Walindi tours and walks
Walindi Plantation Resort is situated on the north shore of Kimbe Bay, on the West New Britain Province. Apart from diving from day boats or our live-a-boards we also have access to the following unique and exciting activities:
The hot river: A one hour drive from the resort within our tropical rainforest to an emerald green stream fed by a volcanic spring with therapeutic properties. The water temperature is about 43 degree Celsius (around 110 Fahrenheit). To feel completely rejuvenated, treat your body to a natural exfoliating treatment with the special red mud found along the riverbanks. For a truly unique spa session surrounded by rich rainforest, the GARU Thermal River is a must when visiting Walindi Plantation Dive Resort.
The thermal pools tour: An hour’s drive up to the numerous thermal pools with boiling mud, bright geologic precipitants like bright yellow sulphur and neon green copper deposits and the possibility of a geyser spout. Basking here is like taking a trip back through time when dinosaurs ruled the hot and humid earth. If you’re lucky there’s a chance to catch a drinking Tyrannosaurus rex!
Mount Gabuna Volcano: A three and half hour trail hike up to the dormant crater that burps a sulphurous cloud from time to time through lush rainforest, where huge trees with outrigger roots like fins on a rocket rise to form a dense canopy. The innumerable species of flora and fauna here puts New Britain and the whole of Papua New Guinea on the top of naturalists and scientists lists. Our route will take you on a gentle climb through the rainforest up to the crater, crossing crystal clear creeks that teem with freshwater fish and invertebrates.
World War II airplane wrecks: ircraft wrecks urround Walindi both in the water and out. Two planes rest at an overgrown airstrip that was cut out of the forest in Talasea for war time emergencies. In 1944 the B-25H Mitchell crash landed due to engine trouble, damaging the front nose gear and the Lockheed Vega Ventura PV1 took a Japanese 25mm bullet through the starboard engine’s fuel line during a strafing run; both were considered irreparable and scrapped. A short drive to the north and guests can climb through the vine ridden historic aircraft that are considered the last in the world to have the original outfitting of artillery.
Bird watching tour: A bird watching tour is available for the seasoned birder or the amateur enthusiast. One route takes guests west through a preserve where most of New Britains endemic land species can be seen flying over the road in or flitting on branches above as you walk through trails that cross white-lined steaming thermal creeks and sparkling cool streams. Our other route heads west near Talasea to a clearing where iridescent green male and red female Eclectic parrots and the endemic Blue-eyed Cockatoo screech at one another while hopping treetops with an occasional Horned bill fly-by.
Oil palm plantation tour: A trip to see see Papua New Guinea’s richest export crop that lines New Britain’s coastline is available to culinary and cleaning buffs (palm oil is used for cooking and soap products). A half hour drive to either Numondo, Mosa or Kumbango plantation and one can see the process of extracting oil from the largest oil producing plant in the world (30% of the palm berry), which yields up to 35 tonnes of fruit per hectare.
Mosa Golf Club offers a nine hole course with well maintained bunkers, greens and fairways lined with Hibiscus flowers, stands of bamboo, river gum and coconuts trees. An extensive range of drinks can be found at the nineteenth hole along with tennis, squash and pool.
Heli Nuigini Kimbe offers helicopter rides to float above the volcano for a birds-eye view of the crater or see above the vast stretches of Oil palms and pristine rainforest or zip along the coast to see different local settlements both on the mainland and out on tiny satellite islands. Walindi has a private heli-pad to pick guests up and bring them back right to their front door step. A trip to New Britain PNG isn’t complete until one sees it from all angles above and below.
*Besides tours there are other options for guests that want to see everything.
Fun with bioluminescence, which can be seen both above and below water. A night dive or snorkel will bring out ocean bioluminescence like a supersonic trip through space, brightly streaming stars twinkle by your mask.
On land guests can follow the walking path through Walindi heading towards the research station next door. A sight of twinkling lightning bugs will astound one with wondering how they all blink in unison turning giant Malass and other rainforest trees into a pulsing Christmas tree. With torches and flashlights off one will be enamoured with brightly glowing miniature mushrooms and a blanketing fungi that makes some leaves and roots glow.
Birds can be seen along those same paths walked during the night but during the day with most of New Britain’s endemics stopping briefly in Walindi’s rainforest garden.
Snorkelling can be almost as amazing right out front on Walindi’s shoreline reefs as our famous dive sites. Guests can warm up for the upcoming trips out to our world renowned dives by hopping in right out front of the plaza.
Kayaks are available to paddle out and explore the nearby reefs just a few hundred meters from the shore or along the coastline and see the iridescent blue and red kingfishers dropping in for lunch and bright reefs right at the beaches edge.
The hot river: A one hour drive from the resort within our tropical rainforest to an emerald green stream fed by a volcanic spring with therapeutic properties. The water temperature is about 43 degree Celsius (around 110 Fahrenheit). To feel completely rejuvenated, treat your body to a natural exfoliating treatment with the special red mud found along the riverbanks. For a truly unique spa session surrounded by rich rainforest, the GARU Thermal River is a must when visiting Walindi Plantation Dive Resort.
The thermal pools tour: An hour’s drive up to the numerous thermal pools with boiling mud, bright geologic precipitants like bright yellow sulphur and neon green copper deposits and the possibility of a geyser spout. Basking here is like taking a trip back through time when dinosaurs ruled the hot and humid earth. If you’re lucky there’s a chance to catch a drinking Tyrannosaurus rex!
Mount Gabuna Volcano: A three and half hour trail hike up to the dormant crater that burps a sulphurous cloud from time to time through lush rainforest, where huge trees with outrigger roots like fins on a rocket rise to form a dense canopy. The innumerable species of flora and fauna here puts New Britain and the whole of Papua New Guinea on the top of naturalists and scientists lists. Our route will take you on a gentle climb through the rainforest up to the crater, crossing crystal clear creeks that teem with freshwater fish and invertebrates.
World War II airplane wrecks: ircraft wrecks urround Walindi both in the water and out. Two planes rest at an overgrown airstrip that was cut out of the forest in Talasea for war time emergencies. In 1944 the B-25H Mitchell crash landed due to engine trouble, damaging the front nose gear and the Lockheed Vega Ventura PV1 took a Japanese 25mm bullet through the starboard engine’s fuel line during a strafing run; both were considered irreparable and scrapped. A short drive to the north and guests can climb through the vine ridden historic aircraft that are considered the last in the world to have the original outfitting of artillery.
Bird watching tour: A bird watching tour is available for the seasoned birder or the amateur enthusiast. One route takes guests west through a preserve where most of New Britains endemic land species can be seen flying over the road in or flitting on branches above as you walk through trails that cross white-lined steaming thermal creeks and sparkling cool streams. Our other route heads west near Talasea to a clearing where iridescent green male and red female Eclectic parrots and the endemic Blue-eyed Cockatoo screech at one another while hopping treetops with an occasional Horned bill fly-by.
Oil palm plantation tour: A trip to see see Papua New Guinea’s richest export crop that lines New Britain’s coastline is available to culinary and cleaning buffs (palm oil is used for cooking and soap products). A half hour drive to either Numondo, Mosa or Kumbango plantation and one can see the process of extracting oil from the largest oil producing plant in the world (30% of the palm berry), which yields up to 35 tonnes of fruit per hectare.
Mosa Golf Club offers a nine hole course with well maintained bunkers, greens and fairways lined with Hibiscus flowers, stands of bamboo, river gum and coconuts trees. An extensive range of drinks can be found at the nineteenth hole along with tennis, squash and pool.
Heli Nuigini Kimbe offers helicopter rides to float above the volcano for a birds-eye view of the crater or see above the vast stretches of Oil palms and pristine rainforest or zip along the coast to see different local settlements both on the mainland and out on tiny satellite islands. Walindi has a private heli-pad to pick guests up and bring them back right to their front door step. A trip to New Britain PNG isn’t complete until one sees it from all angles above and below.
*Besides tours there are other options for guests that want to see everything.
Fun with bioluminescence, which can be seen both above and below water. A night dive or snorkel will bring out ocean bioluminescence like a supersonic trip through space, brightly streaming stars twinkle by your mask.
On land guests can follow the walking path through Walindi heading towards the research station next door. A sight of twinkling lightning bugs will astound one with wondering how they all blink in unison turning giant Malass and other rainforest trees into a pulsing Christmas tree. With torches and flashlights off one will be enamoured with brightly glowing miniature mushrooms and a blanketing fungi that makes some leaves and roots glow.
Birds can be seen along those same paths walked during the night but during the day with most of New Britain’s endemics stopping briefly in Walindi’s rainforest garden.
Snorkelling can be almost as amazing right out front on Walindi’s shoreline reefs as our famous dive sites. Guests can warm up for the upcoming trips out to our world renowned dives by hopping in right out front of the plaza.
Kayaks are available to paddle out and explore the nearby reefs just a few hundred meters from the shore or along the coastline and see the iridescent blue and red kingfishers dropping in for lunch and bright reefs right at the beaches edge.