The South Pacific
MILNE BAY, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
New Guinea’s little-known gem
Season: Year-round diving (January to April considered the best months)
Visibility: 15-30 metres
Water Temperature: 24-29°C
Leaf Scorpion Fish (Martin Edge)
Situated at the far southeastern tip of mainland Papua New Guinea is the small town of Alotau, the start point for diving trips in the magnificent Milne Bay area. Captain John Moresby was the first European to enter Milne Bay thinking, incorrectly, that he had discovered a new route between Australia and China. Milne Bay Province is the largest of Papua New Guinea’s coastal areas and the one least disturbed by man. The population is low, with some islands uninhabited, and consequently commercial exploitation, pollution and population problems, which can ruin dive areas, are unknown here. Sandwiched between the Coral Sea and the Solomon Sea, Milne Bay has a huge variety of diving: spectacular wrecks (including some of the world’s finest aircraft wrecks), classic walls of coral (some of which are visited by Mantas), patch reefs, deeper oceanic reefs, muck (or ‘critter’ diving), pass dives with surging waters filled with hungry feeding fish and calm bays hiding tiny creatures. Tidal movements of these two great seas flush clear, deep, ocean water into the plankton rich lagoons, resulting in optimal conditions for marine growth. Deep oceanic water comes close to the land, so the many mangroves, which act as nurseries for numerous marine creatures, and rivers do not affect the quality of the diving. Expect 25 metres visibility, or more, on most dives.
Weather patterns here are unlike those prevailing in the rest of Papua New Guinea, with January to April, a time considered the wet season in the rest of the country, being the prime time to visit. The Milne Bay area is so vast that many areas remain undived. The prolific marine life and fabulous richness and variety of the reefs make a trip to the Milne Bay region the obvious choice for those in search of a top quality resort or liveaboard in one of the world’s most remote diving areas. From seahorses and shrimpfish to wobbegongs and dugongs, from fish-filled drift diving to wreck exploration, Milne Bay diving is hard to beat. With the high airfare from Europe, this is one of those trips that you should put on your ‘Trip of a Lifetime’ list. Start saving now!
The long, mountainous peninsula to the north of Milne Bay curves away protectively to the east, with the tip of the peninsula, Cape Vogel, pointing out towards the D’Entrecasteaux Islands. Just off the beach at Boga Boga village is the wreck of the B17 ‘Flying Fortress’ Bomber, Blackjack, which was returning from a bombing raid in Rabaul in July 1943 when a combination of storm conditions and engine failure caused the pilot to ditch his plane. The pilot’s skill was such that the emergency landing was so close to the shore and so successful that the residents of Boga Boga village showed up very quickly and soon had the airmen safely in their village. The 4-engined bomber is so well preserved that it appears like an operational aircraft! Great views of the entire bomber can be seen as you descend, and it is worth taking some time over this in order to take in this magnificent ‘wreck’. The nose of the plane has relatively little damage. The cockpit has all the switch gear, gauges, cables and controls intact. The seats are still in place (just imagine how the pilot and co-pilot felt, when they first felt the plane lurching as the engines started to fail in the tropical storm, how they must have wrestled with the controls to bring down the plane safely until they could glide her into a watery landing!). The vast wings bear the four huge engines. Tucked away below the tail is the rear gun turret. Rocking the barrels you will discover that the bearings are water tight and that one can still raise and lower the gun barrels and rock the gun turret to and fro! With a maximum depth of around 40 metres, time is too short on this magnificent wreck and a slow and careful ascent is required followed by a fascinating safety stop on the very healthy reef off Boga Boga to watch anemonefish.
Kathy’s Corner has a dugong living in the area, and you could be lucky and catch a glimpse of her (or him!). The site has a wall which bottoms out to a sandy seabed, rather too deep at 60 metres, though a shallower, coral garden turns up a variety of creatures such as Leaf Scorpionfish, Ghost Pipefish, and a variety of rather ugly and bad-tempered-looking frogfish. This is a good place to find mantis shrimps lurking in burrows. Allegedly, these creatures can smash aquarium glass with their modified forelegs and can strike swiftly and powerfully at predators, or diver’s fingers, so watch out and don’t annoy the little sweeties! Turtles are common here and make excellent subjects for wide-angle studies. A night dive will reveal flashlight fish that have bio-luminescent patches beneath their eyes that flash in the dark. Gorgeous, fancy, crimson Spanish Dancers flash their ‘skirts’ at night divers.
When baitfish arrive at Banana Bommie, the predators arrive too, literally out of the blue. Dogtooth Tuna, Spanish Mackeral (or Cero) and other predators turn up and plunge into the mass of baitfish to eat their fill. The sloping reef wall levels off to a sandy sea floor at around 30 metres. Garden eels sway tantalizingly and tempt one to try and creep up on them. Glorious, dark red Spine-cheeked Anemonefish venture a short way from their anemone hosts before wriggling back to those soft, safe tentacles, while Barramundi Cod in their smart black and white ‘outfits’ peer from their coral homes. Banana Bommie is well known as a dive site with a huge variety of life and one which should satisfy any diver’s appetite.
The wreck of the Muscoota, a 4 -master launched in 1888, in Discovery Bay is not far from Alotau and can be done as one of the first or one of the last dives. Draped in soft coral and encrusted with sponges, the wreck is home to some big schools of fish. Check out the deck as a Tasselled Wobbegong shark is often seen resting there. The tip of the bow still peeps out of the water and the rudder is at a very diveable 24 metres, so one can explore the wreck in just one dive. Coal, still visible in the open holds, is a reminder of the ships history as a coal refuelling barge. The internal sections of the boat are silt-filled and difficult to access.
Inaccessible by road from Alotau, Deacon’s Reef is one of those reef dives that has everything. The rugged shoreline meets the sea, continuing as a 7 metre ‘clifflet’ below the surface and giving way to a shelf that slopes down to 40 metres or so. Beyond is a series of coral ‘towers’ rising from the depths. The area between is filled with prolific coral growth. Fabulous cabbage corals cover large areas like living sculptures of cabbages in an overgrown allotment. Filigree stands of staghorn corals hold families of busy black and white Humbug Dascylus. There are also fan corals, plate corals which act as tables under which sulky sweetlips lurk and soft corals in fruity shades of strawberry, raspberry and orange. Search for nudibranchs, flatworms and tiny transparent gobies. The more you look, the more you will see. Don’t forget your magnifying glass on this dive!
Dives on the outer reefs offer the possibility of some (literally) great encounters! Wahoo Point is located on the north side of the mainland with a shelf at 3-10 metres dropping away to a sheer wall that bottoms out at maybe 100 metres. This location is frequently visited by hammerheads, Manta Rays, sometimes even by Whale Sharks or Minke Whales, and has been the location for Orca spottings on a couple of occasions. It is a super place for wide-angle shots with a resident school of barracudas and some photogenic elephant-ear sponges.
Most of the dives in Milne Bay are calm and current free, but one dive site which has relatively strong current and, because of this, attracts large quantities of wall-patrolling reef fish, including several species of sharks, is a steep wall which drops to around 40 metres. The top of the reef makes an excellent end to this dive as one can enjoy some beautiful coral bommies which host a wide variety of crabs, rays, shrimps and ‘tons’ of fish.
TAWALI RESORT
This unique and special resort nestles in an orchid-rich jungle, at the edge of the ocean, amongst the fishing villages of the Milne Bay area of Papua New Guinea. Reachable only by boat and built on a bluff above the water, the jungle surrounds Tawali. Birdsong fills the air and one can almost feel the luscious weight of the jungle’s energy all around. Tawali is stimulating, exciting and yet ultimately relaxing. The entire resort has been constructed by local craftsmen from local lumber and beautifully carved woodwork including totems and masks are found through the resort. Some of these artworks took two years to complete and they are unique to the Milne Bay area. Since there was no electricity supply to this remote area until Tawali was built, all the woodwork was built on site by hand. The project brought new opportunities to the local people and has been a huge boost to the local workers. Locals previously without jobs were trained by local carpenters and given new skills. Now covered wooden walkways connect the air-conditioned bungalows to the main buildings, including the reception area, library and dining room. The library is set up to allow digital photographers to edit images on site. There is a satellite phone service.
Each bungalow has a private balcony overlooking Hoia Bay. There are two queen-sized beds in each room and the hand-carved rosewood interiors are simple and elegant. The beautifully crafted and hand polished floors are a delight to see. Each room has its own personal safe and coffee making facilities (and PNG coffee is delicious!), as well as a work desk for setting up camera systems. Bathrooms are modern and fully tiled with solar powered hot water systems so a hot shower is always available. Relax on the veranda after the diving is over and enjoy watching the pod of dolphins that often visit the bay, whilst you sip a glass of wine.
Great care has been taken to ensure top quality food from local ingredients. Local farmers raise the fruits and vegetables served at table and great pride is taken to provide the best variety and the freshest fruits. Mango, papaya and pineapple are abundant locally, as are several varieties of banana and coconut. Maybe dinner will consist of local fish wrapped in banana leaves or fresh fruit straight from the trees. Bread is baked each day and desserts are a speciality (PNG grows some superb cocoa for chocolate, too!). Three buffet meals are served each day, with snacks, juices, coffee and tea available throughout the day. Soft drinks and alcoholic drinks are served at the bar. A covered wooden veranda makes a very pleasant place to enjoy dinner or maybe a drink, whilst listening to the chorus of tree frogs or the calls of jungle birds. There is much for the non-diver (or the diver on a day off) to enjoy locally and trips can easily be arranged. Enjoy a guided hike in the rainforest or through local villages, but take a pair of binoculars so that you can enjoy some of the 269 species of birds that have been found here. A visit to the skull caves is certain to be fascinating. The remains of village dignitaries were placed here for centuries. This spooky experience is not to be missed. All land activities are arranged on a weekly basis and are conducted by experienced local guides.
The dive centre is close to the main resort and is reached along a covered walkway. Each day there is a choice of coastal or outer reef diving. Coastal day boat dives leave the resort in the morning and return for lunch and leave again in the afternoon, returning in plenty of time for dinner. These trips are 2-tank dives and you can opt to take a morning trip followed by an afternoon trip, or simply keep to 2 tanks each day. Outer Reefs boat dives are also offered on a daily basis. Outer Reefs trips consist of a 3-tank dive (with lunch taken with you). Shore diving on the house reef, including night diving, is also available daily. Nitrox is available.
The resort is reached by a road transfer, and when the road peters out you make the final stage by boat (about a 15 minutes ride)!
Stays can be of any length. Prices given below relate to a stay of 7 nights.
Price: from about £1370 for 7 nights. Includes: airport transfers; 7 nights full board accommodation (breakfast, lunch and dinner) on a twin/share basis at Tawali Resort, including coffee, tea and fruit juices; 6 days of diving (3 boat and/or shore dives daily, dive guide on boat dives, reef and chamber fees); fuel surcharge. Reduction for non-divers.
Single Occupancy Supplement: from about £167 for 7 nights.
CHERTAN
The name, Rob van der Loos, is one that is known and well-respected by all in the diving industry. With over 30 years of experience exploring the Milne Bay region, Rob, the owner and operator of MV Chertan, is clearly a superb host and cruise director. He is a fine and enthusiastic underwater photographer and videographer as well. His knowledge of the reefs and the marine life found in the Milne Bay region is second to none. Chertan is a small liveaboard boat and has just 5 twin cabins. The ambiance on board is relaxed and friendly, with the crew focused on making the guest’s comfort and enjoyment their priority. The cabins are all air-conditioned and have two bunk beds, a washbasin and storage space. Two bathrooms with WC and shower are situated on the main deck, one deck above the cabins. There is a comfortable salon with seating and relaxation areas where meals are served. Food is a high priority on the boat and fresh, local supplies are used wherever possible.
There is a two-tier camera table on the main deck which can be used to store cameras during dives. There is a large camera table on the upper deck which many photographers find useful. Dive and camera gear are not available for hire on Chertan, so be sure that you are self-sufficient with your gear. Diving is carried out from the dive deck at the back of the boat or sometimes from the dingy and, once the boat is anchored, ‘the pool is open’! With permission from the divemaster, you are free to dive whenever you like on Chertan. Whenever a diver is in the water there will be someone on watch and the dingy will be ready for use if necessary (even for a solo 0200 dive, it has been reported!). Nitrox is not available.
Chertan offers cruises of 7-10 nights throughout the year, except in February, using Tawali Resort as its base. This is an ideal boat for the serious fish watcher, for the underwater photographer, and for those seeking amazing marine life and superb diving service. Chertan offers great value for money. It is a comfortable boat but not a luxury liveaboard (so in this respect is different in standard from the typical Divequest liveaboard).
Price: from about £1239 for a 7 nights cruise; from about £1416 for an 8 nights cruise; from about £1593 for a 9 nights cruise; from about £1770 for a 10 nights cruise. Includes: airport transfers; 7, 8, 9 or 10 nights cruise on Chertan on a twin/share basis with full board including snacks, coffee, tea, fruit juice; 5, 6, 7 or 8 full days of diving (4-5 dives per day), plus one or two dives on the last day. A port fee of US$75, a reef and chamber fee of US$8 per diving day and a fuel surcharge of $12.50 per night (subject to change) are not included in the package price and will be collected on board.
Single Occupancy Supplement: 80% of the cruise cost (but you can avoid paying the supplement if you are willing to share a cabin).
SPIRIT OF NIUGINI
For divers who are seeking a higher level of comfort, Spirit Niugini makes an excellent choice. The crew comprises both local and international staff with considerable experience in hospitality and diving. Spirit of Niugini was purpose built and designed for tropical conditions, with air-conditioning, open-air lounges and a sun deck. There is accommodation for 16 passengers in 8 air-conditioned, en-suite staterooms. Two twin and 2 double cabins are on the main (mid) deck, with 2 more twin cabins on the aft lower deck and 2 others on the forward lower deck. Main deck cabins have wide picture windows and offer superb views. Lower deck cabins have porthole windows. The cabins are tastefully furnished and are equipped with reading lights, wardrobes, hair-dryers and plenty of storages space.
There is a spacious dive deck with individual storage stations. The dive deck is above the dive platform, but the steps leading to it are straightforward to negotiate. Photographic facilities such as charging stations and rinse tanks are available. Nitrox is available. At the end of each dive hot towels will be waiting for you. Four freshwater showers and a head are conveniently located on the dive deck and dive platform.
Spirit of Niugini operates a series of 7-10 nights trips throughout the year, using Tawali Resort as its base.
Price: from about £1565 for a 7 nights cruise; from about £1789 for an 8 nights cruise; from about £2012 for a 9 nights cruise; from about £2236 for a 10 nights cruise. Includes: airport transfers; 7, 8, 9 or 10 nights cruise on Spirit of Niugini on a twin/share basis with full board including snacks, coffee, tea, fruit juice; 5, 6, 7 or 8 full days of diving (4-5 dives per day), plus one or two dives on the last day. Reduction for non-divers. A port fee of US$75, a reef and chamber fee of US$8 per diving day and a fuel surcharge of $15.00 per night (subject to change) are not included in the package price and will be collected on board.
Single Occupancy Supplement: 80% of the cruise cost (but you can avoid paying the supplement if you are willing to share a cabin).
FLIGHTS: Prices from about £1248 to Port Moresby, plus from about £175 return to Alotau. There are daily flight connections to Port Moresby (but the quickest and least expensive routings are only twice a week). Overnight stays in Port Moresby before and/or after visiting Milne Bay may be necessary.
STOP-OVERS: These are available in Singapore, Brisbane or Sydney, depending on flight routing.
COMBINATIONS: Why not extend your holiday in PNG and visit New Britain or New Ireland? Walindi Plantation Resort on New Britain and Lissenung Island in New Ireland offer a superb range of diving with marvellous ‘macro life’ as well as good numbers of big fish. Alternatively, we could arrange for you to stay at a very comfortable but remote lodge in the interior of New Guinea where the tribal people still lead lives not that far removed from their Stone Age forbears. Talk to us about the possibilities.
Jack Spiral (Martin Edge)
