The
Indies Trader Four leaves from Sorong. You can get there via Denpassar or Jakarta.
It does take two flights though. Either through Surabaya or Sulawesi (North or South). I
took the flight through Makasar in South Sulawesi with a bunch of Russian friends. We stayed overnight and left for Sorong in Papua at 4.30am. Makasar Airport is amazing, super modern; the other
end of the scale is Sorong, just a shed on a bitumen runway. Just check the last flight in case the plane is too small to take surfboards.
We
were met by Tim, the IT4 Aussie cook and he dropped us in town for breakfast while the boats
restocked and refuelled.
We
leave in time to score a wind affected 3ft right hander late in the
arvo. Everyone is pretty stoked; water
temperature is 28-29 degrees. (As it turned out the biggest waves of the trip).
The
set up of the Indies Trader four is five star. We all have our own cabins
including en suite. Excellent food and service. Eric is our captain, Dorris our surf guide and legend surfer
and great bloke along with chef Tim and the Indonesian crew.
We
woke up in paradise and surfed a small shallow left breaking down the reef.
This was to be the MO for the trip, small inconsistent waves. With swell a lot
of potential but...........
The
jewel in the crown here is not the surf but a National Park and world heritage
site called Rajah Ampat situated just north of the equator.
There
is massive ancient lime stone plugs or small islands everywhere. We weave our way
through small islands and into smooth water. It is absolutely amazing. No surf
through here as the water depth drops to 20 Meters beside these small islands.
It’s not until you right inside this cluster that you find small fingers of
sand.
We
spend four days just hanging in this area, snorkeling, kayaking, swimming,
wake boarding and generally soaking up the magnificent scenery. Apparently this
area has the most diverse range of coral anywhere in the world. Didn't really want to leave.
On
our return to Sorong we surfed in front of a small village and all the locals
come out to watch. We paddle ashore and talk to them. They are proud Papuans
and whilst they are poor they offer us coconuts. The kids were surfing the tiny
one foot waves on anything they could find, bits of wood, old esky lids and
having a ball.
The
trip was really cool, only marginal waves but awesome scenery. The Trader Four
is a fabulous boat at the top end of the charter business and is ideal for you
and a partner. The boat has everything you need. Three tenders, two jet skis,
diving tanks and all sorts of aquatic equipment.
The
crew, Captain Eric, Surf Guide Dorris, Chef Tim and Engineer Hendrick are super
friendly and very professional.
Would
I recommend the trip to a bunch of hardcore surf frothers – No!
Would I go again with my wife, family and friends – Yes!
Would I go again with my wife, family and friends – Yes!
Would
I sneak a board or two into the luggage as well – Absolutely!
