PNG in August - Milne Bay? Star Dancer?

[H2Obaby]

Alison, forgot to tell you my boyfriend used to work on a liveaboard, and now he finds it harder to relax if he's onboard.
Thanks for the info.

 

[caymaniac]

Caymaniac, was the diving a whole lot better when you went out to the Fathers & Witus compared to Walindi's dive sites?

Not "a whole lot better" but more varied. Plenty of sharks either place, maybe more in Fathers. Sometimes we dove fields of hard corals which I never saw near Walindi. Also a couple of sites with more soft coral. Walindi's sites were fine if you don't want to do liveaboard.

You can't miss diving out of Walindi, but could ever forgive yourself for going that far and not doing a liveaboard in one of the best areas in the world?

 

[H2Obaby]

Caymaniac,
Loved the photo of the dolphins - was that taken by Walindi?
Know what you mean about the liveaboard, really its not me that needs convincing, just the other 1/2.

 

[reubencahn]

Caymaniac, what are you shooting?

 

[caymaniac]

Caymaniac,
Loved the photo of the dolphins - was that taken by Walindi?
Know what you mean about the liveaboard, really its not me that needs convincing, just the other 1/2.

The dolphins were right alongside of the StarDancer while near the Fathers. According to our hosts, there is a pod of about 200 or more that live in this area.
I have been diving for quite a few years, since 81. We have since then taken at least one dive vacation a year. In 2003 we did a 4 day liveaboard in the Coral Sea off Australia......why did we wait so long to give this a try. Some of the reasons are, I like to explore, I like to talk to the locals, and I like to view their culture. Being on a liveaboard actually was cheaper unless you only do two dives a day. Being on the StarDancer we did interact with locals in a remote area, they came to trade for anything we had. They only had fruit and veg., some a no clothes. I took along plenty of extra tee shirts and pencils (colored) and coloring books. It was fun to trade. The cook on the boat prepared our trades for us to eat. The water was mostly calm on the whole trip, one night of rain and the last day it was windy but sunny. The air 90 to 100, the water mostly...90F

calm

 

[caymaniac]

Caymaniac, what are you shooting?

The last two shots were done by a gal onboard who had a digital camera. I'm still shooting film, Velvia 100.

 

[H2Obaby]

Caymaniac, it looks like a pond out there! I've read some other posts with reports of high seas, and the star dancer dancing...guess sometimes you can be unlucky with the weather.
I shoot film too, big fan of the Velvia 50, heard they were going to start remaking it?
What setup have you got?
I'm thinking of (dare I say it) making the switch to digital for this trip, sick of running out of film while those digis just keep shooting. Also its got to be a pain taking all those films out to remote spots.
Pretty cool having the interaction with the locals. I'm guessing you miss out on this kind of experience if you do landbased?

 

[Allison Finch]

Caymaniac, was the diving a whole lot better when you went out to the Fathers & Witus compared to Walindi's dive sites?

All the areas have their "specialties". The Witus has wonderful muck diving and going into the volcanic crater to dive the muck and reef there was magical. The Fathers has wonderful seamounts and shallow reefs with so many hard coral species, you lose count. Walindi stays pretty much in Kimbe bay. The dives there are just as awesome. If you go with a liveaboard, especially the 10 day trips, chances are you will dive all three areas. If you are lucky enough to do back to back trips (really try to do this) you may get to Rabaul area too.

 

[H2Obaby]

Allison - how does this area compare to that around Kavieng (land based)?

 

[caymaniac]

Caymaniac, it looks like a pond out there! I've read some other posts with reports of high seas, and the star dancer dancing...guess sometimes you can be unlucky with the weather.
I shoot film too, big fan of the Velvia 50, heard they were going to start remaking it?
What setup have you got?
I'm thinking of (dare I say it) making the switch to digital for this trip, sick of running out of film while those digis just keep shooting. Also its got to be a pain taking all those films out to remote spots.
Pretty cool having the interaction with the locals. I'm guessing you miss out on this kind of experience if you do landbased?

Here's a few of the days, usaully near the end of a role I tend to shoot the sunsets.


near the trading area

out to sea

out to sea

one really hot day

I shot Velvia 50 mostly but the 'new' Velvia 100 is what I used in PNG, I'll be using it again next week! I have a Pentax MEs in a Ike housing/ Ike strobe/dome port for a close focus 28 and a 90macro.
Not much of a chance to trade like a remote village unless you are in a remote place.