Discover Kavieng: Harbour, Surfing and History

Kavieng brings together a harbour drive, market offerings, reef surf breaks and traces of history. The nearby island of Nusa Lavu is also one of the destination’s highlights. To choose between water activities, you can compare two different options: for surf breaks, the direction they face and their level of difficulty matter; on Nusa Lavu, a beach is suitable for swimming and snorkelling.

Harbour and Market

Kavieng Harbour Drive runs along the harbour, follows a gentle curve and is shaded by large trees. Seaplane wrecks are scattered in and around Kavieng Harbour.

At Kavieng’s main market, you’ll find seafood, fruit and vegetables, as well as local foods such as tapioca slices, smoked fish, rice balls and sago. These examples range from seafood and plant-based market produce to several specifically named local foods.

Woven items made from pandanus, including baskets and purses, are offered for sale at Kavieng Market. Baskets and purses illustrate the different forms these woven goods take.

Surfing and Conditions

Numerous left- and right-hand reef surf breaks are accessible from Kavieng over relatively short distances. Their level of difficulty depends on swell size and direction, as well as reef depth. Whether a break is left- or right-hand therefore does not, by itself, indicate how challenging it is: swell and reef depth also play a role.

The Niu Ailan Surfriders Alliance (NASA) and the Kavieng Surf Club manage the Kavieng Area Surf Management Plan. It limits the number of visiting surfers across the entire Kavieng area to 20 per day. The limit applies to the whole area and per day, not to an individual break.

Remembrance and Historical Traces

A plaque bearing the names of those who died was unveiled at the Kavieng War Memorial on 4 July 2002. A tourism description notes that more known Second World War aircraft wrecks lie in and around Kavieng than anywhere else in Papua New Guinea. The unveiling date refers to the plaque; the comparison, by contrast, places Kavieng and its surroundings in a regional context.

Nusa Lavu: Landscape and Beach

The nearby island of Nusa Lavu lies across the harbour. At the island’s northern end, limestone formations create blowholes. Nusa Lavu has Second World War bunkers and bomb craters; a shipwreck lies on a beach. The island also has birdlife. One beach is suitable for swimming and snorkelling.

These interests cover different topics: for surfing, swell, reef depth and the daily area-wide limit matter. Market offerings, the memorial plaque and Nusa Lavu’s features provide further, distinct points of interest to help you plan your trip.

Discover more destinations: Lae, Kokopo, Hewiia, Goroka, Omili, Matukar, Tufi, Madang

For the main travel overview: Papua New Guinea.