PNG Frontier Surfaris
The Experience on the Charter

Food and drink

All food is prepared by your western hostess and chef. Each dish is freshly made, inspired by local cuisine and suitable for Western tastes. Any special dietary requests/allergies can be catered for, just let us know well in advance of departure.

The catering onboard comes from a modern gallery with the lot! Enjoy a latte along with your poached eggs then watch the sunset as you prepare to feast on fresh Lobster or tender roast lamb on surf & turf night. The delicacies onboard will dazzle the tastebuds of the most discerning gourmet traveller.

Breakfast
Experience PNG's finest Gorokan coffee or choose from a variety of teas. Fresh fruit smoothies or fresh fruit. Toast and/or pancakes and a cooked breakfast of eggs and bacon will be provided on request and during more leisurely mornings.

Lunch

A range of sandwiches and toasties, salads and omelettes will be available dependent on timings and your preferences.

Dinner
Catch of the day - fish, lobster or mud crab or a selection of meat and vegetarian dishes.

Snacks
Fresh fruit – sugar bananas, pineapples and pawpaw in abundance. Sweet baked coconut and banana cakes and other popular local delicacies. "Sundowner" snacks of chips, peanuts, fresh sashimi, the skipper's favourite fish bites … and many more.

Drinks
Whether in the dory or onboard "PNG Explorer" we will provide bottled drinking water and a ration of soft drinks per person. Similarly, we have an ample beer allowance per person. If exceeded (it's unlikely) more is available to purchase at local prices.

Health and Safety
The water on board is fine for drinking however we understand that guests may be wary and we also provide bottled water to drink.

PNG does have malarial mosquitoes so we recommend you take anti-malarial medication for the duration of your stay in PNG and also bring effective mosquito repellents. Since the "PNG Explorer" is air conditioned there isn't much risk whilst on board, but risk is increased if walking on the island near fresh water areas.

Medi-vac insurance is mandatory for all passengers. We have two fully equipped first aid kits onboard (both your hosts are senior first aiders plus crew are CPR trained). We have phone contact with a local doctor and, if required, a direct steam back to the local hospital.

Locals and Language
The local people in Kavieng and the islands speak some English but mostly "tok Pisin". Languages vary from village to village as they have their individual "tok place". Our crew includes someone local to the area, so they can communicate in the local dialect.

Other activities

Snorkelling
Explore the reefy shallows and appreciate the diverse coral reef and colourful variety of tropical fish, crustaceans and anemones.

Fishing
Whether trawling as we steam in "PNG Explorer" or from the dory, there are plenty of fishing opportunities. Our local crew will ensure you are taken to the best spots with a good chance of nailing that night's dinner!

Culture
Visit the islands, meet the locals, see where they live, worship and learn. Be guided around their island, appreciate the tropical vegetation and enjoy a refreshing swim in the natural spring water holes. Visit a secluded beach, home to many turtles. Also see amazing cultural dances lit by fire torches ... an amazing experience!

Your hosts

PNG Frontier Surfaris is operated by Andrew and Jude Rigby who have been living and navigating in PNG waters for over two years.

Andrew has many years of experience on the water and is a highly competent and qualified skipper and engineer. He is previously a yacht owner, as well as having years of experience aboard the Rigby family's numerous professional fishing and charter vessels in Port Philip Bay and Bass Strait. Most importantly, Andrew is a passionate surfer of 17 years, growing up on the Surf Coast of Victoria; he is now fulfilling a lifelong ambition - to take people surfing!

Jude is from Northern Ireland and her background is in evironmental protection and she has many years experience in hospitality and tourism as a hostess on boats in France and Australia. This has given her the credentials for a high standard of guest care and to ensure your daily menu has an inviting selection of locally inspired and western cuisine.

Andrew and Jude first realised the potential of the waves in this area in April 2005. Later that year, as the swell arrived, Andrew was able to surf the waves for the first time. Locals were amazed as Andrew surfed the "si brukim" (breaking sea) standing on foam and fibreglass. This was obvious by the crowds that gathered to watch and metered by their reaction as he disappeared into the wave (a 4 ft right- hander) and charged out the other end. That was their first barrel on this island and Andrew's right to name the break.

Since this time we have been able to document the consistency of these waves and discover many more. We are the first to do this in many of the islands and we are keen to share this place with other surfers, whilst still up keeping the relative secrecy, as there are few unsurfed frontiers such as this left in the world.

As a business PNG Frontier Surfaris endeavours to promote a sustainable form of tourism which is low impact on the environment and beneficial to the local communities. We would like to learn from the mistakes of other surf destinations by restricting the number of surfers, adopting a surf management plan that is unique to this country and developed under principles of The Surfing Association of Papua New Guinea (SAPNG).