On our final day of this voyage around the island of New Guinea, we woke up sailing between the eastern islands of New Britain and New Ireland. Heinroth’s shearwaters and flying fish escorted us to a small group of islands, the Duke of York Islands. Two tiny islands, the Pegion Islands, were our destination. A fierce wind at first seemed daunting, but the captain found us a nice lee and we continued on as planned.
A few of us went for a bit of history and culture. This tiny island has many stories, including Japanese occupation during World War II. A few of us that went ashore got to enjoy some of the artifacts from that era, including a bunker and some gun emplacements. The reef encircling the island gave us protection from the wind, and was also the main reason for coming here.
Plunging straight down at least two hundred meters, this was a perfect place to explore. Some went on SCUBA, others boarded the glass bottom Zodiac named for Tom Ritchie, and the majority decided to snorkel. The shallows were filled with healthy corals and vibrant fish. For me, however, the drop was the place to be. On one side, you have a rainbow of pulsing fish, and on the other – blue, blue, and more blue. Passing by, clouds of fish break up the deep hues and keep it exciting. This is the type of spot that I never tire of.
Late in the day, we pulled into Rabaul. A gently smoking volcano greeted us, appearing a bit ominous at the entrance to the harbor. After an early dinner, we boarded local vans for a ride into the island of New Britain. Here, we were treated to one final spectacular cultural experience on a trip with many incredible encounters. Tonight, we marveled at the Baining fire dancers. How they were able to stand in the fire we probably will never know. Possibly it was the hypnotic rhythms, the elaborate costumes, or even some sort of magical potion. None the less, it was a perfect ending to this trip that has seen us experiencing the magnificent cultures of New Guinea. From west to east, the underwater world, volcanic activity, and beautiful people have made for an experience for a lifetime.
