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Old 01-20-2007, 04:34 AM   #1
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Default CRUISING PORTS AUS-PNG-SOL-iSLS

Hi all -- Yet another newby

Have just purchased a great 13.2m cat and intend to sail north at a leisurely pace from Melbourne (beginning March) along the Aus east coast / Whitsundays / Lizard / Kimberleys / PNG / then The Solomons group to wait out the cyclone season before onto Fiji Tonga and NZ.

Am looking for suggested "favorite" / "don't miss" / "must go there" places along the way---

Also advise on "people safe/friendly" ports in PNG / Solomons---

Have done much research but believe you cant beat the "been there, done that" advice

Cheers Bruce
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Old 01-20-2007, 12:17 PM   #2
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I really enjoyed visiting the Trobriand Islands, Rabaul, Tufi, Madang and the Sepic River while poking around Papua New Guinea, ten years ago. I danced with young maidens in the Islands of Love, drank with the Mud Men along the river and smoked with canabals in the highlands.

But be careful... PNG can be very dangerous - especially after dark.

While you're in the region - consider Palau, Yap & the Philippines. Those are places where I yearn to return.

Cheers!

Kirk
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Old 01-20-2007, 03:15 PM   #3
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Hi Bruce,

Whilst the Kimberleys are an experience not sure I'd plan to go round that far across Oz if your ultimate destinations are further east on this trip.

We've only gone round the top from west to east once, but both we and others found it hard yakka mostimes - against both winds and current.

Enjoy

JOHN
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Old 01-20-2007, 08:28 PM   #4
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If you haven't been to Watermelon's sailing logs, there's some information there about the places we loved. We did not go to the main island of PNG, partly because we had heard too many reports of rascals. Our friends were boarded on the mainland by thieves with machetes.

A few links:

PNG: http://www.cruiser.co.za/hostmelon17.asp

PNG cruising guide: http://www.cruiser.co.za/hostmelon28.asp

East Coast Australia to Darwin: http://www.cruiser.co.za/hostmelon47.asp

The Solomon Islands: http://www.cruiser.co.za/hostmelon46.asp

and more down that list, since we continued on to Fiji that trip.

I loved the Solomons, we spent about 7 months there and if we weren't expected in Fiji for our daughter's anniversary and our friends' wedding, I'm not sure whether we would have left that "soon"!

Fair winds,

Jeanne
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Old 01-21-2007, 10:53 AM   #5
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Hi All

Many thanks your kind advice

Cheers
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Old 01-23-2007, 05:30 PM   #6
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Care is needed after dark anywhere in PNG as there is a lot of thieving. Port Moresby uis by far the worst and my advise is to give it a total miss but there are some wonderful areas of relative safety to be found in the more 'tribal' areas.The larger the town the more the problems; the small fishing villages are very welcoming if you show them respect. Honiara is on par with Port Moresby now but the rest of the Solomon's are well worth a visit.

I can't figure the Kimberley's into to your plans as you would do a long left hand turn at Cape York instead of a short hop north. I would put the Kimberley's and Darwin on the 'next to do' list and cruise the coral sea region which would take in the other countries you mension.

Regards

Peter

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Old 01-23-2007, 06:14 PM   #7
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Bruce...where are you in OZ? I have some wonderful guides for Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, Whitsundays and a few other places. Basically guide book information editted by crew, very little by me, adding information of every sort and correcting information that was inaccurate. A little rough, but really good content covering everything from anchorages, people, customs and immigration, awesome sights to see, shopping, where to eat, who to contact for services, even how to get onto the island of Kao. My bandwidth wouldn't support sending this through email but I could mail a cd if you have an interest.
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Old 01-23-2007, 07:08 PM   #8
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Hi Bruce, the trip from Cape York west across the top is well worth taking. However, it is a long way to the Kimberlies and the return trip is never easy as you are either fighting trade winds on starboard bow, or you are sailing in the monsoon/cyclone season.

The best strategy is to do the PNG/Solomons trip, then hitch a ride across to Gove and Darwin from Cairns. Then after the north coast, hop on a boat doing the Darwin Ambon race, or any of the rally/races starting from Darwin and terminating in Dili, Saumlaki, Bali...and onward then to Thailand and ultimately across the Indian ocean to South Africa.

It looks as though the Darwin Ambon race is back on this year after a 10 year hiatus following religious strife in the Indonesian province. It is a great sail north in southeasterly trades. It usually commences in mid July.

David

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