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# Kavieng New Ireland Province (trip report) Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Papua New Guinea
jonno1985 10:11 UTC 02 Oct 2008 | Hi all, Again particularly those who gave me advice prior to my trip, couldn't have done it without you. I'll try and keep this brief and informative but there is just so much to say and not nearly enough time to write it all here. We arrived in Kavieng on the 19th of August and left on the 25th of September. We were there for equal parts education and fun, worked in Kavieng General Hospital as a final year aussie medical student plus learnt to scuba dive and visited Lavongai Mission and Namatanai while spending too much time at Nusa Island Retreat. Our accommodation was at Peter Torot Conference Center. We stayed there primarily because it was CHEAP! We played 25kina each/night/twin share for a large upstairs room. That includes a long-stay discount, official price for that room is approx 40kina/night/each/twin share. There were cooking facilities (including fridge space) although they can cook the basics for you if you like and a shared bathroom that was pretty clean most of the time (wear thongs). Not many tourists stay here, although not many tourists visit Kavieng full stop. We became a real part of the community, invited to going away dinners and school concerts (utu high school) and close friends with the manager's family. ASK for room 33. If I was a visitor for a short time with a bit of cash i'd stay at Nusa Island Retreat. We spent many an afternoon there lazing in the hammock, playing volleyball or tabletennis or sitting at the bar. The rooms are amazing (over the water), the food is great, the bar is good and Shaun and Shannon (owners) are awesome people. We bought a dug-out outrigger canoe for 100kina and would paddle it across from Kavieng to Nusa most days in the week. The other great plus is just that, it's really close to Kavieng if you want to visit the market although the town doesnt really have much else. The only good reefs for snorkelling really require a short boat trip or to hire a canoe and paddle to them round the island. Malagan resort was pretty uninspiring but if you need to stay in town then it might be worth it... no scrap that just catch the banana boat from Nusa everyday. Food was also really expensive there. Cant speak for the Kavieng Club or Hotel but they didnt look nearly as nice as Nusa. Lissenung is supposed to very picturesque but its a lot further than Nusa from Kavieng. Activity wise, Scuba diving with Scuba Venture's was amazing! I had never dived before though so my opinion on the reefs/wrecks is always going to be INCREDIBLE! The best testimony is that from other divers I dived with and they said it was the BEST they'd ever dived on. Visited Lavongai Mission for a weekend and that was great. Despite what lonely planet says there is a guesthouse. Run by the health centre. Bernard Jonsill will take you up to a nice waterfall and his village. Here we were really of the beaten path, given the reaction of the local crew I don't think tourists visited much! Visited Namatanai Rural Hospital for a weekend as well. Can't speak much for the town but DONT GET SICK and end up there. Halis springs, a local spring near the beach was good for a swim in the cool fresh water. Other than that New Ireland was simply awesome. One last thing if you visit the master carver Ben Sissia in Libba village it's a great experience. Lonely Planet has got it wrong though, most carvings sell for 300kina plus not 100kina. They're quite big but you can get them home to australia via an x-ray session for 60AUD. Well worth it. I could talk all day about PNG health and the disaster that is facing healthcare in that country but some facts. 6% HIV Prevalence rate (overwhelming majority in 16-24yrs age group) 770/10'000 births maternal mortality 25% Infant mortality (birth-18yrs) 61% illiteracy rate 8 doctors for all New Ireland Province (paid approx 60'000kina/year max, very very little) Cheers, Jon Edited by: jonno1985 |
surfsmith 14:00 UTC 02 Oct 2008 | Hey Jon, Did you notice any waves on the reefs or talk to any surfers in and around Kavieng . I understand that Nusa Island Retreat might cater well for visiting surfers. Andrew | 1
jonno1985 10:37 UTC 03 Oct 2008 | Gday Andrew, Unfortunatly I wasn't there in surf season. Wish I had of been although I might of lost a bit of skin on the reefs, not being as good a surfer as I would like. By all accounts the surf is awesome out there and very uncrowded i'm assuming you know about the 'surf management plan' in effect in New Ireland Province. Shaun at Nusa is a mad keen surfer, I get the feeling the Resort is just so he can access the reefs. They organise transfers by boat, most breaks are a short boat trip away and not really accessible any other way. You can also charter the Tiki Turtle which is a 10m crusing catamaran that lives next door and is operated by Danni (another great person) and her husband. The other option is PNG Surfari's run by Jude and her husband. They also do charters. In short get out there, you'll love it. Next time i'm there it'll be surf season. Jon Some links, http://www.pngsurfaris.com/index.php http://www.nusaislandretreat.com.pg/activities.htm http://www.adventuresinparadise.com.pg/ http://www.surfingpapuanewguinea.org.pg/picture_gallery.htm | 2
klcooney 09:10 UTC 22 Apr 2009 | Hey Jon, Your report makes brilliant reading and some sore facts highlighted too... We're intending on travelling round PNG for a month in june-july.. thinking Mt Wilhelm a must...stop at Madang and then to the islands. It sounded like you had a great time at Kavieng with brilliant diving..was the snorkelling just as good after your paddle out there? not sure if Nusa Island Resort will fit into the budget but definitely a consideration and Peter Torot centre sounds up our path. Set on buying a master carving piece..how do you go about doing the x-ray as we fly back into Sydney? or may ship it back to the UK but always a fear.. Any other tips would be real appreciated. thanks loads K | 3
michelle10 02:37 UTC 18 Oct 2009 | Hi Jon, Thanks for your post on New Ireland, I enjoyed reading it. I have spent some time in PNG, mainly in a hospital. I would just like to correct a few of your health facts: HIV prevalence is not 6%, it's 2% Infant mortality rate refers to children dying before the age of 1 year ( not 18yrs) and it is 64 / 1000 live births. Maternal mortality rate in PNG is hotly debated, it is estimated to be in the 700s, but it's per 100,000 not per 10,000. These health facts still represent the worst health in the Pacific. I don't mean to be rude at all, I just couldn't let such grossly incorrect 'facts' stand. Regards Michelle | 4