Destinations / Papua New Guinea / Kavieng-New Ireland

Kavieng is the ideal base for a PNG diving adventure. Situated only one degree south of the equator, this is the South Sea!

It is the unique location of the tiny little islands between the open South Pacific Ocean and the Bismarck Sea that has created an underwater wonderland.

The change of tides produces some strong currents which flush clear waters from the deep sea over the abundant reefs and through tiny passages. It is during those currents that the pelagic action is happening. Divers should be more experienced in general and like to dive in currents in order to do and enjoy those exciting dives.

You should give yourself 5 to 10 days to discover everything Kavieng has to offer. Whenever we go to Kavieng, we spend at least 5 days at Lissenung Island resort, which we highly recommend.

Diving here is year-round, with January to March subject to sudden rainsqualls and thunderstorms. Typically tropical, these storms are often replaced by blue skies that arrive back as quickly as they departed. Best months are usually May to December. The water is always warm here, averaging a balmy 28-30° Celsius (82-86°F).

Location

Kavieng, the capital of New Ireland Province, is situated on a beautiful harbour at the northern tip of the island of New Ireland.

This is a sleepy litle town with a surprisingly modern airport, two supermarkets, a couple of government offices, two hotels and a regular fresh food market.

Off the northwestern coast of New Ireland is New Hanover. Between the two islands is a maze of reefs, coral islands, mangroves and passes - a marine nursery of amazing fertility.

Kavieng has daily F28 jet services from Port Moresby via Rabaul or Manus Island. All Live aboard dive cruises time their schedules around arrival and departure times of the flights.

Diving

A very enjoyable way to experience the underwater world of Kavieng is on one of the liveaboard vessels that operate in this area. Most liveaboard dive excursions in this area are 7 to 11 days in duration. For those who don't like to spend their entire vacation at sea, a land-based diving resort is very good alternative, readily available in the Kavieng region.

Kavieng has a huge variety of marine life. There are fantastic pristine coral gardens, sponges, many different species of nudibranchs and tropical fish. There are five different species of dolphins in the Kavieng region. So contrary to what many people belive this is a great place for "macro" diving, to discover the little things that make tropical reefs so pretty.

Kavieng Harbour: Has some nice plane and ship wrecks in easy sport diving depth. You will find lots of pelagic fish while diving in the currents.

Northern and Northeastern Coasts: Have a gradually sloping seabed and extensive system of offshore reefs. Diving in this area is shallow (10 - 40 metres) and not subject to strong currents.

Southwest Coast: The reefs drop precipitously (down to 1000 metres plus), forming dramatic drop-offs at the entrance to passes between the Bismarck Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Currents can be very strong and good timing is necessary to catch the start or end of the incoming tide, when all the fish will be feeding and soft corals are on display. Those wishing to experience the "big fish action dives" should be prepared to cope with sometimes difficult conditions. Some previous experience with currents is a great help. But if you haven't had the experience, the local dive guides are probably the best teachers for that kind of diving you could find.

Particular reefs and dive localities include:

• Albatross Passage: At an incoming tide this narrow passage is like fish soup. Eagle Rays, Mobula Rays, big Dogtooth Tunas, Barracudas, plenty of Grey Reef Sharks and loads of other fish can be seen here on almost every dive. The wall itself is overgrown with big fan corals, black corals and sponges and this is the home for small creatures like Nudibranchs, Leaf Scorpionfish and Pygmy Seahorse. The top of the reef is at 8 - 10 metres and the wall drops down to 30 metres. In our opinion, Albatross is the best dive in the Kavieng area and a must for every visiting diver.
  
  
• Echuca Patch & the Der Yang: Just 2 kilometres from the entrance to Kavieng Harbour, Echuca Patch is a magnificent and convenient dive site. The sausage-shaped reef rises from the white sand bottom at 50 metres to a peak 15 metres below the surface. The reef slopes off at the sides and gradually descends along its length to 30 metres at its northern end where the scuttled wreck of Der Yang lies perfectly on its side. The water is usually very clear with at least 40-metre visibility on most occasions. Two or three Queensland Groupers live in or near the wreck, and a school of barracuda swirl above it, while trevally, eagle rays and dogtooth tuna parade around the reef. At least two dives are necessary to cover this large area comfortably.
  
  

• Kavieng Harbour Wrecks: The harbour of Kavieng has three plane wrecks from WWII. Whilst there are not as many wrecks as in the Rabaul area, there are still some fascinating wrecks to discover in the areas surrounding Kavieng. The abovementioned Der Yang, Sanko Maru, Kate Aircraft Wreck, and the B-25 near Albatross Pass are all great wreck dives not to be missed.

Other Activities

Kavieng and New Ireland have a very slow pace of life. This is an ideal place to relax and leave the trappings of the western world behind. Although diving will most likely be the main focus of your visit here, there are other things to do:

• Surfing:The change of tides not only produces fantastic underwater action, it is also responsible for some truly big waves. Only known to a couple of enthusiast, December through March produce some incredible surf. Lissenung Island Resort caters specifically for surfers at that time of the year.

• Malagan Culture: New Ireland is home of some unique carvings which stem from the generation-old Malagan culture. A visit to some of the traditional villages can be a very interesting experience.

• Biking: New Ireland does have a very scenic sealed road that stretches over 280 km from North to South. A trip along this highway on a bicycle gets you very close to the people and the nature. Tours can be organised for small groups.

• Relaxing: The hotels and island resorts are very good places to read a book or share a story or two with fellow travellers. Don't expect any sort of night life or similar.

Resorts

• Lissenung Island Resort

Liveaboard Dive Operators

• Febrina