Samarai Island

Introducing Samarai Island

Samarai is a speck of an island at the southern tip of the Milne Bay mainland. Just 24 hectares in the China Strait (so named by Captain John Moresby because he thought it would be the most direct route from the east coast of Australia to China), Samarai has seen better times. In its colonial heyday it was said to be one of the most beautiful places in the Pacific and although no-one is saying that now, it’s still a pretty place. It’s much like an overgrown and untended garden that still retains a legacy of its former, ordered beauty. The island predates Port Moresby and was the provincial headquarters until 1968, when local government realised it had outgrown the tiny island and left for greener pastures. Two years later the international wharf closed and the town’s been going to seed ever since.

Before WWII it was the second-largest town in PNG, but in 1942 the Australian administration destroyed almost every building in anticipation of a Japanese invasion that never came (whoops). Its postwar reincarnation was built in Australian country-town style. A path encircles the island and you can stroll around it in half an hour.

Unfortunately there is little in the way of organised trade since the last trade store closed in early 2005; be sure to pack enough food, water and beer for the duration of your stay.

Wallace Andrew, in the house southwest of the Christopher Robinson memorial, is a good source of local information. He’s a Kwato Island old boy, grandson of a cannibal, local identity and fascinating character to listen to (you won’t do much talking).

Last updated: Mar 2, 2009