Buka is a relatively low-lying island just north of Bougainville Island approx. 35 miles long and 9 miles wide. With Bougainville and several island groups, it forms the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. It is separated from Bougainville by a narrow, deep, and fast tidal channel only 660 feet wide. Dense forests proliferate in the interior and a coral reef surrounds the island. The first evidence of human habitation on Buka goes back to the Paleolithic period, some 30,000 years ago. Whaling ships in the 19th century stopped for food, water and wood to refurbish their ships here. Australians took the island in 1914 and mandated it to Australia. During WWII it was occupied by Japanese troops and the island was bombed by allied forces, although no fighting took place on the ground. Buka became part of Papua New Guinea in 1975 when that country achieved its independence. In 1990 violent clashes in Buka resulted when rebels fought for Bougainville’s independence from Papua New Guinea. In 2005 Bougainville and Buka, as well as several nearby islands attained autonomous status for their region.
Today, subsistence farming of mainly sweet potatoes and taro, as well as fishing, is the main way of living for the island’s inhabitants. Some cash crops such as copra, cocoa, vanilla and other spices are also grown but provide only a tiny income. Several indigenous languages as well as dialects exist within the island and surroundings. The traditional culture is rich and diverse, as are traditional religious beliefs.
INCLUDED EXPEDITIONS:
- Visit ashore to a small island school and community near Buka. Watch a traditional Sing Sing, and handicrafts will be available for purchase
- Snorkeling
