The Federation of Oceania Rugby Unions has confirmed that the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football Union (PNGRFU) will host the 2011 Oceania Cup to be held in Port Moresby, between 29 November and 8 December 2011.

The nations set to compete in the Oceania Cup are American Samoa, Cook Islands, New Caledonia, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Papua New Guinea are the defending Oceania Cup Champions.

Take advantage of these special rates and come and experience the world renowned diving in Kimbe Bay and Papua New Guinea aboard the boutique liveaboard, MV Febrina.

1-13 April 2011: 12 nights – “Tour de Force”
Twin Share/Double US$4,OOO pp (US$550 OFF)
Single Occupancy US$4,495 (US$500 OFF)

16-24 July 2011 : 8 nights· “Rabaul to Walindi”
Twin Share/Double US$2,500 pp (US$440 OFF)
Single Occupancy US$2,835 (US$400 OFF)

20-27 August 2011 : 7 nights· “Mid Year Itinerary”
Twin Share/Double US$2,300 pp (US$320 OFF)
Single Occupancy US$2,585 (US$300 OFF)

29 Sep to 9 Oct 2011 : 10 nights – “Signature Itinerary”
Twin Share/Double US$3,400 pp (US$390 OFF)
Single Occupancy US$3,815 (US$350 OFF)

Packages Include:-
Accommodation on board MV Famina as noted, all meals and snacks, complimentary wine with dinner; four or five dives per dive day; filled tanks; weights and
weight belt; airport transfers on day of departure and disembarkation; final night dinner al Walindi Resort or on board depending on itinerary; light laundry daily.

Does not include Environmental & Safety Fees; airfares; land tours; nitrox fills; bar purchases other than complimentary wine with dinner; gear hire or items of
a personal nature. Environmental & Safety Fees are payable in advance, currently US$5 per diver per night.

Reservation must be made between 30th October, 2010 and 31st December, 2010.

Applies to new reservations only and special must be requested at time of reservation.
Published cancellation policies apply and will be supplied at time of reservation.
Two single cabins available only on any voyage. special individual single price is subject to availability of single cabin.
We love

Repeat guests …
If you have been diving on MV FeBrina before, come back to visit and not only will you receive $500 off the regular trip cost, but you can bring another person (repeat guest or not) for the same discount! Valid for any trip in 2011 if booking is received prior to 31st December 2010. No other discounts can apply.

Great group incentives …
Book a full boat charter of 12, and pay for 9 spaces only (3 complimentary spaces). Valid for bookings received prior to 31st December 2010 for any dates in 2011 and 2012. No other discounts can apply. Complimentary spaces apply to twin share rate only.

Contact Symbiosis now to book

For the month of August, Tufi Dive Resort is running a low season special which is come for 7 days and pay for 5 days so 2 free days of accommodation and meals.

Contact Symbiosis for more

We have had some additional places open up on some of our tours for the 2010 Mount Hagen Cultural Festival in August this year.

This is a highly sought after Papua New Guinea experience – the famous Mount Hagen Cultural festival. A must for people interested in photographing people.

In addition to attending this colourful event, the tour also includes stays at the stunning Ambua Lodge, high up in the Southern Highlands, overlooking the Tari basin (home to the Huli Wigmen) and to Karawari Lodge, deep in the Sepik basin, plus a Sepik River cruise aboard the Sepik Spirit.

Full tour details here.

M/Y Spirit of Niugini – Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea

Full Boat Charter: 13 Paid, 3 more go free

Plus, FREE NITROX

Half Boat Charter: 7 Paid , 1 extra for free

Plus, FREE NITROX

+ Guaranteed Departure!

7 Night itineraries – Starting at: $2,380 based on double occupancy

Package Includes: Deluxe accommodations, all meals and beverages (except sodas & alcohol beverages), airport transfers and 4-5 dives per day.  Not included: Port fees, Reef & Chamber fees, fuel surcharges and any person purchases.

Contact Symbiosis Expedition Planning for more info.

My last visit to Karawari was in 1990 when I arrived by accident after becoming stranded at Tari Airport in the Southern Highlands.  That time, I had just complete a fortnight going walkabout with a clan of the Huli Wigmen and returnerd to the town to find that the national domestic airline, Talair had suspended operations.  Meanwhile some Raskols had blown up a bridge on the road back to Mendi… so I was stranded.

To the rescue came a private charter plane full of Californian movie moguls who (begrudgingly) allowed me to hitch hike a ride (for a price!) to wherever they were going – which happened to be Karawari Lodge in the Sepik basin.  On a shoestring in those days, I was lucky to find Pam Bates, the owner of Karawari Lodge, in residence overseeing a management change who generously offered me an unserviced room for the night free of charge.

From there I went on for one of my “big adventures” – paddling a traditional dugout canoe, solo, down to the Sepik River, inviting myself to stay at villages along the river banks, sleeping in their Haus Tamboran, going pig hunting with the men and their blow pipes, and generally mucking in.

On my most recent visit in March this year, however, I was a legitimate guest of the lodge and my two days there were altogether a more sedate affair.

View from Karawari Lodge

Karawari Lodge is splendidly situated on the top of a small hill with majestic views to the river 100m below and across the endless expanses of lowland rainforest.  Human populations in this area are very small and the damage to the primary forest is minimal, and localised to the river banks. There are no roads and people live as they always have, fishing from non-motorised dug out canoes and harvesting sago palms from which they make extract flour from the pith of the tree trunk for make “bread”. Traditions are strong here, although Christianity has largely supplanted animist beliefs… some of which still ride on the top of the adopted religion.  

Our 2 days were spent setting forth along the river by jet-propelled, flat bottom boats to visit villages along the riverbanks where local people obligingly demonstrated aspects of their daily lifestyles such as how to extract flour from the sago palm and then to make pancakes from the dough. At one village a “sing sing” was performed in our honour, with a complex array of dance routines.  At all the villages we visited, a local handicraft market instantly materialised offering wood carvings for which the Sepik is famous.

The forests are rich with wildlife, though we did not have time to explore in detail.  We did, however, make an sunrise visit to the known residence of a 12 Wired Paradise Bird where we were privileged enough to witness a mating dance. 

Here are some pictures from my brief Karawari visit.

Approaching the Karawari Airstrip

Arrival

A Karawari greeting

Arrival at Karawari Lodge

Sepik artefacts

Sepik faces

Making sago pancakes

Illustrating the use of a penis gourd

Yours Truly looking somewhat less glamourous than my host!

Karawari River

Sing Sing preparation

The Sing Sing gets underway

Sepik river craft

Sea Eagles abound

Karawari ladies on a fishing trip

Shy Karawari villagers

Impromptu crafts market - people come from around the world to collect Sepik wood carvings

A pet cuscus

Typical Karawari village houses

Praying Mantis

Time to go

East New Britain, Papua New Guinea

Mt Tavurvur taken from Kopopo, Rabaul PNG

Yesterday I returned from a fact finding mission to Papua New Guinea – as always a fascinating experience. I also had a couple of days in the Solomon Islands… my first time there!  Stunning! More on that later.

The trip started in the former Colonial era capital of Rabaul on the island of New Britain.

Rabaul before the eruption in 94

Rabaul was partially destroyed in 1994 when two volcanoes flanking the town, Tavurvur and Vulcan, erupted simultaneously covering the city in ash.  Vulcan is now extinct but Tavurvur periodically comes to life spewing more ash into the sky and over the surrounding area.

On my last visit in 2006, Tavurvur was emitting little spurts of steam only.  This time was much more entertaining with periodic bursts of activity, loud explosions and plumes of thick black emissions rushing skyward.  

Rabaul just after the eruption

With half of Rabaul already buried, and with the remaining half subject to frequent new coatings, most of the population have long since moved around the coast to Kokopo, near to the replacement airport, a 40 minute drive away.  From here you can clearly see the volcanic eruptions without having to suffer the effects.  Having said that, the airport is often closed when the wind blows in a certain direction – jet engines do not like ash!

I stayed at Kokopo Beach Bungalows, located close to the commercial part of Kokopo and right above the beach.  The place is undergoing expansion with new rooms and a very fine new restaurant area that was scheduled for a grand opening the following week. Nice rooms and a good location, and excellent hosting by its charming owner, Simon Foo.

Dancers at Kokopo Beach Bungalows

Rabaul was once known for its excellent wreck diving within the Simpson Harbour (the flooded caldera of an ancient massive volcano), but the most popular of these was buried by the volcanic eruption in 1994.  Others within the harbour are still diveable but visibility can be very poor with so much ash still falling into the sea. here.  

Outside the harbour  there are more wrecks to dive, including George’s Wreck and a Mitsubishi biplane, plus more.  Meanwhile new discoveries are being made and the reputation of Rabaul as a top dive destination is rapidly being restored.

Japanese WWII tunnels, complete with supply barges, Rabaul PNG

For non divers there is plenty to see and do, including visiting the Volcanology centre just above Rabaul from where you can get splendid views of Simpsons Harbour and the smoking Tuvurvur as well as a fascination introduction to the science of life management in a highly geologically unstable region, or visiting the maze of tunnels burrowed by the Japanese during WWII. 

Tavurvur from the Volcanology Centre above Rabaul

Islands out in the Bay have superb beaches, rarely visited and the fishing is exceptional.  I only had the line in the water for about 5 minutes before I hooked this fine Spanish Mackerel!

Me with Spanish Mackerel at Pidgin Island, Rabaul PNG

Enjoy the photos.  More from my trip coming up.

Brian & Erin with my fish