Papua New Guinea Map

 

 

      Map of the Pacific

latest picture: September 16, 2010

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61  Leaving Lae for Madang, we

drive through the wide Ramu Valley

towards the strange mountain scenery

of the Finisterre Range, caught in

the soft morning light

 62  Not a single case: Again and again

people who read about us in the

newspaper “The National“ stop along

the road to shake enthusiastically hands

and give us a warm welcome

63  We cross wide, slow flowing

rivers – here the Leron River, a feeder

of the huge Markham River (PNG part 1- picture 51) – in an open landscape that

provokes the sensation of freedom.

Couldn’t it be also in Alaska?

64  Scattered modest hamlets appear

now and then in the beautiful mountain

scenery: In the upper Markham valley

 65  Adapted to the indigenous

construction style: A modest church

made of woven pit-pit grass

(miscanthus floridulus) in a tiny

village in the Ramu valley along

the route Lae-Madang …..

66  ….. and a bottle shop of the same

“architecture – a common sight in rural

areas. This one lies in the province of

Madang where all have been closed

down, while in the province of Morobe

they stay open for 7 days a week,

because the brewery is in Lae

67  In a mountain village of the

Finisterre Range where also the

busses stop for a short refreshment,

three girls are selling taro

 68  The carburetor gets too hot and

produces bubbles – the engine dies and

gives no sign of live anymore. The police

stops and tries to help us – unsuccessfully.

There is talk of towing us to Madang

when Emil spots the “corpus delicti”:

A control wire to the starter felt off coincidentally at the same time

69  Wherever we stop, curious

faces surround our LandCruiser

70  The 100ft high Coastwatchers‘

Memorial at Kalibobo Point is

Madang’s landmark. It is said to be

visible as far as 15 miles from the sea

 71  View from the Madang Lodge

over the coast towards the Bil Bil Island

72  The huge Banyan tree along the

Coastwatchers’ Avenue provides

shade in the tropical heat

73  Emil and our LandCruiser pose for

a picture at Madang’s Coronation Drive

that stretches beautifully for some miles

along the coast. Lined with wind curved

palm trees, it deserves its noble name

 74  Madang is also known as

“bat’s city”. They populate the

towering casuarinas trees

around the city. Apparently

7’000 are living here

75  Our LandCruiser is the star in

front of the supermarket in Madang.

People’s interest on our epic

journey is overwhelming

76  At the “Jais Aben Resort”, situated

12 miles to the North of Madang, we find

a touch of South Pacific charm …..

 77  ..... watching a heavily

overloaded canoe heading to

the small offshore island …..

78  ..... and the sun rising beautifully

behind the tiny island

79  In the well kept garden of the

“Jais Aben Resort” tropical flowers

grow in abundance, also the Heliconia,

one of our favorite flowers …..

 80  ….. and another flower

where its beauty lies in its simplicity

81  A young swallow is recovering

from its first (?) flight attempt on

shiny red blossoms

82  A good reason for a smile: Liliana is

looking forward to enjoy the Jumbo Pizza

at the Coastwatchers’ Hotel in Madang

 83  The swimming pool of the “Jais

Aben Resort”, overlooking the lagoon

and the small offshore islands …..

84  ….. Emil is sitting at the restaurant, where

we take breakfast, lunch and a ‘sundowner’,

enjoying each time the atmosphere of the Pacific

85  A peaceful small rural village in

a clearance along the road to Bogia

 86  Even the tiniest ‘shop’ is protected

with grills. Here on the access road

to the “Jais Aben Resort”

87  A woman carries the ripe Papayas to

our car, which we bought from her roadside

stall for 2 Kina each (=US$0.80)

88  A long drawn-out black sand beach

at the “Malolo Plantation Lodge”, about

26 miles North of Madang along

the road to Bogia

 89  Palm tree coves, which often are

used to produce copra, are in abundance

along the road to Bogia – together with

the mountain backdrop a scenic sight

90  A lagoon at Alexishafen, a

place that was badly

damaged during WWII …..

91  ….. a rusting reminder

of WWII at Alexishafen

 92  ..... a bomb that was found during

the construction of the “Jais Aben Resort”

93  Peaceful scenery at the

Alexishafen Catholic Mission

94  At “Jais Aben Resort” we are invited

by the US Army to join a supply flight by

helicopter to a camp Northwest of Bogia,

where a team is searching for bones of

missing people at an American plane

wreck of World War II …..

95  ..... from the air we enjoy the

stunning view of the tiny offshore

islands near Jais Aben …..

96  ..... and fly towards white

clouds that are piling up

97  A cluster of huts in a forest

clearing situated in the “nowhere”.

How do the people survive? .....

98  ..... another settlement

surrounded by nothing

else than dense jungle …..

99  ..... the tent camp of the

“bone men“ near Bogia

100  The remains of a wing at the

crash site of an American airplane

in World War II near Bogia …..

101  .…. Liliana stands in front of the

„soil washing installation“ in Bogia: It’s

hard work to recover remains of bones

in the soil by washing it with pumped-up

river water – analog gold panning …..

102  ….. a picture of remembrance

with some villagers at the camp. They

live about an hour walking distance

away and assist the “bone team”.

In the back is “our” chopper

103  On the return flight, the captain

makes some loops. Below us lies the palm

fringed Hansa Bay near Bogia …..

104  ..... and.the small coastal

village of Bogia, situated

115 miles Northwest of Madang

105  ..... in the East rises the 5’928ft.

high and beautifully formed volcano of

„Manam Island“, which erupted last time

in 2004 and displaced 6’000 people

106  A small settlement along the

Northwestern coast, nestling

between palm groves

107  Large parts of the highland

region are still covered

with impenetrable forest

108  Birdseye-view of the “Jais Aben

Resort” before landing. In one of the

bungalows, we spent a relaxing week

109  ‘Hitting the road’ again from

Madang to Goroka: Our Land-

Cruiser climbs towards the tropical

Finisterre Range – here still paved …..

110  ..... and constantly up and

down hill on a rough road through

lush vegetation …..

111  ..... towards the flat and wide

Ramu Valley with a good tarmac road

112  Where the Ramu Valley meets

the Markham Valley near Watarais,

the road to Goroka climbs steeply in

switchbacks towards the Kassam Pass

(3’480ft.) and the Eastern Highlands

113  Two highlander ladies

walking along the road with

their traditional “Bilum” –

strong and expandable string

bags – full of merchandise

114  Even from the water,

we are greeted enthusiastically

115

116

117

Homes made of bush material have different sights, but all fit well into their surroundings

118  A village of simple thatched huts

nestles along a hill between Henganofi

and Goroka in the Eastern Highlands

119  The landscape gets drier and the hills

are bare, as we drive towards Goroka, the

capital of the ‘Eastern Highlands’ province

(>20’000 people, 5’250ft. altitude)

120  Mother and child have a look

through the window into our car

121  Trucks are a common mean

of public transport (PMV) and

always packed to the brim

122  A shopping street in Goroka.

Everywhere is a crowd of people. They

come from their villages and spend

mostly the whole day in the city while

shopping and “people watching”

123  The open air market under

colorful umbrellas in Goroka.

These markets are always

packed with people

More websites from Papua New Guinea:

 

• Pictures from the first part of our Papua New Guinea trip from Milne Bay – (Port Moresby) – Mount Hagen – Lae
• Pictures from the second part of our Papua New Guinea trip of the Mount Hagen Cultural Show August 13th, to 15th, 2010
• Pictures from the fourth part of our Papua New Guinea trip of the Goroka Cultural Show September 17th, to 19th, 2010
• Pictures from the fifth part of our Papua New Guinea trip from Goroka – Mt. Hagen – Kumul Pass – Mt. Hagen – Goroka – Lae

Articles in newspapers about us in Papua New Guinea:

Article: "26-year journey around the world", Daily Newspaper "The National" - August 20, 2010

Article: "Travelling the world none-stop for 26 years", Daily Newspaper "The National" - October 21, 2010