The Complete Guide to Diving New Ireland… Considering a trip to this very pleasant, slightly remote but quite special part of Papua New Guinea? Use the sections and links below to understand more about New Ireland province. Together with its culture, some of its characters and of course diving New Ireland!
The province of New Ireland is located at the far eastern end of the Bismarck Archipelago. It basically forms the eastern flank of Papua New Guinea. With the Pacific Ocean on its eastern side and the Bismarck Sea to the west.
The province consists of the large, musket-shaped, main island of New Ireland and numerous other smaller islands. The largest of which is New Hanover.
New Ireland province is renowned for its fabulous Malagan carvings and unique traditional culture.
Diving New Ireland is centered around Kavieng, which is the main town in the province. Located on the northern tip of New Ireland, Kavieng is also the provincial capital.
Among divers Kavieng is known for its wrecks, big currents, interesting reefs, schooling pelagics and clear blue water.
Diving New Ireland is quite different from the other main locations in Papua New Guinea. Premiere PNG locations like Milne Bay and Kimbe Bay offer incredible bio-diversity and phenomenal scuba diving.
New Ireland is simply different – in a really nice way! There is indeed much to offer underwater – shipwrecks, WWII aircraft wrecks, walls, channels, reefs and schooling pelagics. Above water Kavieng and New Ireland in general is a pretty, but quiet place with an interesting colonial and WWII history. Use the sections and links below to learn about New Ireland, its culture, some of its characters and of course its incredible diving!
Diving Kavieng
Diving New Ireland is centered around Kavieng. There are shipwrecks, WWII aircraft wrecks plus walls, channels, reefs and schooling pelagics!
Kavieng owes its biodiversity to its location on the eastern rim of the Bismarck Archipelago and the eastern edge of Coral Triangle – Read more…
Kavieng Dive Sites
Kavieng has a great selection of dive sites that cater to all tastes. The shipwrecks to WWII aircraft wrecks are pretty special and the reefs are healthy and vibrant.
The wrecks are a legacy of Japanese occupation. While the rest is a function of the rich flow of water from the Pacific Ocean to the north-west – Read more…
Wreck of the Der Yang
The wreck of the Der Yang Taiwanese fishing boat sits serenely in 30m of water near to the Echuca Patch reef on the Pacific Ocean side of Kavieng.
Seized in the early 1980’s by the Fisheries Ministry because of “illegal activities”. Eventually being being scuttled by the Ministry in 1988 – Read more…
“Deep Pete” WWII Wreck
The Deep Pete wreck is the most photogenic of the many WWII aircraft wrecks in the Kavieng area. It is very much my personal favorite!
The plane itself is a Mitsubishi F1M “Pete” float-plane. Many of which saw fairly extensive service with the Japanese Imperial Navy – Read more…
Albatross Passage
Albatross Passage is probably the best of the many sites on the Bismarck Sea side of Kavieng. It is often described as Kavieng’s “signature dive”…
Simply stated, if you catch it in the right conditions, it is hard to imagine a better coastal dive site than Albatross Passage – Read more…
Catalina Wreck
Laying in 20m of water, near the entrance to the harbor is Kavieng’s Catalina wreck. The remains of RAAF PBY Catalina flying boat A24-11.
The Catalina crashed dramatically on the 15th January in 1942 after one of its wing bombs accidentally exploded during take-off – Read more…
Cathy’s Eels
Cathy’s Eels really is one of those unique Papua New Guinea experiences. One that should not be missed if you are in New Ireland Province.
“Cathy” is Cathy Hiob. A former Air Nuigini air hostess, who retired and returned to her village of Laraibina, south of Kavieng – Read more…
Operators & Logistics
Air Nuigini operates daily flights to New Ireland. Either direct from the capital Port Moresby in to Kavieng, or via Rabaul – in nearby New Britain
An important concession for international scuba diver travelers is an extra 15kg baggage allowance, but you will have to ask for it… – Read more…
Kavieng Overview
While Kavieng is the capital and largest town in New Ireland. In reality it is simply a pleasant. but sleepy, small town of just 17,000 people…
Located at the northern tip of New Ireland. It is often described as a typical “Somerset Maugham South Sea island port” – Read more…
New Ireland Overview
New Ireland province lays at the eastern edge of the Bismarck Archipelago. Bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Bismarck Sea to the west.
It consists of the main island of New Ireland. Plus numerous other smaller islands, the largest of which is New Hanover – Read more…
Malagan Carvings
The Malagan carvings of New Ireland are renowned internationally and are to be found in some of the world’s finest museums!
They represent an ancient and revered set of cultural practices. Once common, they are now only found in a few places in New Ireland – Read more…
Ghosts of the Machines
Although it played second fiddle to their huge naval base in nearby Rabaul. Kavieng was actually a very strategic location for the Japanese during WWII.
So when the tide of the war in the Pacific turned… It became an important target for the Allied forces as they advanced north – Read more…
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