Rokia Point

Rokia Point projects from the northern coast of Misima Island into the Solomon Sea, at the western end of the Louisiade Archipelago. No broad reef lagoon shelters this shore: limestone cliffs rise above exposed water, while reefs, beaches and mangroves appear farther southeast. The point forms a conspicuous turn for canoes and sailing vessels following the coast.

Before European ships entered the region, Misima islanders were experienced mariners. Large canoes crossed to Panaeati and the Calvados Chain, travelled northwest to Woodlark and west toward Wari, carrying people, food, materials and obligations between communities. The sea extended social and political life, and knowledge of reefs, currents, winds and landing places made these voyages possible.

The Spanish expedition of Luis Vaez de Torres passed through the Louisiades in 1606. Louis Antoine de Bougainville named the archipelago in 1768, and Bruni d'Entrecasteaux visited it in 1793. These voyages entered the region into European charts, but did not immediately replace island routes or local authority. Rokia Point therefore belonged to a maritime world shaped by navigation and exchange long before sustained European rule.