Bikpela turnim! A Papua New Guinean Surfing Diary,by Simon Clarke

It ís January and I'm sitting in an office in Washington D.C. The short days and cursed snow make my commute to work a misery. I've just got off the phone talking to Jai about plans for a surf trip when I get back to Oz. He ís hoping that I'm interested because no-one else has been keen. Taunted by bittersweet memories of the last wave I caught before departing for the U.S. so many seasons ago there ís no problem motivating me. Eight months later it ís late November and we're in a Fokker F-28 scooting over little islands blessed with coconut trees and nestled in a blue-green sea on our way to New Ireland in far eastern Papua New Guinea. I'm accompanied by Jai and my brother, Laurie , who finished his university degree a couple of days ago. We've opted for a prepaid surfing holiday at the Nusa Island Retreat which is situated across the harbour from Kavieng. Kavieng lies on the northern tip of New Ireland so its a prime location to pick up swells from a great expanse of the North pacific guess it ís called a ëretreatí because its not as up-market as what you might expect of a ëresortí (no massages or spas!) but far better than a ëcampí. You can drink the water, mossies aren't common, the food ís great and plentiful, and the staff are ever-friendly.