Magnificent Mt. Wilhelm!

Text and photographs by Barry Greville-Eyres, naturalist and development practitioner working with the Goroka-based Fresh Produce Development Agency

Sunrise Mt. Wilhelm summit
For eco-tourists and adventure-junkies the Simbu Province and in particular the Mt Wilhelm scramble offers an off the beaten track experience that is hard to surpass. At 4509m this imposing edifice flies largely and surprisingly under the tourism radar in terms of exposure, commercialisation, public interest and actual visitor numbers. Herein rests, for me personally, its greatest appeal. Its offers its own, uniquely PNG rite of passage, taken and cherished by the few. Its route is relatively pristine, unfettered and devoid of hype and controversy. 
In keeping with the notion of community-based sustainable tourism, almost every kina spent circulates within and boosts the local Kundiawa - Mt. Wilhelm economy. My five day sojourn was remarkably affordable, amounting to K1.200 inclusive of transport (Goroka – Mt. Wilhelm return), accommodation and food, trekking and guide fees and in all cases I was able to meet and pay, thoroughly deserving service providers, directly. This provided a level of engagement and intimacy rarely encountered – well beyond a mere financial or service transaction. Remarkable insights were gained into the people of the area – their dignity, resilience, serenity, warmth, humility and kinship for family and others and their deep, deep connection to the soil and land. It is hoped that this inherent environmental stewardship will support and demand measured and responsible development in the face of developmental challenges currently sweeping through PNG. The self determination and efforts of local landowners, farmers, mountain guides and lodge operators, in the provision of home-grown services, fruit and vegetables, and infrastructure, are applauded.

Camp Jehovah Jireh open for business
The recently established Camp Jehovah Jireh, offering rustic yet comfortable lodge-styled accommodation, is a classic example of local PNG entrepreneurship. The establishment and associated tour guiding services are consolidated under the Mt. Wilhelm Tours company, ably and passionately managed by former school teacher, Martin Thomas. Martin is working towards a ‘stable client base and thus far has attracted an interesting blend of corporate clients (government, volunteer service organisations, and donor assisted projects), international tourists and even a Japanese film production company currently engaged in making a documentary in the area.’

 L – R Martin Thomas, Mt. Wilhelm Tours, the author and Paul Sugma, mountain guide prior to tackling Mt. Wilhelm
Recollections of my experience are as varied as they are intense – all making up a rich mental and emotional montage difficult, yet necessary, to share and articulate in the written word. Even pictorial images fall short of the mark but some stories need to be told – somehow. The road trip from Goroka to Kundiawa (traversing Eastern Highlands and Simbu Provinces) is fascinating, dramatic and breathtakingly beautiful – a fantasy farmland often regarded as the fruit, vegetable and coffee basket of PNG. One can hear, see, smell and feel luxuriant growth in profusion whether strawberries, kaukau, monstrous African yams, English cabbages, countless varieties of legumes and bananas and much
more. All natural, fresh, flavoursome, nutritious – as good as it will ever get! The roadside Agro-tourism potential of the area is immense, especially with show, tell, do and taste experiences.

PNG roadside snacks on offer
Summiting Mt Wilhelm, reputed to be one of the Pacific’s highest peaks, rates up there with Kenya’s Kilimanjaro, Namibia’s Fish River Canyon and South Africa’s Otter Trail and many of the world’s iconic treks. The walk in to the lake-side base camp (from Camp Jehovah Jireh) is a comfortable three to five hour amble taking in high forest, sub-alpine forest, grass and heath lands with dense stands of enormous tree ferns. The water catchment potential of the area is self-evident with swiftly flowing mountain streams and an abundance of swampy surface water. The base camp accommodation is simple but adequate, offering stunning views over the lower lake and a natural mountain amphitheatre, both of which are traversed in order to reach the summit.
The Mt.Wilhelm climb is exceedingly tough, bewildering, uncompromising and with a midnight ascent, lasting between four and seven hours, requires a moderate level of fitness and highly recommended conditioning at altitude. As with any remote, high altitude adventure there is a definite risk element involved and moderate on-trail care (steep ground security) and backup precautions should be taken. Our descent was far more sedate – close on eight hours, even at sub-zero temperatures, benefiting from daylight and panoramic views. Pockets of miniature alpine vegetation punctuate the austere yet intriguing moonscape and scree-slopes, clinging to a timeless existence alternating between daily freezing and thawing. Paul Sugma, my expert mountain guide and I were held in morbid fascination, for hours, by the wreckage of a large aircraft littering the slopes above the upper lake.

Upper lake en route to summit
We finally stumbled onto our base camp where interim relief was sought, for aching muscles and creaking joints, in the icy waters of the cobalt blue lower lake. Little did we know that, shortly before our departure, magnificent Mt. Wilhelm was about to offer up one final extravagance to crown a truly unforgettable experience.

 Hooked - John proudly displays his sizable rainbow trout

Papua New Guinea LNG project enters into Heads of Agreement with Sinopec

Project will provide long-term supply to Unipec

 

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, November 4, 2009 – Esso Highlands Limited, a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation and operator of the PNG LNG project, today announced that the project participants entered into a Heads of Agreement with Unipec Asia Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) for the long-term supply of 2 million tonnes per annum of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The PNG LNG project participants are working with Sinopec to finalise a binding sale and purchase agreement.

A final investment decision on the project is planned for later this year.

Documents commemorating the agreement were signed in Port Moresby.

“We are pleased to have reached this important milestone with Sinopec,” said Ron Billings, vice-president of ExxonMobil Gas and Power Marketing.

 “With this agreement in place, the PNG LNG project is now conducting exclusive discussions with major Asian LNG customers for binding sale and purchase agreements covering the full project capacity.”

“We are pleased to have signed this significant Heads of Agreement with the PNG LNG project, which is led by our partner ExxonMobil.

“This LNG resource will be supplied to a LNG receiving terminal that Sinopec will build in China,” said Wang Zhigang, senior vice-president of Sinopec.

 "We hope that the working teams from both parties continue to work closely together to finalise the sale and purchase agreement as soon as possible."

The PNG LNG project is an integrated development which includes gas production and processing facilities, onshore and offshore pipelines and LNG plant facilities.

Participating interests are ExxonMobil (Esso Highlands Limited as Operator) 41.5%, Oil Search 34.0%, Santos 17.7%, Nippon Oil 5.4%, Minerals Resources Development Company 1.2%, and Eda Oil Limited 0.2%. (Participation will change when PNG State nominees join as equity participants at a later date.)

 

Media Contact: Miles Shaw

Phone: (675) 322-2133

Email: miles.j.shaw@exxonmobil.com

 

Happy Birthday, Malum Nalu Jr!

Happy  Birthday Malum Nalu Jr, who turns nine today.        
                                                                                                                                                                                                  That's you with late Mummy, Hula, and Dad after your birth in Goroka on November 4, 2000.       

Hope you have a wonderful day in Lae today with the family.                                                                                                                                                                                         
Never-ending love from Dad, Gedi, Moasing and baby Keith, and most importantly, Mum.

InterOil’s LNG project - early benefits and revenue transparency

PORT MORESBY, Tuesday November 3, 2009: INTEROIL Corporation believes that its proposed LNG project would provide attractive revenue streams to Papua New Guinea before 2014.

InterOil discussed the nature of these revenue streams in the company’s presentation at the PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum conference held at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea between October 27 and 30.

In the presentation, InterOil described its upstream oil and gas production business segment and its separate proposed midstream LNG tolling plant business segment which form a non-integrated project structure.

The Company believes that such a structure, with its clear lines of demarcation between upstream and midstream segments, provides revenues to the country on a transparent basis while also potentially providing those revenues earlier to PNG’s various levels of government and to landowners.

“InterOil is aiming to bring on stream a liquids stripping plant, to be located in Gulf Province, on stream in late 2011/2012 while the LNG plant is still being built,” the company presentation by CEO Phil Mulacek said.

 “The plant will extract the liquid condensate from the gas, reinject the gas back into the reservoir, and transport the liquids to its refinery or for sale in the open market.

“The advantage for landowners, provincial governments and the PNG state is taxes and royalties would start flowing earlier into their respective coffers,” Mulacek said.

“All upstream stakeholders benefit from the early condensate/oil production through direct 20.5% government ownership and 2% landowner royalty payments.

“Additional revenue is generated by the PNG government through the 30% company tax rate.

“When the LNG plant begins its operations in late 2014/2015, all upstream stakeholders will benefit from increased condensate production, natural gas production and associated profits taxes as it occurs due to InterOil’s non-integrated project structure.

“Additionally, LNG plant stakeholders would benefit from a separate stream of revenue and profit tax from the midstream LNG plant.

“The separate revenue streams provide increased transparency when compared with an integrated project structure.

“Based on current forecasts of production and commodity prices, 94% of the total revenues from InterOil’s project to the PNG government will be derived from the production of oil and gas during the first ten years. 

“Production from the Elk/Antelope field provides revenue security to PNG and early cash flows for the State, provincial governments and landowners potentially beginning in 2011/2012 from early liquids production.

“The InterOil LNG project would provide direct and indirect benefits to PNG. 

“The InterOil LNG project is not in direct competition with the PNG LNG project but rather adds additional revenue security to PNG.

“Delay of the LNG Project Agreement will risk the revenue diversity to PNG citizens and the momentum for a stronger LNG industry in Papua New Guinea,” Mulacek said.

 For further information please contact

 Susuve Laumaea

Senior Manager (Media Relations)

InterOil Corporation

Ph: (675) 321 7040

Mobile: 675-76845168 or 675-72013870

Email:susuve.laumaea@interoil.com ; slaumaea@digicelpacific.blackberry.com

InterOil replies to Sydney Morning Herald article

In today’s Page 5 of the Sydney Morning Herald Business Day reporter Clancy Yeates report on Resources under the headline “Doubt cast on Canadians’ ambitious PNG plan” mistruths were rampant throughout the article. InterOil sees it quite strange why a Sydney newspaper with Oil Search shareholding would write about InterOil without contacting senior management of InterOil about the real facts. InterOil’s responses to each paragraph of the article is hereby highlighted in red.  – Susuve Laumaea.

AN OIL refiner hoping to exploit the region's gas boom, Canada's InterOil, faces a wave of scepticism over its plans to export liquefied natural gas from Papua New Guinea.

There is no wave of skepticism. The only skeptics are Oil Search investors that are losing money and have been misled by false information provided by Oil Search. The false information regarding the productivity and resource estimates resulting from our wells has turned out to be not true.

InterOil, which has its regional base in Cairns and RBS Australia as adviser, aims to build a second LNG plant in PNG alongside ExxonMobil's $US12.5 billion ($13.6 billion) venture with Oil Search.

The Exxon led PNG LNG project is now a $15 billion dollar project. InterOil does not intend to build alongside Exxon. InterOil tends to build on government owned land on which it has a 99 year lease alongside its 100% owned oil refinery, where it has a jetty system and harbor rights to the only deep water protected port on the coastline.

The company has lofty ambitions to build a similar sized plant to export 8 million tonnes of gas a year through two production units, or trains, for just $US6 billion. It aims to sell its first shipment as soon as 2014.

Not lofty at all, look at the Hunt Project in Peru, built for $5 billion.

However, some Australian industry insiders and analysts are doubtful whether InterOil has enough gas. The group has no certified reserves, but it has detected gas flow rates at the Elk/Antelope field that it says are the strongest recorded in PNG.

We have certified resources that can not be called proven reserves until we reach FID (final investment decision). Industry insiders and analysts understand this, it is the same for all companies.

In the highest-case scenario from an independent evaluator, InterOil hopes to find reserves of 4.73 trillion cubic feet (tcf), but analysts contacted by BusinessDay said this looked marginal for one train, let alone two.

Our most up to date resource estimate, which includes the results from Antelope-1 is 6.1Tcf of gas and 100 MMbbls of condensate (or 6.7 Tcfe) plenty enough for one train by any standard and well on the way for a two train project.

In comparison, Woodside's Pluto 2 project off Western Australia will require up to 5.1 tcf of gas for one train and 10.2 tcf for two.

The market is also edgy because the geology around InterOil's oil and gas assets is different from the area where Exxon and 34 per cent partner Oil Search are planning their LNG plant.

The market is not edgy at all!! InterOil shares have been one of the best performing stocks on the New York Stock Exchange in 2009. Morgan Stanley recently recommended the shares as a buy. Our reservoir is many fold better that the higher cost and lower productivity wells being drilled in the highlands.

''It's a new area and it does not have the production history of the Southern Highlands, where Oil Search is,'' said an analyst who asked not to be named.

Who is this analyst that hides behind anonymity? Just because a resource is new does not make it inferior. Simply comparing InterOil’s well productivity and the proximity to the proposed plant, would lead any competent industry insider or analyst to conclude InterOil has the superior project.

A website, InterNoOil.com has sprung up attacking the company's claims.

This website was created by a convicted felon who admits to being short InterOil shares. The website made these claims months ago and the market has seen through the ill intent of a stock manipulator.

An InterOil spokesman rejected the criticism and said the company was on track to deliver LNG, adding that scepticism appeared to have come from its competitors.

''We have no reason to believe that we won't have sufficient [gas] to underpin a minimum of one and possibly two trains,'' the spokesman said.

In March, InterOil opened its data room and retained RBS and BNP Paribas to sell a project stake of up to 25 per cent, but it has yet to sign up a big partner.

In March InterOil hired RBS and BNP Paribas, in June InterOil opened its data room. InterOil is planning to test the condensate levels at the base of the gas column and the potential for a commercial oil discovery following the oil recovery in the Antelope-1 well. InterOil will not sell any interest until it has completed the testing in the Antelope-2 well which has been designed to capture this most important valuation information. The Antelope-2 well has already confirmed the extension of the dolomitized reef 2.3 miles from Antelope-1 and encountered the limestone 345 feet higher than estimated further increasing the size of the discovery. The condensate and oil potential will be determined over the next few weeks.

The refiner, listed on the New York stock exchange, has seen its market value almost quadruple this year after discoveries in PNG.Despite local scepticism, US analysts have said booking reserves was not essential for making a final investment decision on an LNG project, as the rival Exxon project had booked only minimal reserves.

 

 

University of Goroka addressing Outcome Based Education through workshops

Caption: Curriculum & Instruction staff from UOG participating in a group work session with volunteer staff member and workshop co-facilitator Mr Don Herron at the workshop held last Friday (30th October 2009).-Picture by KATE GUNN

 

By KATE GUNN of University of Goroka

The University of Goroka (UOG) is on track to addressing the government’s plan for Outcomes Based Education (OBE) in Papua New Guinea.

 In a series of workshops conducted by the Curriculum and Teaching Department of the Education Faculty, academic staff are actively producing a roadmap to guide and improve teacher training at the UOG, based on the OBE approach to education.

Curriculum and Instruction lecturers at UOG have participated in two workshops so far aimed at producing “competent, knowledgeable and quality teacher graduates” as stated by the Vision of the University. 

This is ultimately aimed at the development of a common curriculum to be taught to UOG students so that they may reflect the OBE approach when teaching out in the field. 

This will be comprised of the planning, organisation, programming and assessment on curriculum in all subjects in schools. 

This will be achieved through specific outcomes-based units and topics, along with assessment and teaching also being outcomes-based.

Teaching skills and methods such as peer group teaching, micro teaching and teaching practice will also influence the desired outcomes. 

This is ultimately to build skills and knowledge through experience before teaching OBE to students of UOG. 

Sessions of the first workshop held on Friday 23rd October 2009 covered topics such as what is outcome based education; international perspectives of OBE; planning with outcomes; assessing with outcomes in a comprehensive introduction for curriculum and instruction lecturers to acquaint them with the OBE approach to education.

 In opening the workshop the Vice Chancellor of the University of Goroka Dr Gairo Onagi stated: “UOG is passionate about curriculum and instruction…and teaching students to teach well.”

  Dr Onagi also encouraged staff to lift their game and not relegate curriculum and instruction duties to junior staff, for the best delivery to UOG students.

In the second consecutive workshop held on Friday 30th October 2009, UOG staff worked to identify common areas to teach students via different strands for the common curriculum.

 Staff also examined and discussed the teaching skills and methods which factor in OBE as a scaffold to classroom practice. 

This was to “make sure there’s integration and connection” said Mr Teng Waninga Head of Department and lecturer in the Curriculum and Teaching Department of UOG and co-facilitator of the workshops with volunteer staff member Mr Don Herron also of the same department of the Education Faculty. 

The workshop also included staff doing group work where they had discussions to identify the qualities and outcomes of UOG graduates taught the OBE approach.

The third and final workshop is planned for the near future. 

Fiji AG self -destructs on media freedom: PFF

Fiji's Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has erased his own credibility with 'delusional' notions that Fiji has a free media, says regional media watchdog the Pacific Freedom Forum.

According to media reports, Khaiyum told a regional journalism seminar at the University of the South Pacific on Friday 31st October Fiji's media were free to report on any issue, asking  “Is there a

restriction? Are journalists being locked up? Are journalists being told what to write? No!"

But in the same presentation on the Public Emergency Regulations (PER) introduced in April 2009, he admitted the "fundamental issue as far as the media control at the moment is concerned is that you do not have politicians being reported."

"The fact that his monologue went unchallenged by his audience only proves that self-censorship is thriving under the PER. An AG who claims journalists have not been restricted, locked up, or told what

to write is clearly deluded and out of touch with reality," says PFF Chair Susuve Lauamaea of PNG.

The latest global media freedom index compiled by global watchdog Reporters Sans Frontiers has Fiji ranked 152 out of 175 nations. In 2008, Fiji ranked 79th.

"We can only stand in solidarity and sympathy for those who organised the debate, and offer our input and engagement to help build

understanding amongst the regime leadership that the right to freedom of expression and speech has specific universal indicators which can't be mucked around with."

"The Pacific Freedom Forum and our networks warmly congratulate Fiji Times, for their  award winning free speech campaign as announced on Friday night in Australia," says co-chair Monica Miller of American Samoa.

"The irony for us all is that only a few hours before this cause for celebration, the regime AG in Fiji went public saying the media is free to report anything - so long as they don't report on the leadership. In saying that, he proved so powerfully why Fiji Times deserve the award, and our continued support."

 

Papua New Guinea are the champions

Papua New Guinea today gave a rugby league lesson to Cook Islands and qualified for next year’s Four Nation’s Cup with a 42-14 trouncing in the SP Brewery Pacific Cup grand final at the Lloyd Robson Oval in Port Moresby.

Watched by a fullhouse patriotic crowd, which included Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare as well as Governor General Sir Paulias Matane, the Kumuls showed all and sundry that their bid for the Australian NRL competition was no joke with an eight tries to three romp.

Fullback David Mead, later named man-of-the-match, capped off a five-star performance with a three-try haul.

A dazzling 60^th minute try by the scintillating 20-year-old showed his sheer class as he had the Cook Islands in sixes and sevens all over the paddock.

“Everything went well today,” he said before before swamped by hundreds of adoring fans, in scenes that resembled Beatlemania

“We’ve been training very hard for the last three to four weeks.”

The Kumuls, fired up after their 44-14 thrashing of Tonga last Sunday, had too much all-round strength and was supported by an expected sellout patriotic crowd.

They were led capably by their UK-based contingent of Menzie Yere, Jason Chan and John Wilshere.

The class of PNG shone all over the paddock through the UK trio,  Mead, halves Dion Aye and Keith Peter, props Rodney Pora and James Nightingale, “white shark” hooker Jay Aston, utility Charlie Wabo, and backrowers Chan and Siegfried Gande.

Cooks Islands came in with all guns firing and, from the outset, looked set to cause another David v Goliath epic as they had so convincingly done over the last two weeks against Samoa in Australia and then Fiji in their Pacific Cup game last weekend.

The Kumuls drew first blood in the 11^th minute with a try to winger Richard Kambo, off a brilliant offload from Mead, and with the extras from Wilshere, were flying high 6-0.

A 15^th minute touchdown from Mead brought PNG ahead to 10-0, however, Cook Islands’ fighting spirit was epitomised after that with quick tries to halfback Daniel Fepuleai in the 24^th minute and another three minutes later to centre Keith Ualia to tie the scores at 10-10 and set the stage for a thrilling showdown.

Centre Anthon Kui, however, had other ideas as he scored in the 32^nd minute to put the Kumuls ahead, and with another from Mead, the home side led 20-10 at the break.

At resumption, it was basically all one-way traffic as PNG piled on with tries to centre Yere (49 min), Mead (56 min), Kambo (62 min) and Yere (71 min) for an unassailable 42-10 lead.

Cook Islands allowed agro to creep into their game, and this cost them dearly in the last 10 minutes, although they had some consolation with a high-flying try to winger Domique Peyroux.

Cook Islands’ captain, Tere Glassie, shed tears after the game, while coach, Australian David Fairleigh, remarked: “Congratulations to PNG.

“We wish you all the best in the Four Nation’s.

“We have no NRL experience.

“Hopefully, this will give us something to build on.”

But while it was tears in the Cook camp, all celebrations for PNG, as hundreds of fans – in unforgettable scenes - swamped on to the field and carried their heroes, posed for photographs, as well as asked for autographs.

“Thank you for all your support this afternoon,” said captain Wilshere, who, apart from the hundreds, had his own legion of fans from his Butibam village in Lae.

“Rugby league’s our sport and we love it.

“The Four Nation’s will be a tremendous boost for our country.”

Coach Adrian gave a vote-of-thanks to the PNG crowd for their unwavering support over the years.

“We’re improving year by year,” he said.

“Young players are coming in all the time.

“Mi hamamas long yupela sapotim mipela long last tu wiks (I’m happy with your support over the last two weeks).”

PNG 42 (Mead 3, Kambo 2, Yere 2, Kui tries; Wilshere 6 goals) bt Cook Islands 14 (Fepuleai, Lulia, Peryoux tries; Ben Taia goa).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First pictures of Papua New Guinea's Pacific Cup win

Papua New Guinea thrashes Cooks Islands 42-14 to win Pacific Cup

Full story and details to come.

Papua New Guinea tipped to beat Cook Islands

Papua New Guinea looks set to give a rugby league lesson to giant-killers Cook Islands when they meet in the grand final of the SP Brewery Pacific Cup rugby league grand final at the Lloyd Robson Oval in Port Moresby today.
The Kumuls, fired up after their 44-14 thrashing of Tonga last Sunday, appear to have too much all-round strength and will be supported by an expected sellout patriotic crowd.
They will be led capably by their UK-based contingent of Menzie Yere, Jason Chan and John Wilshere.
The class of PNG is expected to shine all over the paddock through the UK trio, fullback David Mead, halves Dion Aye and Keith Peter, props Rodney Pora and James Nightingale, hooker Charlie Wabo, backrowers Chan and Siegfried Gande, and lock Jessie Joe Parker,
Cook Islands, going in as underdogs but with the giant-killer tag, expect outstand performances from winger Dominic Peyroux and pivot John Ford.
Forward Tinirau Arona and halfback Daniel Fepuleai are also expected to orchestrate proceedings.
Captain Courageous, Tere Glassie, will pull out all stops for another giant-killer epic.
Watch this blog for first pictures and report of the game later today.

Cheshire Home in Port Moresby needs your help

The Cheshire Home in Port Moresby is looking for interested groups to help out with the sausage sizzle, which is currently the only regular income for the Home.
The Sausage Sizzles are held every Saturday morning outside the Boroko Foodworld.
They need a group of at least eight hard-working people to assist, some to barbeque, others to cut up onions, cook onions, cut bread rolls and prepare the hot dogs, and some to serve the customers.
It's always busy and hot, but fun.
They also depend on the donations collected on the day, and need some enthusiastic assistants for the collection.
Thanks for your help.
IF YOU CAN HELP PLEASE CONTACT SUSAN CHANG AT HILIFT admin@hilift.com.pg or telephone (675)3251355

First pictures of the Fiji v Tonga Pacific Cup rugby league game

Fiji beats Tonga 26-16

Fiji has just taken out third place in the SP Brewery Pacific Cup rugby league with a 26-16 win over Tonga at the Lloyd Robson Oval in Port Moresby.

Fiji led 10-4 at halftime, but Tonga fought back in the second half to level 10-10.

Both tries scored a try apiece after that to level 16-16 before Fiji turned on the flair with two quick tries in the later part of the match to win the game.

Fiji 26 (Akuila Vate 2, Joseteki Ravueti 2, Iowane Divavesi tries; Wesley Naiqama 3 goals) bt Tonga 16 Richard Fa’aoso 2, Joel Taufa’auo tries; Eddy Paea 2 goals).

Full details and pictures to come

 

Central province village into large-scale taro farming

Happy Egalauna farmers show off their taro produce during the first harvest

DAL technical officer Francis Wambon explains taro harvesting method to villagers

By SOLDIER BURUKA of Department of Agriculture and Livestock

Egalauna villagers in the Marshall Lagoon area of Central province are very much involved in taro cultivation on a large scale.
With the help of the Department of Agriculture and Livestock and other partners, the village people are learning new methods of planting taro and are pleased with their efforts so far.
Recently, the people made a big harvest and have secured markets for their taro produce in the nation’s capital.
The community has established the Egalauna Farmers Association with 200 members and whose objective is to promote agricultural farming skills, farmer training and extension amongst the villagers.
Late last year, DAL officers led by Francis Wambon, introduced the new taro-planting technique, which has been promoted through the European Union-funded Development of Sustainable Agriculture in the Pacific (DSAP) project.
One ha of land was ploughed and divided into 100 plots of 10m by 10m for each farmer to plant taro.
This taro project is the first of its kind in the Aroma coast based purely on taro farming using the DSAP concept.
DSAP has ceased in PNG, however, DAL is using the concept to continue promoting taro and institutional farming activities in certain communities.
The idea was introduced in Egaulauna by a teacher based at Kupiano high school where DSAP provided technical assistance in agricultural activities.
According to Mr Wambon, taro farming in the Egaulauna and nearby communities had enormous potential and could be further developed.
Taro is a much-sought after food item and can be supplied for household consumption, local and retail market as well as for export.
“The taro project has generated a lot of interest amongst the Egalauna community and the people are very interested in new taro planting techniques that we are teaching them,” Mr Wambon said.
During the first harvest, the association invited Mr Wambon and other DAL officers to witness the occasion.
Mr Wambon told the people that the project was looking good and could become a focal point for conducting training programmes involving nearby villages.
He said the project had the potential to be expanded to other sites in Abau, Rigo and Kairuku districts.
He told them to work hard and become leading taro producers in the province.
The Egalauna farmers are planning to plant up to two ha next year.
Other crops that the people are growing include rice, bulb onion, radish, capsicum, cabbage, watermelon and ginger.

Australian states warned on plague locusts

Something for Papua New Guinea to consider, given that we are right next door to Australia...

Article from: AAP
October 30, 2009 03:28pm

QUEENSLAND is facing a threat of biblical proportions as Australian plague locusts mass on the border with NSW.
Biosecurity Queensland has warned that the locust swarms, which can travel up to 600km in a night, could cause damage worth millions of dollars.
In 2004/05, locusts were responsible for national agricultural losses estimated to be worth more than $11 million.
Biosecurity officer Kevin Strong said the locust population in central western NSW was expected to soon form a number of highly mobile swarms.
"We need everyone to be on high alert for any sightings of locusts and report them immediately to Biosecurity Queensland by calling 13 25 23," Mr Strong said.
The ability of locusts to migrate over large distances in short periods of time meant virtually all of Queensland's agricultural areas were at some level of risk.
"Locusts can travel between 500 and 600 kilometres in a single night if the temperature, wind speed and wind direction are right," he said.
"Even in small numbers they are highly destructive.
"A single Australian plague locust can eat approximately one-third to half of its body weight per day throughout its lifespan.
"This means a locust swarm covering an area of one square kilometre will eat up to 10 tonnes of vegetation every 24 hours."
Mr Strong says if left untreated and with favourable weather conditions, locusts are capable of a seven to tenfold population increase with each generation.
Biosecurity officials are on stand-by with chemical spray.

Pacific Cup rugby league finals

The SP Brewery Pacific Cup rugby league finals are on this weekend at the Lloyd Robson Oval in Port Moresby.

In the play-off for third place today, Fiji takes on Tonga.

In the grand final tomorrow, giant-killers Cook Islands play hosts Papua New Guinea in a game which will decide who plays in the Four Nations Cup next year.

Watch this blog for results and pictures.

The Tragedy of the Montevideo Maru world premiere

Australia’s worst maritime tragedy, which intimately involves Papua New Guinea, will be remembered in the stirring world premiere of The Tragedy of the Montevideo Maru on Wednesday, November 11.

It tells the shocking story of the sinking of the Montevideo Maru off the Philippines coast on July 1, 1942.

Japanese hospital ship Montevideo Maru was carrying 845 troops from Australia’s Lark force and 208 civilians – 1,053 men – taken prisoner of war after Japan invaded Rabaul, East New Britain province, in Jan 1942.

The youngest was a boy of 15.

There were fathers and sons, civilians and troops, missionaries and traders, businessmen and administrators.

They had all been captured and interned by the Japanese in Rabaul.

They all died.

The youngest, the 15-year old, was Ivan Gascoigne, recorded as a clerk, the son of Cyril Gascoigne, who also died.

The sinking of the Montevideo Maru at 2.40 am on Wednesday July 1, 942 was Australia’s greatest disaster at sea, then and now.

The unmarked Japanese ship left occupied Rabaul on June 22, 1942, but nine days later on July 1, American submarine USS Sturgeon torpedoed it off Luzon in the Philippines.

The saddest thing is that the wreck has never been found to this day, and both Australia and PNG do not know the names of those killed, as the official nominal (katakana) roll – which might give a clue to the identities of those on board – has not been located

This Remembrance Day, The History Channel will commemorate Australia’s greatest-ever maritime disaster in The Tragedy of the Montevideo Maru, premiering on Wednesday Nov 11 at 7.30pm AEDT.

Introduced by Sky News anchor Jim Waley – who lost a relative in the tragedy – and narrated by actor John Jarratt, this explosive two-hour documentary film tells the forgotten story of the death of over 1,000 Australians who were locked in the hold of the Japanese POW ship Montevideo Maru when the vessel was torpedoed.

In the early hours of July 1, 1942, the POW “hell ship” Montevideo Maru was torpedoed off the coast of the Philippines by an American submarine, the USS Sturgeon.

What the Americans did not realise at the time was that the boat was in fact a floating prison, holding over 1,000 Australian POW’s and civilians.

Tragically, 1,053 Australians perished on that fateful day.

The Tragedy of the Montevideo Maru recounts the harrowing story of the sacrifice and suffering endured by these forgotten Australians during World War II.

It features detailed re-enactments of the shocking event as well as in-depth interviews with soldiers and crew members speaking publicly for the very first time – including the only Japanese crew member to survive the Montevideo Maru and a USS Sturgeon crew member who witnessed the sinking ship through the periscope.

This unique documentary also explores the broader story of the torturous Australian POW experience during this tumultuous period of WWII and features interviews with both Australian and British survivors of other hell ship sinkings.

Group channel manager of FOXTEL’s Owned and Operated Factual Channels, Jim Buchan, said: “In the tradition of event television such as Beyond Kokoda, and He’s Coming South, The History Channel remains committed to remembering the legacy left behind by Australia’s brave men and women.

“I am delighted that we are able to share this truly incredible, although sadly forgotten, story.”

Producer John Schindler said he was drawn to the Montevideo Maru story because his own mother lost four loved ones in the tragedy: “It is one of Australia’s greatest maritime tragedies with the loss of 1,053 lives and yet remarkably, most Australians have never heard of it.

“This documentary will once and for all put faces to numbers.”

The tragedy of the Montevideo Maru honours the brave Australian soldiers who served on the islands of New Britain, New Ireland and the surrounding islands of the Mandated Territory of New Guinea.

The documentary is an exclusive FOXTEL production, co-produced by John Schindler and Bob Blasdall.

 

 

Amelia Earhart's plane in Papua New Guinea...something big is stirring

I believe that something big is stirring in the pot regarding the Amelia Earhart case.

This week, I received an email from David Billings, the former Air Niugini engineer who has been religiously searching the jungles of East New Britain for more than 15 years for what he presumes is the wreckage of Earhart’s plane.

I have also received emails from overseas, from total strangers, asking about how to get in touch with Billings.

I understand that over the last week or so, there has been renewed speculation, particularly in the US, that the Earhart plane is somewhere in PNG.

I have had a record number of visitors to this blog this week, mainly on one story, “Amelia Earhart’s plane is still there” (http://malumnalu.blogspot.com/2009/01/amelia-earharts-plane-is-still-there_09.html).

Another interesting story is “Did Amelia Earhart return to Rabaul” (http://malumnalu.blogspot.com/2009/01/did-amelia-earhart-attempt-to-return-to.html).

There have also been speculations this week that a plane wreck believed to be Earhart’s has been located somewhere between Lae, which was Earhart’s last port of call in July 1937, and the island of New Britain.

Interesting…

 

 

The search for Amelia Earhart flies again

by Katie O'Brien

Oct 29, 2009

 

Imagine being thrilled to learn that the hardened material in your hands is dried...well, poop.  You might feel differently if the dropping potentially belonged to a famous aviator. 

Richard Gillespie, executive director of The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, said he believes his team has unearthed several artifacts belonging to airplane pilot Amelia Earhart, whose plane crashed on July 2, 1937.

The site of Gillespie’s search is Gardner Island, now called Nikumaroro in the Republic of Kiribati.  The atoll in the middle of the South Pacific is 400 miles southeast of Howland Island, Earhart’s intended target for the day on her epic flight around the world.

Gillespie’s Earhart Project, what Gillespie calls the “Holy Grail” of aviation mysteries, is the latest investigation testing the hypothesis that Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan landed, and eventually died, on Gardner Island.  The mystery surrounding Earhart and Noonan’s disappearance propagated a gamut of theories, books and now, a newly released blockbuster motion picture, “Amelia.”

“The crash at sea [theory] is nice and clean. A lot of people prefer that to someone desperately trying to survive on a desert island and getting eaten by crabs. But it does appear to us that there is a chapter of Earhart’s story, of her trying to survive that’s, very heroic. If it happened, it really does need to be told…this castaway of Gardner Island’s story,” said Gillespie, a retired crash investigator who lives in Delaware.

When he founded the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery in 1985, he and other members supported the "crash-and-sank" theory. Since November of 1988, the Earhart Project has explored an older U.S. Navy hypothesis that the flight ended on one of the islands of the Phoenix Group. 

The only known piece of Earhart’s Lockheed L-10 Electra, the Lady Lindy, was found in 1937 by Dan W. Stringer, stationed with the Army Air Corp.’s 50th Observation Squadron at Luke Field in Hawaii.

On March 30, 1937, four months prior to Earhart’s planned trip around-the-world, the Electra crashed during take-off, stripping a piece of its landing gear from the plane. The accident delayed her around-the-world trip.

Stringer found the scrap and kept it for years as a private souvenir. Last year, his grandson, Jon Ott of San Jose, Calif. inherited the piece and took it to PBS’s “History Detectives” to test its authenticity. PBS in turn, took the piece to Trevor Harding at the California Polytechnic State University.

Harding used a scanning electron microscope to test the sample’s composition for traces of aluminum alloy 2024, the alloy batch unique to the skin of the Electra model. The sample proved to be authentic. 

Gillespie also has found trace aluminum his team collected over nine expeditions to the Phoenix Group and Gardner islands but his pieces haven't been tested as yet due to a lack of funding, he said. To help raise funds for his next spring 2010 expedition, he is reserving six seats on his boat at a ticket price of $50,000 each.

He said a news team and representatives of the Smithsonian Institution also have asked to join him.

But Gillespie does have a number two option. Chunks of a brown dirt-like substance found on the Gardner atoll during the last expedition are human fecal matter, according to Gillespie.  He said he hopes to test the waste—as well as 20th century makeup and pieces from a compact mirror found at the site against—a DNA sample from a woman related to Earhart.

  Michael Foote, a paleontologist at the University of Chicago, said that the conditions on the island raise some questions about the theory of finding human fecal matter from the 1930s.

“Sure, there is such a thing as fossilized dung or fossilized feces. If the environment were dry enough, it could just mummify. It’s conceivable. But the heat, the humidity,” Foote said, “The [Gardner] island is very humid,” Foote said.

Earhart’s crash may have involved a case of unfortunate miscalculation. Her Electra was modified to allow for additional fuel tanks to allow her to navigate the globe. As a result, pieces of navigation devices were removed for weight consideration, according to the American Aviation Historical Society.

Robert Brockmeir, retired United Airlines pilot and president of the society, said that, despite all the conspiracy theories, Occam’s razor applies.

“You take off from Honolulu, 0-6-0, flying northeast. If they’re speaking Spanish, you turn north, if it’s French Canadian, you head south. It’s different when you’re heading for a tiny island in the middle of nowhere,” Brockmeir said.