Finschhafen Area

Introducing Finschhafen Area

The town of Finschhafen was the German New Guinea Company’s first attempt at colonising New Guinea. Unfortunately, things didn’t go well; nothing remains of the original settlement aside from a lone Lutheran Mission building. Today Finschhafen refers to the district and the collective series of peaceful coastal towns within it. The principal settlement is Gagidu Station, 3km from Buki Wharf and about 30km from Maneba.

Towards the end of WWII the area was used as a staging post for US troops and vast numbers of GIs passed through. The war’s abrupt end left millions of dollars worth of aircraft and equipment redundant, so the whole lot was bulldozed into a huge hole; ask at Dregerhafen High School, about 4km south of Gagidu Station, for directions.

Although there isn’t a lot to do in Finschhafen, its proximity to Lae and abundance of white sandy beaches make it a great weekend escape. Butaweng waterfalls and Langemack Bay are the pick of the mainland swimming spots. There are a number of well-preserved sunken ships and aircraft wrecks offshore crying out for a local dive operator. Even Gagidu’s foreshore is pleasant, although the snorkelling around Dreggerhafen (next to Buki) is better. Better still, slap on the sun screen and take a day trip to Tami Island.

Further down the coast towards Sialum are some of the world’s best examples of uplifted marine terraces. From the air it is possible to appreciate the ancient coral reefs that have been thrust upwards to form a geological staircase. The entire area, which also incorporates the Bobongara archaeological site (the oldest human habitation site in the Pacific outside of Australia), has been nominated as a World Heritage listing.

Last updated: Jul 22, 2009