PAPUA NEW GUINEA DESCRIPTION  

Papua New Guinea consists of over 600 islands and lies in the middle of the long chain of islands stretching from mainland South East Asia. It is situated in the South Pacific, 160km (100 miles) north of Australia. A line of active volcanoes stretches along the north coast of the mainland and continues on the island of New Britain.

The tribal diversity of a country with over 700 languages cannot easily be summarised, although in Papua New Guinea it is the tribal life that is most fascinating to the visitor. Some of the excursions in Papua New Guinea are interestingly different from those offered elsewhere; for example, tourists can be taken to one of the many wrecks of World War II aircraft that lie in the jungle. Haus Tambarans (‘Spirit Houses’) are a feature of many towns and villages in the country, especially in the area of the Sepik River, so only a few of them can be given specific mention. Only initiated men of a tribe can enter (though in places this rule is relaxed for foreigners). They are built in a variety of styles, with massive carved wooden supports being a major feature. Other carvings and masks inside represent spirits. The orator’s stools in these places are not used for sitting on; bunches of leaves are slapped down on the stools as the orator makes his points.

Geography
Papua New Guinea consists of over 600 islands and lies in the middle of the long chain of islands stretching from mainland South East Asia. It lies in the South Pacific, 160km (100 miles) north of Australia. The country occupies the eastern half of the second-largest non-continental island in the world, as well as the smaller islands of the Bismarck Archipelago (Admiralty Island, Bougainville, New Britain and New Ireland), the D’Entrecasteaux Island group and the three islands of the Louisiade Archipelago. The main island shares a land border with Irian Jaya, a province of Indonesia. The mainland and larger islands are mountainous and rugged, divided by large fertile upland valleys. Fast-flowing rivers from the highlands descend to the coastal plains. A line of active volcanoes stretches along the north coast of the mainland and continues on the island of New Britain. To the north and south of this central mountain range on the main island lie vast stretches of mangrove swamps and coastal river deltas. Volcanoes and thermal pools are also found in the southeast of other islands. Papua New Guinea offers the greatest variety of terrestrial ecosystems in the South Pacific, including five types of lowland rainforest, 13 types of montane rainforest, five varieties of palm and swamp forest and three different mangrove forests. Two-thirds of the world’s species of orchids come from Papua New Guinea. Birds include 38 species of the bird-of-paradise, and the megapode and cassowary. Marsupials and mammals include cuscus, tree kangaroos, wallabies, bandicoots, spiny anteaters and, in the coastal waters, the dugong. There are between 170 and 200 species of frog and 450 species of butterfly.The tribal diversity of a country with over 700 languages cannot easily be summarised, although in Papua New Guinea it is the tribal life that is most fascinating to the visitor. Some of the excursions in Papua New Guinea are interestingly different from those offered elsewhere; for example, tourists can be taken to one of the many wrecks of World War II aircraft that lie in the jungle. Haus Tambarans (‘Spirit Houses’) are a feature of many towns and villages in the country, especially in the area of the Sepik River, so only a few of them can be given specific mention. Only initiated men of a tribe can enter (though in places this rule is relaxed for foreigners). They are built in a variety of styles, with massive carved wooden supports being a major feature. Other carvings and masks inside represent spirits. The orator’s stools in these places are not used for sitting on; bunches of leaves are slapped down on the stools as the orator makes his points.

Port Moresby
Port Moresby, the capital, is situated on the magnificent Fairfax Harbour. It houses the National Parliament, the National Museum, which contains exhibits of pottery from all the provinces, the Botanical Gardens and the Catholic Cathedral (which is built in the Haus Tambaran style). The National Museum contains a historical record stretching back over 50,000 years. There are many sporting facilities in Port Moresby, including scuba diving, windsurfing, sailing, game fishing, water-skiing, golf, tennis and squash.

Excursions
Major attractions in the Port Moresby area include The Kokoda Trail and Sogeri, 40km (24 miles) from Port Moresby via the Sogeri road, which offers magnificent views and winds through rubber plantations; Village Arts, a government-owned artifacts shop with the best artifact collection in the country situated at Six Mile, near the airport. Other places of interest near Port Moresby include the Wairiata National Park; Moitaka Crocodile Farm; Loloata Island and the Sea Park Oceanarium.

Lae & Morobe
Lae
Lae, the capital of Morobe province, is Papua New Guinea’s second city and an important commercial center and seaport. The Botanical Gardens are among the best in the country. Mount Lunaman in the center of the town was used by the Germans and the Japanese as a lookout point. It gives a magnificent view over the Huon Gulf and the Markham Valley.

Elsewhere
Outside Lae is Wau, formerly a gold-mining center. The Wau Ecology Institute, a privately funded organization, has a small museum and zoo. Visitors can see cassowaries, tree kangaroos, crocodiles, birds of paradise, native butterflies and rhododendrons. Sights near Wau are McAdam National Park and Mount Kaindi, Finschhafen (a very pretty coastal town) and the Tami Islands, whose people are renowned for their carved wooden bowls. Sialum is an attractive area of coastline known for its coral terraces. White-water rafting on the Watut River is an attraction for the adventurous.

Madang
Madang
The capital of Madang Province, Madang is an ideal starting place for many of the tours round the islands and up the Sepik River. It has a variety of shops, hotels, restaurants and markets, where storyboards depicting myths and legends can be bought. In nearby Bilbils and Yabobs, traditional pottery-making can be seen.

Elsewhere
There are four main population groupings in the province: island, coastal, river and mountain, each with its own diet, traditions and customs. The Manam islanders make houses out of sago trees and toddy palms with leaves and leaf stems tied into each other. The Ramu River people make similar houses, but on stilts, and their carving traditions are influenced by the cultures of the Sepik River. The mountain people are physically smaller and grow familiar crops such as lettuce, radishes, cabbages and potatoes. The families of the coastal population place a special value on dog’s teeth necklaces, tambu shell headbands and pig tusk amulets. These items are sometimes still used as currency in tribal transactions.

The Sepik River
The Sepik River is the longest river in Papua New Guinea and has been for many centuries the trade route into the interior. It winds down from the mountains near the border with Irian Jaya, draining immense tracts of scarcely explored jungle, swamp and grassland until it meets the sea, where it is more than a mile wide. It abounds with meandering waterways, oxbow lakes, tributaries and backwaters, swamps, lagoons, lakes and artificial channels built to short-cut its looping journey. Unusually for a great river, it has no delta system and its waters spew directly into the sea with enormous force. From the many villages along its banks come highly-prized examples of primitive art. The Haus Tambaran at Angoram possesses a display of art from almost the entire length of the river. At Kambaramba village, and elsewhere, houses are built on stilts as a protection against flooding and the dugout canoe is still the main local means of transport. Tourists have the option of being taken on a cruise. Woodcarving is one of the main local crafts and its architectural use in gables and posts in houses is a noteworthy feature as can be seen, for instance, at the village of Tambanum. Timbunke village is a further example of fine construction techniques, including bridge-building.
The area around the Chambri Lakes is home to the diverse species of birds for which Papua New Guinea is famous. These include egrets, pied herons, brahminee kites, whistling kites, jacanas, darters, cormorants and kingfishers. Islands of tangled vegetation and the debris of fallen trees float down the river to the Bismarck Sea. Salt and freshwater crocodiles abound and come out mostly at night. Nightly or early morning excursions into the jungle can be arranged for tourists wishing to experience the unique cacophony of birds preparing for the day’s hunting. Tours along the river have a flexible itinerary which is adapted to river conditions and set to coincide with the many local customs and events. Also in the Chambri area can be found a unique pottery-making village, Aibom, where clay fireplaces, storage and cooking pots are made by the coil method and fired in the open air by women.
At Kanganaman, a Haus Tambaran of national cultural importance is being rebuilt, providing an excellent example of the carvings on the immense Haus Posts. Korogo is famous for its Mei Masks.
In the upper reaches of the Sepik, clan representation and art is characterized by insect totems using praying mantis, rhinoceros-beetle motifs and distinctive insect eyes. Canoe prows are extremely elaborate, as are the tops of stepladders leading into dwellings. At Waskusk, the drawings on the ceiling of the Haus Tambaran depict a clan leader’s dream, but conditions on the river sometimes make this village inaccessible. At Yigei, Upper Sepik-style Garamut Drums (‘Slit Gongs’) can be seen (and heard); and there are dramatic designs in white and yellow along the waterway in Swagap Village, which also has simple, elegant pottery and fireplaces, and often very fine examples of the canoe-builder’s craft.

The Highlands
The majority of the country’s population lives in this least accessible part of Papua New Guinea.

Eastern Highlands
This region has the longest history of contact with the West. Kainantu is reached from Lae through the Kassim Pass. It has a large cultural center, selling traditional artifacts; it also provides training in print-making and weaving. The largest town is Goroka, an agricultural and commercial center for the entire Highlands region. The JK McCarthy Museum has a comprehensive display of regional artifacts; the Leahy wing contains photographs taken by early explorers. In the town center the Raun Raun Theater company provides contemporary performances of traditional stories and legends. Bena Bena Village, 10km (6 miles) from Goroka, is the largest handweaving organization in the Highlands. Also nearby is Asaro, where the men coat themselves with grey mud and re-enact for visitors their historic revenge on a neighboring village. The legend has it that, having been defeated in battle, the resourceful villagers covered themselves in mud and successfully frightened the opposition, who ran away in fear of being visited by ghosts.

Simbu Province
Kundiawa, a small town, is the capital of Simbu Province. Some of the local caves are used as burial places; others are popular with cavers. Rafting down the Wahgi and Purari rivers is also exciting. Mount Wilhelm, 4509m (1480ft), is in Simbu Province and is the highest mountain in Papua New Guinea.

Western Highlands
In some ways Mount Hagen in the Western Highlands resembles a town from the Wild West. Its expansion is only recent and the local population organize a number of sing-sing celebrations to mark a diverse variety of events ranging from payment of a bride-price to the opening of a new road. There is also a cultural center in the town. The Baiyer River Wildlife Sanctuary lies 55km (34 miles) north of Mount Hagen and is one of the best places to see the famous birds of paradise. Possums, tree kangaroos, parrots and cassowaries are also part of the natural habitat.

Southern Highlands
The Mendi Valley of the Southern Highlands is noted for its spectacular scenery and limestone caves. It is home to the Huli Wigmen who wear red and yellow face-paint and elaborately decorated wigs made of human hair.

Enga Province
Wabang in Enga Province has a large cultural center with an art gallery and a museum. Young artists can be seen working on sand paintings. War shields, wigs, weapons and other artifacts from all over Papua New Guinea are on display. Enga is the most primitive of the Highland Provinces.

The Islands
The main islands are New Britain, New Ireland and the Manus group (together comprising the Bismarck Archipelago), the northernmost Solomon Islands of Bougainville and Buka, and an eastern group of islands including the Trobriand and D’Entrecasteaux Islands.

New Britain
Rabaul on New Britain is the capital of the island and suffered extensive damage, owing to volcanic activity a few years back. During the eruptions most of the town was destroyed and the inhabitants were evacuated to other parts of the island. Rabaul used to be renowned for the Gunantabu (the remains of Queen Emma’s residence) with her private cemetery; the remains of the German Government House on Namanula Hill; a 576km (360 mile) underground tunnel system left by the Japanese; the Admirals Bunker, now a museum; an orchid park; and Rabaul Market, which is famous throughout the South Pacific. New Britain is one of the most popular islands for diving and there are many diving boats available.

New Ireland & Manus
New Ireland and the Manus group of islands are off the general tourist trail. In the northwestern islands of the latter group there are no trees. The islanders have a tradition of making sea-going canoes out of logs that float down the Sepik into the surrounding ocean.

North Solomons
Bougainville and Buka are separated by a narrow channel of islets. Before Bougainville was closed to visitors, tourists were well catered for with activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, game fishing and swimming as well as bushwalking, caving expeditions, a six-hour downhill hike from Panguna to Arawa and a three-day jungle trek to the summit of Mount Balbi, a dormant volcano. For details about visiting this area as well as the nearby Butterfly Farm in Kerei Village, contact the Tourism Promotion Authority (see General Info section). Relics of German and Japanese occupation abound throughout Papua New Guinea and visitors will have no trouble finding them. The wreck of Admiral Yamamoto’s plane in the rainforest of Buin is perhaps one of the most interesting.

Milne Bay
The islands offshore from Bougainville are lined with white sandy beaches. The Trobriands are the most accessible of the groups of islands in Milne Bay Province, but tourists might feel slightly less welcome than in the main tourist areas. As elsewhere in the islands, swimming and snorkeling enthusiasts are well catered for. The harvesting of yams from May to September is accompanied by extended rituals and celebrations which peak in the months of July and August. The mountainous D’Entrecasteaux Islands rise out of the sea. In the center of Goodenough Island, there is a large stone decorated with mysterious paintings.

The beaches and coral reefs around Papua New Guinea offer spectacular swimming and snorkeling facilities. Diving facilities and qualified instructors are available. Madang, Port Moresby and Rabaul offer a wide variety of dives ranging from wrecks to reefs. Diving holidays can also be arranged at locations such as Loloaka and off the island of New Britain, the latter being considered one of the best diving areas in Papua New Guinea. There is an underwater club in Port Moresby which is open to visitors. Game fish are plentiful in Lae, Madang, Port Moresby, Rabaul and Wewak. Information is available from Port Moresby Game Fishing Club Gantry, PO Box 154, Boroko (tel: 325 4532; fax: 325 6048; e-mail: kwebber@daltron.com.pg; website: www.pmgfc.org.pg). The Royal Papua Yacht Club (tel: 321 1700; fax: 321 4935; e-mail:rpyc@datec.net.pg website: www.rpyc.com.pg) makes its extensive sailing facilities available to visitors; the season begins in late April.

Backpacking and hiking
There are many backpacking and hiking tours are on offer, ranging from simple bush walks to extended tours through the rugged interior.

Other
Golf can be played at Port Moresby Golf Club, which has one of the oldest courses in Papua New Guinea, and is open to visitors. Other clubs are at Arowa, Lae, Madang, Minj, Rabaul and Wau. Visitors are welcome to do horseriding at Illimo Farm, Port Moresby, where instruction is available in the afternoons and at weekends. Squash courts and equipment are available in major centers.

Location
South Pacific.

Area
462,840 sq km (178,704 sq miles).

Population
5.6 million (2002).

Population Density
12.1 per sq km.

Capital
Port Moresby.
Population: 254,158 (2000).

Government
Constitutional monarchy. Gained independence from Australia in 1975.  

Language
The official language is English, which is widely used in business and government circles. Pidgin English and Hiri Motu are more commonly used (an estimated 742 other languages and dialects are also spoken).

Religion
90 per cent Christian.

Time
GMT + 10.

Electricity
240 volts AC, 50Hz. Australian-style three-pin plugs are in use. Some hotels provide 110-volt outlets in guest-rooms.

Head of Government
Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare since 2002.

Head of State
HM Queen Elizabeth II, represented locally by Governor General Paulias Matane since 2004.

Telephone
Country code: 675. There are no area codes in Papua New Guinea.

Mobile Telephone
The only network provider is Pacific Mobile Communications (website: www.pacificmobile.com.pg). Coverage is likely to be limited.

Internet
Services tend to be slow and sometimes unreliable.

Post
Airmail to Europe takes seven to 10 days.

Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1600, Sat 0900-1200.

Press
• Two daily newspapers are published in English: The National and Papua New Guinea Post-Courier.
• The most popular daily is Niugini Nius. Social Conventions
Papua New Guinea’s culture still includes elements of a primitive lifestyle. There are universities at Lae (which is a University of Technology with a liberal infusion of Europeans and North Americans) and at Port Moresby. Casual clothes are recommended. Informality is the order of the day and although shorts are quite acceptable, beachwear is usually best confined to the beach. In the evenings some hotels expect men to wear long trousers but ties are rare. A long dress is appropriate for women on formal occasions.

International Travel:

Getting There by Air
The national airline is Air Niugini (PX) (website: www.airniugini.com.pg).

Departure Tax
PGK30 is levied on international flights. Children under two years of age and passengers not leaving the airport are exempt.

Main Airports
Port Moresby (POM) (Jacksons) is 11km (7 miles) from the city. There are direct flights to Australia and Singapore. To/from the airport: Buses and taxis are available to the city (journey time – 20 minutes to 1 hour). Facilities: Duty-free and banking facilities are available at the airport.

Getting There by Water
Main ports: Alotau, Kieta (North Solomons), Lae, Madang, Momote (Manus), Port Moresby, Rabaul (New Britain) and Wewak (Sepik).

Passenger/cruise lines running regular services include Lindblad, Peter Deilmann, Society Expeditions and World Discoverer. Main cargo/passenger lines include Austasia and Bank Line.

Overview
The following may be imported into Papua New Guinea by persons over 18 years of age without incurring customs duty:
260 cigarettes or 250g of cigars or tobacco; 1l of alcoholic beverages; a reasonable quantity of perfume; new goods up to a value of Kina200 (Kina100 for persons under 18 years of age) excluding radios, tape recorders, television sets, video cameras, video tapes, record players and associated equipment.

Plants and soil, uncanned foods of animal origin (unless from Australia or New Zealand), and all pig meat from New Zealand.

Internal Travel:

Getting Around By Air
Services are run by Air Niugini to all main centers, but are expensive. Internal services should be booked between November and February. Air Niugini flies to over 100 airstrips throughout the country and operates regular services to the 20 major towns of the country. Air Niugini also offers reductions for pre-booking excursions. Charter services are also in operation.

There is no railway.

Getting Around by Water
Cruises and excursions are available lasting three to 16 days. These go mainly to the islands and some otherwise inaccessible places on the coast. Cargo/passenger services between Lae and Madang are run by Lutheran Shipping with facilities including passenger cabins, accommodation and meals.

For the local people in some regions of the country, rivers, particularly the Sepik, provide the main thoroughfares. In these areas it is possible to hire motorized canoes or obtain passage on a trading boat; however, apart from cruises, there are no regular public transport operators on the rivers.

Getting Around by Road
Driving is on the left and is not recommended. Owing to the rugged terrain of Papua New Guinea, road development of the interior has been slow. There are currently 19,736km (12,262 miles) of roads of which 4865km (3023 miles) are highways or trunk roads. There is a network of roads connecting the northern coast towns of Madang and Lae with the major urban centers in the Highlands region. There are few roads connecting the various provinces, however. Bus: PMVs (public motor vehicles) operate in the main centers from bus shelters or they can be hailed. Taxi: Available in district centers but expensive. Although operated on a metered basis, fares can be negotiated. Car hire: Available in principal towns. Documentation: A national driving license is sufficient.

A wide range of crafts is available in shops; alternatively, visitors can buy directly from villagers. Favorite buys include local carvings of ceremonial masks and statuettes from Angoram and the Sepik, Buka basketry, arrows, bows and decorated axes, crocodile carvings from the Trobriands, pottery and local art. The many butterfly farms send specimens of unusual species throughout the world.

Shopping hours
Mon-Fri 0900-1700, Sat 0900-1300 (some open longer and/or Sunday).

Currency Information:

Currency
Kina (PGK) = 100 toea. Notes are in denominations of PGK50, 20, 10, 5 and 2. Coins are in denominations of PGK1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 toea.

Currency Exchange
Exchange facilities are available through trade banks.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs
American Express is the most widely accepted credit card.

Traveller's Cheques
Accepted by most shops and hotels. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, traveller’s are advised to take traveller’s cheques in US Dollars, Pounds Sterling or Australian Dollars.

Banking Hours
Mon-Thurs 0845-1500, Fri 0845-1600.Passport/Visa