Rennell Island

Rennell Island, Solomon Islands

Lake Tegano at sunset, framed by a grey rock and sedge, with the forest rim lit gold across the water.

Rennell Island offers a remote lake, rare wildlife and village life on a coral atoll lifted from the sea, far from any resort.

The place

Rennell Island sits in the south-west Pacific, part of the Solomon Islands, and its southern end, East Rennell, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The island is a raised coral atoll: a ring of reef that was lifted out of the sea, leaving a limestone rim of forest around an inland lake. Lake Tegano fills much of the eastern side, and the land around it shelters many species found nowhere else. That isolation is the reason for the listing, and it shapes what a visit is like. There are no resorts, no town centre and no sightseeing circuit. About 800 people live here, in four villages around the lake, and the forest and water are their farm, larder and road. Travel depends on small aircraft and local boats, so plans bend around weather and schedules. Heat and humidity are constant, and rain can arrive in any month. The reward is quiet: dense forest, still water, and a landscape that has mostly been left to get on with itself. It is also a place in trouble. Since 2013 East Rennell has been on the List of World Heritage in Danger, because of the threat from commercial logging, and rats are a further worry for the native wildlife. A visit means simple village hospitality rather than polish, and it is as much a stay in a living community as a trip to a nature reserve.

Its story

The story of Rennell Island is partly geological and partly about who looks after the land. Geologically, it began as a coral reef that grew around a lagoon. As the seabed shifted, the whole structure rose, and the old lagoon became the freshwater and brackish lake that now dominates the east. Cut off by open ocean, its plants and animals developed on their own, which is why scientists value it. The people of East Rennell live by gardening and fishing, drawing food and building materials from the forest and lake. Their way of life has gone on for generations, and it is not considered a danger to the site. Island families and outside advisers worked together on a management plan that protects local rights to land and custom. Conservation bodies such as the IUCN have argued that land held by custom can be better protected by the people who live on it than by a distant government office. The pressure comes from elsewhere. Logging companies have been eyeing the forests, and in 2013 the World Heritage Committee moved the site to its in-danger list for that reason. Introduced rats add to the strain on native species. The island's future depends on whether landowners can keep control of their own forest.

What to see

Culture

Rennell Island is a place where land belongs to families and communities, not to an office or a company, and that fact explains most of what a visitor needs to know about its culture. Decisions about who may walk where, fish where or build where are made through local custom, and the people of East Rennell have worked hard to keep that authority. The management arrangements for the World Heritage area recognise it. Daily life centres on gardens, fishing and the lake, with church and family obligations shaping the week. Christianity is widespread across the Solomon Islands, so Sundays are likely to be quiet, with services taking priority over visitors. Hospitality matters, and guests are usually looked after generously even where resources are thin. In return, they are expected to be patient, to listen, and to accept that schedules are loose and that plans can change with weather, boats or community events. Respect for elders and for hosts goes a long way. The island is also dealing with outside pressure from logging interests, so people may have strong views about outsiders and their motives. Listening is better than lecturing. Before taking photographs of people, homes or gardens, or walking onto land you have not been invited onto, ask your host and the landowner first and accept the answer.

What to wear

Rennell Island has its own customary dress, but the details of fabrics, patterns and occasions vary by family and community, and the brief for this reading does not record them, so it is best to ask local people rather than rely on a general account. In the Solomon Islands more widely, traditional adornment often uses plant fibres, shell and woven material, and is mostly seen at ceremonies, church festivals or community events rather than day to day. Everyday clothing on East Rennell is practical and modest: cotton T-shirts, shirts, shorts or knee-length skirts, and wraparound cloths, with rubber sandals or bare feet around the village. Work clothes for gardening and boats are old and washable. Visitors should dress for heat, humidity and sun, and for a conservative village setting. Light, quick-drying cotton or synthetic layers that cover shoulders and knees are the safest choice. Women especially should avoid swimming in anything skimpy near villages, and a wraparound cloth is useful for bathing. Bring a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and a light rain jacket, since showers come without warning. Footwear needs thought: sturdy shoes with grip for rough limestone and muddy forest paths, plus sandals or water shoes for boats and wet landings. Church on Sunday calls for neater clothes than usual, so pack one clean outfit that covers knees and shoulders.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. The drier months, roughly May to October, are usually easier for flying, boat trips and walking, though showers can occur in any month and heat and humidity stay high all year. The brief carries no detailed climate record, so check current forecasts before going.

How long. 4–6

Getting there. Solomon Airlines runs two flights a week from Honiara that serve Rennell and Bellona, and the direction of travel can vary with the schedule. From the airstrip, the last leg to the lake and villages is arranged locally, usually by vehicle or boat. Check current timetables with the airline.

Budget. mid

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources