central Solomon Sea

Welcome to Woodlark Island

The images within this site were shot during fieldwork associated with my final year of study at UNSW (Geology Honours 2010). Woodlark Island (or Muyua) is an emergent segment of the Woodlark Rise, situated on the southern fringe of the Solomon Sea Plate. The formation of Muyua is connected to recent subduction concomitant with the Trobriand Trough since the Cretaceous >> Miocene.

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Southwest view to Suloga Peninsula

March 14, 2013 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Woodlark Island is situated in Milne Bay Province PNG (central Solomon Sea) 600km due east of Port Moresby. Tectonically, the region has experienced seafloor spreading, subduction, and transform faulting. The Solomon Sea Plate represents a buffer to the converging Pacific and Australian Plates.

January 19, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Woodlark Island (Muyua). The base camp for my research (volcanic stratigraphy-structure-alteration) was situated on Bomagai Hill (“Camp”). Volcanic-hosted epithermal gold deposits have been intermittently mined in the region since around 1895. (Muyuw = the island, the language, and its people (of Melanesian origin)).

January 19, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

This Muyuw outrigger was sitting on a pristine beach adjacent to the crushed coral (Guasopa) airstrip built by US soldiers in 1942 as part of its (WWII) tactical defence to repel advancing Japanese forces. Note: when beached, an outrigger’s bow is always directed toward the sea – numerous maritime cultures share this same tradition.

January 19, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Sailing outrigger. Note the intricate lashing and the coconut mast base…innovative stuff!!

January 19, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Shack surrounded by taro fields. The thatched roof is a work of art (detail shot).

January 19, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Drill line 1050

January 19, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Self portraits: drenching rain, broken razor.

January 19, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Far northwestern Muyua (the woodlark’s head).

January 19, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Suloga Peninsula from the land, sea, and air.

January 19, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Coral reefs are scattered throughout much of Milne Bay Province and the shallower waters of the Solomon Sea region. Contrasting with this, the nearshore waters on the northeastern coast of Woodlark Island plunge to depths in excess of 1000m, associated with the Trobriand (Trough) palaeo-subduction complex.

January 19, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Flying over the Owen Stanley Ranges. The mountains are around 12,000 feet high: our single engine plane struggled to reach 14,000 feet during the traverse.

January 19, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Large braided streams are abundant in the Owen Stanley Ranges.

January 19, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

The Papua New Guinean capital, Port Moresby, its international/domestic airport, the suburbs, and coastal margin.

January 19, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Families clear the jungle for taro root crops. Although 100′s of crops can be grown in the tropics, there are 1000′s of things to eat them.

January 18, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

We flew from Sydney to Port Moresby…then took a light plane to Muyuw. A motor launch then collected us from Guasopa airstrip…the views were a sight for sore eyes, travelling around the Suloga Peninsula to Boi Boi Point, the key logistical port for supplies to the island.


January 18, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

The pilots always complete a fly-around before landing at Guasopa (crushed coral) airstrip.

January 18, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Thatched homes amongst palm trees.

January 18, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Mysterious Woodlark Island. It’s easy to forget that salt-water crocodiles and malaria are potential hazards.

January 18, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Muyuw children on the beach adjacent to Guasopa airstrip. Masses of pumice litter the shoreline (floating in from the Solomons or New Britain??)

January 18, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Geologists uncover a gold processing plant in the jungle at Woodlark King. This infrastructure dates back to the earliest 1900′s.

January 18, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Base camp at Bomagai.

January 17, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Muyua sunsets from Bomagai camp. This became a daily ritual for my supervisor and I.

January 17, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Medium-to-coarse grained, flow-foliated, hematite-altered andesitic crystal lithic tuff (ash-fall deposit associated with eruptive volcanism).

January 16, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Volcanic bomb (1m across) embedded in a fine-grained leucocratic tuff on Busai Hill.

January 16, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Zone of multigenerational shearing (line 2400). Complex faulting and shearing has left numerous clues about the structural history of Muyua. This localised structural map of the Busai district (my interpretation) is but one of many.

January 16, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

The insects on Woodlark Island are almost as large as the predatory bats that feed on them. This rhinoceros beetle was around 3cm long (and hissed like a cat when annoyed).

January 16, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Earnest the rock cutter and core shed manager. The whole Bomagai team was excellent…helped me immensely…Thanks!!!

January 16, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Afternoon storm to the south of camp.

January 16, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Carnivorous Pitcher plant along the trail at Woodlark King.

January 16, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

A crocodile resides in this lagoon according to local Muyuw taro farmers.

January 16, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Senior geologists collecting fresh samples for analysis. Heavy rainfall (and runoff) is an almost daily occurrence on Woodlark Island.

January 16, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

A paddling outrigger sits (bow to sea) on the shores of a coralline beach, northeast of Kaurai Village.

January 15, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Muyuw family group in their day camp. Fantastic people!!

January 15, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

The Kaurai United Church on the road into town.

January 15, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Kaurai Village is located on the central northern coast of the island.

January 15, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Local resident of Kaurai village, Loti, leads us to a funerary megalith.

January 15, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Kiriwina Formation c.20-40ka: These (green) glauconitic limestone stalactites were evident in an underground tributary, home to colonies of insectivorous micro-bats. The site was discovered after one wheel of a road grading unit broke through the cave’s ceiling.

January 15, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

More images of the Bat Cave. Note to self: never walk second-in-line down the trail to the Bat Cave (RUN!!) – I was stung a couple of times by some irate burrowing wasps, disturbed as we walked over their nest…ouch!!

January 15, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

They breed them tough in the tropics!

January 15, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

Argillic-altered volcaniclastics (lithified ashfall tuff deposits have turned to clay).

January 15, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off

A torrent of muddy water flows down Busai Hill to the west. Located on the island’s central horst block, these uplifted volcaniclastics represent Woodlark Island’s topographic uplands (c.120-150m asl).

January 14, 2011 | Categories: Geology | Comments Off