Hanza Bay and Awar Village

Hansa Bay is a popular diving spot past Bogia, where the wreckage of 35 Japanese freighters and US aircraft reputedly lie in a shallow harbour – only some are locatable in reasonably shallow water and can be dived on; they’ve all been there since a US raid in November 1942

A boat’s trip may take about 8 ½ hours, in the Northwest direction. The dive sites are located after Bogia Station next to a small village called Awar

Hansa Bay was a Japanese Supply Base during WWII, which was bombed in a raid by the Americans in November 1942. The wrecks are of freighters and aircraft from both the Americans and the Japanese

Over 35 wrecks are scatted in the area of which about 6 are in reasonably shallow water and are accessible to divers

Explore the “Shishi Maru” with its anti-aircraft guns pointing to the surface, and brass shell casting littering the deck. The upper deck of the wreck is approximately 6 meters below the surface with the wreck itself about 60 meters long

There is also excellent diving on some of the surrounding reefs

Only visited when visibility is good, usually from May though to November, when the water is good – the diving is superb

It is also here that you find that every man, woman and child has a story to tell about the significance of their village and how it was used by Imperial Japanese and Allied forces in WWII. But it’s not just all talk; Awar is home to a Japanese war-time airstrip and relics on land including war planes, bunkers and ammunition, a run-down plantation and perhaps the most significant, historical assest this side of Madang – Hanza Bay, a pristine, un-crowded, less-visited body of water that holds a dark side to it. Hanza Bay is the marine burial ground for about 35 sunken ships and freighters from WWII which has eluded the attention of historians, cultural property custodians and tourism developers for years