Kirakira

Brief information about the Kirakira

Kirakira This photograph was taken from the Main Street in Kirakira, close to Kirakira Hospital. This is a photograph of the runway at Kirakira airport. Kirakira the provincial capital of the Makira-Ulawa Province in Solomon Islands. Kirakira is located on the north coast of Makira (formerly San Cristobal), the largest island of the province.

It has roads running 18 kilometres (11 mi) east to the Warihito River and 100 kilometres (62 mi) west to Maro'u Bay.The Kirakira Airport is served by Solomon Airlines, which provides flights to Honiara and other destinations. The airport is a grass strip and receives flights four times per week.

Solomon Airlines, the national carrier, flies in and out of Kira Kira. It is a 45-minute flight from Honiara. Planes landing at the airport vary in size from a 6 seat Islander to a 36 seat Dash 8 twin turboprop. If there is too much rain, the airstrip can be too muddy to allow the planes to safely land.

The capital, KiraKira, is a small township of approximately 3,500 people. The premier, Mr Thomas Weipe, is the local Makira-Ulawa representative for Solomon Islands parliament. His office is in KiraKira. KiraKira does have electricity and running water. The electricity is produced by a diesel generator.

There are often periods where there is no power each day for 1–2 hours while the generator is maintained. The town is nestled on the bay opposite the airport. Most people live in traditional Solomon Island houses. There is mobile phone coverage in KiraKira that allows for talk and text communication but not mobile Internet services.

The Internet can usually only be accessed at the post office. Despite an annual rainfall in excess of 3 metres, there are challenges associated with securing the water supply for the town. A centerpiece for the community is a full sized soccer oval. You will find the young men having a social game of soccer each afternoon on the oval.

90% of the population on the Island is Christian with various denominations including Roman Catholic, South Pacific Christian and 7th day Adventist churches found in the community. The majority of the population lives in rugged terrain in villages on the slopes of the mountains which are covered in dense jungle and rise along the spine of Makira Island.

There are a range of languages and dialects spoken in Kirakira. Pidgin English is spoken by the local Islanders. English is the official language used by the staff at the hospital and in the schools.