Pics from Tufi in PNG

Just got back from Tufi in PNG, here are some pics of the fantastic diving there.

Heaps of crocodile fish

As there was Shrimp

These baby shrimp were about the size of a peice of rice

Mum didn't seem to worried

Some beautiful sponge formations

Turtles are around too

Cowrie on a fan coral

Rasorfish sit under the jetty at the house reef

Puffer fish at the house reef

Hammerheads are usually guaranteed at some of their reefs

Nudi's are everywhere

More shrimp

Anemonefish are found on all dives

Stopped counting pipefish after 20, there are several species at the house reef

Scorpionfish mating

These were always given a close look home to a number of things

More Nudi's at the house reef

Big or small it was there, the staff were all locals (except the manager) and the guides were great at finding the tiniest things.

Would be great to get some feed back on the pics, have heaps more these a just a few.

All pics taken with a Nikon Coolpix 5000 and a sea & sea YS90DX strobe

Regards

Gary

Great shots Gary,

My favourites are the croc, puffer (nicely lit) and the cowrie.

Great pics, wish I was as good a photographer with my point-and-shoot.

Great shots - Thanks for sharing

I love your pictures. It seems like you really enjoyed the house reef. Is it possible to give us a trip report of this area? much appreciated. Did you book this with Caradonna?

thanks.

I'm planing a trip to PNG for 2007 and considering to include Tufi on my itinerary. Will be great if you can post some imput about the resort the diving and other activities around ( i heard that is very good for wildlife photography aroun Tufi )

Thanks

JA

Thanks guys,

The trip I actually won in the UNDERWATER IMAGES PHOTO COMPETITION earlier this year, just had to get there, booked directly with Airlines PNG as they are the only ones that run flights to Tufi from Port Moresby. As for organising everything else, made contact with Linda (one of the owners) through there Web site.

If you want to get away from it all, this is the place, situated on the top of one of the Fjords in the east end of Oro Province. There isn't much of modern civilisation outside of the resort, the local village houses are made from one of the trees they have there. Branches make the frame, bark the walls and palm leaves the roof. Some of the houses have made use of some of the corrugated iron left from the time the Americans had a naval base there but that’s about it. The living conditions outside the resort are very basic. There is nothing for the shopper or night life seeker here, just diving, trekking, canoeing, fishing, snorkelling and chilling by the pool

The resort on top of the fjord, the dive shed at the bottom, that track you can see is the one you have to walk up to the resort after your dives. It's a killer.

The main area of the resort, apparently the center pole took 50 men to carry it up from the water.

The rooms are cosy, they do have budget (still has a/c but decor a little lacking), and you can do a homestay in a village, very basic.

View from the BBQ area at the resort

Canoeing up the fjords, allows you to see virgin rain forest.

If you prefer you can go trekking, this usually involves a short boat trip to one of the fjords then a climb to the top (view are great) before visiting one of the villages and walking through the rain forest.

Some of the Villages near the resort

The view from the top of a fjord during a trek

A walk along the beach is peaceful they do have BBQ’s no the beach at times.

The fishing is mainly trawling near the outer reef for Mackerel, they discourage bottom fishing as the fish aren’t as renewable as the pelagics apparently. They only caught enough for dinner and then we went back in. The fish were cooked that night on the BBQ

The flight over is on a twin Otter, here it is on the runway/paddock. The red 4wheel drive is the airport terminal/Tufi welcome truck.

Here’s a view of one of the fjords from the plane, its lava flow from volcano eruptions long ago.