PNG Trip Report: Star Dancer/Walindi

[Allison Finch]

OH! Bye the way. Reuben, tell Digger (Andrew), Elsie, Josie and Captains Alan and Brad Hi from the Finch sisters. Your Captain will probably be Brad as he is taking over the Star Dancer so that Alan can go back to the FeBrina when she returns from the Solomon Islands. She was chartered by the Nature Conservancy for reef studies there.

You will love Brad. He is a great captain with a wild aussie humor. Not as brash as Alan, but he'll learn....

 

[reubencahn]

OH! Bye the way. Reuben, tell Digger (Andrew), Elsie, Josie and Captains Alan and Brad Hi from the Finch sisters. Your Captain will probably be Brad as he is taking over the Star Dancer so that Alan can go back to the FeBrina when she returns from the Solomon Islands. She was chartered by the Nature Conservancy for reef studies there.

You will love Brad. He is a great captain with a wild aussie humor. Not as brash as Alan, but he'll learn....

We decided on the Golden Dawn instead of Star Dancer. The northern itinerary looked too good. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Allison Finch]

We decided on the Golden Dawn instead of Star Dancer. The northern itinerary looked too good. I'll let you know how it goes.

Ummmm, too bad. The Golden Dawn is a much smaller boat with a "rolling" problem (as reported by others). Do you get seasick? They have an unusual "stabilizer" system which consists of two booms on each side of the boat with sea anchors of some sort attached. It is supposed to really help. They even had them out while at anchor in Walindi. They also have no usual dive deck on the stern. They have an opening on the rail on the side of the boat. I never saw how they go on or off the boat. They may have a spiffy system that I never saw.
Hey, I'd sleep on one of the native outriggers if I could go back right now!
Have a wonderful time! I'm envious.

Bye the way, the Star Dancer often goes to New Ireland too. Is that the only reason you decided on the 'Dawn?

 

[reubencahn]

Ummmm, too bad. The Golden Dawn is a much smaller boat with a "rolling" problem (as reported by others). Do you get seasick? They have an unusual "stabilizer" system which consists of two booms on each side of the boat with sea anchors of some sort attached. It is supposed to really help. They even had them out while at anchor in Walindi. They also have no usual dive deck on the stern. They have an opening on the rail on the side of the boat. I never saw how they go on or off the boat. They may have a spiffy system that I never saw.
Hey, I'd sleep on one of the native outriggers if I could go back right now!
Have a wonderful time! I'm envious.

Bye the way, the Star Dancer often goes to New Ireland too. Is that the only reason you decided on the 'Dawn?

Actually, the trip is to the Niningo and Hermits Islands, not New Ireland and Kavieng. I'd love to dive Kavieng but I'm concerned the currents would be too much for my family. Also, I've heard Kavieng can be wildly inconsistent with the big animals sometimes absent. On the other hand, the Niningo and Hermits are supposed to be pretty consistent for big animals--though with fewer sharks than Kavieng. I debated the choice a long time. The luxury of the StarDancer sounded appealing but I really didn't want to be on a boat with 20 divers. And every report I've read on the Golden Dawn has been great. I spoke with a few people who had done the trip and all recommended the GD over every other boat they'd been on.

FWIW, the stabilizers are both active and passive and are said to really work. The people I spoke with who had been on the boat said it was the most stable boat they'd seen. I hope they're right because I got seasick this year for the first time in my life. I did not enjoy the experience.

 

[Allison Finch]

I've never been to that area. I'm looking forward to a trip report. Have a GREAT time!!

Bye the way, The 'Dancer never carries 20 divers, to my knowledge. The cabins won't accommodate that many. There were never more than 16 divers with the cabins full. Maybe 18 if the owner's cabin is used.
Let me know what you think about those stabilizers. They may be the neatest things since sliced bread.

 

[reubencahn]

Allison, I know that you bring school supplies each year. I'm not sure if we're going to be near any schools. But I was on a dive yesterday with guy who's been to PNG a few times and told me that people would really appreciate D cell batteries and flip flops. Does that sound right to you or is there anything else worth bringing?

 

[Allison Finch]

Everyone wears flip flops there. You can buy them fairly easily on the big islands. The smaller islands like the Witus....? Kids on the outriggers really want ink pens. They like candy (lollies) too, but pens are better. The folks at Walindi really like duct tape. I promised to bring some next trip. They say they pay a fortune for it there.
As women should not show their thighs, if at all possible, knee length shorts are great for pulling over your bathing suits. The dive guides will really appreciate it if you leave them after the trip. Elsie, the native dive guide on the FeBrina/Star Dancer will even wrap a towel around her waist with her wetsuit on. She usually dives with the long shorts on. Just be mindful of this when you're suiting up and the outriggers are hanging around.

 

[ikepharm]

Hi Guys..
I was on the trip with Peter. We became fast freinds. His report is on the money ( lots of it ). Would go again. Thinking of doing Easter Fields next year any on Golden Dawn. Any comments
ikepharm

 

[mjh]

Great thread! First of all WHERE ARE THE PICTURES?? We will be spending Christmas in PNG w/Mike Ball, Milne Bay. Since you are all veterans how tough are they with luggage weight? We are flying Quantas and have a fair amount of camera gear.

 

[Pacific Pete]

Peter, was there any wildlife of note around Walindi?