PNG - areas compared

[caymaniac]

Ali;
Consider spending your first couple of days at Loloata Island, just outside Port Moresby. The diving is great and this will allow you to acclimate to conditions and check out your gear in a place where you can get it repaired or replaced if you have a problem. They will meet your plane and transport you to the (private) island. They can also fill you in on conditions elsewhere throughout PNG before you head onward.

Kavieng and New Ireland are the best for pelagics and big stuff, Milne Bay world-famous for muck diving.

I wil be spending time at Loloata on the way back from Walindi/Star Dancer, I have diving reservations. I've heard the water isn't as warm as Kimbe Bay.

 

[thranx]

It's a little cooler at Loloata, yes, but nothing that requires additional gear...and I chill easily. You should be fine with what you're taking for Walindi and up north.

Try to get to the National Museum in Port Moresby...fascinating cultural exhibits, and the display of gigantic PNG insects is worth a visit all by itself.

 

[caymaniac]

It's a little cooler at Loloata, yes, but nothing that requires additional gear...and I chill easily. You should be fine with what you're taking for Walindi and up north.

Try to get to the National Museum in Port Moresby...fascinating cultural exhibits, and the display of gigantic PNG insects is worth a visit all by itself.

My 3mm will be enough?
That museum sounds excellent, is it in town, how many minutes from Loloata?

 

[thranx]

Everyone is different, of course. However, I chill easily, and I think your 3mm will be fine at Loloata. They have additional gear available, in any event.

Travel time to the museum in Moresby depends on traffic anyway. The people at Loloata can organize a trip into town for you. There is also one huge place (they even sell over the web) that has fair prices (not the cheapest, not the most expensive, but fair) on artwork from all over PNG. A good place to shop, if you don't have much time for that sort of thing. Again, Loloata can help you with that.

There's not much else to see or do in Moresby. The botanical gardens are nice, if you are so inclined. It takes about five minutes to whip by the interesting parliament building, which is done in the style of a PNG "haus tamburan". The small shopping centers are interesting to walk around, but are designed to supply local needs, and won't have anything of interest for you.

Now, if you were going elsewhere in PNG, I could suggest many things. But you'll be uw on your trip.

 

[silent running]

Hello Alison, I've been to Eastern Fields, Moresby, Milne Bay, along the Papuan Barrier Reef btw Milne and Moresby, Madang and the Volcanic islands, Kimbe and Kavieng. It's all great. Really. There are differences, but I would recomend a Milne bay itinerary first, one that includes some of the sites that are farther out, so you get some good pelagic and shark activity. On 1 dive there last year I saw Hammerheads, Silvertips, tons of Reef sharks, a giant Sand Tiger and a HUGE Oceanic Manta. It was fantastic. Later on the same site I saw a Lacy Scorpian Fish. That 1 dive pretty much gives a great account of PNG. I would recomend the Golden Dawn over most other boats(Telita is also a nice boat, newly refurbished)as she is the most stable, has great food, only takes a maximum of 10 and has an outstanding, very active diver Capt. named Craig de Wit. He's also an avid recreational rebreather diver, like myself. He got me into diving rebreathers and I will never go back to open circuit. You see so much more wild life when you're not making noisy bubbles. If you're at all curious about diving with a rebreather, Craig is an incredible resource. I've done all my trips on his boat and I'm going back again soon. If you want to talk to him, there is a phone on the vessel. It's the same rate as calling Australia. The number is listed in the Lonely Planet guide, which you should definitely get. Or go to the web site and email him. I'm envious of your proximity. I just got back from a trip to Komodo, which was great, but not as good as PNG. If I lived in NZ, I'd go there even more. Oh, and I've never bothered with Malaria meds, as per all the PNG residents advice. It's not worth the expense and the potential bad DCS like side effects. Just put on some insect repellent if you wind up close to shore at night. That's all I did and had no problems during any of the many weeks I spent there-Andy

 

[alijtaylor]

Thanks Silent Runer and everyone else, I think the main conclusion is wherever I go it will probably be outstanding! In which case I will probably try to make it work with some land stuff. There is a big "sing sing" next September and that time of year, end of winter in the south, would suit me well. Thanks again. I will post a report.
Alison

 

[cdiver2]

Thanks Silent Runer and everyone else, I think the main conclusion is wherever I go it will probably be outstanding! In which case I will probably try to make it work with some land stuff. There is a big "sing sing" next September and that time of year, end of winter in the south, would suit me well. Thanks again. I will post a report.
Alison

Glade to hear your going to do a sing sing if its the big one (Goroka ) I envy you. I did one in New Britain and went through four rolls of film in an hour.
Please post some photo when you get back.

 

[peterjmaerz]

Hi Silent Running,

Just a quick note of disagreement. Not to be melodramatic, but, once you've contracted Malaria, it's yours pretty much for life, as I understand it. Not a pleasant thing. Rolling the dice will certainly create many winners (not contracting the disease), but if you lose,...

Anyway, after much research before my trip to PNG a year ago (see elsewhere on the board) , I opted for Malarone. This relatively new prophylaxis bears little risk of side effects (virtually none of DCS-type symptoms associated with Larium). Speaking anecdotally on my part, I had no side effects whatsoever and found it easy to remember to take my one pill a day after lunch. My insurance covered all but 12 dollars of the cost of Malarone.

All that said, health officials always recommend mosquito prevention in the form of DEET and permethrin sprays for clothing. Naturally, if you're out on the open sea exclusively, your risk is non existant but you've got to come in to shore sometime .


Best Regards,

 

[caymaniac]

Hi Silent Running,

Just a quick note of disagreement. Not to be melodramatic, but, once you've contracted Malaria, it's yours pretty much for life, as I understand it. Not a pleasant thing. Rolling the dice will certainly create many winners (not contracting the disease), but if you lose,...

Anyway, after much research before my trip to PNG a year ago (see elsewhere on the board) , I opted for Malarone. This relatively new prophylaxis bears little risk of side effects (virtually none of DCS-type symptoms associated with Larium). Speaking anecdotally on my part, I had no side effects whatsoever and found it easy to remember to take my one pill a day after lunch. My insurance covered all but 12 dollars of the cost of Malarone.

All that said, health officials always recommend mosquito prevention in the form of DEET and permethrin sprays for clothing. Naturally, if you're out on the open sea exclusively, your risk is non existant but you've got to come in to shore sometime .


Best Regards,

Thanks for the tip, I unfortunately am on Larium and plan to use it for my trip. I have used Larium before while in Africa and did some dives with no ill effects. I also have Deet spray with me and plan on using it especially in the evening while on land. Additionally I've sprayed my hat and some of my pants with permethrin. Malaria is not something to gamble with, I'm doing all that is possible from getting near a disease like that.
I have a presentation today at 4 pm for work, then it's all go for the trip to PNG, it's already hard to focus on anything else :11:
Everyday nearer to take off, I seem to drift to the computer to search for tid bits about the areas we will be visiting....it'ss ssslow ssilent torture....argh!
Then again what would I do without this web site for reinforcement? I just have to maintain my sanity for a few hours....Star Dancer-Walindi-Lolata, Oahu :dazzler1:

Dive Safe,
Caymaniac

 

[peterjmaerz]

I have a presentation today at 4 pm for work, then it's all go for the trip to PNG, it's already hard to focus on anything else :11:
Everyday nearer to take off, I seem to drift to the computer to search for tid bits about the areas we will be visiting....it'ss ssslow ssilent torture....argh!
Then again what would I do without this web site for reinforcement? I just have to maintain my sanity for a few hours....Star Dancer-Walindi-Lolata, Oahu :dazzler1:

Dive Safe,
Caymaniac[/QUOTE]


Hey, at least you get to GO ! I'm deeply, desperately envious. I know you're gonna be in dive heaven shortly! Have a GREAT time!

Best,