Bougainville

There is currently only one specialist Bougainville tour operator. Given the remoteness of the location and the relatively little that is known about the island, even those travellers who would normally shun an organised tour might want to consider this option. Two of the four principals of this operator are Bougainvillean.

BAT offers 7-day package tours into Bougainville and Buka Islands flying in via Australia and/or Papua New Guinea. Tours include activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing, spear-fishing, surfing, WWII history, bush walking and cultural experiences. Currently running two tours each year with plans for more.

world world ii relics

There are several remnants of the Japanese occupation of Bougainville during WWII, but none more famous than Admiral Yamamoto’s Mitsubishi bomber wreck. Admiral Yamamoto, famous as the mastermind behind the attack on Pearl Harbour, was shot down here by US fighter planes on April 18th 1943, and the wreckage lies in the jungle about three km kilometres off the east coast road to the south of Arawa, about 25 km north of Buin. There is a signpost which is hard to miss. As well as this wreck, terrestrial WWII relics include several tanks and some other airplanes, and offshore, there are sunken boats to keep divers interested.

surfing

Australian adventure tour groups have discovered excellent surf around Bougainville and you will of course have it to yourself. Reports suggest that the best period is November thru March.

trekking

The most popular serious trek here is a three day hike to Mount Balbi 2,685m. This is best started from a base in the village of Wakunai on the east coast south of Kokopau. Reliable and knowledgeable guides will be available in the village.

It is possible to organise an extension to this trek all the way across the Emperor Range to the west coast, which would take about one week in total. Mount Balbi is an active volcano with regular plumes of smoke and sulphurous vents. Mount Bagana is an even more active volcano to the south and is visible from Mount Balbi. Mount Billy Mitchell is a dormant volcano also in the Emperor Range, and has an especially beautiful 2 km wide caldera lake.

the outer islands

Bougainville is surroundied by tiny islands quite close to shore, most of them uninhabited. These would quell the hunger of even the most avid island enthusiasts, but if you want to get really away from it all, there are options to visit island groups much further afield. Try Nissan Island or even the Tulun Islands. Ask around in Buka for boat charters or even hitching a ride on a regular departure.

scuba diving

There are as yet no diving operators based at Bougainville. That will surely change over time though as reports from the odd liveaboard that has made it here describe the diving as some of the very best in the whole world. The Solomon Sea reefs off the west coast are very healthy and home to a prolific range of marine life. Reports suggest that globally endangered dugongs are as common here as anywhere in the world.

Keen divers may find it worth approaching Papua New Guinea Dive (http://www.pngdive.com/) which is the industry association for the country. They may have information about scheduled liveaboards headed for Bougainville.