We are looking to come to PNG for one of the Highlands festival in August or September and also go diving.
I wanted to go to Milne Bay but I've read that its windy there at that time and diving then is not recommended - can anyone confirm this? The Tawali website says diving is year round, has anyone been there at this time of year?
Also has anyone been on the MV Chertan at that time of year?
We wanted to go see the mantas near Samarai Island, but will it be difficult to get out there?
I know some of the liveaboards relocate to New Britain at this time of year, I'll be travelling with my boyfriend who's not keen on doing a long liveaboard, so I think the only choice we have for liveaboards around that area is the Star Dancer for 7 nights.
Any comments appreciated. Thanks
Allison Finch
March 12th, 2007, 11:44 AM
The Stardancer is a wonderful boat and well run. I have spent much time on it. Has your boyfriend ever been on a liveaboard? What does he not like about it? I am at the point where I almost only want to dive liveaboards. Stardancer is nice in that you don't do all your diving from tenders and is very easy. The rooms are very comfortable, also. The food........oooh awww!!!
New Britain is fantastic diving. You may also get to dive the Witus (weather permitting). If so, say HI to Dickie Doyle for me. Don't worry, if you go there, you WILL meet him.
Be very observant and careful at the highland festivals. There is very strong competition between clans/villages, many of whom may be having feuds. Peace between them is often tenuous, at best. Violence is not uncommon there. It is a good idea to leave before the judging is announced. Get a good guide there and listen to him. If he says it's time to go, don't argue.
Other than that, have a glorious time. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have about New Guinea. I am not an expert, but have been there plenty.
OHGoDive
March 12th, 2007, 12:06 PM
You can also take a look at Spirit of Niugini. They used to be Aqua One in Phuket, but have just relocated the boat and begun running PNG. They may have spots available in the time period you are looking. They are connected to Tawali (which is owned by the owners of Oceanic?), which seems to be a beautiful resort in Milne Bay.
Here are the links (if you don't already have them):
hi, we dived milne from MV Chertan in the middle of september 2005,we had no problems wat so ever getting anywhere,saw the rays too :)
got a little choppy out in the open ,but hey we dive nz so wasn't a prob.
caymaniac
March 13th, 2007, 09:28 AM
We are looking to come to PNG for one of the Highlands festival in August or September and also go diving.
I know some of the liveaboards relocate to New Britain at this time of year, I'll be travelling with my boyfriend who's not keen on doing a long liveaboard, so I think the only choice we have for liveaboards around that area is the Star Dancer for 7 nights.
Any comments appreciated. Thanks
We've been to New Britain, the divng was awesome. There were some highlands festival before we arrived.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/th_sing_sing.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/rlc1081.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/th_rlc1117.jpghttp://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/th_File0020.jpghttp://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/th_File0014.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/th_File0004.jpg
H2Obaby
March 13th, 2007, 10:01 AM
caymaniac- love your photos. Which highlands festival did you go to? Did you go with a tour or by yourself? Who did you dive with?
Allison - have you been to the Mt Hagen and Goroka shows? Which did you prefer?
OHGoDive - waiting to hear how the diving is here, operation looks really nice but a tad $$$
Stransky - did you stay on the mainland around Alotau at all before/after your liveaboard?
Stransky
March 13th, 2007, 07:45 PM
Stransky - did you stay on the mainland around Alotau at all before/after your liveaboard?
no mate,port morsby > Alotau>Alotau> straight to Chertan.
caymaniac
March 17th, 2007, 02:11 PM
caymaniac- love your photos. Which highlands festival did you go to? Did you go with a tour or by yourself? Who did you dive with?
Allison - have you been to the Mt Hagen and Goroka shows? Which did you prefer?
OHGoDive - waiting to hear how the diving is here, operation looks really nice but a tad $$$
Stransky - did you stay on the mainland around Alotau at all before/after your liveaboard?
When I was staying at Walindi a friend had just returned from the Highlands and he traded pictures with me, some of his festival pix for some of my underwater pix.
We stayed at Walindi for 3 nights...7 on StarDancer (Fathers & Witu's) and 2 days at Loloata.
alijtaylor
March 18th, 2007, 03:55 AM
H20Baby
I went to the Goroka show last year. It was a blast. I don't think you need a tour. The mainstream hotels will all meet you at the plane and send minibuses to the showgrounds for transport to and from. Last year Goroka was mid Sept and Mt Hagen was August (I think), but check the intended dates as there has been talk of Goroka going back to July.
http://www.lora.whizx.co.nz/PNG%20images/Girl%20from%20Goroka.jpg
http://www.lora.whizx.co.nz/PNG%20images/Veteran%20with%20cowrie%20shell%20and%20spears.jpg
If $$ are relevant think of Febrina (http://www.febrina.com/) rather than StarDancer - you don't all have ensuite and floor to ceiling windows but who spends much time in the cabin anyway and there are fewer other divers (max 12).
Have fun whereever you go.
Alison
H2Obaby
March 18th, 2007, 02:22 PM
Caymaniac, was the diving a whole lot better when you went out to the Fathers & Witus compared to Walindi's dive sites?
H2Obaby
March 18th, 2007, 02:28 PM
Alison, forgot to tell you my boyfriend used to work on a liveaboard, and now he finds it harder to relax if he's onboard.
Thanks for the info.
caymaniac
March 18th, 2007, 08:32 PM
Caymaniac, was the diving a whole lot better when you went out to the Fathers & Witus compared to Walindi's dive sites?
Not "a whole lot better" but more varied. Plenty of sharks either place, maybe more in Fathers. Sometimes we dove fields of hard corals which I never saw near Walindi. Also a couple of sites with more soft coral. Walindi's sites were fine if you don't want to do liveaboard.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/PNG048.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/File0012.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/File0040.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/PNG075.jpg
You can't miss diving out of Walindi, but could ever forgive yourself for going that far and not doing a liveaboard in one of the best areas in the world?
H2Obaby
March 19th, 2007, 11:31 AM
Caymaniac,
Loved the photo of the dolphins - was that taken by Walindi?
Know what you mean about the liveaboard, really its not me that needs convincing, just the other 1/2.
reubencahn
March 19th, 2007, 01:50 PM
Caymaniac, what are you shooting?
caymaniac
March 20th, 2007, 10:29 AM
Caymaniac,
Loved the photo of the dolphins - was that taken by Walindi?
Know what you mean about the liveaboard, really its not me that needs convincing, just the other 1/2.
The dolphins were right alongside of the StarDancer while near the Fathers. According to our hosts, there is a pod of about 200 or more that live in this area.
I have been diving for quite a few years, since 81. We have since then taken at least one dive vacation a year. In 2003 we did a 4 day liveaboard in the Coral Sea off Australia......why did we wait so long to give this a try. Some of the reasons are, I like to explore, I like to talk to the locals, and I like to view their culture. Being on a liveaboard actually was cheaper unless you only do two dives a day. Being on the StarDancer we did interact with locals in a remote area, they came to trade for anything we had. They only had fruit and veg., some a no clothes. I took along plenty of extra tee shirts and pencils (colored) and coloring books. It was fun to trade. The cook on the boat prepared our trades for us to eat. The water was mostly calm on the whole trip, one night of rain and the last day it was windy but sunny. The air 90 to 100, the water mostly...90F
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/Underwater%20Images/File0354.jpg
calm
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/IMG_0481.jpg
caymaniac
March 20th, 2007, 10:30 AM
Caymaniac, what are you shooting?
The last two shots were done by a gal onboard who had a digital camera. I'm still shooting film, Velvia 100.
H2Obaby
March 21st, 2007, 12:24 PM
Caymaniac, it looks like a pond out there! I've read some other posts with reports of high seas, and the star dancer dancing...guess sometimes you can be unlucky with the weather.
I shoot film too, big fan of the Velvia 50, heard they were going to start remaking it?
What setup have you got?
I'm thinking of (dare I say it) making the switch to digital for this trip, sick of running out of film while those digis just keep shooting. Also its got to be a pain taking all those films out to remote spots.
Pretty cool having the interaction with the locals. I'm guessing you miss out on this kind of experience if you do landbased?
Allison Finch
March 21st, 2007, 02:41 PM
Caymaniac, was the diving a whole lot better when you went out to the Fathers & Witus compared to Walindi's dive sites?
All the areas have their "specialties". The Witus has wonderful muck diving and going into the volcanic crater to dive the muck and reef there was magical. The Fathers has wonderful seamounts and shallow reefs with so many hard coral species, you lose count. Walindi stays pretty much in Kimbe bay. The dives there are just as awesome. If you go with a liveaboard, especially the 10 day trips, chances are you will dive all three areas. If you are lucky enough to do back to back trips (really try to do this) you may get to Rabaul area too.:eyebrow:
H2Obaby
March 21st, 2007, 07:21 PM
Allison - how does this area compare to that around Kavieng (land based)?
caymaniac
March 22nd, 2007, 04:48 PM
Caymaniac, it looks like a pond out there! I've read some other posts with reports of high seas, and the star dancer dancing...guess sometimes you can be unlucky with the weather.
I shoot film too, big fan of the Velvia 50, heard they were going to start remaking it?
What setup have you got?
I'm thinking of (dare I say it) making the switch to digital for this trip, sick of running out of film while those digis just keep shooting. Also its got to be a pain taking all those films out to remote spots.
Pretty cool having the interaction with the locals. I'm guessing you miss out on this kind of experience if you do landbased?
Here's a few of the days, usaully near the end of a role I tend to shoot the sunsets.
near the trading area
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/IMG_0412.jpg
out to sea
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/IMG_0424.jpg
out to sea
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/IMG_0518.jpg
one really hot day
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/IMG_0525.jpg
I shot Velvia 50 mostly but the 'new' Velvia 100 is what I used in PNG, I'll be using it again next week! I have a Pentax MEs in a Ike housing/ Ike strobe/dome port for a close focus 28 and a 90macro.
Not much of a chance to trade like a remote village unless you are in a remote place.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/IMG_0466.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/IMG_0463.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/IMG_0491.jpg
