Bay sights in Pacific
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Dominion Post Ferry
Trips across the harbour to Days Bay are made on the Dominion Post Ferry, departing from Queens Wharf 11 times daily weekdays and six times daily at weekends. It's a 30-minute trip to Days Bay, where there are beaches, a fine park and a boatshed offering canoes and rowboats for hire. A 30-45 minute walk from Days Bay brings you to the pretty settlement of Eastbourne, with appealing cafes and picnic spots.
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Kimbe
Kimbe is the provincial headquarters and a major centre for palm-oil production. Although it has a seafront, it's a fairly unassuming town with no real interest for travellers. But there's Kimbe Bay. Ah, Kimbe Bay. With its unique seamounts capped with coral towers reaching the surface, it has earned its celebrity status among divers and snorkellers around the world. The marine biodiversity here is stunning, with more than 350 types of hard coral and 860 species of fish vying for your attention.
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Bogia
Bogia is 185km northwest of Madang and the departure point for Manam Island. The road is sealed all the way to Bogia but peters out a short distance thereafter before the mighty Ramu River. At Bogia Bay, a Japanese Zero fighter lies upside down in the water a few hundred metres out from the jetty. Bogia town is a pretty place - the crystal-clean waters of the bay and the numerous traditional villages make it an ideal place to lose a few days.
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Watam
If you are heading up the Ramu ask the men around here about boat departures otherwise continue walking along the coast (low tide only), through Marangis village, to Watam. Due to its strategic position, it is not surprising that Watam is one of the bigger villages in the area. Ask around for Felix Eddie who speaks excellent English and is knowledgeable on this area. From Watam, banana boats regularly leave for Angoram on the Sepik River.
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Loloho
Four kilometres northwest of Arawa is Loloho on Arawa Bay, the port to which the copper concentrate was piped down from Panguna, the site of the power station and home to many of the mine workers. There's a palpable feel of nostalgia in Arawa. The old buildings and the workers' quarters, still visible, testify to a prosperous past. Some people still conjure up this glorious past, 'when Arawa was the richest town in PNG'.
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Hansa Bay
Hansa Bay is a popular diving spot past Bogia, where the wreckage of 35 Japanese freighters and US aircraft lie in a shallow harbour. The upper deck of the 6000-ton Shishi Maru lies in just 6m of water, two anti-aircraft guns on the bow point upwards and brass shell castings litter the deck. Two fire engines are sitting in the hold, just before the bridge, where they were waiting to be unloaded.
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Otago Peninsula
Otago Peninsula is the South Island's most accessible wildlife area (albatross, yellow-eyed penguins, blue penguins, fur seals and sea lions all thrive here). It also has a score of historical sites, walkways and unique natural formations. For an overview, pick up the brochure and map from Dunedin's visitors centre and check the peninsula website.
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Davit Wreck
Hansa Bay also has some spectacular wreck dives. A Japanese freighter has one davit projecting from the water (known as the Davit Wreck); it was sunk in 1943 by US bombers. You can swim through the wreck, which makes this an exciting dive in only 12m of water. The Madang dive shops organise dives to Hansa Bay and other north-coast sites.
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Freycinet Peninsula
On Tasmania's beautiful east coast, the peninsula is part of Freycinet National Park and features secluded beaches and coves, rare plant, bird and animal life and excellent bushwalks. A particularly popular walk is the return trek to Wineglass Bay. The park has several camp sites and lodges.
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Mast Wreck
Near the Davit Wreck, in 10m of water, is the Mast Wreck, with its mast protruding from the water; there is a gun on the bow, ammunition on the deck and a field artillery piece in the hold. The Madang dive shops organise dives to Hansa Bay and other north-coast sites.
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Kavieng Harbour
Kavieng Harbour is large and beautiful. You can go down to the waterfront and catch a banana boat out to one of the many islands. New Sulaman makes for a good picnic and snorkel. You can negotiate a 'drop me off, pick me up later' trip.
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Sewa Bay
One of the most accessible and picturesque bays in the region is Sewa Bay a 45-minute boat ride from East Cape. During WWII the Allies based warships here among seven tiny islands in the harbour.
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Laing Island
There's some marine-biology research happening on Laing Island in Hansa Bay, a beautiful island with white beaches and good snorkelling.
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Alexandria Bay
Alexandria Bay, on the eastern side of Noosa National Park, has the best sands and is also an informal nudist beach.
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Radical Bay
Radical Bay once housed a resort, and a replacement is in the pipeline. In the meantime it's a peaceful spot. You can walk across the headland to Horseshoe Bay, taking a detour down to the unofficial nudist beach of Balding Bay (3.4km return).
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Nelly Bay
This bustling harbour is where the island experience begins and ends if you come by passenger or car ferry. Nelly Bay has a wide range of eating and sleeping options and a decent beach. There's a children's playground towards the northern end of the beach and good snorkelling on the fringing coral reef.
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Horseshoe Bay
The crescent-shaped, golden-sand beach is easily the best of the island's accessible beaches. It has a stinger enclosure , water-sports equipment for hire, a row of cafes and a good pub. Bungalow Bay Koala Village has a wildlife park where you can cuddle koalas ($14 including photos), or tuck into a bush tucker gourmet breakfast. A monthly craft market sets up along the beachfront.
Walking tracks abound on Magnetic, and DERM produces a leaflet for the island's excellent bushwalking tracks. Walks are mainly along the east coast and vary in length from half an hour to half a day.
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