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| R E G I O N A L • T R A V E L • G U I D E PAPUA NEW GUINEA |
| It is said that there are still pockets of Papua New Guinea where white men have failed to tread. The main island is broken by an enormous mountain range where roads don’t exist and the only access to distant villages is by foot or tiny planes. The landscape is remarkable... chilly highland forests dip to lush, tropical coasts. There are idyllic tiny islands and deeply cut fjords that look like they were transplanted from Norway. The different indigenous tribes are almost uncountable - there are known to be over 750 languages - and many still live incredibly traditional lives. Shells and feathers are used as currency. Men isolate themselves from women (except for the occasion assignation in the garden at night!), wear gourds on their penises or spend years in special huts growing ceremonial wigs. Then there’s wrestling crocodiles, decorative body scarring, herbal contraceptive potions and so much more that is beyond western sensibilities. Today, PNG is regarded as the Last Frontier. Tourism is very much in it’s infancy and you have to wonder if it will ever grow up. It’s not the easiest place on the planet to get to, accommodation can be relatively expensive, transportation limited and the food simplistic. But it is a destination for people who want undiluted adventure. |
| HISTORY |
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For a country that doesn’t often hit the average persons radar, PNG has had a highly political history. First inhabited by Asian settlers over 50,000 years ago, the first European contact was by a Portuguese explorer who named the island Ilhas dos Papuas - Island of the Fuzzy Hairs - in 1526. Shortly after a Spaniard called it New Guinea because he thought the people looked like those from Guinea in Africa. Plenty of other explorers followed, their legacy showing in names like Bougainville, Hoskins and Moresby. |
| MARINE LIFE |
| Nature has taken an interesting turn here: this is the world’s third largest block of rainforest. The jungles host as many bird and plant species as nearby Australia with endemic species like tiny tree kangaroos, enormous Queen Alexandra Birdwing butterflies and the world’s largest pigeon. Perhaps most importantly, the islands are home to 38 of the world’s 43 Birds of Paradise. There are 21,000 species of higher plants, 200 species of mammals, and 700 species of birds. Underwater, marine bio-diversity is just about the highest on the planet. For divers, some of the richest, most extensive and most pristine coral reefs in the world with 70% of all coral species in the Indo/Pacific region. And best of all, the only damage you will see will be natural damage. There is no fishing industry here nor illegal activities that affect the reefs.. |
| Dive Destinations: |
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There is diving all around PNG’s shores and nowhere is that far away - most internal flights are less than an hour. So far in our diving careers, we have managed just the following three regions, but have included a brief overview of some others that good friends recommend. |
| PORT MORESBY & LOLOATA |
| Just south of the nation’s capital is a little haven of marine splendour. Loloata Island Resort sits 15 minutes from shore and on the edge of the Papuan Barrier Reef. The island itself is a mini nature reserve with rescued native animals and beautiful gardens. The dive reputation is one of a serious muck divers haven with magnificent critters in every shape, size and colour, including almost guaranteed sightings of the splendid lacy scorpion fish. Then there’s the wrecks. Local waters are littered with them although mostly they’ve been scuttled over the years for the benefit of divers. We dived the MV Pai II - the remains of a small prawn trawler about 25 metres long - and the MV Pacific Gas - a cargo vessel that went down in 1986. Both are nicely encrusted with corals and sponges, host plenty of schooling jacks, groupers and snapper as well as critters like leaf fish and morays. And that’s not even mentioning how lush and pretty the local coral reefs are, with schooling fish everywhere. |
| TUFI |
| Of all PNG’s coastal landscapes, Tufi is possibly the most impressive. As you fly in to the landing strip (aka football and playground) you see a series of deep fjords that cut sharply back into the mainland. Sitting right at the top is the tiny resort. Diving - and staying here - is a special experience. Romantic wooden bungalows face the fjord and have views to die for. The walk down to the dive jetty involves a daily greeting ceremony with local villagers. Then when you reach the jetty you get that first taster of the critters that live there. Baby batfish float just inches below the surface. Down below is perhaps one of the best muck dives of your life... you name it we have seen it here, including our first ever sight of a pair of harlequin shrimps that decimated a red starfish. Not far from shore there are also some fantastic reef systems. The submerged reefs between Tufi and the D’Entrecasteaux islands are in gin-clear water, lush with corals and massive schools of fish that seek shelter amongst them. A long way offshore are several wrecks that are worth a visit if the weather allows. They are very deep (over 50 metres) and trips are not set up that often. We missed them but did not feel hard done by as Tufi Bay has it’s own wrecks - a land Rover, a small boat and a torpedo tube are remnants of the days when US forces were stationed here. |
| KIMBE & THE WITUS |
| On the top side of New Britain is one of PNG best known destinations - Walindi Resort, located in an old plantation and beside a nature conservation project. Bungalows huddle beneath a tamed tropical jungle, rich with rare orchids and facing into Kimbe Bay. During one survey in the bay, 860 fish species and 350 stony corals were found. As you can imagine this is a very prolific marine area. Although there is plenty of diving to be had inside the bay, there is even more within easy striking distance by liveaboard. Lolobau Island to the north East and The Witus to the north west are chock full of outstanding diving and all in usually calm seas. After our trip there we felt that we had emerged from being completely saturated by the environment. There was great muck diving, pristine reefs, beautiful corals masses of pelagics, snorkelling with dolphins, face-face encounters with sharks... and so many creatures we had never seen before. On top of that we had daily visits from local people trading vegetables for dried noodles and tours of a chocolate plantation. |
| OTHER REGIONS |
| MILNE BAY: furthest east on the Papuan mainland and credited with being the place that turned “muck” diving into an art form. The mass of scattered islands and reefs systems just outside of the bay are literally riddled with corals, all competing for space while offering shelter and breeding grounds to small and rare critters. It’s not unusual to see sea moths and ornate ghost pipe fish within inches of each other and night dives can turn into marathons. RABAUL: on the northern tip of New Britain, in 1994 Rabaul was devastated by the eruption of Mount Tuvurvur for the third time in a century. Yet the harbour, regarded as one of the most scenic in the Pacific, is awash with shipwrecks. Some were toppled by previous eruptions while others went down during the war. Volcanic activity makes for low visibility so for clear water reefs head out to offshore islands like Watom or Duke of York, which are lush and colourful. MADANG: on the northern shore of the mainland, the reefs off Madang are highly varied and known for a great variety of fish life. Like elsewhere, there are a few wrecks, some right in the harbour and another cluster in Hansa Bay 230 kms along the coast. A fleet of Japanese freighters were caught by US forces during WWII. The dives are good but visibility is unreliable. Offshore islands are still being explored so who knows what the future may bring. KAVIENG: on New ireland but directly opposite New Hannover island, sits tiny historical Kavieng. These two islands create a type of barrier to the open ocean and are swept with deep water tidal currents, consequently earning Kavieng the nickname of PNG’s pelagic capital. There are many opportunities for shark spotting - silvertips and grey reefs are frequently seen as are barracuda, trevally and turtles. |
| FACT FILE: |
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TRAVEL Entry: everyone needs a Visa and although you can get one on arrival at Jackson Airport (25 kina) you can save queuing time by obtaining one in advance from your closest Embassy. Disclaimer: All facts were checked at time of publication but things change! Check with relevant authorities for updates. |
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