The trekkers explore New Britain Island, the largest in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. Inhabited by the indigenous Papuans and the Austronesians, the island was captured by the Japanese during World War II. Today the island's traditional cultures are diverse and complex but there are several ancient traditions that remain active today, especially the Dukduk Secret Society. Next, we visit the township of Rabaul, once the provincial capital until it was destroyed in 1994 by a massive volcanic eruption. Rabaul is still a superb location for scuba diving, snorkeling and wreck dives. We travel to the stunningly beautiful island of Bougainville, named after a French navigator, and an excellent location for wreck diving and sea kayaking.
