As the vast majority of people in the region lived on small islands, travel was a central part of everyday life in the western Pacific. Most of the islands were self sufficient but produced items especially for trade such as shell jewellery, pottery and some food-stuffs including sago. Canoes were used for fishing and trade (which was often accompanied by elaborate ceremonial activities.) In most areas canoes were made simply by digging out a tree trunk, however in some regions, including the Solomon Islands, they were made of planks of wood. These plank-built vessels could reach over 20 metres in length.

Access to the sea was essential not only for subsistence but also for the production of prestige goods such as shells which could be worked into beautiful strings of shell-money. Shell money was an important form of wealth for ‘Big Men’, that is men of influence within their community. Shell-money was used in exchange ceremonies marking trade relationships between groups and individuals, and was also used as bridewealth (goods paid by a husband to his wife’s family as part of a wedding ceremony). Canoes are depicted in the carving of the Solomon Islands, including that on ceremonial paddles. Such intricately carved paddles were also used in dance performances.