Louisiades Rally On Again for 2009

9:53 AM Mon 2 Feb 2009 GMT

'The welcoming locals. - Louisiades Rally' Guy Chester Click Here to view large photo

The inagural Louisidaes Rally was held in September - November 2008, taking yachts from Cairns Australia to the Lousiades Archiplelago in PNG. It was judged a huge success by the yachties and the locals hosts.

Louisiades Rally will be held again in 2009 with yachts leaving Cairns on 12 September and then cruising through the paradise of islands with welcoming local people for a month or more.

The Louisiades is close to Australia and a real jewel of the Pacific. The local people are very friendly, they are very poor and live self-sufficiently with only a limited cash economy. The culture is still intact and offers a 'real' Melanesian and Pacific Island experience. The landscape is awesome with continental islands uplifted reef islands and coral cays all close together, good anchorages.

The Louisiades is 520 miles across the Coral Sea from Cairns. - Louisiades Rally - Guy Chester Click Here to view large photo

Join a group of yachts sailing to the Louisiades in Papua New Guinea, only 520 miles from Cairns. Cruise in company, meet welcoming local people and learn about their island lifestyle and culture. Cruise the spectacular atolls, reef and islands. Have an experience of a lifetime while benefiting the local community.

Support from the Rally organisers includes safety briefings, Cairns marina berth (Yorkeys Knob Boating Club), weather, radio skeds, Australian/PNG customs arrangements and many events (also time for individual cruising/exploring). Events include farewell drinks, arrival BBQ, skull cave visit, traditional dancing, village visits, traditional sailing canoe regatta, many feasts, remote river trip, school visit, hospital clinic visit, Showcase Misima festival, traditional canoe making, traditional carving and rally end party.