Papua New Guinea (Feb 2019) Timetable

The cruise departs from new departure port BRISBANE on Tuesday February 19^th, 2019.  It's time to relax into the cruise  life again as we sail north towards Papua New Guinea. We will sail on the (P&O) Pacific Aria with our first stop at Alotau, then Trobriand Island near Milne Bay, then circling north to Rabaul and round to Conflict Islands.

Alotau and Milne Bay (WWII) By August 1942, the Japanese had been in New Guinea for five months. Their prime objective was the capture of Port Moresby, but a naval force attempting to attack Port Moresby from the sea was turned back at the Battle of the Coral Sea. With the navy thwarted by sea, the Japanese army set out to capture Port Moresby from the north, by crossing the Owen Stanley Ranges via the Kokoda Trail.

A key strategic point was now Milne Bay, a deep natural harbour at the eastern tip of the island of New Guinea. With aircraft based there, the allies would be able to make any further naval ventures in the area very dangerous for the Japanese. As an added advantage, allied aircraft would be able to attack the Japanese on the north coast without first making the climb over the Owen Stanleys.

From the Japanese point of view, it was essential to prevent the Allies from gaining such a strategically sited air base. In addition, the navy wanted to save face by making its own contribution to the capture of Port Moresby, and thought that Milne Bay would make a good jumping-off point for an attack along the south coast.

Kitava Island. Village tours with local guides will show you how the islanders live and provide great insight into their culture. There is also the ubiquitous skull cave to experience (each island seems to have one) and a walk to King Cameron’s grave and lookout for around 10 kina or AU$5.00.

Rabaul has an interesting colonial and military history. Mt Tavurvur- the volcano that last erupted in 2014 is completely barren, as is the surrounding area. Hot (very) springs flow into the ocean. Local groups set up small businesses to cater for the tourists and a ladies church choir sang and accepted donations. A major eruption in 1994 largely destroyed the town of Rabaul

Kiriwina is the largest of the Trobriand Islands, with an area of 290.5 km². It is part of the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. Most of the 12,000 people who live in the Trobriands live on Kiriwina. The Kilivila language, also known as Kiriwina, is spoken on the island. The main town is Losuia.

Located in Coral Sea, Conflict Islands PNG are an archipelago consisting of 21 isles surrounding a blue lagoon with a pristine reef system. The Conflict island group is an atoll located in Papua New Guinea. In 1789, the archipelago was discovered by the crew of HMS Cormorant ship. In 1880, it was named by the Captain of the HMS Conflict ship. Keep a look out for some of the islands marine inhabitants including turtles, dolphins and mantas rays playing in the tropical waters.

Cruise Map

Cruise maps

The national emblem of Papua New Guinea consists of a bird-of-paradise over a traditional spear and a kundu drum.