SICKLEBILL

SAFARIS Email: [email protected] Website: www.sicklebillsafaris.com.au www.s2travel.com.au Phone: 0413 66 12 13 (Int. +61 413 66 12 13

THE LOUISIADES ENDEMICS (PNG) ITINERARY 19TH- 25TH SEPTEMBER 2020 SICKLEBILL SAFARIS

THE LOUISIADES: A BRIEF OVERVIEW

The consists of a 10 larger The islands have a moist tropical climate and are volcanic islands (which include our destinations mostly covered with tropical rainforest which is home Misima, Tagula (Sudest) and Rossell) frequently to a number of endemics species including several fringed by coral reefs and around 90 coral islands. It endemic trees, 5 endemic frogs, 2 endemic lizards stretches for more than 160 kilometres in a south and a number of endemic bird species including the easterly direction from Milne Bay spreading over an Tagula Honeyeater, Manucode, Butcherbird and ocean area of 26,000 sure kilometres between the White-eye plus the Rossel Shrike-thrush and to the north and the Coral Sea to the Paradise Kingfisher, Louisiade White-eye and south. Flowerpecker, the White-chinned Myzomela and the White-bellied Whistler. With luck all these can First visited by Europeans in 1606 when a Spanish be found by visiting the 3 islands of Misima, Tagula expedition sailing from S. America led by Luis Vaez and Rossel and their offshore islets. de Torres who gave his name to the Torres Straits, was searching for Australia and chanced upon it. It is Misima has the only commercial airport and inter likely that Malay and Chinese sailors had visited island travel is by small boats. earlier. The islands were named by Louis Antoine de Bougainville for Louis XV.

In 1942 the Battle of the Coral Sea was fought nearby. SICKLEBILL SAFARIS

TOUR INFORMATION

The aim of this tour is to get access to some of the rarely visited islands of off the eastern tip of mainland Papua . A number of endemic birds can be found on some of these islands, and we hope to be able see and photograph and if possible record the songs of as many of them as possible. However some of the birds are very difficult and as very little is known about some of them there are not a lot of stakeout sites available. This is a voyage of discovery. There should also be good opportunities to see and photograph seabirds and other maritime species. This tour starts and ends in Port Moresby. • Costs will include: 6 nights accommodation, meals as per the itinerary, airport transfers within PNG, transport, bird checklist and guide services of the tour leader. • Cost does not include: Flights, phone, fax or internet charges, drinks and snacks, visas, laundry and items of a personal nature. Additional nights accommodation if required. Flights will be an additional cost and we can usually get a cheaper rate if we link international and domestic flights. DIFFICULTY This tour is not for the faint hearted. It is an adventure and this is the first time we have offered it. It will involve travelling by small, single-engined boat across the open sea. The boat has lifejackets and should be in good repair. The islands are mainly steep and well vegetated but have tracks for us to look for the birds and there are no major hikes. We expect to stay in the lowland areas.

ACCOMMODATION Accommodation in Port Moresby is in a comfortable western style hotel but elsewhere it is much more basic. We will be staying in local guesthouses and homestay as there is no alternative accommodation available. The majority of the accommodation does not have electricity but a portable generator will be brought along so that recharging of camera batteries etc can be done. Food will largely be accessed locally but extra provisions will be brought to supplement the usual village diet. SICKLEBILL SAFARIS

TOUR PRICE AND INFORMATION

TOUR DURATION: 6 Nights, 7 Days LAND COST: AU$4920.00 per person twin share SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: AU$215.00. However this is only relevant in Port Moresby. FLIGHTS: PNG domestic flights are currently approximately AU$900.00 per person. Prices may go up depending on the time of booking as seat categories get filled.

GROUP SIZE: 6 Clients + Guide

About Your Guides

PHIL GREGORY Phil has been interested in birds since the demise of the steam trains when he was about 11. Born in Southampton, England he first came to Australia in 1977, but got side-tracked, and spent the next twenty years living and birding in Nigeria, Zambia, the Falkland Islands and . He is a well-known tour leader, working for Field Guides Inc. and Sicklebill Safaris, and is one of Australia’s foremost birders. He is also one of the most experienced New Guinea guides with many tours led there ever since 1998.

His has recently published Birds of New Guinea, the and Bougainville by Lynx Edicions, and is now working on a monograph on Birds of Paradise and Bowerbirds for Helm. He has also written species and family accounts for three volumes of the Handbook of the Birds of the World, and is involved as an advisor with the IOC and their World Checklist and Recommended English Names of Birds projects. Special interests include field identification, vocalisations, taxonomy and bird distributions. He has been guiding occasionally since his African days, and became full time in 1998 when he side-stepped the joys of being an international school principal which he found was seriously impeding his birding. He is now heavily involved with the training of local guides in the Solomons and PNG and leads several tours a year in the Pacific Region, Asia and Africa. SICKLEBILL SAFARIS

ABOUT THE BIRDING AREAS

MISIMA A volcanic island in the Northwest of the Louisiade Archipelago, it is mountainous and largely covered by dense rainforest. Around the coast there are areas mangroves and pandanus. It has a tropical climate. Its main claim to fame was a large gold and silver mine. This closed in 2004 due to public health and environmental concerns and since then people have been leaving the island and moving to Alotau in search of work. Much smaller scale mining still exists and new agricultural cash crops such as copra, coconuts and cacao are being grown and a commercial fishery is planned.

The airport on Misima acts as a gateway to the Louisiades and all onward travel to other islands is by boat.

Louisiade Flowerpecker, White-chinned Myzomela and Louisiade White-eye can all be found on Misima. TAGULA Tagula (also known as Sudest and Vanatinai) lies in the south east of the Louisiade archipelago. It is the largest island in the group. Another volcanic island it is again largely covered by rainforest. It is fringed by coral reefs. Its main export is copra. Rambuso on the north coast of the island has a natural protected harbour with a deep water entry through the reef. In 2010 a new causeway and wharf was built there. It is popular with visiting yachts Tagula White-eye, Tagula Honeyeater, Tagula Manucode and Tagula Butcherbird are found only on Tagula and Louisiade Flowerpecker is also there. An endemic frog can also be found on the island. ROSSEL Rossel is the easternmost island in the Louisiade archipelago. It is very mountainous and can be continuously cloud capped at certain times of the year. It is the second largest island in the archipelago. Most of the coastline is fringed by mangroves with occasional sandy beaches backed by dense jungle which covers most of the island. Much of the southern side of the island has steep hill ridges descending into the sea from the mountains above. A fringing reef encloses the large Rossel lagoon in the west and a smaller lagoon in the east.

Rossell Shrike-thrush, Rossel Paradise-Kingfisher, and White-bellied Whistler are found only on Rossel and White-chinned Myzomela and Louisiade Flowerpecker are also there

Birding throughout is under an intermediate rainforest canopy with a network of clear locally guided tracks. Access is good and you can get good looks through the forest along the trails. The trails are not particularly steep but do undulate. There are no long hikes. In September we can expect moderate south easterly winds with some showers around noon and at night. A small tent will be brought along which can be erected to keep equipment dry should showers occur. SICKLEBILL SAFARIS

THE TOUR PLAN Day 1 – Saturday 19th September 2020 Leave Port Moresby and fly to Misima via Alotau. The flight leaves at 0855 so this may necessitate the previous night being spent in Port Moresby. On arrival at Misima you will be met at the airport and transfer to your accommodation where you will have lunch before going out to explore the local coastal areas.

Accommodation: Misima Guest House Meals included: Lunch, Dinner

Day 2- Sunday 20th September 2020 Stopovers can be made on various uninhabited atoll Islands a perfect breeding spots for many bird species such as Brown Boobies, Masked Boobies, Island Imperial Pigeon, Louisiade White-Eye and many more. Arrive Tagula (Sudest )Island and start birding around the local areas. Tagula Honeyeater is common in this area.

Accommodation: Tagula Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 3 – Monday 21st September 2020

Birding areas in the morning than head out by boat to a small Islet which had a breeding population of Island Imperial Pigeon and Black Noodies. Continue to Rambuso Creek Mission in pursuit of endemics of Tagula

Accommodation: Rambuso Creek Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 4 – Tuesday 22nd September 2020 Morning boat to . Birding areas at Rossel Island targeting endemics of Rossel Island.

Accommodation: Pwamba Village Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 5 – Wednesday 23rd September 2020 Do a bit of birding in the morning for those interested then boat back to .

Accommodation: Misima Guest House Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 6 – Thursday 24th September 2020 Some local birding can be undertaken. Take afternoon flight to Port Moresby

Accommodation: Port Moresby Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 7 – Friday 25th September 2020 Transfer to airport for onward flight

Meals included: Breakfast SICKLEBILL SAFARIS

FURTHER USEFUL INFORMATION FOR PAPUA NEW GUINEA AND THIS TOUR

Further information about this tour will be sent to If cancellation occurs between 119 and 70 days people once registration is confirmed. This before the departure date, 50% of the tour fee is includes: refundable. Thereafter, all deposits and payments are not refundable as we will have to pay in • General information for travellers to Papua New advance for services. Guinea This policy only applies to payments made to • Contact list Sicklebill Safaris for the tour (and any services • Visa forms if required. included in those fees). Airline tickets not included Tour Inclusions and Exclusions - The tour fee is in the tour fee and purchased separately often carry in AUD and is based on twin occupancy. Cost penalties for cancellation or change, or are includes accommodation, airport transfers once the sometimes totally non-refundable. Additionally, if tour has begun, meals as per the itinerary, site fees, you take out trip insurance the cost of the insurance guide services & bird list. Flights are given as a is not refundable so it is best to purchase the policy separate cost and these are not guaranteed until just prior to making full payment for the tour or at booked and paid for. the time you purchase airline tickets, depending upon the airlines restrictions. The fee does not include airport taxes, visa fees (you will need to check your visa requires for Papua The right is reserved to cancel any tour prior to New Guinea), drinks, meals before starting the tour, departure, in which case full refund will constitute optional tips to local drivers and guides, phone full settlement to the passenger. The right is calls, laundry, or other items of a personal nature. reserved to substitute another guide for the original one. Where this is necessary, notification will be Tour Registration – To register for this tour, given to tour members, and they will have the right complete the enclosed Registration/Release and to cancel their participation and receive a full Indemnity form and return it with a deposit of refund. AU$500.00 per person. If registering by phone, a deposit must be received within fourteen days, or Trip Cancellation and Emergency Insurance - the space will be released. Once we have We strongly recommend you consider purchasing ascertained that the tour is viable and will go we comprehensive trip insurance, which includes trip will request your flight costs. The sooner we can cancellation, loss or damage to baggage and buy our flights the better as this way we avoid price property, missed flights and also medical insurance hikes as seat categories get filled. Although we can (including a medical evacuation option), to cover block seats for you we cannot hold them at a your investment in case of injury or illness to you or certain price. Full payment of the tour fee is due your family prior to or during a trip. Because we 120 days out from the tour start date. must remit early (and substantial) tour deposits to our suppliers, we cannot offer any refund when Cancellation Policy – Refund of deposit and cancellation occurs within 70 days of departure, payment, less AU$100 handling fee and airfares if and only a partial refund from 70 to 119 days prior already purchased, will be made if cancellation is received up to 120 days before departure. to departure (see CANCELLATION POLICY). SICKLEBILL SAFARIS

FURTHER USEFUL INFORMATION FOR THE WET TROPICS AND THIS TOUR

When making a decision regarding health Sicklebill Safaris acts only as an agent for the insurance you should consider that many foreign passenger in regard to travel, whether by railroad, doctors and hospitals require payment in cash prior motorcar, motorcoach, boat, airplane, or other to providing service and that a medical evacuation means, and assumes no liability for injury, damage, to your home country may cost well in excess of loss, accident, delay, or irregularity caused by AU$50,000. Uninsured travellers who require defect in such vehicles or for any reason medical care overseas often face extreme whatsoever, including the acts, defaults, or difficulties. When consulting with your insurer prior bankruptcies of any company or person engaged in to your trip, please ascertain whether payment will conveying the passenger or in carrying out the be made to the overseas healthcare provider or arrangements of the tour. Sicklebill Safaris accepts whether you will be reimbursed later for expenses no responsibility for losses or additional expenses that you incur. due to delay or changes in air or other services, sickness, weather, strike, war, quarantine, or other You are strongly advised to take out personal, causes. The tour participant shall bear all such health, baggage and holiday insurance before losses and expenses. Sicklebill Safaris reserves the travelling. Please note Sicklebill Safaris/PNG right to substitute hotels of a similar category for Holidays does not accept responsibility or liability those indicated and to make any changes in the for any acts, omissions or defaults of service itinerary where deemed necessary or caused by providers such as airlines, hotels, sightseeing, changes in air schedules. Sicklebill Safaris reserves transfer, vehicle car hire services, or cruise lines and the right to decline to accept or to retain any the like, whether negligent or otherwise, or for your person as a member of any tour. Baggage is at acts, omissions, defaults, conduct, state of health, owner’s risk entirely. conditions or other circumstance or for any events beyond Sicklebill Safaris/PNG Holidays’ control. We Participants should be in good health and should will prepay your tour in advance and are happy to consult a physician before undertaking a tour. If you provide documentation for insurance purposes to have questions about the physical requirements of prove we have paid for these services but will be a tour, please contact our office for further unable to reimburse you ourselves. We will have information. Participants should prepare for the tour paid the money you paid us out in good faith and by reading the detailed itinerary, the information will no longer have it at our disposal to refund you. bulletin, and other pertinent matter provided by Sicklebill Safaris. Each participant is responsible for Responsibility – For and in consideration of the bringing appropriate clothing and equipment as opportunity to participate in the tour, each tour recommended in our bulletins. participant and each parent or legal guardian of a tour participant who is under 18 agrees to release, THE RECEIPT OF YOUR TOUR DEPOSIT SHALL BE indemnify, and hold harmless Sicklebill Safaris, its DEEMED TO BE CONSENT TO THE ABOVE agents, servants, employees, shareholders, officers, CONDITIONS. EACH TOUR PARTICIPANT AND directors, attorneys, and contractors as more fully EACH PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN OF A TOUR set forth in the Release and Indemnity Agreement PARTICIPANT WHO IS UNDER 18 SHALL SIGN AND on the reverse side of the registration form. DELIVER THE RELEASE AND INDEMNITY AGREEMENT AT THE TIME OF REGISTRATION.