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How we started
A dream that began in the mid-eighties, and 17 tonnes of building supplies hauled up a beach by hand.
Our dream started in the mid-80s with our first trip to the Solomon Islands. We fell in love with the country and its people.
For the next 15 years we travelled, enjoyed and searched for the ultimate location to build the retreat.
The six things it had to have
We knew exactly what we were looking for:
- Remoteness, away from any established tourism areas
- A reliable water source
- The availability of good consistent waves
- A great swimming area, with quality reefs for snorkelling
- Close proximity to a local air strip
- Local villages that were eager to be involved in tourism
On a surf reconnaissance trip to Santa Isabel in November 2007, we found paradise at Papatura Island. Finally, a location that ticked all the boxes. Our dream started to become a reality.
Getting the gear there
After a year of negotiation with the provincial government and local chiefs, we signed a 50-year lease and started the huge effort of transporting two full shipping containers from the Gold Coast to a small remote island in the South Pacific.
Eventually, with the help of a few mates, we drove our two long boats from Honiara to the island to meet the barge, man-handling the containers and 17 tonnes of resort equipment and building supplies up the beach. Then we started working on what would become the little beach retreat in the Pacific.
Living rough
Starting out, the living conditions were very harsh — bunkering down under tarps from the monsoonal rains, trying to keep the mosquitoes and sea ulcers away, and chasing goannas out of our temporary outdoor kitchen and living area.
Pete, who was 68 at the time, is the stuff legends are made of. He lived there with one worker for the first three months until Marg joined him. With the help of family they oversaw the building and construction of the retreat, with their son Darren flying in to help with the more technical details like power, plumbing and the kitchen.
After more than 12 months of hard work, Papatura Island Retreat officially opened — and is now the pride of tourism on Santa Isabel.
