Exploring the wild islands of PNG

Tomorrow a crack team of kayakers (and some CSK staff ;) ) will head off into the wilds of Papua New Guinea to explore a remote island chain in the Louisiade Archipelago. The Calvados islands couldn't be more different from their french brandy namesake but they were first officially mapped and 'discovered' by a few frogs sailing about trying to expand Napoleons empire. Since those times not much has changed in the Calvados Islands, people still live as they did back then. The locals live a subsistence existence in small villages on beautiful islands surrounded by coral atolls, mostly eating fish and veg from their Melanesian veggie gardens and getting around in their traditional sailing outriggers called salua's. The Louisiades is perched halfway between Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands but is governed loosely by PNG. Its a very remote place that sees almost zero tourists and visits from westerners. Its an enchanting archipelago to paddle around, the people are some of the friendliest you could meet and the islands are like a postcard from paradise. We first went there two years ago not sure what we would find, what we discovered was an incredible sea kayaking destination. The local chiefs told us that we were only the second kayak group to ever paddle through the Islands and that they ate the first lot!!! nah not really, apparently two white fella's in 1986 heading towards the Solomon's!

Ah it should be another great adventure. Check out a fews picks below from our last trip a couple of years back.