THE ISLAND LIFE
06 Jan 2018
Papua New Guinea is the perfect destination for those seeking sun, relaxation, pampering or a spot of history.
P&O Cruises introduced its Papua New Guinea itinerary four years ago, and this special cruise now departs from Brisbane, Sydney and Cairns. Leaving from Cairns is smooth sailing. We wave a big goodbye to the mountains of the Great Dividing Range behind the sun-drenched city as we head into the Coral Sea.
There’s time before dinner to explore the Pacific Eden; with many of the public areas recently refurbished, the ship has a buzzy, modern ambience. It’s towards the end of the season in November and the ship is full of excited cruisers, some new to the game and others seasoned and ship shape.
A warm welcome
Our first stop is Alotau, capital of the Milne Bay Province, where echoes of World War II can be heard. The Battle of Milne Bay took place here in 1942 and is one of the nostalgic stops along the way on the local war history tours. Over breakfast we marvel at the beauty of the sheer-walled cliffs that are close to the ship. The bay is so deep we can anchor a stone’s throw (almost) to the shore. We are taken ashore to an open field on the bay, where we are greeted by a sing-sing – a traditional gathering aimed at sharing culture through song, music and dance. This excursion isn’t organised from the ship; it is just a sincere welcome from the locals.
After a couple of (hot) hours, it’s back to the ship to cool off. In the evening there’s a choice of two specialty restaurants that are free: Dragon Lady for fine Pan- Asian food and Angelo’s for frisky Italian fare (book early as they fill up fast). We decide on Dragon Lady and it’s full of tasty, spicy surprises.
Island hopping
Next stop as we sail through silky smooth waters is Kitava, a wee island off the side of the larger Trobriand Island of Kiriwana. We are greeted by shy, smiling islanders and are directed to the village where mats are laid out with local baskets, wares and trinkets. Interestingly, it’s the men doing the selling.
There is a woman cooking outside in a makeshift kitchen and boiling up fat and succulent crab. The queue is long! While some of us gorge on crab, others enjoy a wild ride on a bamboo raft to a tiny island just offshore. The ride costs $AU2.50 and the participants say it’s worth every kina (the local currency).
Next stop is in the Conflict Islands. We pay for a walking tour of the island to see the dense and lush gardens. But after landing and spying brilliant white sand and crystal clear water, we decide to walk through the gardens to the beach on the north side of the island – an exquisite spot that everyone else had also discovered! There is a little bar set up for cold drinks and hot snacks. Cold beer, hot, salty chips and a gentle breeze coming off the sea – not too shabby at all.
As we reluctantly walk along the pier to pick up a tender, we see children paddling small, simple bamboo canoes in the cove and singing. It feels like a warm and sincere farewell.
TRAVEL TIPS
• Take extra kina with you. Visitors often pay for goods in Aussie dollars, but it’s hard for locals to exchange the money and they often get ripped off. If someone sidles up to you and whispers ‘you have Kina?’, it’s okay to swap money.
• Take some pens and notebooks with you for the kids. The schools are not flash and this is a simple gift that will make a difference. Contact your travel agent for sailing dates and times for cruising to Papua New Guinea.
Visit: www.pocruises.com.au
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