Stranded in the Solomon Islands, domestic flights cancelled

[Tiki]

The QF flight is break even. Old ticket refunded in full, new ticket same points and taxes. There probably won’t be a receipt from Mendana because they rolled over the other prepared nights. There is $200 excess per person per event. I can try to claim what I can but I’m not holding my breath.

It’s funny, I feel like I was voted off Survivor and went to Jury Villa. Now I can eat anything I want but I get full easy. I’d actually like to maintain that. I need to drop some kgs. Husband no such problem. He stuffed himself silly at the buffet but to be fair it’s his island culture food. He misses it. And the music is similar to his Cook Island music, really perked him up. The swimming pool helps too!

Birding this morning was amazing, got at least 3 lifers, Red Lory, Yellow-bibbed Lorikeets and one I have to look up because I don’t know what it is.

Tomorrow off to Parangiju for more amazing birds! Not sure how good the connection will be but at least no more crises to overcome!

 

[DC3]

And watch out for the mozzies. Some nasty stuff there.

But you would be aware of that anyway.

 

[Quickstatus]

Any photos of the birds?

Or post Here

 

[Tiki]

Hi wifi is only in the restaurant area. Let me get back to Brisbane and caught up and I will post photos. Nice interactions between Solomon coughatoos and Eclectus!

 

[Tiki]

We are back home in Brisbane, now to get caught up on real life! QF Alliance E190 right on time, such a relief! Thank you again to everyone who followed this saga and helped out with advice and kind words.

 

[Flyfrequently]

Welcome home @Tiki
Thanks for sharing your journey and hope the past 72 hours helped ease the distress of the previous days.

 

[Quickstatus]

@Tiki

Now that you are home.....

So you got out of Rennell Island on the oldest aircraft in the Solomon Airlines fleet.
It is also the 4th oldest operational Twin Otter in the World
Significantly it is also the oldest Twin Otter still operational after a major crash.

Abbreviated history:
Year of manufacture 1968 but rolled off the producton line 1970 = 56 years.
For a while operated by diamond miners in Africa
Was damaged in Lesotho in 1974

Operated by Air Queensland in 1982-1988 and then Australian Airlines in 1988

Crashed into trees at Dunk Island 1988 while taking off (James Strong was CEO of Australian Airlines at the time)
Left wing and undercarriage ripped off.
The wreck was unrepaired until the carcass was transported to PNG in a container and repaired there in 1992

Spent some years back in Queensland with Flight West Airlines in the 1990s and serviced remote communities in QLD
Was leased to the RAAF for some months

Then purchased by IE Solomon Airlines in 2001,
Later on sold to PNG then Kiribati before returning to IE Solomon Airlines ownership in 2021


ATSB Dunk Island accident report and discussed in the AFR

 

[luxury-lizard]

Oh dear @Quickstatus - thank goodness @Tiki did not know the above history before flying.

 

[Seat0B]

welcome home @Tiki - what an adventure you've had!

 

[Happy Dude]

Definitely one of the more and posts @Quickstatus!

 

[Quickstatus]

Definitely one of the more and posts

Thats why I only posted it after Tiki got home
I would not want to know either until after...

What is the alternative apart from the Aus Govt sending some ADF assets

 

[drron]

great to see you back at home Tiki. Now you could post some photos of the birds you saw.
I actually love watching birds and a lot of them seem to be enjoying my company.
I could never be a birdwatcher let alone twitcher but I have been out with a few birdwatcher groups. Mostly when we did expedition cruises on the Silver Explorer. We often sailed with Chris one of the Expedition Staff but his interest.is birds. In fact he chose to liive in Arizona even though he is from the UK. He chose a spot under 2 major bird migration pathways.
After an experience in the Falklands when we landed on an uninhabited Island he said to me this is the 5th time I have been here and never seen the Cobbs wren. He described it and I said like this bird right at my feet. Indeed it was. I became firm friends when I spotted a rare finch I think and it had come right up to me. After that I went on at least 6 excursions with him.

So I would love to see some photos.

 

[Tiki]

@Tiki

Now that you are home.....

So you got out of Rennell Island on the oldest aircraft in the Solomon Airlines fleet.
It is also the 4th oldest operational Twin Otter in the World
Significantly it is also the oldest Twin Otter still operational after a major crash.

Abbreviated history:
Year of manufacture 1968 but rolled off the producton line 1970 = 56 years.
For a while operated by diamond miners in Africa
Was damaged in Lesotho in 1974

Operated by Air Queensland in 1982-1988 and then Australian Airlines in 1988

Crashed into trees at Dunk Island 1988 while taking off (James Strong was CEO of Australian Airlines at the time)
Left wing and undercarriage ripped off.
The wreck was unrepaired until the carcass was transported to PNG in a container and repaired there in 1992

Spent some years back in Queensland with Flight West Airlines in the 1990s and serviced remote communities in QLD
Was leased to the RAAF for some months

Then purchased by IE Solomon Airlines in 2001,
Later on sold to PNG then Kiribati before returning to IE Solomon Airlines ownership in 2021


ATSB Dunk Island accident report and discussed in the AFR

View attachment 518903

View attachment 518923

Oh dear @Quickstatus - thank goodness @Tiki did not know the above history before flying.

OMG thank you for NOT posting that until after we were home! Although we really had no other choice to get off the island. Thank God none of my upcoming trips involve questionable aircrafts!

Had a lot of running around yesterday, Husband went to his usual doctor then had to wait at QML almost 2 hours because they were short-staffed. But the doctor thinks he is fine, just blood tests as a precaution. We are both exhausted but happy to be home! I'll put bird pics in the other thread.

 

[nancypants]

Facebook

www.facebook.com

“
Grass runway? No worries.

A Royal Australian Air Force C-27J Spartan touched down at Balalae Airport in the Solomon Islands.

Built to operate from short and austere airfields, the Spartan gives the ADF the flexibility to move people and equipment into locations that can be difficult for larger aircraft to access.

| LAC Clarke-Kelly

#YourADF #AusAirForce #C27J”

 

[Quickstatus]

A Royal Australian Air Force C-27J Spartan

All ten Spartans are being decommissioned as of April 2026. Final retirement unknown but the load is being taken up with an expansion of the Hercules fleet

 

[DC3]

OMG thank you for NOT posting that until after we were home

 

[Tiki]

So here is the epilogue. I filed a claim with Tick under travel delay and submitted all receipts I could find, hotels, restaurants, pharmac_ for extra Metformin, even from the local supermarket for extra mozzie repellent and my estimate of $25 a day to feed 2 people during the days we were shopping at the local shop in Rennell with no receipts. They approved everything! Payment minus the $200 per person excess was in my account yesterday!

 

[ALH]

We are on a tiny remote island in a guesthouse that has power only a few hours in the evening. Patchy wifi although better at the airstrip because I got then to log me on. Running out of mozzie spray. Husband has a cough and no pharmac_ here. Local shops have things like noodles, tuna, corned beef and hard biscuits, no bread. Shower needs power and only cold water. Two days to see the birds was more than enough. Now going on 5 nights. The people are nice but that’s about the only positive. Also running low on SBD cash, have some AUD. But was relying on credit cards in Honiara. Really wanted a nice pizza at King Solomon tonight.

I LOVE the Pizza’s at King Solomon, especially with Lobster. Friday nights

 

[DC3]

So here is the epilogue. I filed a claim with Tick under travel delay and submitted all receipts I could find, hotels, restaurants, pharmac_ for extra Metformin, even from the local supermarket for extra mozzie repellent and my estimate of $25 a day to feed 2 people during the days we were shopping at the local shop in Rennell with no receipts. They approved everything! Payment minus the $200 per person excess was in my account yesterday!

Even the mozzie repellant.