Justin’s PNG Adventure

Hi ALL,

There’s a running joke in World Surfaris HQ that before you put in for time off you have to make sure Justin will be in the office and not on a surf trip – he seems to go away a bit. In truth it’s no more than the rest of us but lets face it as the only bachelor in with the World Surfaris office he’s free to sample anyone of the dream destinations that make up our buffet. The rest of us grit our teeth and listen intently ( if perhaps jealously) to the stories and and go ‘ooooooo’ and ‘aaaaaaaa’ when he brings back the photos. Honestly who can blame him. His latest adventures took him to PNG to the Surf renowned Kaveing region (Nusa Island Retreat and Rubio Plantation). If anything most of us want to go more after hearing his recount. We got him to write it down so you would too…

ENJOY

From Justin ( the ever trekking consultant himself)

PNG 2011/2012

This is my second ever trip to PNG and my first to Kavieng in the New Ireland province. This part of New Guinea is probably the most famous surfing area in PNG with the SAPNG endorsed surf charter PNG Explorer & two camps (Nusa Island Retreat in Kavieng & Rubio Plantation Retreat in Central New Ireland).

It’s Christmas Eve and Air Niugini have told me that it’s unlikely I’ll get to Kavieng today because the flight from Sydney has been delayed and I will miss my connection from Moresby to Kavieng. I can’t complain though as Air Niugini put me up at the Gateway Hotel in Moresby and gave me a generous dinner voucher which allows me to try the local Barramundi.  After a long day at the Moresby domestic airport on Christmas day, I finally get to Kavieng in time for Christmas dinner & some cold SP Lager’s at Nusa Island Retreat.

Nusa Island Retreat is an incredible setup only a short drive & boat ride from Kavieng airport. It has been in operation since the late 90’s and is run by the Keane family (Shaun, Shannon & Nick). They have neat bungalows spread out across the calm side of Nusa Lik Island with a large undercover restauraunt/bar area at the forefront. The bar is as well-stocked as they come which is impressive considering the location. It’s definitely worth the extra for one of the four over-water bungalows which are relatively basic inside but in an amazing spot right over the water.

First morning and the swell has a bit too much East in it for the renowned spots of Pikinni’s & Nusa Lefts but Lou (Nusa Island head surf guide) has a hunch that Nago Lefts could be on. It was only 1 – 2ft but running along the reef perfectly for up to 100-150 metres and there were only 4 of us in the water. Three of us hit it again for a couple of hours by ourselves at lunch-time.

Food is definitely a big part of the experience at Nusa Island. There is a varied menu for Breakfast & lunch with the dinner buffet being the big affair. The buffet can have anything from Chili mud crab & Lobster salad to grilled pork & beef/chicken satay skewers. Fresh fish is a common menu item as the seas are filled with them. In two fishing sessions at NIR, we caught a number of Spanish Mackerel along with a few Dog-tooth Tuna & a nice green Job fish. The other boat didn’t land any but they hooked onto two Sailfish in less than one hour.

The wind doesn’t cooperate for my last session so I hit Ral the right-hander before leaving Nusa Island. Ral picks up more swell than the other breaks and there are fun 3ft waves on offer. It’s not as perfect as the other waves with a few peaks but between 5 of us in the water we each have our own peak basically. I’m sure on its day it could be a great wave.

After brekky, I farewell the Nusa Island crew and get dropped back to the jetty where I meet Shane Clarke who is the main man behind the Rubio Plantation Retreat.

Rubio Plantation Retreat is located about 3 hours drive south-east of Kavieng in the beautiful Central New Ireland province. The trip from Kavieng to Rubio along the Boluminski highway is incredible with lush mountain range vistas and countless clear freshwater streams feeding into the ocean. Rubio itself is nestled on a Cocoa plantation between two headlands with a private beach out front. The only noise you can hear is the ocean & the odd vehicle passing by. The retreat is very eco-sensitive with all power generated from solar and hydro sources. Rubio’s five bungalows are set up along the shorefront with views of the various peaks out front. The dining area is on the beach line in front of the Kitchen/Shane & Annette’s house.

The first few days at Rubio, there are two Aussie couples staying at the retreat so there are only 4 surfers in the whole camp including myself. The first morning bears howling winds & small swell so we decide to go for a drive to see more of the coastline with the chance of a wave. We check all the spots protected from the wind but the swell isn’t getting in. Shane has a hunch on Kisela which is a fair drive from the retreat but it proves to be a good call. From the beach it’s easy to see this place is more exposed to the swell with at least 2-3ft of swell. The right is the longer wave breaking for up to 50 – 100 metres as it bends around a rocky outcrop.  It wasn’t the heaviest wave but it had a ledgey take-off and some whack-able walls.

After a solid session at Kisela and the 1.5 hour drive back to Rubio, we have a veggie curry for lunch and kick back for a while before surfing out the front. We surf the right & left out the front of Rubio at least once a day during my stay. It’s not the most perfect wave but the right can run nearly all the way into the beach where the channel rip spits you back out into the line-up. The left has more power but it’s not quite as mechanical. It was one of the girls’ birthday so the kitchen girls put on a special dinner and topped it off with one of Rubio’s specialties…home-made & grown chocolate cake with coconut glaze. The desserts at Rubio are a definite highlight of my stay. Every night we are spoilt with goodies ranging from Chocolate brownies to chocolate, banana & mousse pies. All the cocoa is sourced from the plantation itself so you know exactly where it is coming from.

The next few morning sees improved conditions so we surf the swell magnet Kanapit which is a peak about 100 metres from the shore. The sets were easily overhead with short but powerful rides breaking over colourful coral. The lefts are a bit more consistent which suited me fine. The improved conditions allow us to surf Bulu in the afternoon which is a relatively recent discovery of Shane’s and a great wave. It’s a shallow right that breaks along the edge of the reef with some nice barrel sections. Bulu is nestled in a beautiful location at the bottom of a big range accessible only by a hidden road the villages use. We surf Bulu again before leaving the retreat for Kavieng and dinner and drinks at Nusa Island. We share an incredible dinner & local rums with Shaun Keane and the Nusa Island crew before retiring for the early morning flight back to Moresby.

PNG once again has stimulated my senses in a way which very few other locations do. At worst, I surfed with 4 other people which beats any good day at home. Sure there are bigger and better waves in Indo but it’s the raw and untouched vibe that will keep me coming back. The locals have so little yet are so content with what they have which is so inspiring. They are a genuine people and never try to sell you anything. Big thanks to Shaun & Shannon Keane at Nusa Island and to Shane Clarke at Rubio for looking after me. I will definitely be coming back to both places in the near future.

The following are some of the pics Justin got of the trip….. Apparently he was too’busy’ to get too much more.

Cheers

WS