Alotau Papua New Guinea Nov 2023

After boarding on Sunday and two fun days at sea we arrived in Alotau on a Wednesday. The ship docked about 8 am and we didn't need to be back on board until 5.30 pm for a 6 pm departure.

Milne Bay is nicknamed the Pearl of the Pacific, and Alotau is the capital of Milne Bay Province. Milne Bay measures approximately 50 km by 10-13 km. The soil is very fertile and the main crops are cocoa, vegetables and coconuts. A small fishing industry also exports beche-de-mer (sea cucumbers).

It is located on the tip of PNG main island and is also the main port for over 160 islands in the province, making it a working port.

The bay was first charted by Spanish explorer Luis Vaez de Torres in 1606. In 1873 Captain John Moresby named the bay after a late 19th century British Admiral, Sir Alexander Milne. Known for the site of the Battle of Milne Bay where Japanese forces suffered their first loss in WWII at the hands of the Australian and American troops stationed there. A Japanese force landed to take the airport in order to attack Australia. The Australian and US forces defended the airport and pushed the invading forces back into the sea. The Japanese then moved to the north coast and later the Battles of Kokoda.

The town of Alotau is not very picturesque, and has not been a town for long. Army bases were located nearby during WWII, mainly to service the airport that was built during that time. At that time, an island called Samarai was considered the capital of Milne Bay Province, but a more convenient and expandable area was needed. The Cameron Plateau was chosen and the land was sold by the traditional owners in 1961. They considered the land to be 'bad ground' due to the number of deaths and suffering during the war. After local discussions the town was to be known as Alotau, meaning 'bay' in the local language.

We were advised not to walk around town, and instead do a tour, which is what we did. There is not a lot in town, a couple of restaurants come bars - or is that bars come restaurants, a supermarket and market stalls. We looked at many different tours on line. The ship tours were very expensive so we did some research and found 'See Alotau with Ben' as the best option for us. Don't pay in advance for any tour, book the tour you want and pay on the day. We could also pay in Australian Dollars or PNG Kina.

There are 4 different 2 hour tours:
1. Dickson’s Orchard, AU$60 per adult and AU$50 per child
2. Bodabodawanina Cultural Village AU$60 per adult and AU$50 per child
3. Alotau Town Sightseeing, AU$55 per adult and Au$45 per child
4. Milne Bay War History, AU$75 per adult and AU$60 per child

We chose tour 4 - Milne Bay War History, covering 4 sites along a 25 km war history trail.

We had a great guide providing commentary and answering questions. She was really good with Jon, signing and making sure he was included.

Tour highlights:

We left the port area and outside the gates were a number of tour operators. We found See Alotau with Ben and joined the line for booked tours. We paid and were led to a bus. Apparently on cruise days all the buses are used for the tours, and we saw many a local walking into town - as there were no buses for them that day.

First stop was 12 km from Alotau town. Gurney Airport, (WWII Strip no. 1), named after the squadron leader of the RAAF, Charles Raymond Gurney, who was killed there in 1942. Once all the buses arrived at the airport, Ben told us the history of the airport and the involvement and importance of the airport during the war. 

Next stop was the Turnbull Field Memorial (WWII Strip no. 3).

There was a tiny market there and the locals were very friendly and polite.

Again Ben explained the various memorials and the history. Very interesting. This was as far as the Japanese advanced, defeated by the Australian, US, and local forces. This airfield then became a huge allied base. We were then given time to look around.

Next stop was back in town and the Battle of Milne Bay memorial. As Ben had explained the battle using the relief map at the last stop, this was left for us to explore.

There were many information boards re telling the history.

Our last stop was the other side of town and was the beach where the Japanese landed. Situated on the beach at Kaloi, the Ahioma site now has a memorial to the Japanese.

Here Ben talked us through the events that led up to the Japanese landing and we were also treated to a local from the nearby village telling us about her family's interaction with the Japanese.

It may seem strange to end the tour where the Japanese landed, but I think the way Ben explained each site, it all came together here, at the site of the beginning of the invasion. We also learnt a lot about the effect the war had on the local villagers.

Next time we will walk the short distance (300m) past the tour venders and turn left at the end and go to the Massim Museum. It has displays about the history of the area from Samarai to Alotau, the Battle of Milne Bay 1942, and many displays of local paintings and crafts, including storyboards. It costs about 10 kina ($5) and is only open certain days, so hopefully it will be open on cruise ship days.

Early November each year is a Kenu and Kendu Festival in Alotau. We have only been there before and after the festival, and would like it if cruise ship went to Alotau especially for the festival. A celebration of tribes colours and customs through the use of drums and canoes made the traditional way.

Cruise ships offer a Lik Lik Festival excursion. This is a cultural excursion with a shuttle bus to and from the port and is behind a high wire fence the other end of the beach. Locals come and share their wares in a market situation, and there is often dancing and displays of weaving, carving and cooking.

We liked Alotau. We liked the welcome and farewell dances on the dock. We liked the history tour with Ben.

Petalli Travellers video here.