PNG Expeditionary Itinerary
Note - these itineraries are tailored to the clients wants and can include scuba diving featuring coral reef and war time plane and ship wrecks, snorkelling, fishing, artefact collecting, photography, village cultural visits with displays of traditional dancing and costumes.
Milne Bay to D’Entrecasteaux Islands, Dawson, Basilaki and Nuakata Islands.
Depart: Alotau/Return Alotau 7-10 days.
Board Eendracht straight from the morning flight and depart Alotau Port around midday for the narrow and shallow Hornbill Strait to access the north coast. Arrive at Dinah’s Beach in time for a swim and walk on shore and afternoon snorkel or shallow dive. The next day can offer a short guided walk to view a “skull cave “, where hundreds of human skulls and bones are stored. A snorkel or dive along the jungle fringed coast is enjoyed before a guided walk to a waterfall and a fresh water swim. Depart for the village of Boga Boga. Morning scuba dive or snorkel with the option of a deep dive on a B17 bomber for the experienced divers. Many of the villagers paddle out to greet us and trade fresh fruit and artefacts. A village visit is arranged and we are met at the beach by almost the entire village of some 200 people. This is a remote village which is seldom visited and we usually donate basic supplies to the village school which are received with much ceremony and thanks from the village Chief and children. A series of dances are performed by the village men, woman and children in traditional dress and costumes. A market of locally made handicrafts and artefacts is put on for us before the entire village again turns out for our departure back to Eendracht. Depart for Gomwa Bay where a guide from Dei Dei village takes the group on a walk to view the hot spring, boiling mud pools and geysers associated with the volcanic origins of the area. Some traditional food is cooked in the hot springs for the group to try. The villagers supply a refreshing morning tea of fresh tropical fruit. The men and boys of the village launch their war canoes and in traditional costume race back to Eendracht at anchor. Depart Gomwa Bay for Calypso Reef for a dive or snorkel. Just outside Sewa Bay a large pod of Spinner Dolphins entertain us with their leaping, spinning and tumbling antics before we thread our way through the narrow zigzag entrance into the almost landlocked bay. The villages huts here are often built on stills over the water as most of the coastline of the bay is too steep to build on. Many villagers paddle out to meet us and trade their fruit and vegetables. For the keen amongst the guests there is an opportunity to try their hand at paddling a dugout canoe. We depart Sewa Bay through the Spinner Dolphin pod and head for the Dawson Islands. A dive at New Years Reef and snorkelling take up the morning with a walk through the quiet village surrounded by children before lunch. The village fishermen provide us with freshly caught lobster for dinner. Depart Dawson for Basilaki Island where there is a P38 Lighting plane wreck in a sheltered bay which we can dive. Depart Basilaki for Nuakata Islands with a stop along the way near Grace Island for a spot of sports fishing which usually will result in landing a large Spanish Mackerel or similar. Arriving at anchorage between Nuakata and Boirama Islands we share the Mackerel with the villagers. Snorkelling and diving take up the morning and a village visit with dancing and singing is arranged for the afternoon. Depart for Alotau Port arriving in time to catch the late morning flight to Port Moresby with connections through various overseas cities.
Milne Bay to the Louisiades Archipelago.
Depart: Alotua/return Alotau – 10 days.
Note –A Louisiades itinerary can be taken in a shorter period with the charter starting and finishing at Misima Island. Flights are available from Port Moresby to Misima.
The Louisiade Archipelago ranges over 240 nm to the East of Milne Bay’s provincial capital of Alotau. It consists of the large islands of Tagula, Rossel and Misima, hundreds of smaller islands and atolls, and a labyrinth of coral reefs that would take a lifetime to explore. Historically the islands were centres for pearl diving and gold mining.
The suggested itinerary below includes cultural visits to friendly villages, opportunities to purchase artefacts, and excellent diving, snorkelling and fishing. The scenery and anchorages are everything one could expect of a South Seas Paradise, well off the usual tourist tracks.
Board Eendracht straight from the morning flight and depart Alotau Port around midday for a cruise to the historic island of Samarai where Captain John Moresby discovered, and named, China Strait, the short cut to China for vessels that previously had to sail round the south-east tip of the Archipelago. See Samarai and Kwato Islands, snorkel or dive with manta rays, picnic on deserted islands or enjoy the excellent fishing. In calm weather, cruising south-east to Wari Island enables a fascinating dive/snorkel on the huge broken wreck of the President Grant. The Engineer group is picturesque with many reefs and small islands, and a little further the uninhabited Conflict group offers excellent fishing and diving.
Deboyne Lagoon is a must. Panaeati Island at Deboyne is the centre for canoe building, and Nimoa Island offers a splendid anchorage with a Zero aircraft wreck, suitable for snorkelling in shallow water off the beach. Other reefs in the lagoon can be dived – one features resident sea snakes, and the reef passes into the lagoon team with life. There is excellent wall diving and the chance to discover an aircraft wreck still missing from the war. From Deboyne the next step is to cruise the unique Calvados Chain of islands that nestle inside Tagula lagoon. This offers perfect anchorages and village visits with a chance to purchase traditional artefacts (not made for tourists) including the famous and valuable “Bagi” shell necklaces. Cruising further east Eendracht can exit the lagoon by means of “Snake Passage”, a wandering channel, 60m deep and 2 nm long that offers great diving as it meets the open sea.
Cruising north the Renard Islands offer white sand beaches and excellent diving and snorkelling. Cruising back towards Alotau the isolated and uninhabited islands of Bunora and Hastings are fabulous. For the adventurous, and experienced, an underwater cavern at Hastings Island, full of lobsters, is a great dive. Visits to Dawson and Nuakata Islands are available if time persists, as is a visit to Lauadi on the north coast where wonderful diving can be complemented with walks to waterfalls and skull caves through the tropical rainforest. Depart for Alotau Port arriving in time to catch the late morning flight to Port Moresby with connections through various overseas cities.