TRAVELLER TRAVELLER OUR REGION OUR COUNTRY, OUR REGION, OUR WORLD Step from the door, let the creek current carry you Surfers’ out to the break, and then surf until dusk. paradise Robert Upe, Craig Tansley and John Borthwick track down some great places to surf in PNG and the Pacific. SWILLY CLUB, SURF POHNPEI SOLOMONS, TOURISM FIJI, TOURISM PICTURES: CHRIS PEEL, SAPNG, JOHN BORTHWICK, PNG JAPAN TRAVEL, Charging... a surfer catches a right hander at Ulingan Bay, opposite Tupira Surf Club, in Madang Province (above); beachfront huts at Vanimo (right). NUSA ISLAND sleeping up to six. The best are during World War 2). Kayaking, such an event can be staged here HOW TO GET THERE achieves those numbers. There overwater and include verandahs fishing and diving are also on is testimony to the consistency Air Niugini flies from Port Moresby is an adjoining shower and toilet RETREAT, PNG with hammocks and en suites. the cards. and quality of the waves. There to Madang. It’s a two-hour block, as well as a bar and eating WHAT’S THE SURF LIKE? There are also beach bungalows, are nine reef breaks in the area, 180-kilometre road trip north from area with a table-tennis table There’s boat access to several HOW TO GET THERE with a mix of en suites and shared including a right-hand point break. Madang to Tupira Surf Club. – RU and hammocks. Hire boards are nearby reef breaks, which typically Air Niugini flies from Port Moresby bathrooms. Dinner and drinks available. The food is fresh and break at 3–5 feet, sometimes up to Kavieng. Nusa Island Retreat STAYING THERE are in an open-plan restaurant/ local, whether it’s from the sea to 6–8 feet. Surfer numbers are picks surfers up at the airport for Tupira Surf Club (tupira.com) offers VANIMO SURF bar with a sand floor. The evening or land. capped and most likely you’ll be a short road and boat transfer to back-to-basics accommodation in LODGE, PNG buffet includes fresh seafood – surfing with just five or six others. the island. – RU a guesthouse that sleeps 12, six WHAT’S THE SURF LIKE? WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO? outstanding every night during our As for all of PNG, the best surf is twin rooms and a two-bedroom PNG’s far north is blessed with Waterfall bushwalks, village tours visit. from November to April. TUPIRA SURF bungalow. Fresh and organic food uncrowded waves. There are at and beach or boat fishing are WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO? is on the menu. least eight reef breaks and two available. STAYING THERE CLUB, PNG beach breaks close to Vanimo (and The retreat shares the island with WHAT’S THE SURF LIKE? swells originate from Philippine STAYING THERE Nusa Island Retreat WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO? many more a bit further away). HOW TO GET THERE a village, where you’re welcome to PNG’S inaugural international monsoons and North Pacific Vanimo Surf Lodge (nusaislandretreat.com) is on a Go fishing, catch prawns at night, All levels can find a wave here, Air Niugini flies from Port Moresby mingle or buy handicrafts. There’s surfing event – a round of the 2017 storms and range in size from 2–10 (vanimosurflodge.com) has small island across the harbour hang out with the locals or go bird whether it’s easy Town Beach or to Vanimo. Vanimo Surf Lodge a beautiful beach for swimming World Longboard Championship feet. There are plans for a round of traditional beachfront huts from Kavieng. The laidback retreat watching to see PNG’s famed Lido Point, a right-hander that can provides airport transfers. – RU opposite the restaurant, or snorkel – was conducted at Ulingan Bay, the WSL longboard championship facing Lido Point. The lodge has has 11 traditional bungalows, some bird of paradise. peel for 150 metres. Seasonal over wrecks (some of them sunk opposite Tupira Surf Club. That to be held at Vanimo this year. capacity for 16 guests but rarely 32 Paradise – Air Niugini’s in-flight magazine January – February 2019 33 TRAVELLER OUR REGION Surfers’ paradise PAPATURA, At anchor ... the PNG Explorer in quiet waters; Fatboys in the Solomon Islands (below). SOLOMON ISLANDS WHAT’S THE SURF LIKE? Papatura Island Retreat is on the shore of a pristine, out-of-the-way, jungle-lined bay. Access to nearby empty reef breaks is by boat with a guide/driver. Some of the breaks are within 10 minutes and include Anchovies, a right-hander that can barrel, and Zoli’s, a fun left-hander. Papatura waves are usually in the range of 3–6 feet and are best surfed from November to April. STAYING THERE Papatura (papatura.com) has a casual barefoot vibe with traditional-style basic huts. Some DALOM, PNG HOW TO GET THERE WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO? are on the water’s edge and Air Niugini flies from Port Fish in waters that have hardly others are scattered in the jungle, WHAT’S THE SURF LIKE? connected by boardwalks. Life here The wave at Dalom is an easy Moresby to Kavieng. Dalom is 170 been touched by commercial kilometres south of Kavieng on the fishing. Marlin jump as you troll; revolves around the open-sided beach break. Beside a creek and dining/kitchen hut, where three surrounded by jungle, a little Boluminski Highway, so arrange if you can’t catch a 10-kilogram a transfer when booking your plus game fish, throw your rod meals (including crab and crayfish) guesthouse sits right on a white- are served daily at shared tables. sand beach. Step from the door, accommodation. The highway runs away. You can also snorkel, visit let the creek current carry you the length of New Ireland Island, out to the break, and then surf tracking beside the sea – perfect until dusk. You can explore in both for surf checks as you drive. – JB directions along the coast for more challenging waves, such as further PNG EXPLORER south at Rubio Plantation Retreat WHAT’S THE SURF LIKE? (newirelandsurf.com). You’ll be accessing deserted breaks by small ship along the New STAYING THERE Hanover and New Ireland coastline Dalom Village Guesthouse in the Bismarck Archipelago. (villagehuts.com) has six basic Surfers have a choice of breaks – rooms and several bungalows. some, like The Slab (shallow right- The meals are filling but simple, hander) are for experts, but mostly mainly fish, rice and vegetables; these are waves for intermediates. bring a few chocolate bars and other treats, if so inclined. The STAYING THERE traditional villages and dive World There’s also a bar, where everyone villagers are very friendly but, this While the cabins are fairly simple War 2 wrecks (Japanese and gathers after the day’s surfing being a traditional rural culture, and functional, there’s nothing American planes). to swap stories. Longboards and don’t expect nightlife. downgrade about staying on the shortboards are available free if PNG Explorer (pngsurfaris.com) – HOW TO GET THERE you don’t bring your own. WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO? there’s even an espresso machine Air Niugini flies from Port Moresby Other activities include beach on board serving fresh-ground to Kavieng, where the PNG WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO? fishing, trekking and cycling. PNG coffee. Passengers gather for Explorer is based. The good folk Fishing, snorkelling and village communal seafood dinners on deck, from the PNG Explorer will pick you visits are available. and beers are served cold at sunset. up at the airport. – CT 34 Paradise – Air Niugini’s in-flight magazine TRAVELLER OUR REGION TRAVELLER OUR REGION Surfers’ paradise Surfers’ paradise HOW TO GET THERE STAYING THERE HOW TO GET THERE STAYING THERE Air Niugini flies from Port Moresby Fatboys Resort (solomonislands Air Niugini flies from Port Moresby It’s a 15-minute boat ride from the to Honiara five times weekly. From fatboys.com.au) consists of to Honiara. From Honiara, connect Pohnpei Surf Club (pohnpeisurfclub. Honiara, connect with Solomon comfortable en suite bungalows with Solomon Airlines for a one- com) to P-Pass. There are eight Airlines for a 60-minute flight to along the water’s edge, and an hour flight to Gizo and an eight- lagoon-front rooms (motel style) at Santa Isabel Island in a Twin Otter overwater restaurant/bar accessed minute boat journey to Fatboys. the club, with mod cons like AC, TV that lands on a grass strip, followed along a jetty. The food is simple and – RU and Wi-Fi. The bar and restaurant, by a short boat ride. – RU excellent. You can eat crayfish every renowned for its sushi, are where day without going broke. There’s a PALIKIR PASS, you want to hang out. snooker table in the bar and plenty FATBOYS, MICRONESIA WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO? of lounges where you can catch the SOLOMON ISLANDS WHAT’S THE SURF LIKE? Pohnpei is blessed with waterfalls, sea breeze with a gin and tonic. WHAT’S THE SURF LIKE? Palikir Pass (P-Pass) has a many easily accessible. It is also The Fatboys resort is near Gizo, WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO? fearsome reputation, and it’s true the site of the ancient stone ruins with several reef breaks accessed Swimming, snorkelling and fishing that pro surfers from around the of Nan Madol. Diving and war by boat. Two of the major breaks are available. Kennedy Island is a world suddenly show up when history are also on the agenda. are Paelonghi, a fast right-hander, small and uninhabited island you forecasts indicate a big swell.