Situated on the island of West New Britain in Northern Papua New Guinea, Kimbe bay is surrounded by numerous active volcanoes, spectacular coral reefs and dense native jungle. Walindi Plantation Resort is perched in the middle of it all. I visited Walindi to help out at Mahonia Na Dari Research and Conservation Centre.

Mahonia Na Dari Research and Conservation Centre is dedicated to the preservation of Kimbe Bay’s uniquely treasured and diverse marine and terrestrial environments. Mahonia Na Dari means ‘Guardian of the Sea’ in the local language of Kimbe Bay, and since 1996 the non-governmental organisation has served as a model for conservation education, community action and sustainable development. Mahonia works with local schools and villages to increase awareness about the importance of conservation while teaching practical skills related to fishing sustainably and preserving the resources of West New Britain.
Mahonia Na Dari was set up by Max and Cecilie Benjamin, the owners of Walindi Plantation Resort. They have committed to providing not only a beautiful spot for diving enthusiasts and bird watchers, but their continuing support for Mahonia Na Dari also provides education for many of the local community about the wonderful wildlife and marine ecosystem of Kimbe Bay. All programmes at Mahonia Na Dari rely on support and donations from governments, international conservation organisations, private donors and foundations. With the help of these groups the Centre has grown to what it is today.

While volunteering at Mahonia I worked to increase awareness about the programmes to international donors through promotional materials and land tours. I was able to help out with a camp group from Madang Teacher’s College who visited Mahonia for a Marine Environment Education Programme. Activities during the course included class sessions on coral biology and ecology, fish dissection, snorkelling on the fringing and outer reefs and an ecotourism fieldtrip to Nambala, a conservation area used for bird-watching and hiking. The goal with this teachers college group is that they will go and teach these new skills to children at the schools throughout Papua New Guinea. I was able to offer them underwater photos and video of the group using my Olympus Pen -II and housing, this was appreciated as they dont have an underwater camera themselves.

Mahonia also runs a conservation programme where staff visit communities and teach schools and villages about sustainable living. Programmes such as this aim to educate local groups about the unique and diverse marine ecosystems of Papua New Guinea and show ways that people can preserve these environments.

Max and Cecilie have also worked toward building a school for the young children of the surrounding villages. The Max Benjamin School is still in the foundation stages but is growing with the generous donations of audiences at the schools ‘sing sing’ performances.

The coral reefs of Kimbe Bay are pristine and attract divers from all over the world. While helping at Mohonia I was also able to dive some of the spectacular pinnacles and fringing reefs of the bay through Walindi Plantation Resort. Large schools of barracuda hang above the deep water pinnacles, sea fans 5meters wide line ridges and extravagant little critters such as Mandarin fish, ornate ghost pipefish, peacock shrimp and pygmy seahorses hide amongst the coral.

Thank you to Max and Cecilie Benjamin for being their generosity and support during my stay in Papua New Guinea.