Vanuatu - A Little Bit of Paradise in the Pacific Quiz

Answer: The layout of the islands of Vanuatu

The eighty-three islands of Vanuatu form a 'Y' shape in the Pacific Ocean. Found in the South Pacific Ocean, Vanuatu's nearest neighbour is New Caledonia which is about 500 km (310 mi) to Vanuatu's southeast. Fiji is to the east, the Solomon Islands to the northwest, and Australia is about 1,750 km (1,090 mi) to Vanuatu's southeast. Situated in the tropics, the islands have a tropical climate complete with the occasional cyclone, lush, tropical vegetation, and coral in the waters which surround the islands.

The islands have an area of 12, 274 sq km (4,739 sq mi). It sounds marvellous but much of the land is steep, the soils poor and natural sources of freshwater can be limited.

Answer: Presbyterian

About 56% of Ni-Vanuatu follow a Protestant faith, with a little over 30% of the population being Presbyterian. Another 13% are Anglican, and a further 10% are members of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Roman Catholicism has 13% of Ni-Vanuatu amongst its parishioners, while indigenous beliefs are followed by about 6%.

While we're talking about the people of Vanuatu, the population across the islands is a little over quarter of a million. There are three official languages with Bislama, a form of pidgin English, being the most commonly used. English and French are also official languages though fewer than three percent of the population use French regularly.

Answer: A meeting house for village elders

Many villages will have a structure such as the one in the photo. Often in the evening, after the day's work has been done, the men of a village will gather to discuss any issues which have arisen and to settle disputes. Kava is often shared while talks take place. Women are sometimes invited but in more traditional villages, the nakamal discussions are for men only. In some villages, the building is also used as sleeping accommodation for unmarried men and male youths.

The buildings are often erected by the local village in a group effort, and the construction can contain symbols of their particular region. The buildings are more common in the northern islands of Vanuatu, with southern islands often calling a sheltered space under a banyan tree the village nakamal. Buildings of similar form and usage are also used in New Caledonia, the Loyalty Islands and even as far south as New Zealand.

Kava is both a plant and a peppery, intoxicating drink made from the plant. As the nakamal is often used as a place to share kava, the term has migrated to the towns and is now used as a term for a kava bar.

Answer: Boar

A boar's tusk is a symbol of wealth, especially if it's curved as in the sculpture. While the tusk is a symbol throughout Vanuatu, other status symbols are also used, especially in the central and southern islands. So important is the curved boar's tusk to the Ni-Vanuatu that it has found itself depicted on coins, the flag and the national coat of arms.

Answer: Volcanism

The islands of Vanuatu form part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a string of volcanoes and seismically active faults in the Earth's surface which circles the Pacific Ocean. There are over twenty volcanoes on the archipelago, some active, some dormant, some extinct. Two volcanoes are under the ocean. One volcano, Yasur on the island of Tanna, is similar to Italy's Stromboli volcano in that it's constantly on display. The lava in its crater has been bubbling and splashing up for perhaps hundreds of years non-stop. Its activity was noted by Captain Cook in 1774 and it hasn't stopped yet. The seismic activity in the region has lifted the ground at Tanna's Port Resolution by over twenty metres in the last hundred years.

The rocks on Wala Island show the process of that has created Vanuatu; the volcanoes show it's an ongoing process. Many of the beaches I saw in Vanuatu had sections of rocks either on the beach or in the water. If you're planning a trip, reef shoes designed for walking on rocky beaches might come in handy. You can usually find a section of water on the beach without the rocks and coral when you do swimming in those clear, warm, tropical waters, so head for that spot!

Answer: Canoe making

Alphitonia zizypoides, otherwise known as the toi tree in Vanuatu, usually grows 20-25m high (66-82ft) and has a trunk 30-50 cm (12-20 in) in diameter. Its straight trunk has been used for making outrigger canoes for generations. The canoes have a limited lifespan of three to five years, so once a new canoe is needed, another tree is chopped down. This has lead to shortages in some areas but this is being addressed with toi tree plantations. Many Ni-Vanuatu still use canoes on a very regular basis for transport between villages or for fishing. Breadfruit trees, which are about the same size, can also be used for canoe making.

Parts of the toi tree are also used for medicines, soaps, fuel, housing and craft goods. The toi tree in this photo was located in a private garden which has a fantastic array of native Vanuatu flora. Within the gardens is a small waterfall and a natural pool in front of the cascade. It's a wonderful place to cool off in the tropical heat and the water is crystal clear. It looks like you can walk over the pool, barely getting your ankles wet, but it's at least 180cm (6 ft) deep.

Answer: Yes

As mentioned in a previous question, Vanuatu is a predominantly Christian country. Cannibalism was practiced in Vanuatu until modern ways overtook the traditional mores of Ni-Vanuatu society. Cannibalism was practiced in a couple of ways. Firstly, it was seen as a sacred act which would give the diner magical powers. A person would be chosen as a sacrifice and killed. It was only on one island that the Ni-Vanuatu would consume those who died of natural causes. Much cannibalism was the result of tribal fights, however. It should be safe to go to Vanuatu now. The last known instance of cannibalism occurred in 1969 - the same year man Neil Armstrong left his shoe prints on the moon, and certainly within the lifetime of many people who have played this quiz. The victim was a missionary who wanted to convert the last non-Christian tribe to Christianity.

In case you're wondering, the cannibals on Vanuatu didn't use a big pot like the one in the photo. They dug a pit in the ground, placed hot rocks in the bottom, topped them with the dismembered person, some vegetables, and covered it with banana leaves to let the steam penetrate. The whole process took from three to five hours.

Answer: No

Other wildlife found in the waters around Vanuatu includes dugongs, turtles, sea cucumbers, molluscs, coral and lots of fish. There are also poisonous stonefish and coneshells which I wasn't warned about before heading into the water. There have been reports of saltwater crocodiles now living in Vanuatu. It's thought that they were blown there from The Solomon Islands or Papua New Guinea during a cyclone as they don't normally live in Vanuatu. Fortunately, there doesn't seem to be a breeding population. I wasn't warned about that either!

Starfish or sea stars are echinoderms, along with animals such as sea urchins and sea cucumbers. There are about 1,500 species of starfish, all living on the ocean floors anywhere between in tidal zones to depths as low as 6,000m (20,000 ft). While the majority of starfish have five arms, it's quite normal for some species to have many more. There is a starfish living in Antarctic waters which has fifty arms. Some starfish species which normally have five arms can have a normal growth of six arms.

Answer: An airstrip the Japanese Airforce never found in WWII

Mystery island is indeed tiny. You can walk around the island, through the sand, in less than forty minutes. At the narrowest point of the island you can cross the island in less than sixty seconds. Mystery Island is shaped a little like a tomahawk with a handle, a narrow section at one end, and then a slightly wider section forming the tomahawk head. Nevertheless, in WWII the US Air Force had an airstrip on the 'handle' section of the island. Legend has it that the Japanese searched every island of Vanuatu, bar Mystery Island, looking for an airstrip but never found where the aeroplanes were coming from. They never searched Mystery Island as it was thought too small to serve in that capacity. The landing strip is still there and serves as a stopping point for the plane which delivers the mail. The post is then distributed to nearby islands by boat.

There is also a tale of Mystery Island being haunted and spirits roaming the island overnight. No Ni-Vanuatu live on the island for fear of these spirits. They will visit during the day and indeed, run the small shacks which supply snorkels and the like for passengers from visiting cruise ships.

The island is visited by cruise ships periodically. They can't dock on the island but they deliver passengers to the small wharf on tenders. It's quite lovely really. You cross over the narrow section (not quite believing what they told you on board the ship about the narrowness of the island) and within seconds you're on the other side. There is a reef there which prevents waves crashing into the beach and forms a lovely place to go snorkelling amongst the fish, coral, starfish, sea cucumbers etc.

Answer: Champagne Bay

Champagne Bay (or Beach) is located on Espirito Santo, Vanuatu's largest island. This little piece of paradise has been voted in the world's top ten beaches at times, even the best beach in the world. I can vouch for its beauty as its every bit as glorious at it appears in the photo. At low tide its possible to feel bubbles escaping from the rocks beneath your feet. The islands were formed by volcanic action and the process continues under your feet in Champagne Bay. The effervescence lead to the bay's name of Champagne Bay.

Tip: if you're on a cruise ship and it's stopping at an island, have an early breakfast and hop on an early tender. That way you get to enjoy the island when it's quiet, almost deserted and very peaceful. Paradise.