Luganville is the gateway to, and only town on Espiritu Santo Island. With a population of approximately 10,000, Luganville is a sleepy town that sprawls along the waterfront. It has a certain run-down charm as there are many reminders of how it once saw busier times. The town is a 45 minute flight from Port Vila, and a popular stopover point for South Pacific cruise ships. Luganville has a good sheltered harbour, being behind Aore Island, and is a busy trading port, as it is the main port for the export of agricultural produce (copra, cocoa, coffee, beef and timber).
Luganville was created by the United States Allied forces in the Second World War. At that time 100,000 military personnel were stationed on the island, as it was the main base for the bomber airfields, in the South Pacific. During that period, buildings were erected, roads were laid down, airfields were made, and much of this still remains. When the war was over, the military dumped much of their surplus supplies offshore, at Million Dollar Point!! This included Jeeps, trucks, weapons, and a whole heap of miscellaneous items, which today make a great diving location. In addition to this the naval destroyer USS Tucker, and the 30,000 ton troopship, the SS President Coolidge, were also sunk by friendly mines and the wrecks make this a Mecca for divers. The President Coolidge is in Santo Harbour, and the Tucker lies outside the channel, however they are both fully intact, which makes them the best, the biggest, easily accessible (20 to 60 metres), and most preserved diving wrecks in the world!!
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