| Products
/ Liveaboards
/ PNG
/ Star Dancer
SPECIAL
NEW BRITAIN EXCURSIONS
Star Dancer is offering exciting 10 night itineraries out
of Rabaul that will be visiting the remote south coast of
New Britain. Most of these trips will be skippered by the
mercurial Alan Raabe who knows the waters in this area of
PNG better then anyone. Divers looking for a destination
in the South Pacific that is warm and dry during the first
3 months of the year should seriously consider this option.
Normally, the monsoon season on the island of New Britain
occurs throughout the northern & central regions during
the months of January, February and March each year. However,
the unique mountain ranges that traverse the island are
high enough to protect the south coast from this monsoonal
activity, so this is the time that the south coast enjoys
its dry season!
Due to its inaccessibility by road and its lack of any significant
areas of settlement this truly is an area that time forgot.
Along this coastline you can enjoy beautiful clear rivers,
waterfalls flowing out from the mountain sides, and diving
in crystal blue sink holes.
 Amongst
the highlights of this barely explored area is Lindenhaven
- an island-studded lagoon close to the mainland. It lies
straight off the Solomon Trench in the Solomon Sea, which
happens to be the third deepest part of the world's oceans.
On previous trips, creatures such as the Purple leaf-fish,
Halamina ghost pipefish, winged pipefish, flying gurnards
and countless nudibranch were spotted.
Lindenhaven had been home to a Japanese floatplane base
station during the war and there is plenty of wreckage on
view - one plane is intact, upside down and in 60ft of water
and equipped with two bombs which, unbelievably, are still
in their racks.
At
Waterfall Bay, some 75 miles back towards Rabaul and along
a fresh water river lies the Blue Hole. This is a magnificent
place. With its crystal blue hole lying at 180ft, the depth
and clarity of the blue is almost indescribable. This is
best dived in the morning as the sun comes up so that when
you look up towards the surface at about 100ft you see the
dense jungle as if it's only a few feet above you.
The best thing about this trip is that it leaves Rabaul
and returns to Rabaul, volcanoes and all. If you're an underwater
photographer wondering whether to bring wide or macro lenses
with you then bring them all...you'll need them !
So, if you like marine diversity and you're after something
different then you won't be disappointed with South New
Britain.
|
Independent
