Circumnavigation of New Guinea - Part 1: Wewak to Port Moresby

Itinerary

Day 1: Hometown

Board your independent flight to Australia.

Day 2: Travel Day

Cross the International Date Line, losing a day.

Day 3: Brisbane / Cairns, Australia

Arrive in Brisbane this morning and connect with your flight to Cairns. After your hotel check-in and lunch enjoy the afternoon at leisure. In the evening, a welcome dinner and overnight at your waterfront hotel.

Day 4: Cairns / Wewak, Papua New Guinea (PNG) / Embark Clipper Odyssey

Fly to Wewak in the morning. Wewak is surrounded by golden beaches fringed with palm trees; the surrounding region is steeped in WWII history. Board the Clipper Odyssey and set sail in the evening toward Irian Jaya.

Day 5: Jayapura, Irian Jaya

Your naturalists and historians begin their lectures as you sail along the Irian Jaya coast. You drive through Shangri-La-like countryside to the site where General MacArthur established his headquarters in 1944 after sweeping the Japanese from the town.

Day 6: Cruising the Irian Jaya Coast / Expedition Stop

You cruise among a cluster of islands called Pulau Pulau Padaido, and make an expedition stop on Urbinasi, a beautiful uninhabited island with a pristine sand beach. Snorkel right from the shore or near the anchorage among colorful corals and fish.

Day 7: Mapia Atoll

The vertical walls of the atoll rise several thousands of feet from the ocean floor. Divers encounter larger species—mantas, barracuda, and tuna. The diving around this atoll is regarded as some of the world’s finest. You can explore the three small islands that crown the reef and visit with villagers on Pegun Island.

Day 8: Expedition Stop, Raja Ampat

Watch from on deck as your ship sails through the narrow channels between the islands off New Guinea’s northwestern tip known as Bird’s Head. More than 1,500 karst limestone islands off this coast make up the archipelago of Raja Ampat, or “Four Kings,” after its four main islands. Few outsiders have ever explored this remote region. The waters off Bird’s Head are heralded as the most biodiverse on earth and include 600 species of hard coral and 1,200 types of reef fish. Enjoy an expedition stop in this area for underwater activities.

Day 9: Kokas, MacCluer Gulf

You reach the westernmost point of your voyage as you sail into the MacCluer Gulf (Teluk Berau) with its breathtaking coastline of natural bays, tiny islets, pristine rain forest, and soaring mountains. Dozens of local tribes, speaking different languages, populate the shores. They are intrepid seafarers, often taking their hand-hewn dugout canoes hundreds of miles along the coast. A unique cultural heritage presentation of harmonic songs, drumming, and the traditional Gabagaba, or stick dance, awaits.

Day 10: Triton Bay

Exceptionally picturesque, Triton Bay offers outstanding Zodiac cruising. Entering a small channel between Mauwara Island and mainland Irian Jaya, you cruise through dazzling tropical waters and scenery of spellbinding natural beauty. Though the area is uninhabited, small piles of shells and the occasional fishnet attest to human presence. Wildlife flourishes in this undisturbed habitat, including bird species such as hornbills, rainbow lorikeets, helmeted friarbirds, and black-palm cockatoos. During our expedition stop snorkelers and divers marvel at the world of soft corals and kaleidoscopic reef fish, including dinner-plate-sized angelfish, large-striped sweetlips, and butterfly cod.

Day 11: Cruising en route to the Asmat

After sailing southeastward during a relaxing day filled with lectures, you await high tide to enter the Flamingo RiverÂ’s narrow channel off Agats village, and anchor for the night.

Days 12-13: Asmat Villages

Your visit to the Asmat region is an expedition highlight. This remote riverine world—10,000 square miles in its entirety—is revealed to you as your Zodiac takes you along narrow waterways lined with the entwined branches of thick mangrove forests. Asmat culture is noted for its remarkable ritual objects. Asmat woodcarvings are known for their powerful lines and coarse, expressive motifs, and are widely considered by collectors and scholars to be among the world’s finest. You are escorted to the local village of Agats where enthusiastic welcomes await. A walk along elevated wooden boardwalks leads to the Catholic cathedral with its superb carvings, and the museum.

Day 14: Sailing the Arafura Sea

Enjoy expert led lectures which recap your experience in Irian Jaya and prepare you for your upcoming visit to AustraliaÂ’s exciting northernmost tip.

Day 15: Thursday Island / Cape York, Australia

Thursday Island lies in the strategic Torres Strait, which separates New Guinea from Australia. You explore the small sleepy town with its typical veranda-lined “hotel” or pub. Green Hill Fort, high on a hill, offers a splendid 360-degree view of the neighboring islands and strait. During WWII, Cape York was a major staging area for the battles taking place against the Japanese in New Guinea and the Coral Sea. You return to the ship as the sun begins to set over the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Day 16: Torres Strait / Expedition Stop, Ashmore Reef

You spend your final day on board at a spectacular reef. Ashmore has no land or sand spits—just some of the most superb snorkeling that exists. The Indonesian Throughflow, a series of ocean currents, transports biological material from Philippine and Indonesian reefs, ensuring a varied array of marine life including more than 700 fish species. Huge schools of both colorful reef fish and silvery pelagics populate the rich waters; the backdrop of rainbow-hued corals seems like an impressionist painter’s palette.

Day 17: Port Moresby, PNG / Disembark Clipper Odyssey / Brisbane, Australia

You disembark this morning in PNGÂ’s capital city, Port Moresby, and visit the National Museum and Arts Center. The museum exhibits one of the finest collections of primitive art in the world, including Sepik River carvings, Malagan masks from the New Ireland Island area, and Trobriand Island fishing canoes. Return to the ship to continue on Part II, or transfer to the airport for your flight to Brisbane where you enjoy dinner and your final overnight.

Day 18: Brisbane / Home

Depart on your independent flight homeward, crossing the International Date Line and strangely arriving home on the same day you departed.