PNG help needed

[DontLieToMe]

More on Telita.

The Telita has been out of operation for a while. It is now jointly owned by three people to include Craig DeWit who is the owner of the Golden Dawn. On our July trip we chartered the boat and Craig was the captain. He was training another person, a local PNG person, for that role. He said that this person would captain the boat and he would depend on Bob Halstead and his wife to be the host/hostess. I would be very specific in asking what is going on in this regard and make sure you are satisfied with who is running the show. You should ask who is guiding the dives.

We were on the boat for 10 days in July 2003 out of Milne Bay. The weather was not good. It rained every day. Seas were such that we did not get to several sites and I found several of the sites less than ideal. We did get a good variety of corals and little creatures.

Cabins are variable. Two have ensuite facilities. The other three share. They are comfortable but not large. I had the ensuite cabin on the main deck.

Food was OK but not spectacular. Many liveaboards provide mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks. We did not see these on the Telita.

They have Nitrox but they were not providing consistent 32 EAN fills. They would fill a tank. The next dive would be topped off with air and thus we would get fills that would be anywhere from 21+. I think the person they trained to do Nitrox was not on the boat.

I was also on the Paradise Sport in PNG last year - late April or early May. It was their third trip out of Walindi and they were definitely learning the sites and how to operate in the area. I did not think we got on many sites at the right time.

 

[Luci]

Thanks, DontLieToMe, for contributing this VERY helpful information. I heard the Star Dancer and the Febrina were the best in the area. Their schedule did not fit with my plans, but I think it might be well worth it for me to change my plans to fit the schedule of these two live aboards to ensure more enjoyble diving. I want to make sure we have an awesome time : the Pacific is far for us to get to, we won't be going very often.
Thanks again for the heads up!

 

[cdiver2]

Thanks, DontLieToMe, for contributing this VERY helpful information. I heard the Star Dancer and the Febrina were the best in the area. Their schedule did not fit with my plans, but I think it might be well worth it for me to change my plans to fit the schedule of these two live aboards to ensure more enjoyble diving. I want to make sure we have an awesome time : the Pacific is far for us to get to, we won't be going very often.
Thanks again for the heads up!

Luci a couple of words of warning if you go 1/ Air nuiguian ( spelling ? ) is unreliable, delays. I would add one day extra to your trip to get to Walindi the day before, you could always do a couple of dives there the day you arrive.
2/ take a toilet roll with you. The International terminal in Port Moresby is ok but you will need it in the domestic terminal.
Enjoy
David

 

[DivePartner1]

In our trip we were glad we planned extra time for unreliable Air Nuigini.

Our morning flight from Cairns to Port Moresby was cancelled. No reason given. We ended up on a later one, a small jet, in the early afternoon.

Our connection to Kimbe the same day was delayed and delayed, then cancelled when they ran out of daylight--Kimbe has not lights. We stayed at the "Airport Hotel" which was quite nice. American standard of quality and a good restaurant and pool on mountain top.

The next day, we got up at 4:30 for a flight they claimed to have arranged for my 14 person group and another party (the new Bishop and his entourage). The flight didn't materialize. Eventually, we got on a turbo prop at about 10:00 a.m. 40 minutes into the flight they turned back. After orbiting while dumping fuel, we landed back in Port Moresby amid a line of fire trucks. No explanation was given.

They put on an afternoon jet and we finally made to Kimbe over a day late. We were then trapped at the tiny airport for a while while the army (all ten of them) and hundreds of beetle-nut chewing locals in native dress greated the new bishop. The show was actually worth the day's delay. These folks had been waiting a day, as had the throng lining the roads for miles.

On the way out, a week later, we made it from Kimbe to Port Moresby but the flight to Cairns was delayed 3 hours and almost scrubbed while they searched for a pilot (not a clue what happened to the original one).

You should be aware: before landing in Australia, flight crews walk through the cabins filling the air with bug spray from aerosol cans, claiming this is de-lousing required by the Australians. If spare air was allowed in the cabin, this would have been a good place to use it. Also, they warn that (i) drunks can be refused service, they can't guarantee that baby chicks being shipped will arrive alive and (iii) no chewing beetle nut on the aircraft.

Have an adventure!!!

 

[cdiver2]

In our trip we were glad we planned extra time for unreliable Air Nuigini.

Our morning flight from Cairns to Port Moresby was cancelled. No reason given. We ended up on a later one, a small jet, in the early afternoon.

Our connection to Kimbe the same day was delayed and delayed, then cancelled when they ran out of daylight--Kimbe has not lights. We stayed at the "Airport Hotel" which was quite nice. American standard of quality and a good restaurant and pool on mountain top.

The next day, we got up at 4:30 for a flight they claimed to have arranged for my 14 person group and another party (the new Bishop and his entourage). The flight didn't materialize. Eventually, we got on a turbo prop at about 10:00 a.m. 40 minutes into the flight they turned back. After orbiting while dumping fuel, we landed back in Port Moresby amid a line of fire trucks. No explanation was given.

They put on an afternoon jet and we finally made to Kimbe over a day late. We were then trapped at the tiny airport for a while while the army (all ten of them) and hundreds of beetle-nut chewing locals in native dress greated the new bishop. The show was actually worth the day's delay. These folks had been waiting a day, as had the throng lining the roads for miles.

On the way out, a week later, we made it from Kimbe to Port Moresby but the flight to Cairns was delayed 3 hours and almost scrubbed while they searched for a pilot (not a clue what happened to the original one).

You should be aware: before landing in Australia, flight crews walk through the cabins filling the air with bug spray from aerosol cans, claiming this is de-lousing required by the Australians. If spare air was allowed in the cabin, this would have been a good place to use it. Also, they warn that (i) drunks can be refused service, they can't guarantee that baby chicks being shipped will arrive alive and (iii) no chewing beetle nut on the aircraft.

Have an adventure!!!

The toilets at Hoskins or did you not use them ? I did and came out with tears in my eyes.
The fire trucks, I was sat by the port landing gear and there was smoke pouring out from between the wheels right up untill we came to a stop.
The welcome for the bishop was great but you should have seen the big one a couple of days later.
But to be fair Walindi resort was top notch and the diving out of this world and I would go back in a heart beat.
David

 

[DivePartner1]

I had repressed my memories of the bathrooms in Hoskins. I gag at the thought.

In defense of Air Nuigini, the staff and ticket agents were generally nice and seemed to want to help but they knew the limitations of what they were working with.

 

[cdiver2]

I had repressed my memories of the bathrooms in Hoskins. I gag at the thought.

In defense of Air Nuigini, the staff and ticket agents were generally nice and seemed to want to help but they knew the limitations of what they were working with.

To have brought a nightmare back to life ( b/r Hoskins ) But like you I have no problems with the service at all. I dont know when I will be able to afford to go back again but that is my amition to do it again for a longer period next time, in fact I could live in Walind with no problems and not miss the civilized world at all.
Did you do a trip report on SB ? I did not see one.
David

 

[DivePartner1]

I'm generally not energetic enough to do trip reports, but I can spin a yarn when inspired. I got 28 dives in in 5 and half days on Star Dancer.

 

[cdiver2]

I'm generally not energetic enough to do trip reports, but I can spin a yarn when inspired. I got 28 dives in in 5 and half days on Star Dancer.

Inspire Inspire Inspire, is that enough to get one with a pic or two ?

 

[beche de mer]

You should be aware: before landing in Australia, flight crews walk through the cabins filling the air with bug spray from aerosol cans, claiming this is de-lousing required by the Australians.

The Anopheles mosquito is present in the north of Australia, and hence the potential for lateral transmission of malaria. Occasionally we experience minor outbreaks of malaria in Queensland from an imported source.