D a D o g 's P l a y g r o u n d: To POM With Plenty Of StopOvers!!

I recently left my field camp in Awaba, Balimo District in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea to travel to POM (due east) for a short break and at the same time put my laptop (which is practically my office) in for service (tell you that laptop story on another post).
Departed on Airlines PNG (the only third level airline servicing many rural locations and the pilots are brilliant!!) from Awaba and the first stop was Daru!! (yeah I know we went the wrong direction - further west - but I just enjoyed the ride having negotiated with the pilot).

We spent an hour while the fuel was been sorted out and the agent/ pilots decided whether some pax would be shifted to the Dash 8 (which was in Popondetta - the otherside of the country!!!) and risk the pax waiting forever or do Balimo return Daru and then continue etc; etc.........time was going towards 4.00pm already.

Anyways, we eventually got to Kikori, in the Gulf province (my former stomping ground) - the first Gulf port of call if you travelling in from the West or the last Gulf port if you travelling from the Easterly direction.

In Kikori, I noted the agent was absent and pax from there had to negotiate with the pilot instead. I overheard the pilot telling the pax (who apperantly have tickets bought in POM but have no PTA numbers) to call APNG POM office and confirm their travels as he was unable to raise his office as well though he tried at Daru (which I truthfully confirm he did try). Now that's something rare for pilots to do, especially a very reputable third level airline. I would expect private mision run pilots i.e MAF, North Coast Aviation pilots to do there own ticketing and manifests in remote strips. Anyhow, the pilot did mention to me (we made acquaintance in his previous flights where I provided jet fuel - left overs from ou survey work - when Daru ran dry) that we would stop over at Kikori just to let the four hopeful pax that they will have to travel another time.

Departing Kikori at time 4.40 m, after about half an hour on the ground we headed direct for Port Moresby.

We flew over Kerema along the way and I could just see the effects that global warming is doing to what once was a long point (Ipisi Point). This them Tairu'ma - the exact spot a popular local musician from the area (Robert Oeka) sang about 'mountain wara mix wantain solwara....Kerema yu no save, yu yet kam na lukim.'