Help Rebuild Uruna Bay Retreat, PokPok Island.

On Wednesday the 7th of June, 2023, Uruna Bay retreat was targeted by a group of jealous thugs. 

These thugs burnt down the main beach house, torched the generators, stole assets (the Landcruiser vehicle, Mercury 60HP engine and 21-footer Yamaha boat) and trashed, damaged and looted whatever they could lay their hands on (surfboards, dive equipment, fishing equipment, kayaks, snorkels, white goods, electronic items, crockery and cutlery). In addition to the items stolen, damaged or lost to arson, the family has lost precious personal collections of books, reports, photographs, magazines, and a collection of artwork and artifacts that can never be replaced.

The formerly operating commercial kitchen

The former generator

The main guest house & Pentanu family home

Given that the retreat was only months away from welcoming its first group of international surf tourists to the region, this incident is all the more heartbreaking for the Pentanu family and the local community.

The family home was designed by Simon with the help of local company TDC. The build was completed on the 18th of December, 1989. This beautiful, wooden home withstood the Bougainville civil war, and had since welcomed guests from around the world, myself included. All that now remains is ashes.

In all, two properties were lost in arson, and the 4 properties that survived the attack are left in a state of terrible damage and disrepair. Currently, they are unusable and uninhabitable.

The photo below shows the recently completed jetty. A complex where a small conference room, lounge, and bar were located. All of this area is now totally gutted and in a state of disrepair due to arson.

The former jetty, complete with a conference room, bar and lounge.

Simon, Laurelle, and the wider family & community have poured their heart and soul into creating a sustainable tourism operation, benefiting the entire community, and leading the way in sustainable tourism development in Bougainville and Papua New Guinea.

Please help them rebuild and continue the amazing work they are doing. Every donation, big or small, is much appreciated.