Alligator Creek

Alligator Creek, east of Honiara on Guadalcanal, marks the site of one of the earliest decisive engagements of the Second World War land campaign on the island. Along its banks, defending forces halted a major assault in the Battle of the Tenaru in 1942, a turning point in the struggle for the airfield. Today the quiet, palm-lined watercourse belies its violent history, and interpretive interest centres on the wartime events. The creek lies near the coastal road and is part of the broader Guadalcanal battlefield landscape.