Calonectris
Active member
I'm looking to join the 2025 West Pacific Odyssey. Heritage Expeditions just published their itinerary and it has some significant changes compared to previous years that make me doubt whether it's maybe better to wait it out for 2026.
The first and last parts are still the same as any other WPO: start in Auckland and travel via Norfolk Island to New Caledonia, the last leg is the trek to Japan via Chichi-jima and Torishima to Yokohama. It's the middle part among the Solomons where the big difference lies.
Where there are usually four or five islands visited (Rennell, Guadalcanal, Kolombangara, Makira, Tetepare, Chuuk, ...) now there are only three island visits: Guadalcanal (Honiara with a visit to Mt. Austin), Bougainville and New Ireland (Kavieng). The trip is also markedly shorter: 25 days compared to 29 days this year.
So, as I see it, the sea birding will be more or less the same as before but the land birding will be a lot reduced. Does anyone have some intel on species diversity and endemism on Bougainville and New Ireland (the Mt Austin trip is standard on the WPO) and whether a day visit is worth the while seeing as these are big islands where possibly most species are found in more remote areas?
TIA.
The first and last parts are still the same as any other WPO: start in Auckland and travel via Norfolk Island to New Caledonia, the last leg is the trek to Japan via Chichi-jima and Torishima to Yokohama. It's the middle part among the Solomons where the big difference lies.
Where there are usually four or five islands visited (Rennell, Guadalcanal, Kolombangara, Makira, Tetepare, Chuuk, ...) now there are only three island visits: Guadalcanal (Honiara with a visit to Mt. Austin), Bougainville and New Ireland (Kavieng). The trip is also markedly shorter: 25 days compared to 29 days this year.
So, as I see it, the sea birding will be more or less the same as before but the land birding will be a lot reduced. Does anyone have some intel on species diversity and endemism on Bougainville and New Ireland (the Mt Austin trip is standard on the WPO) and whether a day visit is worth the while seeing as these are big islands where possibly most species are found in more remote areas?
TIA.
