They're rising up all over the Mentawai chain. Land camps, that is. And with mod-cons and speedboat access they're challenging the tourist tugs for the white fella's dollar.

The trip is on the PNG Explorer, a boat captained by Victorian surfer Andrew Rigby and his wife Jude. Here are a selection of shots from one of Andrew's PNG trips last season, showing warm water waves and not a strip of neoprene to be seen. Places are still available on The Perfect Wave's PNG photographic trip. To find out more click here.

Meanwhile, Joel Coleman powered his flash and lit up the night for the squinting surfers. The trip was a photographic surf mission put on by The Perfect Wave and Saltmotion Photography.