ISLAND PROVINCES 209 Bougainville © Lonely Planet Publications Planet Lonely © East New Britain East New Britain

( p237 ), staying in Kokopo Lavongai (New Hanover) Kombiu west coast New Ireland's Simpson Harbour; Kimbe Bay AREA : 28,450 SQ KM 28,450 SQ KM : AREA New Ireland’s west coast New Ireland’s „

( p59 ) or plunging into the wreck-strewn waters of of waters into the wreck-strewn ) or plunging p59 ( (New (New in Tok Pisin? Largely untamed and raw, the islands of PNG and raw, the islands untamed Largely in Tok Pisin? Bougainville ( p214 ) in Kokopo ) in Kokopo p214 ( Kimbe Bay Lavongai (Mt Mother, (Mt Mother, ( p219 ) Kombiu Romancing the Stone Romancing the homestays and watching the ancient art of shark calling ( p243 ), especially if you continue as an ‘end- p243 ( of-the-road’ with a trip to more traveller places nearby remote Historical & Cultural Centre & Cultural Historical Hanover; p234 ) and getting a taste of outer of outer ) and getting a taste p234 Hanover; island lifestyle a blow-your-mind beach off a blow-your-mind world’s most fecund reefs in reefs world’s most fecund Simpson Harbour your eyes on the ) and feasting p223 views of Rabaul, Gazelle 360 degree and Mt Tavurvur Peninsula coconut on Relaxing with a book and a fresh stripes in Earning your intrepid Reflecting on New Britain’s turbulent WWII occupation when you visit the on Experiencing timeless traditional village life diving among the scuba treasures, underwater Squeezing yourself into a wetsuit to explore Scaling up extinct POPULATION: 523,000 523,000 POPULATION:

„ „ „ „ HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS „ „

Be ready for a culture shock, too. These islands are home to tiny villages where people home to tiny villages where islands are These shock, too. for a culture Be ready the surface, islands’ bounty goes beneath The of diving ad- unbeatable repertoire with its combination of a fruit cocktail, trusted run out of stamina, opt for the And then, once you’ve „ How do you say How do you Island Provinces are not your classic beach paradise. Here you’ll live out your Indiana Jones fantasies, blazing out your Indiana Jones fantasies, you’ll live Here not your classic beach paradise. are starts the volcanoes near by climbing adventure The wild jungles. a trail of your own amid staying in villages on New Ireland’s Peninsula, Gazelle on the relics Rabaul, looking for WWII near Kavieng, exploring the lagoons mottled with pristine reefs east coast, paddling through (New Hanover). or escaping to an island off Lavongai rugged beauty of Bougainville maybe, (except, in the Pacific else Nowhere centuries. changed little over that have lead lives be – just sweep you off your feet local cultures or the Solomon Islands) will the in Vanuatu If you plan a visit in July, try to you go. before to brush up on your Melanesian etiquette sure of masked dance. Festival make the authentic Warwagira it coincide with of diving here. the rewards are in abundance and thriving reefs fish life Shipwrecks, ventures. didn’t hear it from us). (but you Surfies off New Ireland about the uncrowded waves rave earned it. a hammock and a good book – you’ve ὄὄ

ISLAND PROVINCES 210 Lorengau Petersen Reefs Western Is& (50km)

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211 ISLAND PROVINCES PROVINCES ISLAND ISLAND PROVINCES ad money. and own, which meansalotof gumption,time Island, thenyou’ll have tocutapathof your Ifyouwantto exploreBay. the rest of the lers includetheGazelle Peninsula andKimbe life ‘back home’. Queenslanders escaping themore regulated tier countrywithmanycolourful, roguish havemight hadmid-lastcentury. It’safron- bush give WNBtheflavour thattheeast ‘colonial’-flavoured expatsandthe dense migrant workers the fromtheHighlands, withEuropeansuntilthe1960s.Thecontact anddidnotcomeintoserioustle developed (WNB) Province, issparsely populated, lit- other endof theIsland,West NewBritain economically advantaged inthecountry.The andthepeoplearehigh amongthemost are withEuropeans,educationlevels tact Peninsula where there lengthycon- hasbeen (ENB)ProvinceBritain endsintheGazelle inces; each has itsdistinctive New feel. East Britain’s strong point. scimitars. Idyllicbeachessand are notNew don’t expecttofindlotsof white- secluded delic coralreefs. There isoneproviso, though: superlative sites, such aswrecks andpsyche- outtheGazellePeninsulathat carve alsohost harbourandthevariousbays ment. Rabaul’s fers world-classdive sites isanunderstate- of- watery thatKimbeBay surrounds.Tosay toexploreand tank sensational NewBritain’s working itsmagiconyou,besure todonmask boxedrock (see text, p222 ). alluring cities,inafuriousrainof ashand oneofof PNG’sbiggest Rabaul, andmost and MtVulcanerupted anddestroyedmost 1994MtTavurvurmuscles. InSeptember scrappy villainsthatperiodicallyflextheir are dormant andharmless whileothers are cloaked withvirgin tropicalrainforest. Some bling, billowingstringof conesandcraters ance are andmining).The logging pristine wilderness(despite areas where there markable traditional cultures andseriously this countryfor–thinkcolonialhistory,re- it hasabitof you’ve everything cometo isawesome.New Britain PNG’slargest island, 212 NW BRITAIN NEW New Britain isdividedintotwoprov-New Britain The mosteasilyaccessibleareas fortravel- When therawnature onlandhasfinished ? Volcanoes. Thewhole region? Volcanoes. isarum- E RTI • Hsoy NEW BRITAIN ••History pièce derésist- measured more conscientiously thanever ing an 1878 blast (and had been immediately ing an1878blast(andhadbeen offshore. Ithadappeared fromnowhere dur- alow,flatIslandhundredshad been of metres mous damage. thiseruption,Vulcan Before erupted, killing507peopleandcausingenor- but not for long. residences, German Australians evacuated were Meanwhile shipped backtoGermany. ers expropriated and hadtheirplantations Kabakaul. at until 1914whenAustraliantroopslanded Company assumedauthority,which itheld ate wasdeclared NewGuinea andtheGerman than heathensconverted in some districts. cannibalism. More missionarieswere eaten Theareaand Blanche Bay. was renowned for intheDukelished settlements of YorkIslands Taulil peoplesouthinto the mountains. Sulkaand drivingtheBaining, New Britain, invaded theGazellePeninsula innorthernmost people camefromsouthernNewIreland and hundred yearsthem. Several ago,theTolai years ago,bringingpottery andtradewith first true oceannavigators, arrived about 4500 30,000 years ago. people,theworld’s TheLapita around The Islandof wassettled NewBritain History lar bulletins. Tavurvur’s emissions spectacular posts regu- and thevulcanology observatory Therecollapsed. was widespread looting. creaked of underthe weight thefallingash and buildingsagain. Inthefollowingweeks, veloped andpicturesque citieswasflattened lost theirhomesandoneof PNG’smostde- p222 ). Onlytwopeoplediedbut50,000 people boxed (see ing, utterly text, destroyingRabaul Vulcan re-awoke withrelatively littlewarn- When thewarended,theywere still there. ing Japanese forcesunderground andimpotent. down uponthepeninsula,keeping theremain- More than20,000tonsof Alliedbombs rained Gazelle Peninsula. came. ButtheAlliesnever 97,000 Japanese troopswere onthe stationed the advancingJapanese. Atthepeakof thewar, to attached the coast. Vulcanwasamassive tions ceased, mountain planted with coconuts).Whenthe1937erup- Today, theregion’s activity is seismic 1994TavurvurOn 19September and In 1937theVulcanandTavurvur volcanoes At theendof plant- WWI,theGerman On 3November protector- 1884aGerman From 1874 to 1876 German tradersFrom 1874to1876German estab- In 1941 Rabaul wascompletely crushed by In 1941Rabaul lonelyplanet.com role invillage life, organising ceremonies ous Island.Theinterior isharsh andrugged, isalong,narrow,mountain- New Britain Geography &Climate dangerous. considered of smoke are andnoise notpresently lonelyplanet.com vlai peaks. volcanic give of way toagreen expanse bushand Mountains occasional town, theBaining andthe them, beyondthe copraplantations villages hugtheshore of Behind Blanche Bay. thetwo,astripofthe maincentre. Between volcanic eruptionsof 1994,Kokopoisnow once-beautiful by the levelled cityof Rabaul ince inthe New Guineaislands.Withthe towns make prov- thisthemostdeveloped A basicnetworkof roadsandtwo coastal rolls called lengths of caneandboundtogether ingreat bride price( p36 ). Littleshells are strungon mostlyfor cance fortheTolaiandisused pleses water thatlive rockpoolsand incertain masalais, long history.Themostfeared spiritsare the the collective butrather in themaskisnolonger himself, bush undertremendous taboo. He whodances dukduks, figures topped bymasks– anonymous emonies feature leaf-draped, customarylaws.Tolaicer-and maintaining who walkon,and eyesandfeaturessised are wornbydancers Giganticbark-clothmaskswithempha- event. perform fire dances,which are aspectacular peopleofnomadic Baining themountains enemies of the Tolai(see opposite ), thesemi- with southernNewIrelanders. Traditional Tolai whoshare manyculturalsimilarities Most of the184,000peopleinENBare Culture mid-Aprilson isbetween and November. Harbour area isabout2000mm.Thedrysea- andSimpsonrainfall intheBlanche Bay 6500mm of rainfalleach year,whileannual and Jacquinot area Bay receives more than blanketed inthickrainforest. ThePomio split bygorges andfast-flowing rivers and EAST NEWBRITAIN PROVINCE Shell moneyretains itscultural signifi- malesocieties play animportant Secret (thickets). which are constructed inthe deep which are spiritsof thebush and loloi kastom NEWBRITAIN Province ••EastNewBritain . eat, (custom)of thetribe’s red-hot coals. tumbuans dewel and (Visa, MasterCard), openfrom7am MasterCard), (Visa, to 7pm. A newbuildinglocatedinthecentre. HasaguardedATM hr K42; only. (when it’snottoocloudy).Twoflat-screen computers Taklam inPNGislands connections Lodge;hasthequickest facilities,located beside café withCDburningandprinting Zoma Medical Clinic Zoma Medical Yudrowet Cafe Internet Telikom Post Office Police HoldingsLTDLoyrip Bureau Tourist East NewBritain Bank SouthPacific ANZ INFORMATION picturesque lawnsof the golf course. on thewaterfront. Atitswestern endare the road The townisstrungalongthiscoastal KokopotoRabaul. Tokua airportthrough from roadrunsaroundBlancheA coastal Bay, islands. Guinea areasing outtorougher foundintheNew the mostof theinfrastructure before head- Island time,get yourbearingsandmake yourbodyclockto toset is agoodbase are no big-ticket sights. ternet cafésandlotsof butthere businesses, acoupleof in- banks, government services, of well-organised accommodation options, aura. mysterious fidence, prideandzing.ButitlacksRabaul’s the future. of Thetownemanates con- asense Kokopo reflects itsoptimisticviewtowards can feel apalpable melancholy inRabaul, the volcaniceruptionsof 1994.Whileyou wasflattened by justafterdevelop Rabaul to fromashes.Kokopostarted erally risen Kokopo isanopportunistictown.Ithaslit- Kokopo phonecards. clinic, eastof the centre. NearTaklamMon-Fri) Lodge. Cultural Centre. Pretty much useless. fax 9837070; hr 9829718; Central. four guardedATMs only),openfrom6amto (Visa 7pm. interminablequeuesinside. Has Expect Thu, 9am-4pmFri) ORIENTATION If youcomefrommainlandPNG,Kokopo At least it’s serviceable, withagoodrange At leastit’sserviceable, (WilliamsRd; ( h % ( h 8.30am-4pm Mon-Fri, tonoonSat)Internet 8.30am-4pm Mon-Fri, 982 8222) ( h h h 8.30am-4pm Mon-Thu, Sells to3.30pmFri) 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, to 1pm Sat) Private to1pm Sat)Private 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm Mon-Fri) At ENB Historical & AtENBHistorical 8am-4pm Mon-Fri) 8.30am-4pm Mon-Fri) h (WilliamsRd; 9am-3pm Mon-Thu, to4pmFri) (WilliamsRd; (WilliamsRd; (perhrK25; h % ( % % 9am-3pm Mon- h 982 9356, after 982 9356,after 982 9312;per 982 8657; 8am-4.30pm

213 ISLAND PROVINCES PROVINCES ISLAND ISLAND PROVINCES started atrading businessat Mioko inthestarted Country Club.Emma Forsayth, from Samoa, whereright theroad terminates attheRalum head tothesite of alien to them. originswerelocals inawarwhose completely poignant isthecourageous roleplayed bythe the white menwhofell fromthesky. Most translations instructingthereader toobey sued toAlliedairmenare accompanied by WWII relics. TheTokPisindocumentsis- cal objects,photographs andmanyJapanese Mon-Sat) Centre Cultural The rewarding SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES 214 (30km) Rabaul To 4 1 3 2 KOKOPO When you’re donewith themuseum,

Church United E RTI • Es e rti rvne NEW BRITAIN Province ••EastNewBritain Williams Rd Williams has atremendous collectionof histori- aai ushue...... B2 Vavagil Guesthouse...... East NewBritainHistorical& Taklam Lodge...... Kokopo VillageResort...... Kokopo BeachBungalows...... Queen Emma'sHouse...... (see17) Market...... CulturalCentre...... Yudrowet InternetCafe...... Telikom...... Post Office...... (see1) Loyrip HoldingsLTD...... East NewBritainTouristBureau.... Bank SouthPacific...... ANZ...... SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION AC ( %

East New Britain Historical & Historical East NewBritain 982 8453;admissionK2; Queen Emma’shouse 10 17 Emma's Queen Steps 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 C3 B2 D3 C3 B2 C3 D3 B3 B2 D3 C3 B h 12 Course , located DRINKING EATING Haus Win...... (see9) Chopsticks Restaurant...... (see11) Andersons Foodland...... Ralum CountryClub...... Kadat NiteClub...... Vavagil Restaurant...... Supa BakeKaiBar...... Kokopo VillageResort...... (see10) Golf 9am-5pm 3 7 4 11 well worth astroll.It’sbest onSaturday. Kokopomarket blasters. ghetto on theirsalty Thebuzzing groups, playingcards andstring-band music day heatunderthe bigtrees orgather insmall themid- The operators through usuallysleep province, theDuke of Yorks andNewIreland. boatscomeandgofromalloverThese the and theirdrivers wait for afare orgofishing. boats) pullupontheeastendof thebeach, is the which wasruined in WWII. of hergrandhome, much Gunantambu, tosee and ships.Don’tholdyourbreath; there’s not her empire tradestores toincludeplantations, Duke of YorkIslandsin1878before extending 6 The bestplacetosoakuptheatmosphere

8 Berrima St

waterfront

20 15 Williams Rd Williams 15 14 13 17 16 14 B lanchey D3 B2 C3 C2 C3 Ellwell St 0.5miles 800m 0 0

(Williams Rd; i ign...... D3 Air Niugini...... PMV Stop...... Banana Boats...... TRANSPORT Ground Sports , where bananaboats(speed 16 19 1

Pockley Rd5 18

Tobaining Dr Rapopo PlantationResort(4.5km);

h Adima To ZomaMedicalClinic(1km); Seaview BeachResort(3.9km); 2 Queen EmmaLodge(1.5km); Niugini Helicopters(1.6km); closed Sun)

lonelyplanet.com Cemetery German St 13 9 Rapopo Dive(4.5km); Tokua Airport(10km) D 20 19 18 isalso C3 C3 Buai

range of daytrips(onedive/two dives/open- Resort( Plantation at Rapopo p216 ) offers a offers over helicopter flights MtTavurvur At night, Baining fire Baining At night, dancers perform,fire atdawntodance. fromcanoes out of thesea and crabs accountingfortheremainder. At duce, such asfruit,vegetables, smoked fish wraps) accountforhalfof withpro- thestalls, looks ratherlike cocaineinitslittleplastic stick)and tard (betel nut)anditscondiments, Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels foliage. Andthebeach isonly so-so. Thereal thethick fromyour roomthrough of thesea a lotof betel nutifyou cancatch aglimpse view?Youmusthaveview? Whatsea chewed sK90,dK120-176; [email protected]; Beach Resort Seaview SLEEPING Rabaul). in location (ittakes placeeitherinKokopoor of thehotels toconfirmthedate andtheexact theENBTouristBureauCall ( p213 ) orone walking inhuge masks,withalive snake. est spirits; which is agreat occasion,inthelastthree daysof The FESTIVALS &EVENTS and MtVulcan. ( cruises. andtunnels,aswellharbour marine base along thewayincludingMtVulcan,sub- thattakepeople) of inallthesights Rabaul Hotel ( p216 ) conductdaytours (K400fortwo Taklam Lodge ( right ) andKokopoBeach TOURS York Islands ( p224 ). adaytriptotheDukeconsidering taking of beach oragoodsnorkelling spot,it’sworth write homeabout. Ifyou’re after thatperfect in thearea, see p58 . professional Forinformationondiving staff. rental isK175.It’sanexcellentcentre thathas water course K180/350/1000).Equipment PlantationResort) Rapopo opoplantationresort.com; for at themouth-endsell 30t each. homemade cigars wrappedwithstickytape the rear, tobacco driedleaves; growers sell % Just outsideVunapope, The beaches aroundKokopoare nothingto Fancy diving? 982 9422;15minflightK1200,maximum5people) Warwagira FestivalWarwagira dukduks dukduks cumbung and Rapopo Dive Dive Rapopo (Map pp218-19; (Map are ones)come thetaller tumbuans (first of twoweeks July) (minerallime,which ( % Niugini Helicopters Niugini

NEWBRITAIN Province ••EastNewBritain % 982 9901;www.rap (masked for- 982 8447;seaview daka ai (mus- based based Sea )

Town’, says theleaflet.Truthis,mostrooms Town’, says balcony,in theheartof‘Overwater Kokopo [email protected]; sK275-297,dK325-347; face the bay, butarowof healthy coconut more appealing deluxe rooms. it’s worthstretching thepenniesformuch rooms besidethereception are bestavoided; rant anda‘businesscentre’. Thecheaper, boxy have red corrugated rooves, anonsite restau- consists of of aseries two-storey buildings that as traditionalmasksinthereception area. It introducing afew decorative touches, such despite brave attempts at rable, serviceable’, website. We’dgofor‘functional,unmemo- ‘Tropical, convenient, the fascinating’,says WilliamsRd;sK100-127,dK154; poresort.com.pg; (p216). Hotel Beach gre breakfast. Samemanagement asKokopo includeamea- information andtours. Rates are sunnier. Anotherplusistheexcellentlocal onesupstairs the backforquietness).Those out afew before in(trytonaboneat settling vary considerably inshapes andsizes,socheck bling placewithanassortmentof roomsthat It’saram- staff. pricesandefficient affordable strength, withanacelocation(butnoviews), This oldfaithfulkeeps goingfromstrength to K145-195, dwithbathroomK175-225,inclbreakfast; Williams Rd;s/dwithoutbathroomK99/130,swith transfers. airport ing area andthebar(prepare Free fornoise!). layout)thatopenontothedin- rooms (same at Vavagil restaurant, which hasfive more lers. Ifyou’re avoid sleeper, theannex alight a reliable choice forcash-conscioustravel- well-scrubbed bathrooms,safe location’. Itis much lowceilings,linofloors, natural light, dropped by:‘pokey rooms,spongybeds,not what wescribbledonournotepad whenwe [email protected]; sK94-121,dK105-165; airport. the the airport(take PMV8).Free pick-upfrom to theeastalongbeach. Ontheroadto Resort( Plantation p216 ) instead, about 500m a slap-updinnerattheatmosphericRapopo uponrequest, K27),andenjoy meals (served strike youasalittledrab.Ourtip:skipthe is outof thecentre andthedecorationsmay There’s some solidvaluehere, iftheplace even humming birds,andthere’s lotsof greenery. plus istheramblinggarden,frequented by Kokopo Village Resort Kokopo Village Taklam Lodge Guesthouse Vavagil Queen EmmaLodge

( % 982 8870;www.taklam.com.pg;

( ( % %

( 982 9206,9465;queen % 982 9417,8883;vava 982 9096;www.koko a ) Thisis ai 215 a a

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) ISLAND PROVINCES PROVINCES ISLAND ISLAND PROVINCES ‘rainbow cakes’ taste like. usknowwhatthevividly-colouredbuns. Let the displaycabinet fullof scones,cookiesand busy pastryshop, ifit’sjusttogawkat even 3.30pm Mon-Sat,to9am Sun) wrapped inabananaleaf for K1.50. taro. andrice Youcanbuymeat(orplantain) fruit andvegetables, includingbigbunches of place toheadifyouwantstock upon flavoursome feeds are... fortheOscar forthemost And thenominees EATING from theactiontocall it perfect. butit’sjustalittletoofar able placetostay, centre (see p215 ). It’samellowandcomfort- perks includeanonsite restaurant andadive posts ontheterrace are anicetouch. Other the bayandMtTavurvur. Thewood-carved cons, withtheaddedlure of viewsof sweeping trim,amply-sizedroomswithallmod Expect fig andcoconuttrees andimmaculate lawns. rustic charm. onthebeach It’sright among tranquillityand the wholeplaceexudesZen the twopavilions (we’re notinFinland),but a bitoverboard onthedark-woodpanellingin ai s/dK335/365; 9944; www.rapopoplantationresort.com; outdoor bar-restaurant. Enjoy. There’swhat colouristhesand?). anexcellent over vistas sweet thebayandbeach (quiz: equally attractive. Allunitsare gracedwith bungalows scattered in thelushgardenare oncreature high comforts.Thewood-carved tively furnishedroomsinthenewwingscore wouldn’t knowit).Thegenerous-sized, sensi- tumble of thecentre (butit’ssopeaceful,you and hotel. fromtherough It’sa short stagger thingKokopohastoaboutique is theclosest dued glamour,thiswell-runestablishment K330-365; 8789; [email protected];rinclbreakfast being builtwhen we visited. 26 to28.Anewwingwithbudget roomswas the extracost,especiallyrooms20to22and wood-panelled Deluxe roomsare wellworth able rooms,agoodrestaurant andabar. The property, andthere are arange of tidy,size- gan, thisisareliable inanattractive standby centre. Ifyoucanforgive themisleadingslo- trees limitstheviews,andit’s1kmeastof the 216 o Kokopo Market Supa Bake PlantationResort Rapopo E RTI • Es e rti rvne NEW BRITAIN Province ••EastNewBritain ) Some might say thatthisplaceisgoing say Somemight ai Kokopo Beach Hotel Kokopo BeachHotel

(Williams Rd; pastries 60t-K2.50; (Williams Rd;pastries ) Being alittleIslandof sub- Being

(Williams Rd; Be sure toswingbythis Be

Mp pp218-19; (Map h ( % closed Sun) 982 8788, h % The 6am- 982 just defieslogic.Westillcan’tfigure outwhy fast, lunch&dinner) lunch &dinner) h downside: most desserts onthemenu,in- downside: mostdesserts omelette and afew vegetarian options.One a copiouschow mein,prawncutlets,Chinese terati. There are including manyhighlights, among theexpatcommunityandlocalglit- ambience ensure plentyof regular customers tion of Australiantipplesandaswitched-on andWestern cooking,agoodselec- Chinese Hotel. High-quality part of KokopoBeach here. change Please the marketing director! and transfers are free, sothere’s nopointeating décor isfarmore appealingattheHaus Win stylish Haus management). The Win(same prices)asthe menu(andsame it hasthesame mains K18-35; long, relaxed dinner. mildly exoticatmosphere thatencourages a with woodenfloorandartefacts, creates a aresandwiches onoffer. Thedécor,enlivened on thestomach), whenfishandchips, and available. Lunch iseasieronthewallet(and had yourfillof animalproteins, pizzasare also eye fillet,T-Bone andsirloinsteaks. Ifyou’ve Lodge brimswithdeliciouslyprepared rump, regarded eatery located Emma at Queen with achilled SP brew (K5). (K30) isasteal. Putsomewobble inyourstep also available. On Friday,thelunch buffet terrace. Bigappetite? Hearty meatdishes are tive viewsfromthebreezy, thatched coastal chicken filletburger whilegazingattheseduc- tuck intoVavagil’s porkor sweet-and-sour filling meal,youcoulddoalotworse than mignon, lobster andgrilled pork chops. favouritesner menushowcases such asfilet the pages of cloths, thediningroomwon’tmake itinto volcano, blueishwallsandchequered table- With inoffensive pictures showing Tavurvur andthebayfromveranda.the golfcourse rant issimplebutoffers breathtaking views of mains K20-45; proffers lovely viewsover the bay. The diningarea, designedwithlocalmaterials, available thedayweate there –sofrustrating. cluding atempting pudding,were sago not Vavagil Restaurant Vavagil Resort Kokopo Village Chopsticks Restaurant Haus Win lunch &dinner) Steak House Steak h

h ( Top marksforthisoasiswhich is % Gourmet Traveller ( breakfast, lunch&dinner) breakfast, lunch&dinner)

% Carnivores, rejoice: thiswell- 982 8870;mainsK18-35; Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels If you’re after acheap and 982 9206;mainsK15-40;

( %

( ( % % 982 9417;mainsK20-45; 982 8870;WilliamsRd; 982 9096;WilliamsRd; butthedin- Thisrestau- This place h h breakfast, break- gargantuan balls. rice tossesupstews,fishandchips, This hole-in-the-wall stews. Good ice creams too. entrance, whichrustlesuptastytoastedsandwichesand kai Italsohousesaneat ofAustralianimports. selection includingawide side,butwellstocked, is onthepricey h bonara, bolognese, marinara) in PNG doesn’t marinara)inPNGdoesn’t bonara, bolognese, noveltyThe sheer of (car- findinggoodpasta venue forqualitycookingwithadashof flair. of Kokopo’sresort restaurants remains agreat 65; lonelyplanet.com wrh investigating. worth ResortareVillage Resortand KokopoBeach Resort,Kokopo Plantation Lodge, Rapopo chilled-out vibe,thebars Emma at Queen shoulders else) (andeverything with locals. notglamorous,but a goodspottorub tainly note: isonThursday. ladies’night It’scer- and international hits.Male travellers, take ing, toamixof reggae, Islandsounds sexy on weekends, withpeopledancing,orsway- owls swooponKokopo’sonlyreal nightclub golf course and the sea. The veranda offers stupendousviewsof the Jokerthe weekly DrawonFridayevening. want toenjoyasliceof Island life, don’tmiss hasabar,dartsandsnooker.house Ifyou with achilled inhand.Thegolfclub- beer Fri) spots’. ‘hot of bacchanalia, withacoupleof acceptable asacity off town couldalmostpassitself where nightlife isalmostnon-existent, the no no!Butafteronotherislands, astay A thrivingnightlife sceneinKokopo,oh DRINKING Bar Kai Supa Bake CountryClub Ralum Club Nite Kadat Andersons Foodland ing terrace isidealfor alfresco dining. thefun.Theallur-and dailyspecialsroundoff fast.Lobster,wear off mudcrab, burgers, grills chicken andbeefdishes,aswellburgers chicken and sandwiches. thewalletinthisbuzzingjoint.Ithasawidearrayof tering 3.30pm Mon-Sat)Fill yourgrumblingtummywithoutbat- Fri) The Friday barbecue is a great social event barbecueisagreat socialevent TheFriday Fri) in Kokopo. Comehere tosoakuptheatmosphere Rapopo PlantationResort Rapopo If all you need is a cold beer anda isacoldbeer If allyouneed Club Nite Kadat Ralum CountryClub Ralum Other worthwhileconsiderations: h bar (takeaway foodbar;mainsK4-10)justpastthe bar (takeaway 8am-6pm Mon-Sat, 9am-2pm Sun) This supermarket 8am-6pm Mon-Sat,9am-2pmSun)Thissupermarket breakfast, lunch&dinner) (snacksK2-7; NEWBRITAIN Province ••EastNewBritain (WilliamsRd;mainsK3-8;

(admission K10; (barbecuesK20; (WilliamsRd;snacksK3-9;

( h Thestandard-bearer noon-9pm Sat-Thu, to2am h (

% 7am-2pm Mon-Sat) 982 9944;mainsK20- h h Thu-Sat) 7.30pm Wed& h Night Night 6am- PMV PMV ask thedriver todrop youthere (K1.50)The PakaBita take PMV9and WarCemetery, toVunapopeandTakubar8 goes (60t).For Keravat (K4) andKabaira (K5).PMV Bay to PMV5goes of mountains. theBaining Gazelle Peninsula andperhaps aglimpse offering theinlandof thechance the tosee toVunadidir(K2)andToma(K3), 3 goes (K2.50). Take PMV2toWarangoi(K3). the Karavia barge tunnel(K1.50),toRabaul can provide transfers (K30). andhotels Guesthouses Air Niuginiflights. infrequent). Thisbustendsthelarger tomeet on thewindscreen, runstotheairport(K1.20, road fromthemarket. PMV9,signed‘Tokua’ The mainPMVstopisjustacrossthe Travelcar Hertz Budget Avis companies have at offices Tokua airport. for adriver (recommended). Thefollowing metre) iscostly. AddanotherK10perhour Daily 4WDhire (K240,plusK1.10perkilo- Car AROUND GETTING about anywhere (K100 plus petrol). hours). Youcancharter abananaboatjust Ireland viatheDuke of YorkIslands(K50,two post officeandcanbehired fortripstoNew tieuponthebeach boats nearthe Banana Boat havemight re-opened routes. these it outwhileyou’re there –anotherairline out of thepicture atthetimeof writing.Check to PomioandHoskins,buttheairlinewas 45 minutes, four weekly). minutes, three andtoBuka(K390, weekly) There are toKavieng alsoflights (K335,40 to Hoskins(K330,35minutes, oncedaily). to PortMoresby (K673,twohours) andflights Airport the plane. dancersPomio andBaining asyouget off the three muralsof Tolai, (fromleft toright) airport, 10kmeastof Kokopo. Lookoutfor The Kokopo Air THERE&AWAYGETTING PMV 1runsalongthecoastroad past toflyKaviengAirlink used viaLihir,and ( %

( % % ( % 983 9331,9828179) 983 9325) ( 982 9152,9839326;fax9151) % 983 9391;fax9392) Air Niugini 982 9206,9839369;fax9462)  Rabaul area is serviced byTokua areaRabaul isserviced has one to two daily flights hasonetotwodailyflights

( Kokopo

% 982 9033;

Tokua 217 ISLAND PROVINCES PROVINCES ISLAND ISLAND PROVINCES past Simpson Harbour to Rabaul. Vulcanandthehills,thenaround tween around Karavia before Bay be- squeezing Plantation east of Rapopo Resort ( p216 ). road; theturn-off (signposted) isabout 2km dens are lovely. It’s8kmoffthemainairport dead, manyof themIndianslaves. Thegar- dusk) A poignantsite, From KokopotoRabaul road. early. Start wait forthebus,orwalktomaincoastal return tripisabitmore tricky;you’llhave to 218 To UraI GAZELLE PENINSULA Liguan Starting fromKokopo,you’llfirstStarting drive Point, pastRaluana The coastroadgoes Cape contains thegraves contains of over 1000Alliedwar B ISMARCKE Blue LagoonLookout (404m)

E RTI • Es e rti rvne NEW BRITAIN Province ••EastNewBritain

Kabaira North

R

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Keravat River Keravat e

North m

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a

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Hideaway Kabaira Beach Experimental Station Lowland Agricultural a

n

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Kabakada North Japanese BargeTunnels; ( h Talili Bay

Karavia BayTunnels; Coast Chinese Cemetery dawn- Pila Malmaluan 605m; extinct) Rakunai Lookout (Mt Varzin;

Map (p216) Rd Vunakokor See Rabaul Nonga Shipwreck Ratung

Vulcanology Observatory

Vunakabi

Kokopo – Kokopo Burma bringatorch totail; andK5lined upnose fiveThe maintunnelcontains rustybarges, cemetery) inordertoloadshipping cargo. Indian slaves (nowburiedatBikaPaka were hauledtothewater alongrailsby barges outof fromtheAllies.They sight tunnelswereThese builttoholdthe ‘Japanese Cemetery’). Tunnels,Chinese nearby Tunnels less Japanese tunnels,including Crane you’ll comeacrossarustyJapanese your cameraready! About 500mtothewest, Tavurvur backdrop.Get volcanoasafantastic enjoy wonderfulviewsof with Blanche Bay Rabaul Rd Rabaul Nonga Rd Along thisstretch of roadare count- (North Daughter; Harbour Simpson

1994) (last erupted Vulcan Malaguna (Vuruga) Tovanumbatir Beehives Point Tavui Shipwreck The , which wasbombedby the Allies. RABAUL extinct) Guns &Relics Submarine Base; Vulcan Point Karavia Bay , which and were asahospital, used Toma Matupit Crane Floating Japanese Barge TunnelsJapanese Barge

Rd Lookout Blue Lagoon I Nakaia Rabaul (last erupted Tavurvur Matupit Harbour Rabuana 1994) Matalau Shipwreck

Nodup

Hot Springs Kokopo – Rabaul Rd Rabaul – Kokopo Point Raluana (Mt Mother;688m) Kombiu Bai (South Daughter;475m) Turangunan Praed Point Blanche Bay lonelyplanet.com KOKOPO Map (p210) (signposted See Kokopo War Cemetery Karavia Bay Karavia Vunapope Bita Paka Floating

Seaview

Resort Beach

S t It is possible to climb up it (ask at Rabaul It ispossibletoclimbupit(askatRabaul roadside. The lasteruptionoccurred in1994. Tunnels. Bay cemetery besidetheKaraviasmall Chinese kastom lonelyplanet.com killed bytheJapanese inJuly1945.Hisre- Peter ToRotwasavillage priestwhowas of site theRakunai through the coast,itpasses howitzer. are OK,andthere’s an anti-aircraftgunand Lookout Kokopo Hotel p221 foraguide).

Resort Plantation Rapopo Pigeon G

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Peter ToRot’s cemetery and memorial church andmemorial ToRot’s cemetery Peter e

CREDNER IS

I o Kabakaul r Kabakaul (attheTelikom tower).Theviews Shipwreck (custom)price. You’llalsofinda



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I NEWBRITAIN Province ••EastNewBritain s Kabanga Tokua Kabanga 0 0

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Duke ofYorkI l 4 miles Malmaluan Malmaluan 8 km . guidelines formembership. Itwasdestroyed club wasabusinessmen’s clubwithstrict Museum tion. Justnextdoor is map ontheceiling forplottingworlddomina- the placardsnearitare informative. There’s a (locked) isinteresting austere, though and sides aroundRabaul. its middle,lookstrikingfrom any angle. water. islandsin the tinycraggy TheBeehives, and theanchored shipsliequietlyinthestill crusted withpumice–isstillmagnificent, First thingsfirst: net, askat your hotel. permarket. Ifyouwanttologonthe inter- credit isinTopKai card. Thepostoffice su- cheques andcandocashadvancesonyour Mon-Thu, to4pmFri) The that dramatic events occurred here. and letyourimaginationtrytorecreate the tosoakupthesurrealRabaul atmosphere ties keep the town alive. Kokopo’s shallow portfacili- water), Rabaul’s water (and tion in1994.Thankstothedeep theTavurvurfew hotels thatsurvived erup- isstillmostlyabandoned,bara here, Rabaul ofor soinlandalongthewholeroad.East There’s now abitof ablock life that’sevident plumes of smoke into the sky. itbelch It’sstillactive; hugedesert. youcansee reduced the landscapetoanalienprehistoric Simpson Harbour andKaravia area. Bay It ing huge amountsof ashover andthe Rabaul, 1994iterupted, spew- east. On19September Mt Tavurvur, which loomsominouslytothe sponsible forthissoul-stirringmoonscape? version of Pompeii.Who’sthebadboyre- movie foranapocalypticfilmoraPapuan set blackvolcanicashandlookslikein deep, a most theentire oldtownof isburied Rabaul preparedBe inawe:al- tofallonyourknees walk manymilesto Sunday church. pressed shirts, printdresses andbare feet It’s moving amultitudeof familiesin tosee mains were beatifiedbyJohn Paul IIin1995. SIGHTS INFORMATION Rabaul Rabaul isnotcompletely dead,though. Rabaul There are tunnelsandcaverns inthehill- It’s definitely afew worthstaying daysin Bank SouthPacific

(admission K5) changes cashandtravellers . Established in1933,this . Established Simpson Harbour

( % Admiral Yamamoto’s Bunker New Guinea Club & Rabaul New GuineaClub&Rabaul 982 1744; h 8.45am-3pm –once

219 PROVINCES ISLAND ISLAND PROVINCES in thePacific, isdignifiedandtestament to Peace Memorial nowfurtherup.The times impassable the northcoastroadnearMatalau. It’ssome- Mango off of Rabaul Ave tomeet andused over thegreat caldera’srim.Itrunseastout rising connected thenortherncoasttoRabaul, views over thebayand the volcanoes. from where youcanenjoymillion-dollar Observatory Hotel ( opposite ) for the key. Ask home toasmallmuseum. attheRabaul partlyrestored1994. Ithasbeen andisnow glory onlytobedestroyedagainbyfire in in WWIIandrebuilt inthe1950stoitsformer 220 (30km) Kokopo To 4 1 3 2 RABAUL

Namanula Road Kokopo Another worthwhilesite isthe Hill Rd Hill

Rd Kabaira DiveRabaul(30km) To VulcanologyObservatory(1.5km); Tunnel E RTI • Es e rti rvne NEW BRITAIN Province ••EastNewBritain EATING Kaivuna ResortHotelRestaurant..(see 5) Ling's Freezer...... Chinese Restaurant...... SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION Travelodge...... Rabaul Hotel...... Kaivuna ResortHotel...... Barike Lodge...... Tours...... (see7) Rabaul Adventure&Historical Paivu Tours...... (see8) Museum...... (see2) New GuineaClub&Rabaul Japanese PeaceMemorial...... Post Office...... (see10) Bank ofSouthPacific...... dia aaoosBne.... C2 Admiral Yamamoto'sBunker......

Malaguna Rd

See Enlargement

Dowapia Rd Kokopo To Ὀ , about 900m off TunnelHillRd, , about900moff

Kokopo Rd Bates AC 12 Tunnel Hill Rd Hill Tunnel St , themainJapanese memorial Blanche St 9 wastheroadthatdirectly Wharf Main 17 0 0

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11 Blanche

Malaguna Rd

Malaguna Rd Wharf Customs 4 14 Ὀ Ὀ 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 9 8

D2 B2 C2 C1 C2 B2

22nd A2 B1 Rd Wharf

1 Bates St Market St Wharf Wreck St The PhoenixRoom...... (see6) Rabaul Bakery...... Queen EmmaRestaurant...... (see7) TRANSPORT SHOPPING DRINKING Rabaul Shipping (StarShips)...... PNG DiabeticCenter...... Yacht Club...... (see 13) Rabaul Hotel...... Zero Supamarket...... Yacht Club...... Tropicana Supermarket...... Tropical LunchHaus...... 0.1 miles B Vulcanology Vulcanology 10 200 m 16

Japanese Harbour Cleland Simpson Page St Catholic Church 8

ὄὄὄ ὄὄὄ ὄὄὄ ὄὄὄ ὄὄὄ ὄὄὄ Dve

Shipwreck St Georges St St Vesters Kabaira Dive Rabaul Rabaul Dive Kabaira Hideaway ( p224 ), afew finstrokes fromsplen- equipment A$120/165) .com.pg; 1/2diveswithtanks&weightsA$75/120,full for more information on diving. tropical fish:aperfect combination.See p58 sponges, gorgonians andadizzyingarrayof festooned withhealthy,hardandsoft corals, Peninsula are unspoiledandpositively totally while thereefs thewestern off tipof Gazelle Harbour offers first-class several It’s almosttoogoodtobetrue:Simpson ACTIVITIES smashing view from here. the forgiveness of thelocalpeople. There’s a

Park Run bythecapableStephen Woolcott,

13 7 Ave 10 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 B2 A1 B1 C1 B2 C2 A2 B2 15 Sulphur Creek Rd Mango AveClarke St

St Malaguna Rd Malaguna 5 Kamarere St

Namanula Rd Court St

Sulphur Creek

2 Tavur St Tavur ὄὄ

Casuarina Ave

Park

Elizabeth Queen Vulcan St Vulcan 0 0 is based at Kabaira Beach atKabaira isbased Beach Japanese Betty

To MatupitI Kombiu Ave

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% Vulcan St Vulcan 3 Bomber

Nam 983 9266;www.kabairadive beyond memorial badly damaged

Namanula Rd anula

Apex Lookout Rakunai Sulphur Airport

ὄ ὄ Ck Rd Ck lonelyplanet.com

D Rd Roads Unexcavated Volcanic Ash Volcanic Ash Deep wreck dives wreck 600 m 0.4 miles (Mt Mother) Hiking Trail To Matalau To Kombiu (500m) , [email protected]) Based at Travelodge ( right ). (right Travelodge at Based [email protected]) Malaguna Malaguna Rd) options around Rabaul options aroundRabaul ( p223 ). andDuke of thePigeons, theBeehives Base, yourself attheKabaira Hideaway. Beach utes). Ifyou’re akeen diver, it’sbesttobase A$40 fortransfers, ortake aPMV(40min- you’llhaveyou’re in Rabaul, toforkout based did reefs. Themaindrawbackisthelocation;if Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels o request. on walls aloneare worthagander. Foodservice There’s aquirkybarattheback; thefrescoed tolerable andsafe, and locationiseverything. prepare towearthongs(flip-flops). Butit’s the shared ittosay, bathrooms…well,suffice are and cramped,beddingisrudimentary a betel nut’sthrowfromthemarket. Rooms inthe thick ofwant toberight things–it’s here ifyou’re strappedforcashand seriously bathroom K60-80,dwithoutK80-100; Kokopo gives youthat‘Iwasthere’ feeling. hereThis isgroundzero;staying ratherthan SLEEPING Rabaul. and p215 . Itslocationalternates Kokopo between onthe For details FESTIVALS &EVENTS Tours &Historical Adventure Rabaul Paivu Tours on camping trips offshore islands. the BainingMountains,villagevisitsand‘survival-type’ in bushwalking fishingtrips, Bay)Offers .com; Kabaira BeachHideway Kabaira Australians astheyfled the Japanese. on earth.Theroute followstheretreat of the oneofthrough themost biodiverse forests jungle treks Mountains, acrosstheBaining (K20) andIndianaJones the megapodecoloniesonMatupit Island river-rafting tripstosee trips,canoe/walking heritage trips,hot-springdips,village stays, able possibilitiesincludinglocalWWII Hotel ( Rabaul right ) offers great andafford- TOURS Hotel ( right ) canarrange snorkelling trips. York Islands.Taklam Lodge ( p215 ) andRabaul Dive (see Rapopo p215 ), in Kokopo. There’s anotherprofessional dive centre, Barike Lodge Barike Other reputable outfits: For landlubbers, there are various Good snorkelling ( % 982 1059;[email protected];

( % 982 1034; Malaguna Rd;swithout 982 1034;Malaguna areas includeSubmarine ( Warwagira FestivalWarwagira % 983 9266;www.kabaira  style multiday ( % 982 2206; 982 2206; a NEWBRITAIN Province ••EastNewBritain Head Head , see , see hiking )

venture hasasmuch character asanewly chops, chicken dishes. Vast, andbeef airy .pg; NamanuhRd;rK85-121; & dinner Fri, lunchSat &Sun) & dinnerFri, depressing, thedining roomisoppressing a placetoliftyour spirits.Thebuildingis mains K10-25; surrounds. Supermarket and Supamarket. Zero Sunday morning.TheyincludeTropicana open MondaytoSaturdayand some on are well-stocked alsoseveral supermarkets, hotel restaurants andafew options, which are pretty much confinedto rassment of riches whenitcomestodining fromanembar- exactlysuffer doesn’t Rabaul EATING a restaurant andabar. Accepts credit cards. orwalking.Otherperksinclude day sightseeing swimming pool–theperfect salve after along pièce derésistance, 17, 18,20,21and22have thebestviews.The add asplashof gaietyinthecorridors. Rooms andwellfurnished. Funkadelicmurals bright tidy andwellmanaged. Roomsare ordinarybut squarish buildingis nothing flash,butit’scalm, Hotel ( fiddletotheRabaul second above ), this Ave;global.net.pg; Mango rK110-310; be churlish to complain. prices,itwould andatthese it’s serviceable outafew beforesniff mind, deciding.Never a mildewysmell;ifyouhave asharpnose, roomy (request a‘presidential’). Somehave what dated andtheroomsare plainbut paved footpath.Thefurnishingsare some- it accepts credit cards. covered joke. withash,isasad Awinner,and bar andabuzzingdisco. Oneminus:thepool, ity mealsattheonsite restaurant, aconvivial include thewidearrayof tours onoffer, qual- cons –take yourpick.Otherstrongpoints very comfy,large unitswithallthemod very simple,boxy yeteconomicalroomsto For starters, ithasawidearrayof prices, from thing andensure theplaceiskept shipshape. Bruce andSusie,whohave aneyeonevery- Gazelle Peninsula. It’srunbyAustralians down, thisisthebest-value optiononthe Ave;hotel.com.pg; Mango dK72-308; Chinese Restaurant Yacht Club Hotel Resort Kaivuna Travelodge o Rabaul Hotel Hotel Rabaul h

(Mango Ave;(Mango mainsK10-20; ( % lunch &dinnerMon-Sat) 982 1002;[email protected] though, is the well-tended isthewell-tended though,

( ( %

% ( a % Has burgers, pork 982 2777; Malaguna Rd;982 2777;Malaguna 982 1860;kaivunahotel@ ) 982 1999;www.rabaul Thismotel-like ais ai kai bars. There Notreally ) Agood Hands- h )

lunch 221 ISLAND PROVINCES PROVINCES ISLAND ISLAND PROVINCES Ling’s Freezer and porkare justsomeof the menu items. dishes.up unambitiousbuttasty Chicken, fish Ave;Mango mainsK32-45; well-presented black andtasty pepper steak. toassuageneed carnivorouscravings, trythe goodhonestmeals.Ifyou restaurant serves bringyoudown. This goodhonest lighting andneon let theswinging’70sfrillycurtains Namanuh Rd;mainsK25-29; hangingfrom wheel the ceilings. on thewallsorathuge paintings always gazeatsomerisquéoriental islongish, you can rare inPNG.Iftheservice is agoodchoice of vegetarian options too; alsofeaturestroganoff, onthemenu.There Western dishes, such asporkchops orbeef porkisanotherhotfavourite.sweet-and-sour yongs with absolute proficiency –thefluffiest specialitiesare Chinese served his stuff. it comestoAsian cooking,chef Solisknows Ave; mainsK20-50; only independentrestaurant in town. chicken.judging bythebraised Butit’sthe specialitiesareand theChinese justaverage, (think bare, wallsandneonlighting) peeling 222 in the know. Mon-Sat) This Kaivuna Resort Hotel restaurant Hotel Resort Kaivuna Room Phoenix Other options: Queen EmmaRestaurant feet, istheoldtown. andremember whereone stilloccasionallysmoking, youare. underyour Beneaththeearth, stereos immediately after theblast. and abitofprotection fromthehundreds oflooters whoparadedaround withnewclothesand might have beendusted shovelling offwithoutbeingvery damagedwitharound-the-clock effort was never swampedbylava,onlyslowlypilingashthatweighedasmuchconcrete. Rabaul tocleartheflatroofofpilingash.Rabaul Over several days,thestaffmadeajointeffort building groaningasiteventually succumbedtotheweightofashonitsroof. wasevacuated.went atit,andRabaul The bythesoundofa deadofnightwouldbebroken flattened –in1994itcollapsedundertheweightof1mto2mTavurvur’s volcanicload. there. Pacific Rabaul’s GoldStudioswastheSouthPacific’s firstrecording studio. is NowRabaul ming pools. intheSouthPacific,friendly. Ithadthebiggestmarket anorchidpark,playgroundsandswim- Pre-1990s, ofplacethatwasvery hadahustleandbustle,butitwaslaid-backkind Rabaul DEAD TOWN E RTI • Es e rti rvne NEW BRITAIN Province ••EastNewBritain Look afew degrees higherandyoucanseetherimofoldcalderawithitsfive volcanoes, However, Hotel theRabaul isstandingproofthatmostofthetowncouldhave beensaved. For several daysafter theeruption,there were severe asTavurvur earthquakes andVulcan There wasagreat andPNG’sthrivinglocalmusicindustryoriginated musicsceneinRabaul (omelette) The in PNG,guaranteed! kai (KokopoRd;mainsK3-7; barwasrecommended tousbylocals h

( % breakfast, lunch&dinner) h 982 1999; Rabaul Hotel, Mango Hotel,Mango 982 1999;Rabaul h lunch &dinner) ( % lunch &dinner) 982 1002;Travelodge, tambu h

( This serves Thisserves % lunch (sacred) 982 1860; When Don’t foo The Joker isvery onFridayevening popular have to get your timing right (earlymorning)to have togetyourtimingright find pastries. The placetoheadincaseofhypoglycaemia,althoughyou popular watering holeintown.Amixed crowd Hotel ( The baratRabaul p221 ) isthemost DRINKING &ENTERTAINMENT h Tropical LunchHaus Bakery Rabaul carvings andothersouvenirs aplenty.It’srun carvings artefact-hunters, withmasks,necklaces, shells, ( and small carvings. sometimessell houses The reception areas of thehotels andguest- SHOPPING at Travelodge andKaivuna Resort Hotel. tame. Youcanalsoslake yourthirst atthebars place togo. it’susuallypretty During theweek of team, yourfavourite thisisthe RugbyLeague jackpot! Andifyoudon’twanttomiss agame and canbefun–generous ifyouhitthe ( (K15). Alsoworthinvestigating isthe with revellers who tear ituponthedancefloor named DarkRoomispacked to the rafters with abeer. Hotel’s aptly Onweekends Rabaul a bartoplaypool,orjustlubricate theirgullet expats gatherinthisconvivialrumpusroomof of locals,sailors, businesspeople, touristsand h % Laugh allyourwant, but Laugh lunch Mon-Sat)Anotherbusy 11am-10pm Sun-Thu, &Sat) tomidnightFri 982 1026; h (Malaguna Rd; (Malaguna 8am-6pm) (Malaguna Rd;mainsK3-7; (Malaguna isatreasure trove for bilums h kai 6am-6pm Mon-Sat) 6am-6pm Mon-Sat) PNG DiabeticCentre bar. lonelyplanet.com (stringbags) . TheJag Yacht Club

Rabaul is serviced byTokuaairport( isserviced Rabaul p217 ). THERE&AWAYGETTING to boostyourmorale, a psychotherapist. counciller’, policemanand,should youneed by Paul Schwartz, whoalsoworksasa‘diabetes lonelyplanet.com age scattered amongthepalm trees and now quite asmattering of Japanese aircraft wreck- retrieve area, In the same theeggs. there’s toburrowing almost 2mintotheblacksand huntersplanet. Themegapode-egg are here, from thewater. It’slike atanewborn apeek southern slopes(which have giantlava flows) Tavurvur’s toget youaroundtosee canoeist neath thebelching monster. Youcanhire a munity stillchooses to reside under- right dukduks unscathed thanks,villagers tothelocal say, load over andleftthisIslandalmost Rabaul Tavurvur’sbut theprevailing winds brought destroyed little 1994eruptions should haveThe September SIGHTS and a guide. a daytour. Yourhotel canarrange avehicle ifyou’re pressedRabaul fortimeistotake aroundThe easiestwaytovisitthesights Around Rabaul to 4 goes Malmaluan Lookout. (Peter ToRot’smemorialchurch) andPMV toRakunai PMV5goes Nonga Hospital. tory (informthedriver), and submarinebase tothevulcanologyobserva- back. PMV6goes toKokopo(K2.50)and fromRabaul 1 goes K30. for canprovidetels andguesthouses transfers PMVs runouttoTokuaandthebetter ho- Tokua airportisabout 40kmfromthetown. AROUND GETTING Medical Clinic ( p213 ). InKokopo,theofficeisnextdoortoZoma Bay. toPomioinJacquinot has infrequent services Kavieng (K100toK180)onTuesday.Italso to Buka(K130K250)onWednesdayand viaKimbe(K110toK200).Itsails two weekly) (K220 toK300, toLae fromRabaul boats sailing 982 1070/9480; p217. see islands, thenearby andthrough around NewBritain There aren’t manyPMVsonSunday.PMV Shipping Rabaul For informationabout banana-boat travel . The thousand-strong village. Thethousand-strong com- h 8am-5pm Mon-Sat) NEWBRITAIN Province ••EastNewBritain Matupit Island Matupit (StarShips; Kokopo (Map pp218

% has passenger has passenger 982 9480, Rabaul  19 M0300 )

Map p220 ) their submarinesuptothevertical walland insofarastheJapaneseit wasa‘base’ pulled mendation, gofor the688m Hotel (from K20).Ifyouwantarecom-Rabaul lost –yourbestbet istotake aguidefrom but there’s often agood chance of getting it mend climbingthesmouldering wedon’trecom-be funandthrilling(though For theenergetic, ACTIVITIES for apicnic or snorkel. Either Islandwouldmake excursion apleasant Credner islands.SmallPigeon isuninhabited. Group are thetwo Rd. Malaguna newmarketPMV stopopposite on Rabaul’s To get there, catch PMV6fromthecentral off askyscraper. Bringyoursnorkelling gear! your heartracesanditfeels like you’re leaping vertical reef wall.As youswim over thisdrop, untilitdropsdowna75m almost horizontal ful snorkelling spot;thecoralbedisflatand the reef. Thissite alsomakes forawonder- then surfacedallowingsoldiers towalkoff over relics and railtrackremnants belowand rines here duringthewar. There are tunnel Point. TheJapanese toprovision used subma- Base Submarine that take in the Beehives. Hotel ( p221 ) canorganise harbourcruises 200 people. Taklam Lodge ( p215 ) andRabaul much larger; thebigger onehadavillage of islandswere in1882these first visited Rabaul Blanche ing andswimming.WhenCaptain them byboatandthere issomegooddiv- core of theoriginaloldvolcano. Youcanvisit Dawapia Rocks,andare tobethehard said are called the from thecentre of SimpsonHarbour? They film landscapethat’sreminiscentan eerie of the (Map pp218–19 ) –animpressive amid sight From there, youcaneasilyreach the during the1994eruption. p220 ) .Theairportwascompletely destroyed They are tothe close Betty Bomber semi-buried inearth,includinga might Between Rabaul andtheDuke of Rabaul York Between For apicnicspot,nothingcanbeatthe thetworockypinnaclesrising yousee Can (Map pp218–19 Mad Max Mad . You’ll be up and down in 2½ hours . You’llbe upanddownin 2½hours blow uponyou);they’re alltracked, (Map p220 ) andahelicopter.

(Ma pp218-19 (Ma . Beehives hiking Pigeons M0306 ) inthehillsabove, but Old Rakunai Airport Old Rakunai (Map pp218–19 up the volcanoes can can upthevolcanoes ; admissionK15) (Map pp218 Kastom Kombiu Tavurvur fee isK5. (Mt Mother; (Mt Mother;

atTavui Japanese hot springs guns and  (Map M0302 ), or 19 223

M0307 ) or

as as ISLAND PROVINCES PROVINCES ISLAND ISLAND PROVINCES stumbled onto the set ofstumbled ontotheset ( p223 someonewill) andback(although taste, butyouprobably won’tbeinside much notbetoeveryone’sprivate facilitiesmight with alittlefreshening up andthelackof The plain,shoebox-sized roomscoulddo the beachfront inasimple, five-room house. Theaccommodation isonsplendid setting. and combinesfriendlyinformality anda this quaintresort radiates aramshackle air, Prairie i Bay;swith3mealsA$90; Kabaira www.kabairadive.com.pg; BeachHideaway Kabaira SLEEPING &EATING K200. back you no gradedrapids.Afull-daytripwillset or man-madebamboorafts,andthere are atyre acanoe, tube 5km/h onaninflatable, be sporty–you’llpaddleatapproximately teletransported to totheAmazon.Noneed junglescenery–you’llfeel amid spectacular rafting take about a day. alongtheway.Thiswould ology observatory over TunnelHillRdandtake inthevulcan- beyond. Oryoucouldwalkthewholeloop regularly to andsometimes Nongahospital Nonga overroad, which rises the apassandmeets From here youcanheadnorthalongthecoast thenorthcoastroadnearMatalau.to meet also make ita rewarding walk. (Map pp218 the vulcanologyobservatory probably offer youalift)andtheviewsfrom annihilation. around thetownoverawed byitscomplete andyoucanspendhours justwalking Rabaul, to spotnow they’re vegetated. Theycanbehard which canbe 4mto5mdeep. cracks frommud-ashdryingandcontracting, are abit trickier;theyare scored withdeep balance. Theslopesof your caldera –it’seasytofeel dizzyandlose once you’ve reached thenarrowrimof the ofminutes from thebase thevolcano);beware which features theshortest climb(about 30 camera. Anothermust-doisthe top are truly heart-stopping.Don’tforget your if you’re reasonably fit.Theviewsfromthe 224 You canhike downtoMatupit Island Rabaul Hotel ( Rabaul p221 ) offers If you’re fityoucanclimbNamanulaRd There are excellent ) Entering theproperty,youfeel you’ve E RTI • Es e rti rvne NEW BRITAIN Province ••EastNewBritain tripsonthescenicWarangoiRiver  . RunbyanAustralianman,Stephen, Submarine Base Rd.PMV6runs Submarine Base (Map pp218-19 ; pp218-19; (Map Vulcan walking Little Houseonthe (Map pp218 routes around Rabaul Nakaia Rabaul white-water white-water % 983 9266;   19 19 M0167 M0168 ) ) , This isthe Duke ofYorkGroup Hoskins to Pomio. Ships;(Star p223 from ) mayhave services ShippingHoskins (K330,30minutes). Rabaul s incl3 meals K100) Women’s Guesthouse sincl3mealsK35) Manginum; 9279 inRabaul; grungy backpackat get tothisremote area, youcanparkyour out tobediscovered. Should youmanage to caves andunderwater lakes thatare justcrying tually unexplored terrain. There are enormous yourself invir-place togoifyouwantlose gion onthesouthcoastof isthe NewBritain This ruggedly re- beautiful,little-developed Bay Jacquinot on 40 minutes fromRabaul PMV 5. islands. Payment isbycashonly.It’sabout Robinson Crusoe host of activitiescanbearranged, including There’s anonsite dive centre ( p220 ), anda time of writing.Foodisfresh andtasty. were inthe processof beingbuiltatthe Threeguesthouse. bungalows stand-alone tic divinga10-minute boatridefromthe snorkelling reef andfantas- onthehouse anyway –there’s excellentswimmingand some food. onUlu.BringalongMioko andaguesthouse but it’sonlygood incalmconditions. you wanttosnorkel, trythesoutherncoast, belowyou.If andsky, thecruelcliff sea going)fortwo viewsof(it’s rough theopen Island’s eastern tip.Youcancrawlbetween facesof the twocliff thetunnel runsbetween press-ganged bytheJapanese. Nearby,atiny of caves peoplehidinthese to avoid being easternmost point. nearbyonthe lookout cutintotheclifftop Island’s eastern flankandacoastwatcher’s ing goodbeaches, twoopen-pit to visit,withasmattering of includ- sights, of YorkIsland. vehicles onanyof theislandsexceptDuke but theyare There littledeveloped. are no ness, Peninsula Tolais,aplaceof secret men’sbusi- NewIrelandpit between andtheGazelle You canget there byflyingtoPomiofrom There on homestay isarudimentary For manyyears duringthewar,hundreds These islandsareThese beautifulandaccessible, dukduks tambu and . Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels Mioko Island Mioko (forbiddenorsacred) cock- ( 

tumbuans % style picnicsonnearby Pisiua Guesthouse 981 9366 in Rabaul; Palmalmal;981 9366inRabaul; isthebestone . caves or at

( onthe % Koki Koki 982 lonelyplanet.com and second-level airlines, butbeyondhereand second-level you bythefirst- Hoskins airportis wellserviced Air THERE&AWAYGETTING the province’s villagers and settlers. tensionoil exporter between withconsequent air. timberandpalm- It’salsoPNG’shighest and youcanliterally smellthesulphurin –five activevolcanoes and16 dormant– the country’sgreatest proliferation of and ahandfulof WWIIrelics. WNBhas broodinginthebackgroundvolcanoes the water aswell,withsomespectacular the surface. there However, islife above reefsmarine life brushing andsensational derwater action, with anamazingarrayof hasbecomeabywordforun- Kimbe Bay that you’re adiver headingtoKimbeBay. If youread there’s thissection, agreat chance WEST NEWBRITAINPROVINCE (p215). Lodge for awonderfulday.CheckwithTaklam and, ifyouhappenuponanicegroup,make convenient wayof exploringthearchipelago have seas rolled high banana boats. there have deaths waters been inthese when New Ireland costsK50.Onlygoonacalmday; K30, andthetwo-hourtriptowestcoastof to theDuke costs of YorkIslandsfromRabaul a(verybut otherwise, splashy)50-minute trip If you’re lucky,you’llshare thefare withlocals, THERE&AWAYGETTING Kabakon DUKE OFYORKGROUP Organised tours are theeasiestandmost Makada I I Kakukur Watering Pt Ulu I Kerawara Harbour Ruruan Foul Bay Palipal I Kerawara I Harbour Makada NEWBRITAIN Province ••WestNewBritain Urakuk Utuan Duke ofYorkI Mait UnangaI I Piuka Mait IriI Harbour Mioko Kabakabiui Palpal Kabilomu Urakukur 4km 2miles 0 0 Port Hunter Mioko Mioko I Mualim I Kabiatarai Mangrove Creek Nabual Watara Pt Watara Waira Pt Berard Pt Lae (K120toK200,overnight,Lae daily)and permarket. Bothare equippedwith ATMs are oneblocksouth(inland) of Kmartsu- SouthPacificThe Bank andWestpacbanks INFORMATION drama. underwater Drift alongthereefs andenjoytheultimate species of fish vyingforyourattention. more than350typesof hardcoraland860 around theworld. amongdiverscelebrity status andsnorkellers towers reaching thesurface,ithasearnedits cappedwithcoral With itsuniqueseamounts lers. Butthere’s Ah,KimbeBay. KimbeBay. suming townwithnoreal interest fortravel- it’safairlyunas- ithasaseafront, Although a major centre forpalm-oil production. Kimbe istheprovincial headquarters and Kimbe an active geyser field. inland,atKoimumu,there’sa short distance town, includingtheactive MtPago. Located number of forested surrounding volcanoes WNB is40kmeastof Kimbe. There are a The picturesquely located ‘major’ airport of Hoskins Hoskins andKimbe(K7, 40 minutes). Public transportislimited toPMVsbetween tually unexplored of mountains the interior. leadingtowardstherugged andvir-season) There are afew roads(inthedry 4WDlogging AROUND GETTING at the wharf. Book (K110toK200,twiceweekly). Rabaul Rabaul Boat routes. haveanother airlinemight re-opened these writing. Checkitoutwhileyou’re there – the airlinewasnotoperatingattimeof (K436). Lae toKavieng flights weekly (K373)andthree to daily) andKokopo(K330).There are alsotwo 5287) invillages.along thecoastandstay airstrips orcatch bananaboatsandtrade must eitherspendalotof money flyingtotiny From PortMoresby, The marinebiodiversity is stunning,with but andLae, toflyRabaul Airlink used fliestoandfromHoskins(K518,once

Shipping

(Star Ships; % Air Niugini 983 5365) sails to sails

( %

225

983 ISLAND PROVINCES PROVINCES ISLAND ISLAND PROVINCES It’s just opposite the container terminal,It’s justopposite so thecontainer but it’sfineforasnooze before anearlyboat. able, centralhotel isreally nothingamazing, .com; rK195-240; ful hand-painted T-shirts, tribalstickers, Riche hasveryArtist NathalieLe colour- if youare after someoriginalsouvenirs. Kimbe) 4990, 9834136;www.picturetrail.com/leriche; It’s worthstopping at SHOPPING prepared chicken schnitzel. orenjoyawell- Mt Garbunainthedistance, whilegazing onsmouldering sip acoldbeer ture here, catch thebreeze fromtheterrace, Chat witholdexpatswhoare almostafix- Resort. spot intown,notfarfromLiamReef so anachronistic. It’sthemost‘happening’ dinnerMon-Sat) Mon-Fri, transfers are K35 (one-way). descent). Credit cardsare accepted. Airport good Indiandishes (theownerisof Indian open breakfast, lunch anddinner) therestaurantSurprise: butscore zeroonourcharmlite metre. TV well appointed andcomeequippedwithsatel- forgo dreamy views.Roomsare commodious, in far-off ( Baia opposite ). are accepted. Liamoalsohasafishing lodge Vehicle hire canbeorganised andcredit cards special foritsChinese nered praise high ities. open breakfast, lunch anddinner)hasgar- swimming. Therestaurant (mainsK20toK45, The beach isonlyaverage, butthere’s good aviary, captive –release though those eagles! a keen gardener,anditshows. Pityabout the is probably theverdant theowneris setting; alone bungalows.Themostappealingfeature rooms inaconcrete buildingtolarger stand- modation fromfunctional,spick-and-span environment. Liamooffers arange of accom- deal ifyou’re inaserene after somecosseting beach at theeastern endof town,thisisagood .net.pg; sK165-400,dK300-400; But ifyouhave tobein Kimbe itself… Resort ( opposite Head) orQueen’s ( atWalindiPlantation yourself tobase right sense ). If youintend todoalotof diving,itmakes more SLEEPING &EATING post office and daily market. andMasterCard). of(Visa East here isthe 226 San Remo Club San Remo Kimbe BayHotel Kimbe Resort Liamo Reef E RTI • Ws e rti rvne NEW BRITAIN Province ••WestNewBritain ai

( %

( Welove thisplace–itfeels %

( 983 4600;mainsK10-20; % ) Kimbe’smostcomfort- 983 5001;www.kimbebayhotel 983 4366;liamoresort@global Le Riche Colours Le Riche ai (mains K16toK30; Situated onthe )

serves up h

( % lunch 983 ings andrare birds,themainattractionhere to the public. Resort. Thismarineresearch centre isopen Bay; www.mahonia.org; admissionfree; Bay; www.mahonia.org; Mon-Sat) Centre Conservation Na Dari should becomeclearatthe habitats marineenvironmentandcoralreefBay’s excellent the active MtGarbuna. Thearea alsooffers Outdoorsy consider typesmight warmandthere’sfortably amini-waterfall. inthe your toes sight. impressive VegaBomber andaLockheed Ventura –an jungle nearTalasea. There’s aMitchell B-25 wrecks two It’s definitely worthseeing eruptionin1884. tip, wasformedinacolossal atthe a dramaticlandscape. Dakataua, Lake Walindi Plantation Resort ( opposite ). Peninsula istoarrange the atourthrough your bestbettovisitTalasea andtheWillaumez As publictransportisvirtuallynon-existent, Willaumez Peninsula the & Bay Kimbe Talasea, compositions. underwater contact Walindi contact Resort. Plantation directof Resort.Call or Walindi Plantation packers anddivers onabudget. It’s2km east it.Itappealstoback- ittobelieve See brasses. four roomsanda share kitchen, and…horse encroached beach. It’ssimplebutclean,has village, enchanted buthasbeen ontoajungle- mock-Tudor tavern tobeinanEnglish ought PNG? Peter Prior isBritish, andit shows.His Is thisthemostbizarre lodgingoption in Queen’s Head SLEEPING &EATING information on diving. and US$170forthree dives. See p59 formore US$70 forasingledive, US$130fortwodives centre ResorthasaveryPlantation professional shrimp, toapodof killerwhales.The Walindi anythingfromatinyglass see You might is theunsurpassable feature tribalportraits,market scenesand gifts cards,placematsandotherthat Apart fromthesuperbnaturalsurround- Everything toknowabout Kimbe youneed torelax,If youneed it’swellworthdipping Talasea isanactive volcanicregion in set

( thatliepartiallydisintegrated inthe % , nextdoortotheWalindiPlantation bird-watching 983 5441;www.walindi.com) ( % Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels Garu HotRiver Garu 983 4566;sinclbreakfast K70) possibilities. diving

( % inKimbeBay. . Waters are com- . Expect topay . Expect 983 4241; Kimbe 983 4241;Kimbe h WWII plane trekking 9am-5pm Mahonia Mahonia dive dive up

5567; www.baiafishingpng.com; 6-night package per 5567; www.baiafishingpng.com; 6-nightpackage beeline for beeline service onsite dive centre andgreatservice location, recommended fordivers of because itsfull- ishighly run byMax Benjamin andCecilie US$225/330; .walindi.com; s/dUS$140/214,bungalowincl3meals lonelyplanet.com (about 4½ hours by boat). guide, aswelltransfers toHoskinsairport Prices includefishinggear, boatand nights. prime catches. There’s of aminimumstay four amongthe giant trevally, marlinandsailfish and pelagicspecies,includingtuna, wahoo, neighbouring coralreefs are aplaypenforreef bass,andthe famous blackbassandspottail numerous river systems are hometothe in- Resort( Reef opposite Ernest Hemingway fans.It’srunbyLiamo ) inKimbe. The fishing lodge inremote thatattracts Baia person fromA$3542) months. tive few andhiccupsrumblesevery southwestern endof theIsland,isstill ac- p223). Ships; ShippingAlso check (Star withRabaul you read this–check it outwhileinPNG. haveairline might stepped inbythetime gone bustatthetimeof writing. Another Kandrian buthad toservice Airlink used public transportavailable beyondHoskins. At thetimeof research, there wasnoregular western partof theIslandishardtoreach. A Around WestNewBritainProvince arranged. be welcome here. Various tours inthearea can watchers andhoneymooners willalsofeel tion forthenextday’sdivingactivity.Bird inprepara-poolside bar,andanearlynight ing mainlyof afew beers atthedelightful Evening entertainmentislow-key, consist- is onlyso-so,butthere’s analluringpool. is copious,variedandexcellent.Thebeach andthefood isof standard high The service more building. roomsinaseparate utilitarian junglelike foliage. There are alsofourcheaper, tional-style bungalowshiddenamongthe in theindividual,beautifullyattired, tradi- casual aswell,reflectedalmost unbelievably ThingsareKimbe Bay. very tasteful here, but and itseasyaccesstofamousdive sites in Walindi Plantation Resort Walindi PlantationResort Sportfishing Mt Langila terra incognita i , on Cape Gloucester atthe, onCape Baia Sportfishing Lodge Baia Sportfishing ) enthusiastsshouldmake a This well-established resort Thiswell-established NEWIRELAND ••History PROVINCE , a reputable, high-standard , areputable, high-standard fortravellers, thesouth-

( % 983 5441;www

( % 983 Tumbuan culture. Thenorthishometo the rugged southisthespiritualhomeof Ireland isanunmissable destination.In forcibly removed manyNew Irelanders to arriving in1875along with blackbirders who habited 30,000years ago. Missionaries began suggest Namatanai that NewIreland wasin- The remains of rock shelters foundnear History available. are fishing, snorkelling cycling(yes!) andeven equal footingwithsurfing.Kayaking, sport the pursuit of choice isscubadiving,onan packed experiences.Foroutdoorsy types, holidayswithaction- paced sun-and-sand a tradestore or two. the Islandbutnoreal bigger than settlements there are communitiesoneach coastal sideof theonlytownsof Namatanai, consequence, phasis ontheoldways.OutsideKavieng and the more paceof sedate life andagreater em- the islands,you’llnoticelaid-back vibe, cross StGeorges Channel,which separates Onceyou thanNewBritain. far lessdeveloped earth, unfussyatmosphere. NewIreland is the central areas. Malagan, whileKabai culture dominates in the ‘mainland’. andaclutch of islandsoffRange secluded from thethicklyforested centralSchleinitz and rivers of clearwater tumblingdown show), butitboastsbroadwhite-sand beaches (inthisrespect,canoes steals NewBritain the Ireland offer thethrillof vol- doesn’t puffing nature, culture andlandscapes.Sure, New an interesting andaccessiblepick’n’mixof savour theupliftingexperiences. calling ceremony. thatyou It’sjustimportant ashark- age, andwitnessed to thedinosaur amidalandscapethatbelongs guesthouse traditions of Malagan, inatraditional stayed acquainted yourself withtheintriguing carver, withamaster thefineartofcussed carving onaremoteRobinson fantasies island,dis- thatyoure-enactedbelieve yourSwiss Family really whetheryourfriends isn’timportant Forget the21stcenturyin New Ireland. It NEW IRELAND PROVINCE And there’s thewonderfullydown-to- For fansof traditionalcultures, New The goodthingisthatyoucanmixslow- Few otherplacesinPNGcanboastsuch

227 ISLAND PROVINCES PROVINCES ISLAND ISLAND PROVINCES rife. Even wasoften adeathfromdisease 19 1945. September The Japanese surrendered on inNamatanai Ireland but ratherbombeditintooblivion. behindas to stay coastwatchers (spies). Kavieng managed toescape,butsomechose Mostof base. military theAustraliansin Kavieng intoamajor wasdeveloped Japanese sections. deteriorated He madevillagers pushhiscarriage over any asection. the coasttoconstructandmaintain bears hisnamebyforcingeach village along Kavieng that in1910andbuiltthehighway Boluminskibecamedistrictofficer ofBaron profitable partsof thecolony.Thetyrannical madeNewIrelandtations oneof themost rites. funeral of loved theirdeceased onesaspartof the relatives smeared themselves withtheblood attacked inrevenge. Insomecommunities, of bemercilessly anothertribewhich might ‘signs’,asthefault attributed, fromcertain places. in villagethe shortageof life malesdevastated was later killedinvengeance! Meanwhile, real tobeanimposter, incumbent,believed impersonated thebishopof Melanesia; the iftheyrevolted. Oneslaverthem offhand even as missionariestocoaxmenaboard, killing (Australia) Queensland and Fiji. andcanefieldsofwork ontheplantations 228 During the German reign,During theGerman large copraplan- andhead-huntingwereCannibalism A villainouscrew, blackbirders often posed The Alliesmadenoattempt toretake New New Ireland fell totheJapanese in1942and For centuries,ithasbeen MALAGAN DEATH RITES sea. The or rites ofpassageinthevillages. are ceremonies doneonlybysecretnear Konos;otherwise,carvings men’ssocietiesformortuary rites.their mortuary There are afew dedicated regular onTabar carvers IslandandLibbavillage design on toanothercarver. The problem is,there are simply notenough young apprentices. ‘patented’strictly accordingtoclanrites, andacomplexritualpaymentmustbe madetopassa powerofthe maskthat,inthepast,theywerethe fearful burned after theceremony. Designsare of limeandahugefeast. deceased longagocanbeincludedin the rite, dancing,clouds whichincludes chanting,masked ancestors’ worldthroughtheplacesthat The rites spiritof a deadpersonenters are theancestors’ worlduntilthemortuary performed. E RLN POIC • Gorpy&Ciae NEW IRELAND &Climate ••Geography PROVINCE Different clans have different funerarytraditions,includinginterment, cremation andburialat Masks may depict the totemMasks maydepict animalofaspecifictribeinstages ofmetamorphosis. Suchwas Feasts are formore often thanonepersonastheyare performed terribly expensive. Those tatanu or tanuatu kastom (soul)remains closetothebodyafter deathanditcannotgotothe for the Malagan to carve woodenmasksandsacred fortheMalagantocarve figures for masalais (spiritsofthebushandwater) inhabit. clan poweriswieldedbychiefs or well understood. the Kabai traditions,which are notyetas andcentralNewIrelandNamatanai are common toallthree cultures. Around years ago. the Duke of hundred YorkGroupseveral vaded theGazellePeninsula and settled traditions. Thepeoplefromthesouthin- boxed (see carvings text, below ). also refers tothenorthernNewIrelanders’ traditions of Malagan cultures. ‘Malangan’ embodies thecomplexsystem of spiritual and speak19locallanguages. Thenorth The peopleof NewIreland are Melanesian Culture and canbring seas. high December toMarch isthecycloneseason May between andNovember.a dryseason receives about3mof annualrainfallandhas and Kamdaru rivers. faultline provides passage fortheWeitin the Hans Meyer reaches Range 2399m.A to 1481mandfurthersouth,nearTaron, Plateau risesdown theIsland,Lelet dled withhuge, floodedcaves. Midway New Ireland andrid- ismountainous Geography &Climate mtiiel system. matrilineal rites andland claimsare onina passed men As inmostPNGislands,traditional In theIsland’ssouthare theTumbuan The area andKavieng Namatanai between (important menorleaders), (important butclan Dukduks and tumbuans lonelyplanet.com are big- connections. to noonSat)Internetcafé. Onecomputeronly;slow coast) to Rasirik (forUluputur)onthewest coast) toRasirik ones fortravellers are (east theNamatanai lack of propermaintenance. Themostuseful most of themare inavery badshape for There are aboutsixcross-Island routes, but lonelyplanet.com .newirelandtourism.org.pg; Tanga St; Bureau Tourist New Ireland KPE Stationary &Stationary Bisi Electrical and travellerscheques,offers Visa cash advances. h Bank SouthPacific to explore theeastor west coasts. you canchange cashifyouplan money–stash Kavieng istheonlyplace ontheIslandwhere Information islands. Lik across fromthebeach are andNusa Nusa Boluminski Hwywiththewaterfront. Just St)andthe nects theairportroad(Stanfield The townisspread out.CoronationRdcon- surfers. to thatissue asiren’sexcellent surf-breaks call of great divinginthearea –nottomention ling andkayakingoffshore andthere’s plenty ing eastandwestcoasts.There’s goodsnorkel- Hanover), andforexplorationsof themystify- (New LikIslandandLavongai including Nusa ated asaspringboardtoneighbouring islands, of butit’soptimallysitu- atropicalparadise, shade of huge trees, create adashof real life. tranquil wharf,andthebustlingmarket inthe ambience,withitsfisheries and The seaside and quiet,withvirtuallynocars inthestreets. or Kokopo,you’llfinditremarkably low-key Melanesian fromRabaul time. Ifyouproceed and thebusiestshopsoperate very much on construction isthetelecommunication tower, we’re Shanghai hardlytalking –thetallest the onlytownof anysizeintheprovince, but of thecapital NewIreland, Being Kavieng is KAVIENG leg. Kontu) (westcoast,forTembinto Lamusmus and coast, aswelltheFangalawa (eastcoast) computer only;slow connections. h Gtig Around Getting Orientation Kavieng won’tfulfilallyourfantasies itself 8.45am-3pm Mon-Thu, Changes cash 8.45am-4pmFri) 8.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, to2pmSat) Internet café.One 8.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, (perhrK48; NEWIRELAND ••Kavieng PROVINCE ( % 984 2066;CoronationRd; h (LavogaiSt;perhrK30; ( % 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, h 984 2441;www 7.45am-4pm) and-coming 1a Sat) 11am o Visa). or and candocashadvancesonyourcredit card(MasterCard Mon-Thu, Changescashandtravellerscheques, to4pmFri) stays byradio(orany other means). forvillage Has erraticopeninghours. Canarrangebookings arriving arriving flights. Well-informedstaff. It’sopentomeet at theairport. utter bliss if you come from, say, Bali. Evenutter Bali. bliss ifyoucome from,say, surfing here souniqueisthe lack of crowds– up to2.4mare notunheard of. Whatmakes swell. FromNovember tolate April,swells of depending onthe sizeanddirection of the are easilyaccessible. Theyvaryindifficulty, range that of bothleftsandrights, reef-breaks, withagood fairly secret surfingNirvana), with outdoor activities. Good newsfortheskittish: Kavieng isrife Activities for the whole boat. up later’ trip.Thecostisabout K30each way kel. Youcannegotiate a‘dropmeoff, pickme New Sulaman a bananaboatouttooneof themanyislands. You cangodowntothewaterfront andcatch before youasenter the cemetery. guy’sgravewas buried.Thetough isright isthe ‘sight’ on thesite of Boluminski’s Baron residence. left are the tinues pastthe of Resort, youwillreach theintimate surrounds keep headingnorthof theMalagan Beach huge figtrees overhead. almostmeet Ifyou foralovelythe setting waterfront walk;the while thenorthernendof Kavieng. arePickings forsightseers quite slimin Sights Westpac InformationCentre Visitors Telikom Post office Police operated phonesoutside(removed hours). after phonecardsandmobileprepaid cards. Sells Card- 4pm Fri) Calling allsurfers!Calling Kavieng hasanup- The Kavieng hasalarge andbeautiful thingKaviengThe closest has to aregular The southern section of ParadeThe southernsection Nusa con- Patailu village ( % (CoronationRd; golf course ( % (CoronationRd; 984 2044,2054) provincial government buildings government provincial 984 2030;CoronationRd; makes foragoodpicnicandsnor- Bagail Cemetery surf market market . is a pleasant spotforastroll, isapleasant scene(luckilyit’sstilla h andfurtheralongonthe h 8am-4.30pm Mon-Thu, to (airport) Asmallcounter (airport) 8am-4pm Mon-Fri, to 8am-4pm Mon-Fri, , where Boluminski Nusa Pde h 9am-3pm provides harbour , built 229

. ISLAND PROVINCES PROVINCES ISLAND ISLAND PROVINCES contact the guys at Nusa IslandRetreat theguys atNusa contact (they Island.For more information, Longs andRal Karanas, NagoIsland,EdmagoLong Among themost thrilling spotsare Pikinini, systemthanks toasurfquota (see opposite ). number of surfers iskept level ata sustainable Club if it’sgrowinginpopularity,the 230 To Patailu 4 1 3 2 5 KAVIENG Village

International ([email protected]) Buildings (200m); E RLN POIC • Kveg NEW IRELAND ••Kavieng PROVINCE Hospital (600m) H arbou Buildings Customs Wharf &

To Fisheries Nusa Pde Nusa AC Memorial

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Coronation Rd Regent Garage Lapangus Cres Lapangus

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Kulangit Rd Kulangit Tanga St Tanga

array of high-voltage sites. driftdives Expect offers ‘surfaris’in the area. Nusa LikIsland) Charters a dynamiccouple, ages) andtheKavieng SurfClub.Operated by are surfspecialistsandcanarrange surf pack- Lihir St Lihir No lessimpressive is Nago St Bolum inski

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Emirau St

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Stanfield St Stanfield Banana BoatstoLavongai A4 Provincial GovernmentBuildings.. Hwy Boluminski TRANSPORT EATING SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES Peter ToRotCentre...... Malagan BeachResort...... Kavieng Hotel...... Kavieng Guesthouse...... Kavieng Club...... Scuba Ventures...... Pelagic Pursuits...... Market...... Bagail Cemetery...... Rabaul Shipping(StarShips)...... PMV Stop...... Kavieng Hotel...... (see14) Hertz...... (see 15) Drimas (CarRental)...... Island...... (see21) Banana BoatstoNusaLik (NewHangover)...... Avis...... (see 15) Air Niugini...... Tsang SangBakery...... Sot Kat...... Punter's Place...... Market...... (see 8) Malagan BeachResort...... (see15) Kavieng Hotel...... (see14)

INFORMATION Westpac Bank...... Telekom...... Post Office...... New IrelandTouristBureau...... KPE Stationary...... (see18) B2 Bisi Electrical&Stationary...... Bank SouthPacific...... Adventure inParadise YachtAdventure Rd Court

Anir St diving 13 lonelyplanet.com , withawide Visitor's Information D Kavieng Airport To Airport; 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 6 5 4 3 2 1 9 8 7 Centre B2 B2 B2 B2 B2 B2 B2 B2 A3 B2 B2 B1 B2 B4 A2 B2 D2 B2 A5 B2 A3 A5 .pg; CoronationRd) Kavieng. run DorianandCara shop. Free pick-upscanbearranged from hire A$20;LissenungIsland) .lissenung.com; 1boat/2-tank diveA$55/100,equipment reefs. in action-packed passages andthriving lonelyplanet.com take youonanythingfromahalf-day in Paradise Yacht Charters ( opposite ) can lic spotsoff Kavieng isby K2500 perdayfor four anglers. of (NewHanover). Lavongai at Pricestarts The bestarea extends thenortherntip off store inKavieng, offers charter fishingtrips. Pursuits Pelagic RunbyPeterjack andsailfish. McEwan, your chance marlin,tuna,trevally, totackle diving, see p59 . tion costsA$660.Formore informationon dive).a two-tank Anopen-water certifica- boat dive youbackA$65(A$125for willset cellent dive shop onthewaterfront. Asingle ( % Another goodwaytoreach idyl- secluded, Kavieng hasterrific local women inthevillages. It’sawin-win situation. to catchaglimpse of locallife. tointeract with Forfemale thisalsomeansopportunities surfers, By improving theirstandards,guesthouseowners willgetmore whointurn willbeable surfers, spots.guesthouse owners wholive It’sanintegrated nearthesurfing approachand atrade-off. east coastandLavongai(NewHanover), andwerunaneducationprogramwithvillagers cut ofthepieandgetatangible benefit.We’re planningtoextend thesystem toNewIreland’s areas.surfing-break This ensures thatthere’s nolocalharassment.It’svitalthat people geta communities involved. Part ofthefees gototraditionallandowners,whoownthe paidbysurfers What’s theimpactonlocalcommunities? community. by thesurfing fee of A$10.Thus wecanguarantee uncrowdedwaves tovisitingsurfers. It’svery wellreceived operator. Cluboranysurf There’s Surf arrival inNewIreland theKavieng adaily bycontacting hastoensureset at20.Eachindividualsurfer intothequotapriorto thatheorsheisbooked ManagementArea onanygiven Surf dayis withintheKavieng allowedtosurf of visitingsurfers Management Plan? What’s theprinciple oftheSurf ManagementPlanin2004. that.Thiskeep iswhyweintroducedaSurf cangetthisbuzzhere.without thepressure boats,andsurfers Wejustwantto ofothersurf have anymore: uncrowdedwaves. It’sanabsolute treat torideanalmostvirgin forsurfers wave, standards,butwehave whatothercountries,suchasIndonesia orFiji,national surfing don’t area? intheKavieng What’s specialaboutsurfing ManagementPlan. potential andtheadvantagesofSurf surfing promotes Kavieng’s himself,Johnfervently Club,andasurfer Surf New Ireland since1980.AmemberoftheKavieng anAustralianKeith, inhis50s,ismarriedtoaPapua NewGuineanwoman,andhasbeen living in VOICES: KEITHJAMES, SURFER 984 1244; www.scubakavieng.com; NusaPde) 984 1244;www.scubakavieng.com; Lissenung Island Resort Lissenung IslandResort

, located inside the Zen 48, located insidetheZen NEWIRELAND ••Kavieng PROVINCE ( % 984 2349;[email protected] has a full-service dive has afull-service sportfishing sailing

( % 984 2526;www Scuba Ventures Scuba Ventures . Adventure . Nowis , anex- Wehave establishedexcellentrelations withallthe

Centre inKaviengCentre ( p229 ) for details. theVisitorsfeasting. Contact Information andincludesdances in JulyorSeptember The week-long Festivals &Events well assurfarisand diving trips. Ireland aboardasplendid25mschooner, as New off cruises week-long standard, high tours. ling andsurfingtrips,canarrange land have avarietyof tours, including snorkel- in Paradise –Yacht Charters (see opposite ) IslandRetreatNusa ( p232 ) andAdventure Hanover) area are alsoavailable. (Newkayaking tripsintheLavongai LikIsland.Tailoreddle aroundNusa guided IslandRetreatfrom Nusa ( p232 ) andpad- canoeing archipelago. Lavongai sail to a week-long charter toaweek-long sail triparound Tours Other sportingopportunitiesinclude For cycling trips, see For cyclingtrips,see p236 . It’saquotasystem. The maximumnumber Ourwaves are notworld-classbyinter- Imajica and

kayaking (www.theimajicaexperience.com) Malagan festival Malagan . Youcanhire acanoe isusuallyheld offers offers

231 ISLAND PROVINCES PROVINCES ISLAND ISLAND PROVINCES furniture. The grounds includea shady strip butfeel abitsombre duetodark-wood TV, site modcons,includingair-con andsatellite Theycomeequippedwiththerequi-the sea. unitsfacing building features 16serviceable The functionaltwo-storey, barracks-style visitingworkersment officials, andexpats. but itmostlyattractsbusinesspeople, govern- asatouristresorttity problem; itbillsitself Australian-run Malagan hasabitof aniden- NusaPde;s/d K360/410; resort.com; if youcanhandlea sore back. available onrequest (fromK40).Goodvalue Shame thatsomebedsare Meals sosaggy. are cosy rooms,somewithprivate bathrooms. cleanliness andoffers unpretentious seven but a peacefulneighbourhood gets goodmarksfor incl breakfast K128/178; con. There’s anonsite restaurant and bar. –goodbeds,privatefortable bathrooms,air- occupy therear buildingare much more com- while theDeluxe roomsthat andStandard bathrooms coulddowithanAir-Wick session someTLC andthesharedrooms coulduse ality. Thevery mundane,fan-cooledbudget favouritelongstanding alsohasasplitperson- .com.pg; CoronationRd;sK90-365,dK105-400; snooker andTV tables lounge area. is thebest.There’s abarandgardenarea, rooms addatouch of quirkiness.Room1 ish wallsandapplegreen furniture) insome scheme (bathroomspainted inblue,yellow- Wood floors andanoddlymismatched colour bathrooms leaves somethingtobedesired. iftheplumbingin con, fitthebill,even The rooms,somefan-cooled,withair- inthecentre.liable budget right stalwart, .net.pg; CoronationRd;sK77-154,dK88-198; and get more natural light. of thefourdoubles,which are more attractive the cell-like four-bed dorms.Trytonab one masochistic tospendmore in thanonenight prison drama,andyou’dhave tobesomewhat rooms willmake youfeel like anextraina travellers. Thelongcorridorof windowless awarehouse isnoepiphanyforsembling compound, thisratherdepressing abode re- d withoutbathroomK80) ToRot Centre Peter IN KAVIENG Sleeping 232 Kavieng Club Kavieng Kavieng Guesthouse Kavieng Hotel Kavieng Malagan Beach Resort BeachResort Malagan E RLN POIC • Kveg NEW IRELAND ••Kavieng PROVINCE

( ( % ( % % a Though partof Though thechurch 984 2199;kavienghotel@daltron 984 2224;kaviengclub@global (

984 2684;Tabar Terrace; dmK20, Thisfamily-runB&Bin % )

( % /fax 9841165;EmirauSt;s/d 984 2344;www.malgan as a a ) Are- ) The ) This d with3mealsA$210-250) senung.com; LissenungIsland;swith3mealsA$120-160, of travelling NewIreland’s westcoast,you arranged to Kavieng. Recommended. international wharf. Transfers are easily LikIsland,just200macross fromtheNusa accommodation (A$65perperson). It’son (Novemberseason toApril),there’s shared by.Duringthesurfingare close surf-breaks ing, cycling,snorkelling anddiving.There including surfing(thecore activity),kayak- arranges ahostofant andthestaff activities of cheeky birdstoo. There’s agoodrestaur- over water, are There’s wellmaintained. lots traditional-style beachfront bungalows,some lots of unpretentious thoroughly charm. Its sand-floor bar-restaurant suggests, andhas aresetting allwelcome. It’sasrelaxed asits whojustwanttoflakethose outinaserene of information),butfamilies, couples and is adedicated surfer andamine himself has aheavy focusonsurfers (ownerSean daily mealsperpersonA$50) retreat.com.pg; NusaLikIsland;sA$110-140,dA$120-155, Nusa IslandRetreat AROUND KAVIENG pretty basicand super cheap. 7am. There’s notmuch leftafter 3pm.It’s bread cakes andsweet available fromabout to noonSat) Tsang SangBakery IN KAVIENG Eating spaced fromeach other and comfortable. luxury, theyare fan-cooled,spacious,well they’rerooms. Although of notthe height intimacy. Fourof themhave private bath- traditional-style bungalows,which ensures thereAccommodation-wise, are onlyseven dishes onoffer, includingvegetarian options. here isadefinite plus;there are refined tunities aboundonthenearbyreefs. Food lapped bytopazwaters. Snorkelling oppor- is partiallyringed byaribbonof white sand There’s excellentswimmingtoo;theIsland ing (see p231 ). It’sawinning combination. one of pamperingandrelaxation. Anddiv- this stress-melting resort. Theethoshere is wanttorejuvenatemight mindandbodyin a restaurant. a Islandaswellanicelittlepooland Nusa of beach overlooking (nothingoutstanding) Lissenung Island Resort Lissenung IslandResort Theonlybakery intownhas fresh Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels (Djaul St;

( % After thehardships Thistropicalhaven 984 2247;www.nusaisland

h ( % 6.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, 6.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, 984 2526;www.lis contently. Thefoodisfresh andhygienically chips, andyou’llleave pattingyourtummy vouries such asstews, friedfish orchicken and with localsatlunchtime. Digintobudget sa- Mon-Sat) lonelyplanet.com sand diningareasand is adorable. your meal.Thisis thelife! Thetoes-in-the- time andtake adiponceyou’ve digested could tuckintoa copiousburger atlunch- Oryou (K50; byreservation). dinner buffet it wouldbeashame to miss outontheir (call aheadtoarrange transfers). Indeed, guests are Island Retreat welcomeatNusa K15-30; Nusa IslandRetreat AROUND KAVIENG stocked supermarkets in town. well- pandanus fruit.You’llalsofindseveral cluding thegiant,yellowhandgrenade a goodrange of fresh fruitandvegetables in- lunch pizzas. barbecue(K40)andSaturdaySunday night Makedishes andseafood. forthe abeeline breakfastssatisfying toburgers, and meat a littleof from foreveryone, everything there’sterrace Food-wise, facingthesea. withabreezy setting, the mostpleasant mains K30-50; wisdom: comeat 6.30pm sharp. (K55); you’llwalkoutbellyfirst. Wordsof ters, chicken, lobster, fish andvegetables withcrab,oys- buffet seafood Friday-night splurge, dive facefirst intoitsmemorable chops, mostpalates. should For a please as burgers, steaks, omelettes, porkandlamb is nothingglambuttheeclecticmenu,such them.Thediningareagood placetomeet localsandexpatssoitisa well-heeled & dinner) .com.pg; CoronationRd;mainsK30-40; too. chicken, fish andchips atpunyprices.Goodroast ofin need somehonestlyprepared stews, and cals. It’sagood-value stomach fillerforthose visitors butcomesrecommended lo- bysavvy buzzing of hours in advance. (K30) butyou’llhave toorderthemacouple prepared. Copiouspizzas are alsoavailable Punter’s Palace Punter’s The bustling BeachResort Malagan Hotel Kavieng Sot Kat h Avery friendly Thisisafixture amongtravellers, kai

breakfast, lunch&dinner) (mains K3-7; h bar that is off theradarformost barthatisoff breakfast, lunch&dinner)

NEWIRELAND ••Kavieng PROVINCE ( market

% (Lavongai St;mainsK3-6; (

% 984 2199;kavienghotel@daltron h 984 2247;NusaLikIsland;mains (Nusa Pde; kai

lunch Mon-Sat) ( % barwhich ispacked Gourmandnon- 984 2344;NusaPde; h h breakfast, lunch Mon-Sat) Thishas Another h has  lunch like ( opposite a bitrowdy.Thebars atKavieng Hotel Resort) andMalagan Beach are trucksand PMVswhich also passenger dayexcept Sunday.There every weekly) hours, six (K50,sixtoseven Namatanai There are PMVsleaving Kavieng for CAR &PMV (K220). Kimbe to 15hours, andtravels onceweekly) onto ally onThursday orFriday(K120,from nine h K50). to K40 Island(passenger toLavongai each week nearby islands.There are abouttwoboats boatsandworkruntotheBanana BOAT this –check itoutwhile in PNG.’ havemight stepped inbythetimeyouread bust atthetimeof writing.Anotherairline weekly). twice Moresby. It alsooffers toManus flights (K410, also connecttoHoskins(K373)andPort 35 minutes, three where weekly), youcan Mon-Fri) Niugini If travelling toeitherKokopoorRabaul, AIR Getting There&Away inLibba from thecarver village ( p236 ). Resort ( opposite items). However, are cheaper Kavieng Hotel ( opposite ) andMalagan Beach There are Malagan artefact collectionsatthe Shopping ( opposite ) are more sedate. Resort–just Malagan Beach call ahead. ing tomellowtunes.Free transfers fromthe whilelisten-(we don’tguarantee theeffects), Boost yourlibidowiththe‘Orgasm’ mixture (K10 toK45). cocktails and about 30devilish bar thathasplentyof Australiantipples,spirits onhisveryowner, prideshimself well-stocked theebullient The barhere isa coolplace. Sean, exciting. amazingly worry, after afew SPbeers, allof itwillseem therealthough are afew options.Notto Kavieng’s nightlife isnotexactlythrilling, Drinking The baratKavieng Club( opposite is Nusa IslandRetreat Rabaul Shipping Rabaul toflyTokuabuthadgone Airlink used 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, tonoonSat) 8am-5pm Mon-Fri,

has flights toTokuaairport(K335, hasflights ( % 984 2135;LavongaiSt;

(Star Ships;

( % 984 2247;NusaLikIsland) sails to Rabaul usu- toRabaul sails % h 984 2755;Tanga St; 8am-noon &1-4pm 233 Air

ISLAND PROVINCES PROVINCES ISLAND ISLAND PROVINCES you’re lucky)andno shops (butyouwanted no electricity(except theoddgenerator, if There’s bydinghy. cess nophone, Lavongai Islands,fromwhereEast youcaneasilyac- are Thefollowingguesthouses on Lavongai. There isnoformalaccommodationon Sleeping &Eating of the bag. is now,before thishaven of serenity isletout Islandswhenwevisited. Thetimetogo East plans tobuildafew resorts and onLavongai the province’s tourismfirmament.There were this archipelago oneof theshiningstars in Someinvestors though. ever, hopetomake on arefreshingly humble scale. Islands remains andEast tourism inLavongai handful of modest,homespunguesthouses, waterfallsmountains, andrivers. Withjusta rainforest,wild Island,complete withdense fascinating archipelago. isatruly Lavongai thenlooknofurtherthanthis radio insight), ora void of luxurioustrappings(notaTV initsrawform, you’re forparadise searching toemitamagneticforce. If places thatseem that liescattered totheeast,are thekindof Island,aswellthestringofLavongai islands out yourself. Volcanic,ruggedly beautiful on abananaboatinKavieng andcheck it Is thistheprovince’s best-kept secret? Hop ISLANDS LAVONGAI (NEWHANOVER)&EAST transfers. free offervery totown;mostplacesstay close PMVs aroundtowncost50t.Theairportis Getting Around Hotel Kavieng Hertz Drimas Avis driving). of bad ideatohire adriver (about K10perhour If you’re goingtothewestcoast,it’snota on K250perdayplusK1.10kilometre. andbeyond.Count go asfarNamatanai a4WDifyouplanto You’ll definitely need (K30), are irregular. Ask around in town. the westcoast,includingKontuandTembin to elsewhere, daybutSunday.Services every or head someorallthewaytoNamatanai, 234 .com.pg; CoronationRd)Alsorents 4WDs. There are afew car-hire companiesintown. Such potential couldn’tremain ignored for- ( % ( % ( % 984 1190; Malagan Beach Resort) See See BeachResort) 984 1190;Malagan p232 . 984 2374; Malagan Beach Resort) See See BeachResort) 984 2374;Malagan p232 . 984 1792;Tanga St) ( % 984 2199;kavienghotel@daltron NEW IRELAND ••Lavongai(NewHanover)&East PROVINCE Islands the shallow, clear blue sea, playsoccerwith the shallow,clearbluesea, Flake beach, outonalittlesandy snorkel in 3 mealsK155) authentic sliceof Islandlife. Digsare intwo onthebeachright fitsthebillandoffers an to lookafter you?Well,thislittleguesthouse but withafew comfortsandafriendlyfamily ofhouse thelot, on Tunung. dinner. FromKavieng, it’sthefurthestguest- per day).Feeling mushy? Ask foracandlelit canalsobearranged (fromK100 on Lavongai can take surfers tonearbyspots).Guidedhikes clued up,buthe’salsoadedicated surfer (and Not onlyisClement,theyoungowner,well amid aneatpropertythatoverlooks thebeach. woven leaves, sago andacleanablutionblock, simple butcharming bungalowsmadefrom lifetough here. offers Thisguesthouse three school.locals, orvisitanelementary It’sa the property(don’tforget your sunblock). nick. Oneproviso: there’s notmuch shade on rooms andtheablutionblockare ingood has alovely beachfront location.Thetwo owned bytheprovincial administratorand a few of days.Thislittlemorsel is paradise K120) ist office in Kavieng. Bookings canbearranged thetour- through experience,right?).a RobinsonCrusoe A$490 for a full-day sail (oneor twopeople,A$490 for afull-daysail ( p230 ) or Imajica ( p231 ). Charters costabout with Adventures InParadise Yacht Charters (shared here rideK100).Consider sailing (shared rideK40)andthree hours toTunung It takes about1½hours toget toTsoi Island Kavieng, buttheyrunonaninfrequent basis. islands. There are usuallybananaboatsfrom Truth is,itisnotthateasytoget tothese Getting There&Away chewer. betel-nut the owner,isalotof fun…andadedicated ling offshore. Boston Tusikai, Totopitoff, There’s excellentswimmingandsnorkel- and taro.lobster, potatoes fish, sweet (adeliciousomelette!),as megapodeeggs meals,withsuchtasty organic ingredients make yoursquirm.Thekitchen cooksup andtheablutionblockwon’tstandards), a mosquitonetandgoodbedding(bylocal part of thecharm. roomcomeswith Each ramshackle bungalowsonstilts,butthat’s Tsoi LikLagoonGuesthouse Mansava Adventure Lodge Adventure Mansava Island Escapades A good place to kick off your shoes for A goodplacetokickoff yourshoes Ever dreamt of beingacastaway,

(Tunung Island;sincl3mealsK150) (Tunung (Tsoi Island;sincl3meals (Tsoi

(Tsoi BotoIsland;sincl (Tsoi

blood, butwhatwillreally youoff sweep lonelyplanet.com is surfaced fromKavieng to shortlybefore ing explorationeasy alongtheeastcoast.It the 270kmfromKavieng mak- to Namatanai, Yes, NewIreland which runs hasahighway, Boluminski Highway and none on Sunday. maybe two,placesadaybypublic transport, your time:youwon’tget tomore thanone, fish) and rice. mostly around buttheysell there Otherwise aretaro). smalltradestores are simplebutnourishing (we hopeyoulike no electricityandrunningwater. Meals Digs are inbasicbush-material huts, with for afew daysandexperienceavillage stay. great idea toditch yourguidebook,remain away fromsubsistence traditions.It’sa communities where localshaven’t moved here. Thecoastisliberally sprinkledwith your feet are thestimulatingpeoplethatlive beauty. surpassing cles juttingoutof theocean andlagoonsof in itsnumerousbeaches, limestonepinna- cial. Ithaslotsof aestheticappeal,shown diamond most of itslength,itstill retains arough west, withtheBoluminskiHwyrunning east coastfeels more thanthe ‘developed’ traditional worldisimmediate. the Though Outside Kavieng, theplunge intoamore and snorkel, crew and skipper). including lunch, snacks, ES COAST EAST Now it’syourturntodelve in,buttake Adventure andnature maystiryour sermon. the wholecommunitydressing upandheadingofftochurch,thenreturning todiscussthe but ifnot,askaboutthecustomaryspotinriver orsea. book andtoilet-paper rollare usefulitems along. totake Mostvillageshave pit-toilets thesedays, or you’lleatyourhostsoutofhouseandhome. don’t worryaboutthisifyou’re onthetarmacroad.Ifyou’re wayoffthebeaten track,BYO rice good gifts. Salt,sugarandtea willbeappreciated byyourhostsinthemore remote places,but the joy),swimminggoggles(youcancarryquite afew andthey’re andpensare functional) all but give ittothelocalschoolor privacy inmostvillages. Take something(preferably ifyoucan, lastinganduseful)forthekids alotof attentionYou’ll attract whenyoushowup,butit’lltrailoff;there’s aquietrespect foryour LIFE INA(NEW)IRISHVILLAGE If youcan,stayforSunday.Whetheryou’re religious ornot,youcan’tfailtobemoved by A torch(flashlight),sleepingsheet,mosquitonet,hammock,thongs(flip-flops;coralissharp),  type of ruraledge tomake itspe- NEWIRELAND ••EastCoast PROVINCE kastom tinpis bigman fees, mask (tinned (leader)toredistribute. Afootball(there’s nodescribing fantasies. Twounitsarefantasies. perched upa200- re-enact yourownSwiss Family Robinson stilts overlooking thebeach, where youcan traditional-style, fan-cooledbungalowson ment is Bring atin of fish and K5. the river, pastyourhands. which slither right handfeeds some huge in village). eels Cathy Eels Hiob’s Cathy 90km markit’sworth pullingover tosee withonebeachfrontstay bungalow. Atthe house amusing. but overpricedand atad (trytoget adiscount), it’srustichas becomealocalchief. Overall, who aNewZealander, owned byAlunBeck, kelling excursions. Thisquirkyventure is tripsinthemangrovescanoe andsnor- including village visits,rainforest walks, ing room.Ahostof tours canbearranged, year-old daily mealsperpersonA$55) 2666; www.treehouse.com.pg; bungalows/dA$105/130, and thetrippy water. drinking clear water. TheJapanese thisgrottofor used There’s alimestonecave filledwithcrystal- fromKavieng5km alongthehighway airport. way where youcanbreak up your journey. tions. There are anumber of villages alongthe lucrativewhen theydeveloped copraplanta- road inPNG,constructed bytheGermans pending ontherains).Itwasfirst real gravel roadinmore orlessgoodshape (de- Malom, 180kmaway.Furthersouth,it’sa Twenty-three kilometres furtheris Kavieng,Leaving thefirst major settle- About 40kmfromKavieng is

(s incl3mealsK80) Matanasoi Calophyllum Treehouse Village Resort Resort Village Treehouse at Laraibina (orLiga)village, about , an acceptable placeto , anacceptable , which has a series of, which hasa series tree, above thedin- (askforMunawai Lossuk Guest- (

% Putput 235 984

ISLAND PROVINCES PROVINCES ISLAND ISLAND PROVINCES s incl3mealsK150) (and 181kmfromKavieng), thewell-run (s incl3mealsK80) just after Malom. There’s avillage isagood Benson, host, Cathy cook too. fromthebeach.short stagger Yourgracious chanting, withlotsof greenery, andit’sa place torest isen- yourhead.Thesetting Guesthouse Malom few goodbeaches near the village. take youtoTabar Island( p238 ). There are a style. local ful. Even inthe thevillage church iscarved fortheK100mark–beverysell respect- theMalagan wheresee house apiecemight charges Sisia. Ben K5to Ben master carver up onhandicrafts.Thevillage ishometo a great place tolookat which ismarginally better than Panatalis. Bol is son (November toMarch). Anotheroptionin the river). There’s anicewave here insurfsea- the showers (non-existent; prepare tobathein rizon. Theweakpointsare thetoilets(pit)and beach, with Tabar Islandloomingontheho- three roomsare very simplebutoverlook the onMalaganthing andeverything culture. The who’s aninteresting character whoknowsany- community life. It’srunbyDemasKavavu, cious Kavieng. Here youcanbunkdowninthespa- attractive village of Fissoa Vocational Centre. the bridge at clear, naturalswimmingpoolupstream from 236 Located 4kmsouthof Bol, Fancy adip?Dunkyourself inacrystal- In In The turn-off to Lelet Plateau ( toLelet The turn-off opposite ) is inthelargeIt’s notabadideatopause and .nusaislandretreat.com.pg; NusaLik island;dailybicyclehire K105). .org.pg; Tanga St;dailybicyclehire K100; through the way.Youcancover thewholestretch infourtofive days. flat,andanumberof guesthousesconveniently located roadthat’sperfectly along a surfaced forcycling,withvery Hwyseemstohave littletraffic,nopollution, beenpurpose-built Boluminski Hwy.Youcanchooseyourown paceandbecomeintimate with localcommunities.Boluminski Cycling Feel enjoyingthesceneryandatmosphere like fromthesaddleinstead ofaseatincarorPMV? BOLUMINSKI HIGHWAY FROMTHESADDLE E RLN POIC • Es os NEW IRELAND ••EastCoast PROVINCE Guided cycling tours around Kavieng and down the Boluminski Hwycanbeorganised anddowntheBoluminski Guided cyclingtours aroundKavieng Malom Konos Panafilla Village Guesthouse Panafilla Village Panatalis DodorBeachPeles isanecofriendlyandcheapwaytodiscover NewIreland’s eastcoast alongcycle-friendly Tabo Meli’s RainbowTours youcanarrange foraboatto village, 25kmsouthof Konos furtherdownat , which is a good place to see , which isagoodplacetosee Fissoa

(s incl3mealsK120) , inthegroundsof the Bol , about 120kmfrom Malagan art Malagan (s incl3mealsK100)

Libba

Dalom (Bol’s Guesthouse; isagood guesthouse h andstock village is . Aseri-

(New Ireland Tourist Bureau(New Ireland Tourist 7.45am-4pm) ,

Knowledgeable Robert ishappytoguide are tiptopandthemattresses are thick. a speckof dirttobefound.Thebathrooms fan-cooled roomsare simplebutthere’s not and Sandy,whowilladoptyou.Thefour K85/120) Guesthouse much more welcomingoptionis stretch. Meals are available forabout K30.A ata front. Thesixfustyroomswillsuffice bythewater- house station old German s K80-150,dK130-200) project. The from 6pmto10pm,despite thelocalhydro on apretty bay.You’llget electricityonly occupation. Nowit’sjustatransitpoint inthedaysof station German an important few stores was (butnobank).Namatanai Ireland; it has ahotel, supermarket anda This isthesecond-largest townonNew Sabbath). Adventists’ ing spot.TrynottoturnuponSaturday(the stream. Surfers take note: thisisagoodsurf- onagorgeousright beach byaturquoise and mosquitonets).Wefell forthesetting, four tidyrooms(thinkdecentmattresses ablution block(flush toilets,hooray!)and ontheeastcoast,itboastsamodernish stay ous contender forthetitleof bestplace to 5m (K45). 5pm 10am andarrive fromKavieng atabout PMVs forKavieng leave here at9amto THERE&AWAYGETTING Recommended forsolo women travellers. verdant propertyabout3kmfromthecentre. (from K40).Meals costfromK20.It’sina area, includingwaterfalls andWWIIrelics you tovarioussites worthyof interest inthe Namatanai and

Nusa IslandRetreat , aB&B-like venture runbyRobert

% ( % Namatanai Hotel 984 2441;www.newirelandtourism 984 3077;s/dwithoutbathroom is right onthesite of isright the

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lonelyplanet.com 984 2247;www ( % /fax 9843057; Boluminski Boluminski lonelyplanet.com Namatanai ( Namatanai opposite ) onthe eastcoast.From villages. the try andget in touch withlocalwomenin rice andsugar. Womentravellers should emergency suppliesof food,including about K15amealorsomefood. Bring Always leave agiftof aboutK40,plus alreadyman staying (which isunlikely). havewomen might troubleifthere’s a and youmaybeinvited although tostay, ditional ing elsewhere. Mostvillages have atra- rare that there shouldbenotroublestay- alongthiscoast,butvisitorsstay are so manage some river crossings. a4WDwon’t even 4WD. Inthewetseason of Kontuthatwillchallenge thetoughest withastretchroad isallunsealed eitherside Tembin. and boxed(see text, above ), especiallyinKontu ing traditionof Kontu andKonogogo(Kono)thefascinat- prime drawisitsancienttraditions;between accept, therewards are many.Theregion’s a few travel challenges. willing to Tothose regular publictransport,thewestcoastposes With itslimited infrastructure andlackof WEST COAST in in NewBritain the morning. K20) thencatch (K50)toKokopo aspeedboat (oftenthe night atthetruckdriver’s place, Stay destination andhasagoodguesthouse. on thewestcoast(K10).Kabanut isacommon to anyof anumberof villages nearUluputur truck fromthewaterfront intheafternoon and NewIreland. get FromNamatanai, a The maingateway tothewest coastis There are justafew ‘formal’placesto The beautiful,lonely,potholedwestcoast boatstravel Banana NewBritain between vessels isdecimatingthepopulationofsharks. sharksandtheirswillcomeonlytothem. and callerare connected. Sharkcallers‘own’certain the sharkintosomesubmission. whenthecallerbludgeons bitcomesnext Thebuoyancy eventually lessartful exhauststheshark. piece fitted toitcausedragand‘lift’inthewater asthesharkfightsandtries todive. The in thewater beguilesthe shark intoahandheldnoose. The noosehasapropeller-like wooden Aloop-shapedrattlemadeofcoconutshellssplashing ofsharkcallingispractised. ancient art Along thecoastofNewIreland, especiallythewestcoastbetweenKonogogoandKontu, CALLING SHARK Unfortunately these days, the brutal and unsustainable practice ofsharkfinningbycommercial thesedays,thebrutalandunsustainablepractice Unfortunately It’s believed thatthesharkwon’tcomeifcallerisimpure ordoesnotrespect theshark;shark boihaus NEWIRELAND ••WestCoast PROVINCE (basicallyaguesthouse) shark calling ispractised 3 meals K100) Catch a passenger orcargo apassenger Catch truckhead- Boluminski Hwy justafter Malom village. Wednesday or Saturday afternoon. ing acrossfromKavieng market ( p229 ) on atthe You canstay as wellsomebatcaves nearMongop. enormously cave, deep asyetunfathomed, There’sthat’s whyrainmagicispractised. an vegetables. There are no rivers; perhaps The 1200mplateau togrow iscoolenough a boattoNewBritain ( opposite ). the tourist bureau, p229 ). route from Kavieng (chances are slim;askat coast). YoumayfindaPMVthatpliesthis Fangalawa (west (eastcoast)andLamusmus alternative, shorter route fromKavieng via coming guesthouse. of Kontuat Fiveactually caught. orsokilometres north but you’llbepayingK45more ifashark is of sharkcallingcanbearranged forK45, Thefascinatingandancientartguesthouse. (charter K120)toreach youcanarrangeutility. Otherwise, aboat getmight luckyandcatch aliftwith4WD very here rough indryweather. even You (particularly theUngana).Theroadgets rivers; inthewettheycanbeimpassable to seek a view). ment (there are climbingpaths upifyouwish lage, underajungle-covered limestoneescarp- lucky. Furthernorthwestisfriendly (K10), andonto youcantake aPMVto Namatanai, LLT PLATEAU LELET There’s aroadleading upfromthe To reach KontuandTembin, there’s an MessiBetween andKontuthere are many From thewestcoast,it’spossibletocatch . Tembin Konogogo , you’llfindanotherwel- Puroro GuestHouse Kontu (Kono)ifyou’re , which hasa Messi Uluputur (s incl

237 vil-

ISLAND PROVINCES PROVINCES ISLAND ISLAND PROVINCES 2 hours). 2½ lages rides/charter (passenger ridesK50/500, can get toTatau from Konosoradjacentvil- meals available at as masterpieces. There’s lodgingandlarge works (located onTatau Island)are regarded Maris Memenga camefromTabar andtheir and EdwardSale,Leppan culture. Carvers untouched. almost are covered steamy jungleand are indense, Moresby). Feni, Tanga andGreen islands toPort toflystraight ple (thegoldseems gold minethatlookslike aMayan tem- but ratherimpractical to visit. will costK60.Thelocationsare alllovely, from PortMoresby. AboatfromNamatanai ular transport.AirNiuginifliesthere daily formal lodging,andLihirhastheonlyreg- to 50km offshore. Tanga, Green and Feni. Theyare only30km east coastof NewIreland – Tabar, Lihir, There are five the Islandgroupsstrungoff EASTERN ISLANDGROUPS recognisable. hardly isolated wilderness,chances are you’llbe in days(weeks?) After several Namatanai. western side,you’llfindtransportbackto it’seasyto time because get stranded. Rei, Siar,Maliom… plentyof You’llneed hamlets withsuch exoticnamesasSamo, Island’s southerntip.You’llcomeacross aroundthe andboatright ble towalk,canoe it’spossi- the unknown.FromNamatanai, proach. Prepare wellforafreestyle tripinto transport, thisarea toaDIYap- lendsitself us the picture. tious gatheringof comeacrossafrac- even knows, youmight that are stillunknowntoscience. Who orchids, frogs and,it’ssuspected, creatures rivers,leys, mighty ahuge numberof rare expedition. an and therefore visitswilloften prove tobe This area hasnoreal historyof tourism this istheholygrailinadventure travel. place of Tambuan culture. Forforeigners, The southern‘bulge’ of theIslandisbirth- THE SOUTH 238 Once youapproach Kabanut onthe Given thelackof infrastructure andpublic There are lakes, val- high-altitude deep Tabar of Islandisastronghold Malagan Lihir Islandhasanenormousopen-face Apart fromTabar, noneof hasany these AU RVNE • itr ••History MANUS PROVINCE Andi’s Guesthouse Tyrannosaurus Rex (r K50).

. Send . Send You missionaries landedawhilelater, though from which toinvade the Philippines. a huge andairstrip naval (atMomote) base later bytheAllieswhoconstructed evicted locals foundthem rather appetising. they founditharsh anddangerous, andthe fishing. kite fishing methodsincludedfish trapsand fromthenorth.Their Micronesian settlers Island are peopledbythedescendantsof The tinyWestern IslandsandWuvulu History find yourself in another century. a market boattooneof theislandsandyou’ll DIY opportunities.Take a short tripinlandor provinces. Ontheplusside,there are plentyof ture isnot as diverse asintheneighbouring considered less attractive andtheinfrastruc- ful marineenvironment,Manus Province is in-your-face attractions.Despite awonder- andNewIreland NewBritain boastmore der: a scattering of tinyislands,andit’snowon- Province, which consistsof Manus plus itself Very few travellers make ittoremote Manus MANUS PROVINCE Matangol live tothesouth, eastandnorth, Titan. Theydepend entirely onfishing. The west islandsand share acommonlanguage: to asTitans) occupy thesouthandsouth- lime forfruit and vegetables. have noarable land,andtheytradefish and in theWestern Islands.Theatoll-dwellers nantly Melanesian; Micronesiansdominate The peopleof Manus Province are predomi- Culture opportunities) fromNovember to March. December. There are cyclones(andsurfing through with driermonths fromSeptember a moderate 24°Cto30°C.It’sarainyplace are spent volcanoes. andM’Buke, Lou,Baluan islands, Rambutyo, caves inthecentralarea of theIsland.Other flooded caldera. There are large limestone isa coral formationswhileSouthwestBay ManusEastern andLosNegrosare uplifted Geography &Climate The Manus people(sometimes referred Manus Province’s dailytemperatures are The Japanese invadedin1942andwere colonistsarrivedGerman in1911and lonelyplanet.com some. canbeviewedintheLorengau Examples thepeopleofince, although BipiIslandstilldo gardeners and hunters. Usiai are inlandpeoplewhoare exclusively depending onfish andsomeagriculture. The Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels waves theislands. The tocatch allthrough River waterfall andswimminghole isinthe on the bridge ortake aboattoSalameiBeach slip. don’t ing thewar. Take atorch, dodge thebatsand is days, islocated here too. NearLoniuPassage duringAustralia’s‘Pacificessed Solution’ ers whowere arrivinginAustraliawere proc- refugee detention centre, where asylumseek- bythePNGNavy. TheformerAustralian use MacArthur’sGeneral headquarters isstillin gun asyouenter, androwsof oldhangers. base Lorengau, check outtheremains of the hospital. a SouthPacific,has aBank and apostoffice are preached toanenthusiasticcrowd.It weekends when‘baptismof fire’ sermons Harbour. Thisvery casualplacelivens upon only town,which isstretched alongSeeadler lots of crocodiles here too. persontant nailingdownatinroof! There are bizarre(frog) whose croaksoundslike adis- shell. Anotherlocalyou’llhearisa snailthathasavividgreenis avarietyof sea birdsarebird. These uniquetotheregion, as islands isthedistinctive callof the you’ll noticeaboutManus andLosNegros ture lovers willjubilate: oneof thefirst things www.divepngmanus.com. idea of whatyou’ve outon,logonto missed air fares don’thelp.Ifyouwanttohave an the numberof visitors hasdropped.Expensive dive downin2007.Sincethen, shopclosed environment isworld-class–butthelocal for keen divers formanyyears –themarine luckfor Bad Manus Island:itwasahotspot MANUS &LOSNEGROSISLANDS teeth were producedinthe Western Islands. council office. Spears decorated withshark’s Loniu Cave For daredevil The provincial capital, While divers maywhine,twitchers andna- You canswimwithkidsonbothsides of If youheadto Los NegrosIsland,eastof hasvirtuallydiedoutintheprov- Carving Rarah Island Rarah atLombrum.There’s afineanti-aircraft , 5kmupstream from town.

(admission K5) , about 2kmfromLorengau. A surfing , where peoplehiddur- fiends,there are wicked Lorengau MANUS PROVINCE •• Manus &LosNegrosIslands ••Manus MANUS PROVINCE , isthe chauca rokrok Lorengau Lorengau US air-

best-equipped venue intown.Allrooms a cosycommunallivingroomandan east of thebay,thisisasimplespot,with and Lombrum, butthat’s all.You’llhave in themorning. the boatsheadback fromthemarket late whenThe bestwayisto goasapassenger front (dailyhire excludingpetrolK100). You cancharter atthewater- speedboats Getting Around for more information on schedules. and Manus. Lae Askbetween atyourhotel on turn viaLae Monday (K681). Moresby from Manus IslandonFriday,re- returning onMonday(K488), fromManusto Lae IslandonWednesday, turning onWednesdayandFriday(K410), Manus IslandonSundayandMonday,re- Loniu Passage in between. thenarrow road.Abridge crosses sealed Lorengau, onManus Island,by30kmof Los NegrosIsland,islinked tothecapital Momote airport, 35kmeastof Lorengau, on Getting There&Away under the harbour. that Ronhauledupmanuallyfromdeep floats onacoupleof oldammunitionbarges is the evening it’s asolid option, it’sonthe pricey side. at10pm.Although able, andthebarcloses nut trees andlotsof flowers. Foodisavail- too,withitscoco- has anenchanting setting andMasterCardyou canpaybyVisa here. It andaveranda,have and afridge, phone,TV 9392; Teyota Pl;sK200,dK220-260; restaurant. onsite Lorengau Rd;s/dK100/120; kai If youwanttodineout,there are afew modest Sleeping &Eating dreams inthemainstores onthe main drag. basketware. Lookforthesouvenirs of your gets upto3.6mattimes,so take care. The merciless reef off runsfromNovemberbest season toMarch. You cancatch Lorengau PMVsbetween There’s boatoperating usuallyoneweekly Air Niugini in The placetoheadforachilled beer Harbourside Lorengau Lorengau isfamousforitshigh-quality Lorengau KohaiLodge Lorengau bars in town.

( % Ron Knight’sbar 470 9092)

Ahus Island ( a fliestoKavieng from Hotel % ) 470 9004;fax9263; Situated tothe (

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239 ISLAND PROVINCES PROVINCES ISLAND ISLAND PROVINCES up. Gone istherathersullen, oppressed atmos- explore. Once-forbidden routes are opening and mostoffighting theprovince issafe to returned tonormal.There isnolonger any infrastructure was devastated. ‘the Crisis’shattered allprogress andmuch mine made45%of PNG’sexportearnings.But 1972andits1989closure, thePanguna Between cation andthemostwell-rungovernment. had themostproductive economy,bestedu- rebellion,ous history.Untilthesecessionist it Bougainville. as whole NorthSolomonsregion isreferred to known as‘blackskins’or‘bukas’,andoften the black skin.AroundPNG,Bougainvilleansare culturally andethnically–bothhave jet- Solomons are very toBougainvilleans, close The Shortlandislanders andChoiseul inthe few kilometres southof Bougainville Island. justa thetwocountriespasses der between than theyare toPNG.Theinternational bor- are totheneighbouring SolomonIslands closer why:theNorthSolomons map, andyou’llsee memory.Lookata PNG mainlandisadistant atolls) feel different, andtheinfluenceof the (Buka, Bougainvilleandascattering of smaller islands that theNorthSolomons comprise province inthecountry.Inmanyways, Welcome towhatispossiblythemostspecial PROVINCE NORTH SOLOMONS dawn.com for more information. yourwayonwww.mvgolden Mouse-click on live-aboards fromWewak). (starting foreignrarely visitors, see barafew divers Ninigo Other islandsworthyof note are expeditionsinthe1970s.Ocean Search Cousteau Project whenheconducted several Island remote offshore islands,including Manus Province ahandfulof comprises very OTHER ISLANDS K30. cost ahead andget picked up.Airport transfers to hitch infromtheairport(easy)orbook 240 o Wewak. of After 10years of conflict, life haslargely This province isbestknownforitstumultu- Due totheirfar-flung spots location,these OT OOOS RVNE • itr SOLOMONS NORTH ••History PROVINCE , which wasmadefamousbyJean-Michel , about240kmtothenorth  Hermit northeast Wuvulu and made atPanguna andmore thanK400 group, a British possession, until 1898when group, aBritish possession, Buka were considered partof theSolomons trading inthelate 1890s.Bougainvilleand NewGuineaCompanybegan the German east coast in 1768. upthe Antoine deBougainvillewhosailed name fromFrench Louis- explorer Captain in1606, through butBougainvilleacquired its Bougainville atleast28,000 years ago. onThere’s thathumanssettled evidence History of adventure.adds tothesense Go now. country remains somethingof a‘secret’, which the better for you:thislessvisited partof the unlikely tocrosspaths withothertravellers. All activities (for now). little inthewayof infrastructure andorganised aking, bird-watching andfishing, butthere’s diving, surfing,trekking, caving, cycling,kay- destiny. There’s huge potential forecotourism, tocontrolitsown a specialautonomystatus withinPNG–ithasbrokeredand itsstatus natural resources, includinggoldandcocoa, for agreat regeneration, thankstoawealthof many islanders. Theprovince isnowpoised the civilwarstillloomslarge inthepsyche of phere years thatprevailed if ago, even several sands ofsands workers descended. andaportwerestation constructed, andthou- lary operations.A newtown,roads,apower million wasinvested inamineanditsancil- cliff. to theJapanese deadatopSohano Island’s the jungles.There’s amoving monument in andstarvation ing 37,000diedof disease have killedinaction andtheremain- been were taken prisoner;20,000are to thought Buin. Of80,000Japanese troopsonly23,000 forces were theirwaysouthtowards fighting captured theportof TorokinaandAustralian for groundtroops.In1943Americantroops the southerntipof Bougainville, wasabase andBuin,at airbase, became animportant of theIslanduntilendof thewar. Buka feating theAustraliansandholdingmost Guinea, atthestart of WWI. the NorthSolomons,withrest of New they were Australiaseized tradedtoGermany. In 1964amajor copperdiscovery was Spanish marinerLuisVaez deTorres passed Wherever yougoin thisprovince, you’re European settlements wereEuropean settlements as established The Japanese arrived in1942,swiftlyde- lonelyplanet.com lonelyplanet.com is generally low-lying,apart fromasouthern 300m wideandakilometre long.BukaIsland Island byBukaPassage, atidalchannel only from Bougainville coral.It’sseparated raised large swampsonits western edge. The Islandhasmanynaturalharbours, and the world’slargest at4.5millioncubicmetres. Cave isperhaps is adormantvolcano;Benua pointat2685m, theIsland’shighest Mt Balbi, frequentlytral spineandMtBagana erupts. Emperor andDeuroranges make upthecen- and covered injungle. TheCrownPrince, Bougainville isvolcanic,about 200kmlong Geography &Climate Buka Islandisformed almostentirely of (see p29 forthelatest developments). BRA, diedin2006. In mid-2004thefirstdivisionsoflocalpolicegraduated theirtraining. FrancisOna,leaderofthe 2003. Weaponswere surrendered amnestiesandpardonswere granted. totheUN,andcertain Bougainville state by2020.The PNGDefence Force(PNGDF)withdrew forthelasttimeinApril rangements containedinapeaceagreement, whichincludesareferendum foranindependent a peacefuloutcomeforBougainville. mercenaries –SouthAfricans mostly–weretofind This oflunacyhastened act deported. efforts rioting andlootinginthestreets withpeoplecallingforChantostanddown.Hedidandthe exposed andthere wasaninternational Moresby outcry.Daysofheavytension saw inPort minister JuliusChancontracted amercenarycompanytoputdowntherebels. The planwas innocentpeople.by raidingsuspected BRAbasesintheSolomonIslands,killing from thenearbySolomonIslandsandPNGarmy,inretaliation, causedinternational tension on17May.Bougainvilleslippedbackintoprimitivism.The BRAbroughtoverMeekamui supplies great hardshipfortheBougainvilleans. The BRAdeclared independence,forming theRepublicof thereof theconflict, were 60,000peopledisplaced. and murderfloodedoutofBougainville. The Panguna issuebecameacivilwar–attheheight control. Toensure thatthepeoplemoved, thearmyburnedtheirvillagesandstoriesaboutrape spread totherest oftheisland.Wholevillageswere moved into‘care centres’, areas outsideBRA to thePNGeconomy.Astate ofemergency wasdeclared, thePNGarmymoved inandtheconflict a religious cult. The BRA’snumberswere bolstered ofthecountryandeven bysympathisersfromotherparts mine. Relationsbetweenthelocalsandpolicesenttoprotect theminedeteriorated sharply. Revolutionary Army(BRA),anoffshoot ofthelandowners’association,begantosabotage and US$10 Ona. Itdemandedbetter environmentalprotection, hugeback-payments ofprofitsfromthemine Archipelago. In1974secessionistmovements sprangup. colonial control,climaxinginlanddisputes over theproposedPanguna mine. Solomonsbeganapushtobreak awayfromAustralianIn the1960sandearly1970s,North SECESSION, WAR&PEACE At the time of writing the situation had stabilised except in the ‘no-go zone’nearPangunaAt thetimeofwritingsituationhad stabilisedexceptinthe‘no-go In March2002PNGParliament passedlegislation togive legaleffect totheautonomyar- In February 1997the Sandline Affair hittheheadlines. Inahighlysecret operationthen–prime In 1990thePNGgovernment withdrew whichledto itsforcesandinstituted ablockade, Increasing resulted attacksonmineworkers inthemine’sclosure in1989–anenormousblow In 1987thePanguna LandownersAssociation wasformed,ledbyPepetua Sereo andFrancis Before PNGindependence,BougainvillepushedforanindependentgroupingoftheBismarck billion NORTH SOLOMONS NORTH &Climate ••Geography PROVINCE incompensation.These demandswere notmetandin1988the Bougainville vine. Theycanbe simpledrinkcoasters or our isachieved byscrapingtheskin off the from junglevine, andthevariationincol- where theyoriginated. Thebaskets are made all over thecountryexcepthere, itseems, Intricately woven Bukabaskets are made Culture May and October. The drierperiodonBukaIslandis between areas getting more than5mof annualrainfall. prone area of the country. 450,000 sqkmof It’sthemostearthquake- sea. hilly region. Another 166islandsspread over The province ishotand wet, withsome

241 ISLAND PROVINCES PROVINCES ISLAND ISLAND PROVINCES Beside the bank. tide is fast, making deep undulations onthe tide isfast, makingdeep The water runsatabout6knotswhen the rates BukaIslandfromBougainville Island. sage inBuka isthe A particularhighlight Post office Bank SouthPacific INFORMATION rily asapointof departure to Bougainville. prima- and cocoa;butfortravellers, itserves the mainwaterfront strip of Buka. are on,orjustoff, of theshopsandservices interested witha‘real’ intalking tourist.Most dering inthestreets, andpeopleare genuinely feels soexotictobetheonlyforeigner wan- atmosphere andchatting withthelocals.It worth spendingadayortwosoakingupthe aretourist sights it’s asscarcehen’steeth, many newbuildingsandresidents. Although during thewarandafterwards, andnowhas place butithasboomedinthelast15years, An ambitioustown, tobeatiny Buka used Buka and themaingateway to the islands. Buka isthecentre of activityintheprovince Tothesoutherntipofplantations. theIsland, Buka Islandismostlycovered withcopra in villages andgrow cash crops. Moststillliverights. inbush-material housing system of clanmembership andinheritance islands are Polynesian. people of Takuu (Mortlock)andNukumani guage butmostpeoplespeakEnglish well.The mainlan- Solomons; TokPisinisthesecond Island. Buka by theSiwaiandTelei peopleof southwest in thePacific. Theywere originallymade skilfully made,solidanddurable baskets giant laundrybaskets, andthey’re themost 242 Australia; it’sa lengthy process. lers chequesare difficulttochangeandinvolvescalling Has anATM (open6amto7pmdaily;Visa only).Travel- advances onyourVisacard;beprepared forlongqueues. Mon-Thu, Changescashandcando to4pmFri) BK ISLAND BUKA SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES North SolomonIslanders have amatrilineal There are 23languages intheNorth Buka remains portforcopra animportant , which refers tothechannel thatsepa- OT OOOS RVNE • uaIln SOLOMONS NORTH Island ••Buka PROVINCE ( % 973 9703; ( % 973 9752; h 8am-3pm Mon-Fri) 8am-3pm Mon-Fri) h 8.45am-3pm pas- the passage is abuzz with these smallcrafts the passageisabuzzwiththese worth the20-to30-minute boatridefrom lovely reefs andgorgeous beaches, are well Island boat fare toSohano Island is K2. tohavesaid magicalproperties.Thebanana- point andfigures inmanylocallegends. It’s just offshore fromSohano’s northernmost period buildings.Theweird Bougainville Island.There are somecolonial- panoramic viewsover town,thepassage and ment with lawnsandgardens,a from WWIIuntil1960.It’sabeautifulplace boat fromBuka. Itwastheprovincial capital accessible is spots are islands.Themosteasily on these of thepassage andbeyond.Goodswimming the idyllicislandsnearsouthernmouth (opposite Buka on Bougainville Island). thetownandKokopauvillageplying between gate neartheanimated Buka Passage boatscongre- isabuzz.Banana water’s surface. Ridinginabananaboat 1 3 2 BUKA PASSAGE Further south, You canalsotake aboatridetoexplore Sal Island White Island; Christmas Island; Madehas Island; To MadehasIslandResort; Sohano I and war relics, steep craggy cliffs and andwarrelics, cliffs steepcraggy Tchibo Rock , 10 Monument Japanese White Island White 9 7 4 Buka A 6 5 3 Sohano Island Taxis Water Hospital Market 1 and Airport (2km) 2 400m 0.2miles 0 0 Madehas Island Madehas To Hutjena Rabaul Shipping (StarShips) Agmark Shipping...... Kakema Bakery...... Destiny FastFood...... Lumankoa Guesthouse...... Kuri VillageResort...... Hani's Inn...... Post Office...... Bank SouthPacific...... i ign...... A1 Air Niugini...... TRANSPORT EATING SLEEPING INFORMATION Sal Island Buka I market B u k a P a s s a g e , afew minutes by Tchibo Rock Japanese monu- (

h , blessed with , blessed To Arawa(120km); B lonelyplanet.com , Bougainville Tue-Sat) Christmas Christmas Buin (195km) 8 Kokopau 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 stands stands and A2 B2 A1 A2 A1 A2 A1 A1 A1 the cheapest accommodationintown.Bring butit’s happens atthisweatherboardhouse, Buka Passage; youcouldwindup lostatsea below). (see can bearranged withKuriVillage Resort permission first fromthelocals.Toursseek Buka (fromK10).Ifyouwanttosnorkel, Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels in thetourist potential of Bougainville, this Island) Credit cards are accepted. a widedeckoverlooking theBukapassage. tered inthegarden;orbar-restaurant with freestanding, bamboo-stylebungalowsscat- are better, especiallyrooms318to323);the at thebackof theproperty(upstairs rooms rooms occupyingarenovated warehouse is thebigger drawcard: theclean-smelling boxed(see text, p241 what ). It’shardtosay were signed intherestaurant after ‘theCrisis’ onciliation agreements rivalfactions between of aninstitutionintheprovince. Many rec- andit’ssomething ‘upscale’ asthisIslandgoes alocalpolitician,thisresortLaurens, isas sK198-242,dK237-249; 973 9161;Buka; if youasknicely(K20 per hour). there’s a5% commission. Internet isavailable meals.Creditseafood cardsare accepted but bathrooms. Ifyouask,canget fresh ing abarandrestaurant, andfunctional it’s asafe-bet pad,withgoodfacilities,includ- walls, linofloors andaverage beds.Otherwise candy, withitty-bitty rooms,joylessgreyish Inside,it’smuching adoll’shouse. lesseye façade gives theimpression thatyou’re enter- book byitscover. Theappealingturquoise s/dK154/176; .com.pg; Buka; served the appallingsandwiches at lunch. breathe easier. are Bathrooms shared. Beware there’s an agreeable gardenwhere youcan tofrustrate cramped enough asardine. Luckily, a straightjacket: thebare-bones roomsare sincl3mealsK120-170) 973 9806;Buka; transfers. airport ness workers andNGOs. Pricesinclude about. Thehotel clientele ismostlybusi- Buka’s lodgingoptionsare nothingtocrow SLEEPING &EATING the surfaceis pretty intense. ofbecause thecurrent, on andtheboattraffic A wordof warning:avoid snorkelling in Madehas IslandResort Madehas Resort Village Kuri Lumankoa Guesthouse Hani’s Inn Providing that localsbelieve evidence

( % 973 9930,9066;hanisinn@daltron

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( 973 9155,9151;fax % 973 9779,9097;fax 973 9063;Madehas ) Nothingfancy Don’t judge a a ) Runby NORTH SOLOMONS NORTH ••Bougainville PROVINCE popular institutiondishes upavarietyof pography is grandiose, with thickforests,pography isgrandiose, green, Theto- rugged andlittle-developed. is its volcanic landscape. Now themostturbulent aspectof theIsland (whenwevisited, atleast). at DaytonaBeach thanspring breakality isalottamer parties worry linesonloved ones’faces,butthere- The name‘ putafewBougainville’ might (no services on Sunday). thevehiclesthough leave at11amornoon by9am,even passage andthenbookaseat K60. Youhave togoKokopauacrossthe Buin, K100),five hours away,forasteep road of BougainvilletoArawa(andon ferryTroop Carriers, peopledownthecoast Buka Passage area (K1).PMVs,Landcruiser ratic; check while you’re there. ( by isalsoserviced Rabaul (K130toK250). toRabaul onceaweek sails K837. Moresby full fares K390andPort includeRabaul One-way fourtimesaweek. in viaRabaul Air Niugini THERE&AROUND GETTING fresh bread andbelt-busting cakes. 4pm Sat,2-7pmSun) stews. well-prepared Sat) space. this ing, diving,snorkelling andfishing. Watch activities willbeavailable, includingsurf- by anexpansive lagoon.Awiderange of trees andright (it’sacopraplantation) the location,undercanopyof coconut of prices.It’shardnottobe charmed by friends andbackpackers, withawiderange central conceptisaimedatsurfies,couples, ising (50roomsare planned).Theresort’s one bungalowcompleted, itlooked prom- a buildingsite whenwevisited, withonly life (andcomfort)intothehotel scene. Still credit forbreathing much-neededdeserves few decadesago. Duetoopenin2008,it inherean Australianfamilythatsettled a resort bytheMacNabs, developed hasbeen BOUGAINVILLE % Bougainville Island isthemainIsland: areWater taxis thewaytoget aroundthe Shipping Rabaul Bakery Kakema Destiny Fast Food Ifyou’re lookingforaquickbite, this 973 9654;Kokopau)

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(Buka; mainsK7; (Buka; buttheschedule iser- h h 8am-4pm Mon-Fri) 8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 6am- 8am-8pm Mon-Fri, % Agmark Shipping Agmark 982 1070; Rabaul) 982 1070;Rabaul) h lunch Mon- flies 243

ISLAND PROVINCES PROVINCES ISLAND ISLAND PROVINCES Mt Balbi, you can see theactive MtBagana youcansee Mt Balbi, (count onathree-day minimum).From the IslandtoTorokina, onthewestcoast follow theNooma Noomatrackthatcrosses range athree-day trek to guesthouse (see p243 ). one-hour drive tothesouth? There’s afriendly Why notpullover inpicturesque tohavenities where timeseems stoodstill. south andtraverse commu- coastal several way of organised activities;it’s DIY travel. for small-scaletourism,butstillnothinginthe much tothemselves. There’s huge potential For now,visitors canhave theIslandpretty banks of cloudaddatouch of thebizarre. Moremountains. often thannot,swirling impenetrable valleysthatslithers intothe lagoons, plungingwaterfalls, giantcaves and tumbling rivers,towering volcanoes, azure 244 Starting from Starting A good base, A goodbase, we needtime! extend theairstripsothatwecouldgetinternational flightsfromneighbouringcountries. But Islands. Inthisrespect, weneedtohave aproperborderpostatBuin.Andmaybewecould intheSolomon inBougainville,andlinkitbetter within PNGthatwouldtake totheShortlands as community-basedguesthousesontheisland.Wealsoaimtocreate aconsistent travel route capacity, withafew well,smallunits,suchasecolodges,well coastalandmountainresorts, What are theplansforfuture? living withthecommunity. culture. Travellers canexperienceareal experiencestayinginvillagesand off-the-beaten-track exceptional. Picnic tripsonoffshore islandscanalsobearranged.And,ofcourse,there’s the anddiving. snorkelling Ourreefsincluding kayaking, are absolutely pristineandmarinelife is as isMtBagana,anactive volcano. There’s alsofantasticpotential forwater-based activities, have are optionsacrosstheisland.MtBalbiandLake superbtrekking definite must-sees, What are theisland’smaindrawcards? been suchalongtimesincereal touristslastvisited theisland. Bougainvilleans are very friendlyandhospitable. Andtheyare surprisedtoseeforeigners forit’s press theirfeelings. Manypeopleare stilltraumatised.Despite thesadtimestheywentthrough, you;theyjustneedsometimeandconfidencetoex-lot, butthatdoesn’tmeantheydon’tlike Are travellers madetofeel welcome? on this. Travellers caneasilycheckoutthesituationwhentheyarrive inBuka. longer aconcern,exceptresidual andoccasionalroadblocktothesouth,butwe’re working Is itsafe totravel around Bougainville? current situationandthefuture ofthisisland? dustbin. Whobetter than49-year-old Moses,anex-teacher onBougainville,totell usaboutthe Bougainville ishell-bentonconsigningitsassociationwithcivilwarandinsecuritytohistory’s TOURISM BOARD VOICES: MOSES KOLIWAN,CURRENTCHAIRMAN OFBOUGAINVILLEINTERIM OT OOOS RVNE • ogivle SOLOMONS NORTH ••Bougainville PROVINCE Wakunai Kokopau iswhere youcanar- Mt Balbi , you’llheaddue (2685m),or

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Bougainville isnowopenedupfortravel. Safety isno There’s alottoseeanddo,butnobodyknows. We , a ally contiguous.Both were severely damaged on Arawa Bay, theportto which the copper on Arawa Bay, Four kilometres northwest of Arawais Whole neighbourhoods have abandoned. been boxedduring theconflict (see text, p241 ). you’ll reach ation isfullystabilised. tuned. Stay are of talks re-opening themineoncesitu- Panguna boxed in1964(see text, p241 ). There of theopen-cutmine. Copperwasdiscovered at Bougainville CopperLimited wastheoperator is oneof theworld’slargest artificialholes. of theIsland,dormantmineof Panguna limits atthetimeof inthecentre writing).High access tothe‘no-go zone’and ofcatch a glimpse theroadblockthatblocks the infamous information is Suzie Akoitai. (1730m). InWakunai,yourbestsourceof About 10kmsouthof Morgan Junction, Continuing furthersouth,you’lldrive past Arawa Morgan Junction Morgan and Kieta , which are virtu- , where you can lonelyplanet.com Panguna (stilloff- Loloho

area’s most historicallyinteresting wreck. to aprosperouspast.Somepeoplestillconjure and theworkers’ quarters, stillvisible,testify feel of inArawa. The oldbuildings nostalgia many of themineworkers. There’s apalpable the site of andhometo thepowerstation concentrate waspipeddownfromPanguna, Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels the above - ‘Do the right thingwithourcontent.’ the above -‘Dotheright theterms and conditionsonoursiteforalonger wayofsaying youknow,orresell it.See everyone site,mass emailitto only. Inotherwords, pleasedon’tuploadthischapterto apeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseitforpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasier foryoutouse,accessthischapterisnotdigitally Tomake to fore Buin.FromBuinit’saskipandhop road. It’ssignposted, nearAku,24kmbe- jungle afew kilometres thePanguna off The wreckage of thebomberstillliesin US fighters were waitingforhimnearBuin. protective notrealising groupof that Zeros, Bomber’on18April1943witha a ‘Betty onPearlthe attack Harbour, in leftRabaul Admiral IsorokuYamamoto, whoplanned area calledLittleTokyo. tle ahuge numberof civilianJapanese atan rusting relics. TheJapanese hadplanstoreset- Japanese andthearea armybase hasmany conflict. DuringWWII,Buinhosted alarge damage andArawaduringthe thanKieta feels like theendof theline. Itsuffered less Buka. in Island. Monitorthenewswhenyou arrive be nomore checkpoints orroadblocksonthe and bythetimeyouread this,there should ‘checkpoint’ isapparently very occasional, Don’tpanic:thiswhatever moneytheyneed. times turnforeigners backoraskthemfor them Army (BRA)diehards (localsprefer tocall led byso-calledBougainvilleRevolutionary we visited, duetotheoddcheckpoint control- hours byvehicle) wasstillabittrickywhen richest town in PNG’. up thisgloriouspast,‘whenArawawasthe About 260kmsouthof Buka, The Arawa Kangu Beach Kangu Admiral Yamamoto’s aircraft wreck Admiral Yamamoto’s wreck aircraft raskols ) southof Aropa. Theysome- , theobviouslaunching padto  Buin section (about threeBuin section NORTH SOLOMONS NORTH ••Bougainville PROVINCE Buin isthe really  Buin to nine hours). Arawa (five hours) andK100toBuin(eight overnightto stay inArawa).ItcostsK60to haveKokopau andBuinviaArawa(youmight back toBukaifyou fly out. rains; take thisintoconsideration onyourway fora fewpassable hours, days,after even heavy beim- of might several them.Somesections of therivers are bridged andtheroadfords the south.It’singoodconditionbutnotall andontoBuin coast toArawaandKieta, one maingravel road,runningdowntheeast Bougainville IslandisbyPMV. There’s only The mostconvenient waytoget around Getting There&Around ing Kepa Guest House. on request (K18)butnoalcohol is served. 10pm. Good,copiousmealscanbeprepared ity runsfrom8amto2pmand5pm arebeds. Bathrooms shared, andelectric- reflected initstidyroomsandcrisplydressed women travellers) andvery wellmaintained, recharge thebatteries. It’ssafe forsolo (even Arawa; sincl2mealsK100-110) Lake. Crater andcanarrangetains, ahike toNamatoa inNamatoa,wayupthemoun- based Paul istheleaderof theSinamocommunity go outof theirwaytomake youfeel athome. screens), butGladysandPaul, yourhosts,will bathrooms, nomosquitonetsbutwindow are (nofan,noelectricity,shared rudimentary Taga GuestHaus Sleeping &Eating boxed text, p314 ). the Shortlands intheSolomonIslands(see Regular PMVsplytheroute between Arawa Women’sTrainingCentre Buin hasafew includ- basicplacestostay,

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245 ISLAND PROVINCES PROVINCES ISLAND