Nusa Diving

Nusa Island Retreat is situated on Nusa Island, just off the coast of Kavieng, New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea. The Retreat is low impact and eco-sensitive with accommodation in the form of traditional island style bungalows. Most of the bungalows are set on the water's edge an all have great views.

The retreat is set on an idyllic sandy island point and surrounded by superb swimming beaches with crystal clear, coral encrusted lagoons that are teeming with marine life, not to mention the World War II ship and plane wrecks that are also nearby. It is the perfect Papua New Guinea location to base yourself for activities such as surfing, diving, fishing, kayaking, or exploring and cultural activities of any kind.

For surfers looking for somewhere uncrowded different and remote, Nusa Island Retreat is surrounded by an unspoilt natural playground which boasts an excellent variety of numerous surf breaks and waves throughout the surf season.

For experienced divers, Papua New Guinea is also home to world class scuba diving all year round - the waters surrounding Nusa Island and Kavieng have excellent wreck diving, drift diving as well as caves and pelagics aplenty.

The sports fisherman is not going to get bored here either. This is a fishing paradise with plenty of ways to get you out on the ocean chasing your favourite sports fish.

Nusa Island Retreat was voted one of the ten best beaches in the world, so it is the perfect place to relax, unwind and chill out and experience Papua New Guinea. You will be enchanted by it's magic ...

Accommodation

Nusa Island Retreat is in the form of simple, high quality traditional island style bungalows that can cater for up to six people. Limited numbers ensure an entirely relaxed environment. 

•  Premium bungalows are built over the water and have ensuite bathrooms, and our Standard bungalows are built right on the beach or just back from the beach and have the use of shared bathroom facilities.
• We also have a large 2-storey house with it's own bathroom that is perfect for large groups or families.
• Linen, towels and mosquito nets are all provided.
• Security boxes are provided in each bungalow & personal items/valuables can also be stored in the office upon request.
• Each bungalow is supplied with rain water and bottled water is available from the restaurant.
• Rooms are serviced daily.
• 240V 24 hour power
• Ceiling Fan
• Fluoro Lights
  

Facilities

• Restaurant & Bar - Centrally located on the beach point, our bar and restaurant (which has an excellent reputation) is fully licensed & stocks a range of beers, spirits, wine, champagne and soft drinks. Restaurant opens from 7.00am and Bar from 8.00am daily. Day guests are welcome.
• Meals - Breakfast 7.00am - 10.00am, Lunch 11.00am - 2.00pm, Dinner 7.30pm. Meals packages can be purchased. Both breakfast and lunch are a variety of dishes chosen from an a la carte menu, and dinner is a buffet-style smorgasbord, with plenty of seafood, fresh local fruits and vegetables, along with pork, beef and chicken dishes.
• Dietary requirements can be catered for on request, however guests should notify us in advance if they have strict dietary guidelines, as we are in a remote location and our supply of specialist foods is very limited.
• Artefacts & Carving Room - Nusa Island Retreat boasts one of the most extensive collections of Malagan carvings as well as a good variety of works from other areas in PNG. Malagan culture is the unique history and tradition of the Northern New Ireland region. Mysterious and intriguing, Malagan carvings are highly sought after by museums and art buyers from all over the world. Most pieces are for sale.
• Toilets & Showers - Communal & centrally located within the Retreat. Nusa Island has a naturally sensitive environment so we (and the community) use dry composting toilets. These systems are some of the first to be used in Papua New Guinea.
• Water - Nusa Island Retreat offers unlimited fresh rainwater for drinking and utilises ground water for showers and washing, etc. Cold bottled water is also available for purchase over the bar.
• Electricity - The electricity generated for our Retreat comes from diesel generators that are located on the island. Power is 240 volt AC.
• Phones - Use of phone and fax is available upon request.
• Email - The Tourist Bureau in Kavieng has a computer that is available for email use at reasonable rates.
• Laundry - Laundry facilities are available at reasonable rates.
• Security - A security box is provided in each bungalow and valuables can also be stored in our office upon request.

Kavieng

• Kavieng Market - We generally go to the local market every Friday and Saturday mornings. We sometimes also go on Monday and Wednesday's, depending on our requirements. If you would like to come to the market, please advise us the night before as we usually depart early. You can arrange for transfers over at a later time if desired
• Restaurants - The Kavieng Hotel and Malagan Lodge in Kavieng both serve meals and drinks. The Kavieng Club has a bar, a couple of full size snooker tables and a Television.
• Shops - There are a range of local trade stores and western style supermarkets and a pharmacy in Kavieng.
• Post Office - Located next to Westpac Bank and opposite the Kavieng Hotel.
• Banks - Westpac and Bank of South Pacific are both located in Kavieng. Westpac is opposite the hotel, BSP is located next to City Pharmacy. PNG banks are not affiliated in any way to Australian Banks. Your
• Eftpos cards will also not work here as the Cirrus network has not yet made it to PNG.
• Tourist Bureau - The New Ireland Tourist Bureau ( http://www.newirelandtourism.org.pg ) is located directly opposite the Kavieng Hotel.
  

If you are not into surfing, fishing or diving, there is a lot more that you can experience whilst visiting Nusa Island resort. Sea kayaks and traditional style canoes are available for use, swimming, relaxing, nature walks, island day & over night trips as well as mainland day &over night trips, bike rides, shark calling, cultural events. You won't be bored!

Activities

• Swimming - Nearly anywhere is suitable for swimming.
• Snorkelling - There are a number of good reefs and areas of interest nearby to snorkel on. There is an interesting plane wreck just a few minutes from the island. We also suggest a day trip to Ral Island for a great snorkelling experience. Hire gear is available from the dive shop.
• Sailing - Please enquire at the office if you wish to go sailing. Adventures In Paradise Yacht Charters are located right next to the retreat, and offer Sunrise and Sunset Sails, as well as Half Day and Full Day charters visiting the islands in the area.
• Dugout Canoes - There are local style canoes available for complimentary guest use.
• Sea Kayaks - Several single & double sea kayaks are available for hire at reasonable rates. A great way to explore the beautiful surrounds.
• Cycling Tours - The retreat has 4 good quality mountain bikes, offering a variety of guided tours. Half day and full day Kavieng Town.
• Sightseeing Tours are available as well as extended overnight tours down the Boluminski Hwy, staying in the local guesthouses. Advance bookings are required for the extended tours.
• Entertainment - A table tennis table is situated in the restaurant, along with books, magazines, board games, cards and lots of music.
• Walking - Both Nusalik and Nusalavu islands offer nice walks.Nusalavu (or Big Nusa) has rock-pools, a blowhole and several World War II relics that can be explored - allow and hour or two. Or stroll around Nusalik Island and enjoy getting to know some of the local families living the traditional village life. See some of the local women making traditional shell money, as well as a variety of other shell jewellery, which are available for purchase. Please be aware that the locals are generally conservative/traditional people, therefore women should not walk around the island in bathers only (ie. wear a sarong), but can feel free to wear them casually within the retreat.
• Island & Mainland Day/Overnight Trips - There are a number of options to consider, please email for options and details.
• Kavieng - Offers a range of shops and services, with a pub, club, lodge and golf course.
• Local Transfers - available to and from the mainland upon request at reasonable rates
  

Diving

• Nusa Islands diving operator is Scuba Ventures.  They  have three Dive Boats, each equipped with full safety gear, suncover and ladder seat for easy boat entry. Emphasis is on small group uncrowded diving for better enjoyment and safety. Cater to a Maximum 22 divers per day.
• A full range of PADI dive courses is available.
• For those that are not qualified and would like to experience diving, the PADI discover Scuba Diving course is on offer. You can do your PADI openwater course or referral qualifying dives, Advanced open water course, Nitrox specialty, underwater digital photography specialty and Discover Nitrox.
• Snorkelling excursions are also available, non divers can accompany the divers subject to space availability on the dive boats.
• Scuba Ventures boats departs at 08:00 / 08:30 daily for two morning dives. ( Pick up times if applicable are advised beforehand ). There is wide variety of Dives to choose from, Sites dived are planned according to divers interest, experience and weather conditions. Have a look at our Interactive Divemap for more information on the dives available.
• All Dives are guided, aluminium 95 and 80 cuft Cylinders and weights ( 3lb and 2lb) with belts are provided. A full range of Oceanic Hire Gear are available for hire. During the Surf Season ( November to April ) there is no extra charge for Scuba Hire Gear.
• Dive Sites on the Pacific side are only 5- 30minutes boat ride away, whilst dives on the Bismarck range from 40 -50 minutes boat ride.

When diving in Kavieng we ask all divers to

• Aim to maintain Kaviengs Reef Systems in its most pristine condition.
• Not remove anything from the wrecks or reefs.
• Adhere to normal safe diving practices regarding buoyancy control, air supply (finish a dive with 50 bar remaining), ascent rates, safety stops, dive profiles etc.
• Due to the multilevel nature of most of the dives the use of a Dive computer is highly recommended
• We recommend finishing all dives with a safety stop at 5m for 5min
• Listen carefully to all Dive briefings
• To make known your interests and requirements to the dive staff so that you may leave here satisfied
• Light snacks, fresh tropical fruit, coconut and biscuits are provided between dives.
• We return from the mornings dives at 12:30 -13:30 and can plan afternoon dives or night dives as requested.
• Dive gear is stored and washed by Scuba Ventures for your convenience.
• Mesh bags are provided for Fins and Masks. All personal gear, weightbelts and tanks are loaded onto the boat each morning by Scuba Ventures staff.
• A big selection of reference books are available. Dives are discussed and logged with log Book stamps available.
• Nitrox is on offer for those that would like to advantage from its benefits. less fatigue, extended bottom times, more options for third dives, better safety.
• For those that are not NITROX qualified we can provide a Discover Nitrox introduction or an Enriched Air Diver specialty.
• Customised Digital Imaging now available
• Digital Olympus and Nikonos V Cameras are available for hire. For those wanting to learn more about underwater digital photography we can now offer the PADI underwater digital specialty course.
• A Digital Camera download facility as well as Internet is also available at the Scuba Ventures facility. Or if you prefer not to be looking through a view finder you can take home memories of your dives, photographed by Dorian and burnt to your own disc. A DVD slide show or video can also be made of your dive holiday. For visiting dive groups a complimentary DVD slide show is produced.
• Dorians slide show, which is both informative and entertaining, can be enjoyed by visiting divers.
• Dive boats are available for charter for Island tours as well as light fishing excursions.
• Fresh water Cave Dives are available for suitably qualified and experienced divers
• Panapai and Liga Onui both only 5minutes drive from Kavieng can be done as a third afternoon dive. Or a day trip to Pakawala the source of Fissoa can be organised.
• More extensive Cave diving expeditions to explore new sites can be organised for qualified Cave Divers.
• Wreck of the Apel – West Coast. Day trips to the seldomly visited West Coast are now on offer to dive the Wreck of the MV Apel tug boat, visit the community based fisheries management area of Panachais and explore caves and fresh water blue holes on the coast.
• We advise all divers to hold current dive evacuation insurance with an organisation such as Divers Alert Network.
• Scuba Ventures has been a member of the Papua New Guinea Divers Association since 2000.
• We support the Papua New Guinea Dive Association Environment and Safety program and collect a voluntary levy of K9 a days diving on their behalf.
  
  

Travel Agents Enquiry Here