Discovering Vanuatu's ‘Santo’

Kiwi base: New Zealanders’ Beach on Espiritu Santo.

THERE are some places that disappoint you on arrival and some that exceed all expectations. Espiritu Santo (known by locals as Santo) is definitely one of the latter, completely deserving the over-used description of “paradise”.

Santo — the largest of Vanuatu’s 87 islands — lies just over 307km north-west of mainland Efate, and has seen many explorers, settlers and visitors come and go. It was first visited by a Portuguese captaining a Spanish expedition in 1606 who thought he had found the southern continent, the legendary Terra Australis. The French followed in 1768. And in 1768, Captain Cook mapped the area naming the islands the New Hebrides.

A vast contingent of visitors arrived in World War 2 when the US established a huge base there, second only to Pearl Harbour in size. Over 2 million troops passed through or were based there, at least 40,000 and up to 100,000 at one time!

We flew into Santo some 70 years later, having read rave reviews of Aore Island Resort and Santo itself and curious to learn more of its wartime history.

Aore Island (once an R and R base for American troops) is reached by a brisk 15-minute ferry boat ride across the channel from the mainland. The peaceful resort has beautiful views and grounds, simple comfortable bungalows (with no distracting phones or TV) warm friendly staff and fabulous food. Perfect place to unwind.

Santo was hardly touched by Cyclone Pam which descended further east, but the resorts were empty — though unharmed — for six long weeks after all the guests cancelled.

Catching up with JerryBack at Luganville (the small capital) on day 2, we met Jerry — our wonderful enthusiastic guide who spoke six languages — and set out on a memorable World War 2 relics’ tour. Some American-built Quonset huts are still in use and the international airport is one of the three large airfields rapidly built in very difficult conditions by the Americans for two bomber and two fighter bases. They also housed extensive aircraft repair and maintenance units.

After wending our way in the minibus round big potholes, we walked through the jungle to the site of one of the US hospitals where we met a local chief. He and Jerry demonstrated the different drums used to send messages between villages.

We were then shown a huge collection of war artifacts, collected from all over the island. Later we walked to the site of one of the many war-time plane crashes (the pilots had bailed out safely), then on to visit the beautiful white sand New Zealanders’ Beach where Kiwi servicemen from No 5 and No 6 seaplane squadrons relaxed. Gorgeous Champagne Beach was further north, and an even lovelier beach lay north of that.

One of the most famous sites on Santo is Million Dollar Point where the Americans drove jeeps, diggers and other vehicles off the end of a specially-built pier into the sea at the end of the war. Fragments of old green Coke bottles and corroding rusty metal parts merge into the volcanic rocks onshore.

It is a popular dive spot — 60 percent of all visitors come to Santo to dive. Just offshore, lying in 20-70 metres of water, lies the troop-carrying SS President Coolidge which, due to a disastrous communication breakdown, hit “friendly” mines and sank in 45 minutes in October 1942.

Miraculously, 5340 men were evacuated safely, with only the clothes they stood up in — only two lives were lost. But all their gear, vehicles, food supplies, clothes, weapons, and — worst of all — almost all the US supply of quinine to combat malaria, endemic in the islands, was lost. The beleaguered troops on Guadalcanal struggled for many months more without the promised reinforcements.

The Coolidge a top dive siteThe Coolidge, originally a huge luxury ocean liner, is now one of the world’s top diving sites. Divers enjoy exploring the huge vessel and seeing the famous Lady and the Unicorn plaque, still pristine underwater.

Nearby is the SS Tucker, also sunk by “friendly” mines, with six lives lost, having earlier survived the attack on Pearl Harbour.The reefs teem with colourful tropical fish and make wonderful diving and snorkeling as well.

Famous blue holes on the mainland and beautiful streams and waterfalls also tempt visitors.

Although Malaysia, Moorea and Bora Bora all lay claim to having the famous Bali Hai peak of the musical South Pacific, the real Bali Hai was inspired by Ambrae Island visible in mirage-like conditions across the sea from Santo. It captivated James A Michener, who wrote his Pulitzer prize-winning novel Tales of the South Pacific while he was a serviceman stationed on war-time Santo. His famous character, Bloody Mary, a real woman who died in the 1990s, supplied the enlisted men with girls and cheap liquor.

One of the two schools we passed featured a striking replica of the Coolidge Lady and Unicorn plaque over their gateway. Later we saw Vunabulu School enjoying a well-attended soccer match surrounded by huge shady trees.

Heading back, we passed the huge ovens from the kitchens that once fed thousands of military personnel, a lovely golf course, coconut plantations and some of the famous Santo beef cattle grazing.

As Jerry raced us back to our ferry on a splendid new tarsealed road, he happily informed us that it had been donated by the New Zealand government. Very popular!

Near our jetty — where there had once been huge ship-repair facilities — we saw a large fenced-in compound which included a tiny jail built to house Japanese wartime prisoners. Never used, the compound now houses Chinese workers building a large new cruise ship terminal, donated by the Chinese government. With many more cruise ships visiting Santo, the local economy should get a welcome boost.

Two days later, we were sad to farewell Jerry and leave lovely Santo — we do hope to return.