I know very little about.
And the more traditional parts of Solomon Islands are becoming more popular (even if still only rarely visited, compared with parts of Fiji).

I like islandboi- he once listed me as one of the people he would most like to talk to. Don't go away IB- besides liking your posts, it is nice to be liked. Come back. You are part of our small coterie. And barry- go away. Go flounce yourself. We don't need this kind of stuff here.

Haha 5W, sounds like he listed many people that way! ;-)
But at least in my case, he seems to have shyed away from realizing it when in SEA.

I fully agree that the useful contributors are more missed than the nasty arguments.
And like OG, I still think this forum is more interesting than Tripadvisor which seems preferred by package tourists and 1 week holdaymakers (or was that way when I checked).

well- he didn't not meet me in SEA. Of course, I wasn't in SEA, but I will take what I can get these days.

Trip advisor seemed to me to be really trip oriented. I used it when I was headed to this place or that- but it didn't feel like a community as such.

I browsed several forums on Tripadvisor yesterday and, yes, most of the postings are related to short-term holidays and at the more upper end resorts, looking for resort/hotel recommendations. I was surprised by the number of Fiji postings related to Denarau, for example .. while a number of my favourite places on Fiji got no mention at all (such as Ovalau). Same story for other countries.

Of course, there are a lot of holiday/resort postings on LP as well, but enough questions from the more independent type to make it interesting.

We, of course, think we are all fasinating so of course it is more interesting here. Of course, not all of us can speel too well.

Must be my poor English - I meant to say I never met ib in SEA either.

I never even thought much about community aspects of TT, but quite simply, the questions and posts do seem to include more interesting ones on this forum.
There are more which are about "travel" as opposed mere quick "trips" if such a distinction can be made.

Sorry- I was twisting the language around in ways that could easily be hard to follow. Double negatives can be very hard to explain- I won't even try. I did understand what you meant and was trying, unsuccessfully, to be clever. It is late here- ignore me.

Watsoff, Crossie is in Niue. Not much point in contributing without an east/west connection but this may be changing in Novemeber with a Pago/Tonga/Niue link which I posted about on the main page (accidently twice).

Only spending winters here now. We now have "unofficial" self contained, village stay accommodation in Niue if I may slip in a little transgression, although it isn't really a commercial venture.

www.markcross.nu

#11 is the reason why people leave. a waste of bandwidth that post.

Under a previous nom du plume, I spent a lot of time on the China thread, the Australia thread, and the SP thread.

The China thread became a complete waste of time with thread counts going into the 100's and thosusands, 90% of which was just one muppet insulting another.

The Australia thread the same, and the SP rthread is much better, but new stuff doesn't come along so often., particularly on the Tonga sub thread where i normally park my arse.

Well, I'm here today on the TT, as I just read of the Tongan ferry disaster and had to see if it was on here.

I've been away from the Cooks for two years now. Things do change, so I can't speak with the same certainty on tiny specifics that I used to when I was living there. Also been busy with a building project on my house here near SF.

As stated above, I do wish new people would read the FAQ's. Many Q's qould be answered in them!

So, I guess I'll be back on an irregular basis, that's the best I can predict.

Hope all are well. And Island boi would be missed if he is gone.

Good to see you back here, Raro, even if it took a disaster to get you here.

Ouch-wish I could send you some of our heat- and humidity, an odd thing in Colorado. But I think you have a good point. Even Raro comes to visit when here is a disaster- these small pieces of land tend to get into ones soul.

Maybe that's the difference with this Board - the "old regulars" (even though we mightn't be as "regular", and we don't like to be called "old") - are actually interested in what is happening, and come here for news from the islands, and sometimes even to share some pain and hope for a bit of comfort from friends.

Rob - freezing his arse off in Bendigo - minus 3 degrees Celcius here yesterday morning :-(

It looks like being lovely and warm today in Newcastle. Been having really cold weather lately.

Today is lovely in Denver- warm almost hot, clear, sunny, dry- with a breeze.

Newcastle on Trent? (Oh dear oh dear- I don't know if there are other Newcastles. Oh well). I remember years ago sitting on the Castle wall being attacked by narsty little buggies but it was a lovely sit. We had a dear friend who came from Newcastle, with an unpleasant little dog who liked to nip. Isn't that just what life is like.

Newcastle, Australia. 160km north of Sydney.

Named after Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

I believe that there are 13 Newcastle's around the world. If you are from where I am, then you are a Novocastrian. If you are from N-u-T, then you are a Geordie.

I was born and raised in Wallsend which is named after Hadrian's Wall.

I worked with two blokes from Denver when i wa sin China. One was a complete dickhead, and the other a fantastic bloke. the good one now works in Armidale, NSW.

Blush. and Duh. That was a big assumption. We must have trained through Newcastle, Australia. And that would explain why it was chilly. A Novocastrian. That is quite something.

I am certainly related to the second Denverite- I wouldn't want to be related to the dickhead.

I am certainly related to the second Denverite

a PM is on it's way to you.