Gizo (Ghizo, Solomon Islands)

Gizo is a port town and capital of Solomon Islands's Western Province. The town is located on Ghizo Island. By population (around 6,000) it is ranked the country's second-largest - after the capital city Honiara (on Guadalcanal Island).

Ghizo is located approx 380 km (236 ml) west-northwest of Honiara. Flights to Gizo Island are facilitated by a small landing strip built to the northeast of the town. Generally, the island is served by Nusatupe Airport (on the neighboring Nusatupe Island). Current-day Ghizo is among the Solomon Islands' most popular travel destinations, famous with its diving and surfing activities.

The Solomons is an island state consisting of 6 large plus 900+ smaller islands (total land area 28400 km2 / 11000 mi2). Solomon Islands are in Oceania (southwest Pacific Ocean), located to the east of Papua New Guinea and to the northwest of Vanuatu.

In April 2007, Ghizo Island was hit by 10 m (33 ft) high tsunami waves created by an 8,1 Richter magnitude earthquake. The final death toll was 52 people. Besides Ghizo, the monstrous waves also damaged Sasamunga (on Choiseul Island).

In 2016, P&O Australia's ship Pacific Eden made its maiden visit to Solomon Islands, leaving from homeport Cairns Queensland as part of an 11-day roundtrip itinerary to Papua New Guinea (Alotau, Kitava, Rabaul) and Solomon Islands (Gizo, Honiara). The ship's visit included the P&O's maiden call to Ghizo Island (port Gizo, on September 30, 2016) and the inaugural call to Guadalcanal Island (port Honiara, on October 1). In 2016, both companies P&O and Princess (subsidiaries of Carnival Corp, under the management of Carnival Australia) had all 6 calls to the Solomon Islands, which was a 3-fold increase over 2015.

Gizo cruise terminal