World War 2 Relics, VANUATU
Airing Date: Apr 23rd, 2002
Champagne Beach is where the Americans celebrated the end of the war and Million Dollar Point where hundreds of tonnes of US equipment dumped.
American efforts to sell the equipment were unsuccessful, so rather than give it to the then Condominium government, the Americans dumped it in the sea.
Considered an environment disaster 60 years ago, today the area is a designated National Park, so that means no souveniring of anything, and a diver's paradise.
Here scuba divers will find the President Coolidge which sank in Santo Harbour after striking a mine. It still lies structurally intact in 20 to 60 metres of water and is the world's largest intact shipwreck accessible to scuba divers. Just outside the channel lies the destroyer the USS Tucker.
There are also relics to explore in Santo's jungle here you can visit a preserved crashed fighter plane. The jungle is so dense that no one is sure how many War World 2 planes actually crashed here. In fact just two years ago another plane was found.
The town of Luganville is a great place for a bite to eat and you can also see some of the huts built in 1945 which are still in use today. It's also where you can pick up some amazing souvenirs such as old coke bottles and belt buckles dating back to the war.
The facts
Air Vanuatu flies to Port Vila from the east coast weekly. Prices start from $580 return.
Air Vanuatu
Tel: 1800 803 330
Website: www.airvanuatu.com.au
Vanair have daily flights from Port Vila to Santo. Prices start from $198 return.
Rooms at Aore Resort start from $48 per person per night. And as a special offer to viewers of The Great Outdoors the longer you stay the less you pay. Stay for 5 nights and pay for 3 but stay for 14 nights and you'll only pay for 8.
Aore Resort
Tel: 0011 678 36705 (international)
Website: www.aore.net
Anyone can snorkel or dive at Million Dollar Point for free but Santo Heritage Tours include a journey through this underwater world in their full day World War Two Adventure Tour. Prices start from $139 per person.
Santo Tourism Association & Prodive for Santo Heritage Tours
Tel: 0011 678 36 911 (international)
Website: www.prodive.com.au
Suggested Reading Material
Lonely Planet
Website: www.lonelyplanet.com
Rough Guides
Website: www.roughguides.com
