The next direction…
photos courtesy of Jason Pini, Surfing Association PNG
by Konrad Borowiecki
posted 2009-10-24
The next direction...
Awesome, wicked, unreal! These are just a few descriptions of the kite surfing "hot-spot" not too many of the sport's enthusiasts know about, which in a way is a good thing. No, we are not talking about Brazil, or Europe, not even Australia, but looking at the geographic location, here we are getting close. The place is none other than the Land of the Unexpected as it is known to people, who have experienced this positively crazy country. To others it is more commonly referred to as Papua New Guinea...
Photo courtesy of Jason Pini,
Surfing Association PNG
Kite surfing in Papua New Guinea is a complete novelty. It is practiced by a small number of locals scattered around the country, but as for kite tourism it is right at the beginning of a long road that lies ahead. This long road is basically the process to develop infrastructure, get local people interested and most importantly promoting and spreading the word around the globe that if you are after something really unique then you should stop looking, jump on a plane, get through the long flight, the initial culture-shock and then simply enjoy what this wonderful country has to offer you - that picture-perfect spot, where the wind conditions drive you to hit the turquoise flat water in the lagoon, surrounded by tropical scenery, or swim out beyond the reef break and ride some waves. Starting to see the picture?
One of the aforementioned local kite surfers, member of the Surfing Association of Papua New Guinea and pioneer of kite surfing in Papua New Guinea, along with his brother, have made it their mission to attract and show kite surfers from around the world what they have been enjoying their whole life. Jason and Shaun are the two guys with a kite surfing mission - to find new spots, check them out and fill in the remaining board members that it is just as important to invest in kite surfing as it is in surfing - the premier focus up until 2006 for the SAPNG. So where do Jason and Shaun hit the water?
Papua New Guinea has an abundance of coastline with fantastic kite spots scattered all along it. In addition to the coastline there are numerous islands scattered around as well as off-shore reef, where the scenery takes your breath away. Between the months of April - October the southern coastline of Papua New Guinea is where you will be greeted by consistent 18 - 25 knot south-easterly winds. The most popular and easily accessible kite spots lie in an 80 kilometer radius surrounding Port Moresby, in the Milne Bay area located on the south-eastern point of the mainland as well as reef spots 40 kilometers off the mainland.
Photo courtesy of Jason Pini, Surfing Association PNG
Welcome to Port Moresby
Just recently Jason hosted Marvin, a German kite surfer now based in North Queensland on a kite surfing promotional tour of the best spots, where they visited a number of spots filming and doing photo shoots as well as took to the beach to teach local kids. After the 3-week stay Marvin now refers to Papua New Guinea as "the kiting paradise". Marvin's trip started in Port Moresby where the main beach is your first kite surfing location. Ela Beach situated in the heart of Port Moresby will not knock you out by its sheer beauty, but is a good option to hit the water when you are bored in Papua New Guinea's capital city. However, if you do decide to go for a bit of flat-water fun you can bet on a huge crowd cheering you on. Locals will be delighted to see you get some air and you can count on making a lot of new friends after you are done. Driving out of Port Moresby around 15 minutes we reach Sero Cove, further on Tauarama and then Hula Village. These spots offer blue lagoons and sheltered bays of shallow flat water as well as reef breaks as close as a few hundred meters away for people wanting to have some fun on the waves. If you want to get a bit more adventurous then 20 minutes out of the city by speed boat will take you to Fisherman's Island (aka. Daugo Island), the best spot in this area. Enjoy the flat water on sand bars or hit the reef breaks for some waves, with a great view of the city in the distance. Waves at this time of year are wind generated in this part of PNG therefore swells could be inconsistent.
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No Limit Adventures is a small international company made up of people with passion for travel, sports and adventure. Being long time residents of Australia, over the last 10 years we have been discovering the charms of PNG. Having made good friends, acquaintances and partners amongst locals, business operators and governing bodies over the years allows us to see PNG from a different perspective and thus helps us invite travelers seeking journeys a little out of the ordinary.
