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Papua New Guinea, situated north of Australia and south of the Equator, is the tail end of a string of islands spilling down from South East Asia into the Pacific.

Papua New Guinea comprises of a remarkable collection of islands, atolls and coral reefs scattered around it's coastline. A land of natural wilderness, breathtaking landscapes & fascinating flora and fauna. A land of adventure, mystery, lost cultures, tropical jungles and high mountain ranges. Not to mention spectacular scuba diving sites.

Many relics from World War 2 remain, both on land and underwater, providing a great opportunity to scuba divers to explore famous ships and aircraft upclose.

Culturally, PNG is extremely diverse with over 700 individual language groups identified. The customs, traditions, beliefs and ceremonies were handed down by the old to the young by word of mouth. There was no written language in PNG until contact with the Western world, which in some cases only occurred about 30 years ago.

The main destinations are New Britain Province (Rabaul, Walindi & Hoskins), New Ireland Province (Kavieng) & Madang. Papua New Guinea is also home to several liveaboard dive vessels that conduct diving expeditions to the more remote wreck diving and snorkelling sites.

Mainland (Port Moresby, Madang, Lae)
Tufi Dive Resort

New Britain Province (Rabaul, Kimbe Bay)
Kabaira Dive Rabaul
Rapopo Plantation Resort
Walindi Plantation Resort

Fishing, Trekking & Surfing Tours
South Sea Horizons

New Ireland Province (Kavieng)
Nusa Island Retreat
Malagan Beach Resort
Lissenung Island Retreat

Liveaboards
PNG Liveaboard Charters

The waters surrounding Papua New Guinea are exotic and still vastly unexplored. The thousands of coral atolls with crystal clear blue waters abound in a myriad of spectacular marine life and hundreds of wrecks. P.N.G. without a doubt offers some of the most fascinating underwater experiences.

Amidst the reefs and schools of fish one encounters numerous wrecks, a reminder of the violence and struggle in which P.N.G. participated during the tragic days of WWII. Wrecks of ships and planes the afore machines of destruction now overgrown with corals rest at the bottom of the ocean floor and are home to many sea dwellers, presenting a display of serenity and colour.

For divers, Papua New Guinea is a paradise. Ship wrecks, ditched aircraft, vertical wall drop offs, beautiful coral reefs and myriads of reef and school fish await the diver prepared for a true adventure.

Some wrecks in Milne Bay (for dive sites in other areas of PNG, please click the location links above):
• P38 Lightning: The P38 Lightning is a famous single seater fighter ditched during World War II. In 1995, Chris Carney, diving from Telita, located the plane's propellers. They now rest against their respective engines on the wreck. The P38 lies in 90 feet (27 meters) of water, with the guns in its nose pointing at a reef in front of the wreck.

• B17 Bomber 'Blackjack': The B17 Bomber "Blackjack" wreckage site is one of the world's greatest aircraft wreck dives. The historic B17 lies in near-perfect condition in 150 feet (46 meters) of water. Nearby is the village of Boga Boga, where tour participants are afforded the opportunity to marvel at its beautiful golden beaches and meet the village elders, who still tell stories of how they rescued the crew from the sinking plane.

Getting You Started
Located just south of the equator and north of Australia, Papua New Guinea is only 3 hours by air from Brisbane. The international country code for Papua New Guinea is 675. Papua New Guinea is 10 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Entry & Visa Requirements (subject to change)
Australian passport holders can obtain a visa upon arrival for a fee of  PNG Kina 100 cash. It is recommended to obtain visas prior to departure. Contact the PNG consulate in Brisbane (07 3221 7915) or Canberra (02 6273 3322). Allow 7-14 days for your application to be processed and returned. Some restrictions apply to travelers from several Asian, Eastern European and African countries. Please check before departure.

Medical & Health Requirements
Dental, doctors and hospital services are available in major centres. There is a recompression chamber in Port Moresby. Malaria is a problem in Papua New Guinea, and anti malarial precautions are highly recommended. Some medications can make you sun sensitive, so extra care must be taken to ensure that skin is protected from sun burn. Please check with your physician for the best precautions to be taken. (For further details please contact Travel Vax on 1300 360 164).

Currency
The currency of Papua New Guinea is the Kina. Travelers cheques and international credit cards are accepted in major hotels and restaurants but not generally in the small towns.
1 AUD = approximately 2.2 Kina (January 2010).

Baggage (International flights Ex Australia)
Air Niugini – 20kg + 10kg sporting (if booked through Dive Adventures). Pacific Blue-20kg (which 5kg is allocated for sporting goods regardless of the actual weight of the item). Airlines of Papua New Guinea – 32kg (Ex Brisbane) & 20kg + 15kg for sporting (Ex Cairns). Domestic carriers are often restricted to 16kg.
(Subject to change without notice)  

Duty Free
The allowance is 200 cigarettes or 250g of tobacco, 2 litres of alcohol and a reasonable amount of perfume.

Weather
Warm to hot and humid throughout the year. The rainy season varies from province to province however in general it is driest from May to December. Temperatures in the lowlands and coastal areas are uniformly high most of the year. In the highlands, temperatures drop as low
as 14°C at night. In Port Moresby the wet season
is December to April and the dry season is from May to November.

Clothing
The emphasis is on light and casual clothing but not too brief in public places. Swimwear is not permitted in the public areas of hotels. Thongs, sneakers and sandshoes are not permitted in some bars and restaurants. Remember to cover up with light cotton clothing at dusk and dawn to prevent mosquito bites. Sun protection is absolutely essential.

Electricity  
240 volts AC, Plug I — same as Australia. Please note that on some islands the supply may be erratic. (for further details refer to http://www.kropla.com/electric2.htm).

Banking  
Banking hours are from Monday to Thursday from 9.00am to 3.00pm and on Fridays from 9.00am to 4.00pm.

Language
English is the official language in education, business and government circles. Pidgin is most widely used. There are more than 800 distinct languages in Papua New Guinea.

Religion
Local traditional beliefs and ceremonies are maintained in remote areas but Christian influence is predominant.

Water
Do not drink the tap water. A jug of drinking water will be supplied by most hotels and bottled water is sold everywhere. In the tropics it is important to drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids to avoid dehydration.

Shopping  
Shops are open during the week including Saturday morning, however you will find most shops closed on Sundays. Papua New Guinea’s unique handcrafts and native works of art are highly prized in Australia, Europe and Northern America. Pottery, masks, and wood carvings can be found in craft stores and villages.

Tipping
Tipping isn't expected or encouraged.

Diving
Papua New Guinea offers some of the best diving in the world with an amazing array of colorful fish, corals and many wrecks from World War II. The average water temperature is 29°C so only a protective lycra or 3mm suit is needed. Dive operators supply tanks, weight belts and dive guide services. There will be an extra charge if equipment hire is required.

Departure Tax
There is currently no locally paid departure taxes for Papua New Guinea.