In July 1943, Major General Harold Barrowclough, having taken over command of the division from Cunningham, advised the New Zealand Government that it was ready for combat duties. Accordingly, it was sent to New Caledonia. Here it underwent further combat training and during this time, one member of the battalion died from food poisoning. In early September 1943, it then moved to Guadalcanal as the 3rd Division was given a combat role as part of the Solomon Islands campaign. Within this, the 29th Battalion took part in the 8th Brigade's landing on Mono Island as part of the plan to secure the Treasury Islands from the Japanese in order to conduct future operations on Bougainville, in the first opposed amphibious landing carried out by New Zealand troops since the Gallipoli campaign in 1915. Coming ashore near Falamai in late October, on the island's southern coast, the 29th landed alongside the 36th Battalion, amidst light opposition from Japanese defenders. After the beachhead was secured, patrols were sent inland towards Malsi as Japanese opposition began to grow. By early November, Japanese resistance had largely been overcome following the repulse of a heavy Japanese counter-attack on 2–3 November, although patrol clashes continued throughout December 1943 and into January 1944.