PNG – Life on the edge of the planet.
I have targeted diving Papua before, but have failed over-n-over. It’s not an easy place to explore… to find flights, dive boats, hotels… just about everything!!
I find myself in Yangon, Myanmar – planning a trip to Papua New Guinea. So how do I get to PNG ?
First I book a flight to Manila, Philippines (via KL) .. schedule a hotel layover there .. then onward to PNG .. to Port Moresby, their capital, on a red-eye. Not-cool, a difficult long transit, but the best option I can find. I’m determined to explore PNG. Make sure to do your online eVisa!!
Arranging hotel and airport transfer in Port Moseby was an adventure.. With just 3 Western style hotels in this capital city … I try calling – failing on all attempts. Finally arranging an airport transfer via ‘backdoor’ emails.. Absolutely - a needed plan in PNG;
Travel 101: when arriving to PNG at 5am… or any time!!, make sure to have a transfer arranged. Zero taxis are available for transfer options in PNG. This is not a destination to show up without a plan.
Port Moresby is famously dangerous. My transport was more of an armored van.. Overkill maybe, but wow.. this is like driving around Cairo with armed guards. No ‘tourists’ in sight. Just Bruce.
The red-eye flight killed me!! I had hoped to explore PNG’s capital city a-bit. NO-chance.. I just slept, too exhausted to explore. I re-group and prepare for yet another flight; a domestic to New Britian, a large island that is part of PNG. So, it’s back to the airport and into another tin can.
Just about now,,,,I’m not exactly sure what country I’m in. Too much time in planes will do that !! ☹
I have booked a week+ of diving in Kimbe Bay, New Britian. At the Legendary Walindi Resort – a Scuba Diving Resort tucked away in the jungle. An Adventure in the land of Volcanoes. 16 volcanoes surround Kimbe Bay and me each day.. Time to Dive Dive Dive.
Arriving in New Britian, I have an hour transfer to the Walindi Dive Resort. Ahh.. I made it,,and so does my dive gear!! Yeah !! I’m in Paradise lost. This is truly a Jurassic Park.
Walindi Resort is an oasis. Built by a husband and wife team; Max and Cecilie Benjamin. started over 50 years ago. Cecilie and her son Cheyne continue to run this iconic amazing resort.. Their story is like no other. Lives well lived. I am inspired by them!!
I was fortunate to meet and spend time with both Cecilie and Cheyne. Their determination and pride,, for Walindi to survive and grow rivals any family story on the planet. Every so-often, I am gifted the opportunity to meet people like them - that make the world a better place.. It gives me strength for another day, another adventure. Look them up sometimes… amazing.
Unpack my dive gear, charge my electronics (dive computer, camera batteries, dive lights) .... be at the boat at 7:45am !!! I’m back in my element.
Again, I find myself the most Senior diver. All the other divers I meet here are from an Australian dive club – They adopt me 😊
Fortunately, the Walindi dive staff know how to handle me – allowing me to dive my own profile and pace.. They had enough on their hands with the other guests … just leave the American alone. I’m grateful.
I discover that Australians come in from Brisbane, and transit directly thru international arrivals.. Bypassing Port Moseby and the domestic/hotel chaotic arrangements I made.. Next-time,, that’s the plan. Who knew?
At Walindi, I have a Bungalow to myself. No Air-Con, and no electricity most of the time.. but it’s crazy beautiful and genuine. I step outside to views of Volcanos and Kimbe Bay, trees full of Parakeets and flowers everywhere. I’m in PNG! How cool is that.
Everything is green, dripping wet with the 100% humidity. The overcast low-light conditions and rain made dive photography a challenge at times,,,but there was so so much to see while diving, that I still came away with 600 dive photos.
Kimbe Bay is Anemone Central. I saw hundreds of Sea Anemone and Anemone fish. They are so abundant that Kimbe Bay and the Walindi Resort have become a living laboratory for PhD marine biology studies. While I was there, a Phd candidate did an Anemone Fish life cycle presentation – brilliant !! And BBC is here - filming for an upcoming series.
Diving this bay is unusual. Extremely easy. Very little current. The bay is protected (surrounded) by almost 300 degrees of volcanos. Calm flat seas to dive. The coral never seems to be battered by Cyclones here ... and was pristine on the reef-tops. The battle for diving here can sometimes be poor viz.. but for most of my dives it was acceptable… More than enough viz and sunlight to get good photos.
Colors, varieties, and always another panoramic vista on the coral shallows. When not diving a coral reef,, I’m on one of the many walls. Diving in PNG is first rate,, with a huge range of reef fish,, and I’m just in the Bay!!
Next-time in PNG, I’ll make sure to book the Live aboard available here,, The ‘best reef’ is just around the next bay, just around the next corner !!
Why does it seem the ‘best’, the ‘perfect’ ,,, the ‘epic’ diving of the world is just around the next bay ? I’m a sucker for exploring the next bay; life on the edge.
What time does the boat leave? Your not leaving without me!
A Papua New Guinea adventure is as close to the edge as it gets !!
At the end of my time at Walindi, I arrange to visit the local village .. Palm Oil plantations are the largest employers here,,,, everything else seems to be one big jungle. I walk village paths with an old woman, children running around us, laughing … between Bamboo/Thatched roof homes – raised on stilts..in the shadow of a volcano and panoramic views of the sea. What an environment. Life in poverty, but life in a jungle paradise.
Each family maintains a small-farm, and fishes – subsistence survival. This community does have a local primary school, and recently - periodic electricity due to the local Palm Oil plantation. Not common ‘luxuries’ in PNG.
Children skip around me, another group plays soccer - as my guide shares stories of life in New Britian. I saw mostly old-woman and children in the village,, The men were out working the Palm Oil farm or fishing.
During dinners and dive breaks, my new Australian friends and I talk of WWII and the battles here. Australia and NZ held back Japan on PNG. Nothing between them and a Japanese invasion of Australia. US had just turned its attention to these islands as the European war drew to a close… The front then shifted from PNG (New Britian and Bougainville) to the Soloman Islands as the US brought Marines to these islands.. These earliest WWII South Pacific battles on PNG are rarely known by Americans, who only know of Guadalcanal and the battles that followed.
One of my Kimbe Bay dives was on a Japanese Zero airplane – evidence of WWII here in PNG. Perfectly preserved, the Zero was interesting to dive and photograph.
Most people around the world don’t understand the unique culture and history of this region of the planet. This area is called Melanesia. Distinctly different than Polynesia, or Indonesia, or Micronesia. It feels more African, more Aboriginal. It stretches from New Guinea thru the Solomons, and onto Vanuatu and New Caledonia….and maybe northern Australia(?). New Guinea includes West Papua and Papua New Guinea.
Melanesia’s history of head hunters; of hundreds of different tribal languages is fascinating. Pidgin (Tok Pisin) is the common official language of PNG, it’s a mix of European and local languages. PNG has over 800 unique tribal languages… so they desperately need a common language, and Pidgin is taught in all the schools… along with English.
That number (800 languages) seems almost impossible!! How does this country hold together ? by a thread I think. Even now, Bougainville is moving to break off from PNG and form a new country..
It’s time to re-pack, dry my gear and onward travel. My time in Papua New Guinea has disappeared. It’s been an education. Another piece of the puzzle, another part of the secret.
It’s an early morning transfer back to the local airport… then a domestic flight to Port Moresby and thru immigration,,, and out of PNG. Another story to share.
I fail to find a PNG patch for my backpack,, almost no tourist shops to be found. I’ll have to find a PNG patch online. So few foreigners travel here,, that a patch definitely needs to find its way on to my pack. A badge of adventure 😊
I did arrange for a Papua New Guinea Aborigine mask to be shipped home to the US, purchased from Cecilie at Walindi - a souvenir of my time here.. An iconic, genuine memory of PNG. It’s unusual for me to buy and ship souvenirs as I travel,, but this experience is so authentic,, I felt the need to bring something home. I will always cherish the privilege of visiting the edge of the planet.
I’m heading to NZ, via Australia next. I need a little time to regroup and rest up.. the last several countries have been work.. it’s time for some easy-living.. NZ is the place.
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One last memory of PNG. As I am leaving Walindi … the Australian dive club is heading to the airport also. Someone starts playing Jimmy Buffet on their phone.. for everyone to enjoy.
‘Last Mango in Paris’ is being played. The moment is precious to me, Jimmy is from home.. and that song, like many of his songs… is part of my life…
As Captain Tony shares with Jimmy in that song’s lyrics.
“And Jimmy, There’s still so much to be done”
My son says that should be my tag-line.
I’m on one big adventure; And there’s still so much to be done.
Thanks for looking in on my Travels.
Onward.
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