PNG Scubabboarders 2007

[Jcsgt]

http://www.mfat.govt.nz/travel/countries/png.html

No worries! According to the above link, only New Zealanders need to worry about their safety.

 

[homo maris]

So far I have read:

Tawali
Been there: Doug Krause
Hotel and liveaboard. June may be wet season.
Access: Fly to POM then Alotau then car then boat


Walindi
Been there: _Bella_, Caymania, Homo Maris.
Hotel or liveaboard. June is dry season.
Access: Fly to POM then Hoskins then car

Price should be the same for both ($9k-$17k/person, NY-POM air=$5-$7k. 10 days @ $500=$5). I think both would be equivalent in marine biodiversity (read spectacular). Kimbe will have much less currents. My preference is Tawali because if I go to Walndi I will likely have to work in our office next door :sad:

The PNG Divers Association website should help us with more choices.

Regarding topside photo. I am in but the best real painted faces are in the Sepik river (North) so not close to the dives.

Catherine, if you are interested in PNG atifacts (my house if full of them) the place to buy is PNG Art in Port Moresby.

JL

 

[homo maris]

Photos of Kimbe Bay with good and bad weather.
Photo of sing sing.
JL

 

[Diver Dennis]

Looks like a great place JL.

 

[homo maris]

It is a very nice place although Punta Pajados off Punta Allen last week was very nice too (but with lots of waves). What I like is that the waters are still as you see in th epicture with only some thermal currents and thus there is plenty of time to see biodiversity. The rainy season picture was taken in December.

If we go there I could put together a dive at Seamew Shoals, a new seamount we discovered and that is at 20-25m deep (Fathom 28, the one in my avatar is at 75m). We were going to dive it last time but the visibility was terrible due to the rains and it was thus too dangerous. As far as I know, nobody has been diving it. I am interested in it because it looks like a site of fish spawning aggregation so if the moon is right we could also do some scientific dives there.

See why I'd prefer to go to the other site ... already thinking of work.

JL

 

[cdiver2]

Another link to see whats going on in PNG
http://www.pngbd.com/

 

[Cacia]

I literally have the shakes. Homo (can I call you that?), thanks for the help on the assessment. i am not a detail person. I just started "Artifacts and Crafts of Papua New Guinea". I NEED to be reading "Exposure" before Ron kicks my butt. I did read three pages last night.

I am so inspired about this trip, probably more than any trip in my life.

Glad we have all these notes in one thread...

Fish spawning, are you talking pelagics...or what?

It would be fun to do a REEF CHECK marine survey.

That is some trippy airfare, may have to sell the first born.

 

[Jcsgt]

Are there only certain days of the weeks when there are flights in and out? I'm trying to get an idea of airfare out of Portland by entering projected dates (in June, of course) for arrival and departure.

 

[Cacia]

go for it. keep in mind the cheapest fare I could find for bali was about 1400 and we got tickets for 688 from a wholesaler here. As the dates get closer, the fare drops. This far out it is probably not accurate...put in this year and see what you get.

cdiver, I am afraid to ask....what did this trip cost you? mas o menos?

 

[Jcsgt]

I'm also trying to get an idea, if there are only certain days when they have flights, what kind of time off I'm looking at. It looks like I'll probably be on the same schedule for at least another year.