Authorities have arrived in a remote south-eastern province of the Solomon Islands to assess the damage caused by yesterday's tsunami, which killed at least nine people.

Two people are still missing after the magnitude 8.0 earthquake triggered the tsunami which wiped away entire villages.

Brown Beu, the premier of Temotu province where the one-metre-high wave hit, says at least 100 homes have been destroyed.

"They need food, cooking utensils and clothes, temporary shelter like tents and that stuff," he said.

People have cleared the airfield at Lata of debris to allow emergency supplies to be flown in.

A plane carrying an assessment team and emergency supplies was scheduled to have left Honiara on the 90-minute flight to Lata earlier today.

So far, only a government helicopter has managed to land and officials are assessing the damage to determine the aid required.

The National Disaster Management Office says the death toll has risen to nine after two missing people were found dead.

It says another five people have been injured and at least 2,500 people on the island of Santa Cruz are homeless.

Spokesman Frank Menoia told the ABC those figures are likely to rise once a disaster assessment team reaches stricken areas today.

A boat carrying emergency supplies is due to leave the capital for the disaster zone today, for a planned arrival on Saturday.

The Australian Government is poised to provide supplies and reconstruction help.

Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr has expressed condolences to the government and people of the Solomons.

"We're ready to offer assistance, which will include emergency food and shelter, medical supplies, and help with reconstruction," he said.

"[We] will await discussions with the government of the Solomons and they, I believe, are still measuring the extent of the destructive force."

Fear of disease

World Vision's Solomon Islands director Andrew Catford says the immediate health concern is the spread of disease.

"There's quite a bit of [dead] livestock, chicken and pigs and fish are sort of strewn, particularly in these five communities," he said.

"So obviously you don't want to leave that there for too long given health issues, so that's one of the immediate tasks this morning to clear that up."

Wednesday's quake struck near the Santa Cruz islands, about 300 kilometres east of the Solomons, the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said.

A 90-centimetre tsunami hit Lata, said the centre, which later cancelled warnings for other South Pacific islands, as well as for Australia and New Zealand.

An 11-centimetre wave also hit Vanuatu, while a tsunami of about 50 centimetres reportedly hit New Caledonia. A small wave also hit Japan and Papua New Guinea. The Manus Island detention centre was evacuated as a precaution.

The US Geological Survey recorded more than 20 quakes near the Santa Cruz Islands, some registering 6.6 and 6.4.