World Environment Day - 5th June 2011

Dayapi Seismic Camp is located near the Wawoi river, in Western Province.

The Dayapi land was previously cleared and used as a logging pond (for stacking logs pulled out of the forest before loading onto river barges for the coast) by a logging giant called Rimbunan Hijau (RH is by far holds huge logging blocks in PNG than any other logging company).

On the other side of the Wawoi river is another logging camp camp called Sasereme - operated under the logging licence of Innovision Pty Ltd (owned by a former Secretary for the Forest Authority). Logging operation is contracted to a group call Vanimo Jaya who originated from Vanimo so it seems.

A oil seismic exploration camp set up at Dayapi land on its own initiative participated in the World Environment Day on the 05th June 2011. 25 personnel from the camp admin staff, housekkeeping, helicopter loadmasters/ assistants, day security, storeman plus the few technical people got together and for their part cleaned around camp -  A clean-a-thon really.

We'll start..............

The security picking up his bit....

HeliNiugini Load Master Peter Donald

HeliNiugini Loadmaster and Camp Security

Sasol QC - Paul Jelly

Storeman - Tigili Saeniya

Kitchen hand also had his day out....

Radio man 'Laurie' Daley

The main man - Lalela (Sasol Environment)

After collection of bags...................

He did not win the prize for 'most collected'...............

Doc. Gedion checks out he bags with Party Chief, Mr Song (BGP)

Sasol Lead SHE enjoys a 'kiwi' toke..............

Doctor Boy - Gedion Waiye

Its all good....................Paul Jelly (Sasol QC)

If not for much it was a team building excersise and after that a hearty lunch was served.

Lets eat.............!! Deryck Thompson (Camp Manager)

In the beginning and in the end it was all 'hip-hip hurray!!!!......................In the jungles of PNG, the locals know that the forest is their mainstay - when they see outsiders come in and do this as a special day, they know foreign objects like plastics and steel and iron should not be left on their land and they see a lot of it from the logging people.

Hurray - at least we did our bit................

It rained a bit that afternoon and since it was Sunday I decided I'll have a nap...............................

and nap I did; seriously - for 3 hours!!!

Duru Visited Aduru Village

I have not written anything for a long time now - I think the last time I wrote something was back in 2010 - as it has been a very busy time for me. It still is busy today, but I thought I should paste a few pictures of my walk-a-bouts and of things done. I'm starting nibble words and am forgetful this days due to weather, work, wear & tear  and many other things including the alzheimers creeping in as well (is the spelling correct??)

Anyone whose been to Samarai Island, in Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea will not have missed this monument. There must be a story and a reason behind this monument and I have heard many versions of it but the short and long of it is that it is in memory of an administrator who shot and killed himself, not on the island but somewhere far removed from this small laid back 'ghost' island.

The interesting thing about it is his aim as thought by those of his mates he left behind in this part of 'New Guinea' engraved on it....................................

We had a good old character (who bid the calling recently - RIP, our living fossil) who would walk pass this monument and mumble obscenities at the 'person' and all those 'tunnel visioned gold rush miners' who saw it fit to erect the monument after him.

Its still standing but sinking ever so slowly into the ground.

To the extreme west of Samarai Island is Daru island................and its overly crowded township.

I was told that Daru Island now (2011) has about 30 thousand people!!!!! From the outer space, Daru township itself is on a narrow strip of high dry ground, both the north and south side of the island is swampy mangroves.

On the mainland in the flat delta plains that stretches for miles north, east and west is thickly forested and teeming with logging companies.

The logging people modify the body of their own vehicles - evidently they modify so many machines they adapt and suit very well living and working in very remote areas and doing what they do. Even marrying locally too.

Kamusi Logging (RH)

Sasereme Logging (Innovision) 'this vehicle is named 'Get Back'.........

A couple of days later whilst driving up the logging road I saw my mate 'Get back' lying on its side having tried to negotiate a corner at high speed & with a gravelful load - the bulldozer pulled it upright and in an hour it was on the road again!!!

They are even mindful of the environment by putting up notices such this I saw outside the logging community shop:

I had the fortune to work with a a huge Nigerian called Duru (in orange coveralls) ..................................

...............and on his third day in PNG we both visited a village called Aduru, located on the eastern banks of the Fly River. The children came out to watch.................

 .......and so did the canine population, which had the opportunity to also laze and sunbath.........

He was quite impressed and believed that it was named after him, that he was some how connected with the village. Infact he always found some excuse to go back to the village.
One thing about this village I noted was that it was once-upon-a-time swamp and water logged; the villagers who only recently relocated there from the main village due to rising sea level and over crowding drained the water by digging huge drenches to drain the excess water.

It is one of the most cleanest and neatest village/ hamlet I have ever seeing. Unfortunately, I took no pictures to show for it...........but take my word - I was impressed.