Solomons pics

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Sep 2012 at 10:42am
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When you cry, feel pain or sadness, no one notices your sorrow .... BUT
fart just ONE time !!!!!!!!!!!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Sep 2012 at 11:40am
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There ya go then, told ya so :-)
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Sep 2012 at 3:24pm
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Unfortunately the trip ended on a sour note for Adrian & I would have

been affected a well had I not been languishing in Honiara as a result
of losing my passport.
 
These are the facts as they happenned :-
 
We booked the services of SHUTTLE BUS Ph 275 8888 to take us to Ak airport
on the morning of 7th. Aug & when being dropped off paid in advance to be
picked up when we returned approx 11pm on the 23rd. namely $90 to then
$100 from .... a total of $190 plus 2% cc charge.
 
When Adrian arrived back on the 23rd SHUTTLE BUS were nowhere to be seen
& after searching/waiting for over an hour he gave up using another service at
random that charged a mere $55 despite being the sole passenger.
 
We have contacted SHUTTLE BUS to demand a refund but they refuse to give us
one offering at first a 50% disc. on a shuttle to the airport & now a 100% disc.
 
However we have no use for that service & besides even if we did, would choose
not to deal with them ever again anyway.
 
They claim a driver was there to pick us up but we do not accept that after Adrian
did his best to find them for over an hour & even in the unlikely event they were
they failed to compently find their booked fare.
 
I booked the same company as Adrian had to use for my transport home also & was
charged only $55 as a sole passenger as well = Allways Shuttles Ltd. ph 09 4893046.
 
I know which service I will be using in future & which one I will be avoiding.
 
Am currently lodging a complaint against SHUTTLE BUS to all the appropriate avenues
will look to lodging a claim with the small claims court on principle rather than the small
amount of money involved.
 
 
When you cry, feel pain or sadness, no one notices your sorrow .... BUT
fart just ONE time !!!!!!!!!!!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Sep 2012 at 3:30pm
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i wouldve also rung them from the airport saying where was he since it was obvious the bus wasnt there...

I would also now be ringing them and saying unless they give full refund that the next phone call is to fair go....

If he can give a 100% free trip then they can give the refund
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Members/Listings.aspx?member=717361
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Sep 2012 at 3:56pm
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[QUOTE=smelli]i wouldve also rung them from the airport saying where was he since it was obvious the bus wasnt there...

I would also now be ringing them and saying unless they give full refund that the next phone call is to fair go....

If he can give a 100% free trip then they can give the refund
[/QUOTE]
 
 
 
This is what they claim we should have done but Adrian does not carry a cell phone
nor did he have NZ coins or a phone card & besides why should it be the customers
responsibiity to have to remind them to come do the job they have already been
paid to do.
When you cry, feel pain or sadness, no one notices your sorrow .... BUT
fart just ONE time !!!!!!!!!!!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Sep 2012 at 3:59pm
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Welcome to NZ customer service. Its a joke and we should be ashamed
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Sep 2012 at 12:19pm
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Have just completed a complaint form to the NZ Transport Agency
that licences the Shuttle services & monitors their activities.
 
Then will follow up likewise with any other appropriate authorities
also maybe a copy of events sent to as many travel agents etc. plus
word of mouth whenever/where ever.
 
I reckon the hard nosed attitude being adopted by this company will
cost them dearly in the long run.
 
There is more that I could say on the subject about experiences
others have had with this company as well as comment that might
be construed as racist so best left unsaid.
 
When you cry, feel pain or sadness, no one notices your sorrow .... BUT
fart just ONE time !!!!!!!!!!!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Sep 2012 at 3:42pm
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Thanks fellas for a really informative and interesting bunch of stories.....  Maybe one day before I die I will get the chance to visit your part of the Pacific again.

Cheers from Canada

Bryan
What a ride!!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Sep 2012 at 5:04pm
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BBC mate, you gotta come to the Sollies some time! It may not be howards place at PV, but hey, I likes it! :-)
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Sep 2012 at 10:22pm
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Stu often refers to the fact that as nice as they are in many respects,
maintainence for whatever reason seems to be an alien concept to most
of the Solomon Islanders & the following is fairly typical.
 
The rooms at the King Solomon Hotel are built up the side of a steep hill
for about 5 levels built like stairs so as each level of rooms are effectively
single level ... if that makes sense.
 
Access to various levels is or rather should be a mini cable car arrangement
that runs up the centre of the complex.
 
 
The cable car can be seen 1/2 down & it as far again if not more to the bottom.
A sign at the bottom advises an electrical fault is preventing it from working so
a long clamber up wooden stairs is required to reach your room ... mine was on
the first level nevertheless was reasonably strenuous clambering back & forth
in the heat so can but imagine what it must have been like for those in the top
level units.
 
 
The sign at the top is a bit more encouraging for those that have made the
trek inasmuch as it states it is hoped to have working tomorrow ..... but .....
was told the signs have been there for over a month & would imagine they
will be for some time yet ..... are well it is after all the Solomons.
 
A loca I metl had been very helpful in having my new proposed flight itinerary
printed out which was required to have the passport waiver documents issued
so suggested he bring his family for a swim in the pool & maybe a barbie.
 
 
I managed to find a store called Ausmart that stocked various food items from
Aus & NZ where I managed to buy lamb sausages of sorts, watties tomato sauce,
bread also potato crisps etc. OK that may not sound such a big deal but in a
place where meat unless canned is hard to find let alone sauce & crisps then
yes it is. It would seem that largely only one brand of beer is available in the
Solomons ie a very aptly named Sol Brew & then only two types ie low alc or
normal 5% alc. The 5% was not bad but becomes rather tiresome when it is the
only option so was delighted to find by chance a store selling imported brands
albeit at a premium so eagerly grabbed a selection.
 
It transpired my new found friend was a superintendent of police & was good to
see his two delightful young daughters ( 3 & 7 ) enjoying themselves in the pool
& cooking on the barbie .... had a lot of fun in the poolside gym as well.
 
  
 
Have had the pic above made into an A4 jigsaw with their names overprinted
which I hope the girls will enjoy but having bit of a problem finding an address
to post it to.
 
When you cry, feel pain or sadness, no one notices your sorrow .... BUT
fart just ONE time !!!!!!!!!!!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Sep 2012 at 12:48pm
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OK probably time for a summary or overview of the trip for those that
might be interested.
Firstly we both really enjoyed the experience & was something a bit out
of the norm made easier by the sage advice & knowledge from the good
Capt. on what to expect, customs & general knowledge of the area.
There are still aspects that puzzle me but that is partly the charm of the place
& to give some examples :-
 
Why when the average wage for any nationals that have a job is about $NZ1 hr.
that accomodation is relativeley expensive something like $A250 to $300 pn +
10% gst. Also given their earnings how almost everyone has a cell phone & seem
to be constantly talking to someone or other.
 
Why there is so much beauracy ... probably to provide jobs but their are ministries
of this, ministries of that & ministries of something else .... would not be at all
surprised if there is a ministry of ministries to keep tabs on them all. Whilst obtaining
a poster of fish species from the ministry of fisheries made the mistake of telling the
two young girls at the counter who were being most helpful that I was taking some
frozen fish fillets back to NZ where upon they were adamant I would have to apply
for an export licence. Managed to convince them that as there were only 3 packets
we could all keep quiet about it. Also if changing money at a bank they demand some
form of ID & was a problem in Gizo when trying to change a $NZ50 note at the ANZ 
to buy stuff from the market but had no ID. Tried to reason with them that no where
else in the world do they require ID to change small amounts of money & $NZ 50
could hardly be considered big time money laundering particularly as no one wants
Sol dollars outside of the Solomons so they should be grateful for any foreign currency.
All thist fell on deaf ears until I demanded to see the manager who approved the
transaction but saying it would be a oncer & next time ID would be required ... little
wonder the queues in they banks are invariably each 10 to 12 long.
 
Accomodation on the Island is affordable at about $A140 pn for the traditional bungalow
that Adrian & myself shared but with twin rooms each with a double bed would accomodate
two couples at a pinch. However this was the basic acc. = no running water with showers/
toilets nearby & a container of drinking water in house. There was a two burner cooker &
a small two burner cooker with a small fridge with a freezer compartment also a fan but
electric power in the basic units only from 11 am to 11 pm. It had no glass windows or
doors of any type as was of traditional construction ie poles, sago palm walls/roof, hinged
window panels, fabric screens but by & large quite comfortable also wind/rain resistant but
guess after several thousands of years they have worked out the most suitable constuction.
 
 
To be cont.
When you cry, feel pain or sadness, no one notices your sorrow .... BUT
fart just ONE time !!!!!!!!!!!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Sep 2012 at 2:58pm
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Solies cont.
 
We appeared to be one of the few there that opted to mainly self cater but
that meant largely cooking what you could catch along with say rice or pasta
& maybe dried vegs (which were surprisingly good) or greens from the market
nevertheless we ate well on the likes of fresh fish, sashimi, mantis shrimps, cray,
coconut crab etc. with meat unless canned as good as unavailable.
 
A small range of goods were available from a tiny store where staff could buy basics
like canned meat/tuna etc but basically it was a case of making do with what you
could gather together. Brought a bottle of wine early on from the restuarant but after
paying about $NZ48 for a bottom of the range aussie white that had been kept upright
in warm conditions for who knows how long decided would go without from thereon &
stick to beer @ $NZ5 for a small can. We kept an ongoing supply of husked drinking
coconuts in the fridge that were always ultra refreshing & enjoyable as a pre dinner
tipple topped up with rum or vodka. Most guests however seemed to opt to eat in the
bar come restuarant where starters were about 4NZ$18 & mains $30 to $40 but imo 
with much of a sameness to the meals ie main ingredient plus rice or pasta & bit of
salad would become a bit tiresome. As we were told would happen the heat made our
otherwise "healthy" appetites diminish considerably & were often content with just one
meal a day with corresponding benefit to our waistlines.
 
Now for the important bit ... namely the fishing. Fishing could be had off the jetty or
on the lagoon flats but would be mostly, long toms or small trevally if anything however
largish fish could often be seen from the jetty along with the ever present sharks but
seemed to be very elusive to catch except maybe at daybreak when one of the staff
who was an early riser did fairly well with a handline scoring an occassional sweetlip
( great eating ) or suchlike.
 
Basically to have a better chance of somethin decent meant hiring one of the three boats
along with a driver & travelling a considerable distance. The methods could be broken
down into about four types namely :- bottom bait fishing in maybe 200 to close to 300 mtrs
deep which required quite an effort to even wind up the 6 oz sinker let alone a sizeable fish.
Then there was  conventonal trolling which seemed to produce mid sized fish unless making
the 20 mile return trip out to the fad (weather permitting) where there was a good chance
of skippies, yellow fin, wahoo, mahimahi or a sailfish but altho might be wrong am inclined
to think on average were smaller size than might be expected elsewhere. We did not go out
to the FADS but Stu & Cliffe did neither did we try the estuarine river fishing for the likes of
mangrove jacks etc. that would have suited sw fly but had to be mindful of our budget as
hiring the boats was certainly not cheap. The final method was casting poppers oto the edge
of a reef then wind in furiously in the hope of a strike. I was particularly looking forward to
getting a hookup by this method altho it was not to be, even tho the driver said I had a GT
following on one occassion. Being newbies we were somewhat limited by the distance we
could cast however Paul the driver took over Adrians' rod when he tired of casting was
lobbing it almost to the horizon nevertheless likewise never managed to hookup. My casting
improved somewhat & was landing it amongst schools of fish that would cause an erruption
of activity but they obviously were not in the mood to strike.
 
OK now to the cost of hiring a boat etc. which as mentoned was far from cheap largely due to
petrol being about $3 50 ltr & has to be brought in from Brisbane so if trolling or travelling a
distance the cost escalates. here is a breakdown of our four trips.
to be cont.
 
When you cry, feel pain or sadness, no one notices your sorrow .... BUT
fart just ONE time !!!!!!!!!!!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Sep 2012 at 4:23pm
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Based on per boat shared by two anglers total cost per boat.
 
Trip one bottom fishing 4hrs @ $Sol320            = 1280
Fuel 22 ltrs                                                     =   374
Total                                                              =  1654  = $NZ335 approx
 
Trip two trolling 4hrs                                       =  1280
Fuel 3                                                            =    646
Total                                                              =  1926   = $NZ390 approx
 
Trip three casting / trolling  5 1/2 hrs                =  1760
Fuel 67 litrs                                                     =  1139
Total                                                               =  2899   = $NZ585 approx
 
Trip four trolling/casting/ bottom fish 7 hrs.        =  2240
Fuel 68 litrs                                                      =  1156
Total                                                                =  3396   = $NZ685 approx 
 
This is an open bare boat with twin 40 hp o/bs & supply own gear (rods reels lines lures )
lunch, water.
 
Frozen bait was supplied & terminal sinker/ trace/hooks loaned for bottom fishing with
ice for fish bin supplied on 1 day only.  
 
Compared to a recent charter in RARO @ $NZ120 pp X 6 on board for 5hrs. all gear
supplied along with lunch/water on a 40" surveyed boat with toilet etc, skipper & deckie
on board.
 
Will be interesting to see what the charge is for a trip ot at Norfolk Is in 10 days time
with similar price of fuel.
 
One trap is that on the interational flight to Honiara we were allowed 23 kgs of luggage
plus another 23kgs shared between us having paid for an extra bag = approx 35 ea.
However when transferring to the domestic flight to Munda only allowed 16 kgs ea. so
are most likely going to be stung for excess.
 
Am out fishing in the gulf tomorrow with a forum member but doubt I will be grizzling
about the cost even if unlikely to catch the variety of colourful fish found in the Solomons.                             
When you cry, feel pain or sadness, no one notices your sorrow .... BUT
fart just ONE time !!!!!!!!!!!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Sep 2012 at 12:35am
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Hey Guys,

My name is Raja Ganeshan - owner of Shuttle Bus - a door to door Shuttle company in Auckland - www.shuttlebus.co.nz. 

I was on  a holiday to my country; and am back only on the 5th Sept; hence regret for the delay in investigating this complaint thoroughly and replying the same.

We take all complaints against our company seriously; and hence this reply to this forum post.  

This is our version of what happened with regards to the complaint about our service for the benefit of your website readership:

a. The booking was made for an arrival transfer.  Our driver was there on time; as we have checked the "swipe card" records of the concerned driver and his entry was at 2310 hrs on the 23rd August 2012.

b. We usually hold a name sign for the passenger to be picked up by us.  The pre-designated spot is clearly told to the passengers while they make their booking.  And also we instruct them to "make a phone call" to us in case they are unable to identify their driver; so we can get in touch with our driver and see that the passenger and the driver are linked at the Auckland airport.

c. With regarding to calling us from the airport; you do not need money; or mobile phone; if you just go to the ISITE centre at the airport; and tell them the phone number; they would be more than pleased to give us a call; on behalf of the passenger; which would enable us to link up the passenger with our waiting driver.

d. The main point to be noted here is that the ONLY way for the driver holding the sign at the airport is for the client to come to him or the client giving us a phone call to link them up with our driver; in case they could not for some reason see him.  In this case neither of these actions were taken by the complaining client.

e. With our driver being at the airport; which has been verified by myself; we feel we have fulfilled our part of the contract; and the client who did not feel the need to carry our phone number; or who presumed the driver will be identifying him or did not call us from the airport; so we were enabled to link him up with our waiting driver; has clearly failed to fulfill his obligations.

d. Despite this fact; still to be courteous to him; we offered him a 100% free ride; the next time he used our services; but he wants to en cash this offer as cash; which is not possible; as we have put in our time and efforts to go out to our airport; involving; vehicle running; swipe card charges; payment to driver for his effort etc.

e. As regards to the difference in fares that the client is quoting; ours is a "one on one" transfer and the service that they used will be a "shared ride" transfer where the company carries a few other passengers to make up their money!

f. Now that the complainant has decided to "slander" our name in public; we would also like to stand by our version of the events that unfolded; and would like to fight it out legally; as a matter of principle.  We have the proof of the swipe card at the given time and date to prove that our driver was in fact at the airport on the said date/time.


We leave it to the intelligence of people reading this forum to decide who is in the wrong or who is in the right!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Sep 2012 at 12:53pm
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Thank you  Shuttle Bus, I think you have explained the situation clearly, and I am sure you will continue discussing the situation with your client in areas outside this forum. After consultation with the site administrators, I am now locking this thread, letting all the information stay in public in order for everyone to reach their own conclusions in this matter.
regards, Mod.
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