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.

Crossing The Borders by Foot

I did mentioned in one of my last post a long time back that I would write something about the walk-a-bout I did which practically, literally and physically took me from the Gulf Province over to the Western Province.

I calculated that the walk would be about 40kms at most (give or take) but when I finished the walk, it amounted to 55kms and a swollen right ankle!!!!

The picture here is a handrawn locality map of the Mt Bosavi villages who on their own initiative registered an area as a WildLife Management Area (WMA) under the Environment & Conservation Act. This stopped the logging operations in that area and my entry into that area was to assess if they would accept seismic operations (which is just one part of the petroleum exploration work).

We departed Haivaro, a village in the Gulf Province, administered by the West Kikori Local Level Government Council at about 5.30am and basically followed the logging road.

After an hour, on the unused, overgrown logging road, the walkers are so far apart with the 'old dogs' way, way ahead and us the 'un-used to' ones so far far behind. And this is after an hour but having covered 5-6kms in a brisk quick pace walk. By this time I am already feeling the pull on my legs.

Another hour (later) we had only covered 4 1/2 kms - see how much I have slowed up? If you look at the board in the background, you will notice that we are 35kms away from our destination, Musula.

This is where I had to munch into my first two cakes of Bikpela Wopa biscuit (this is the locally manufactured biscuit - its got a very bland to no-taste at all but somehow I like to have it on long walks and it goes very well with Orange Tang juice. I carry heaps of Orange Tang in my back pack always).

I thought it was only I that was going through this until we stopped for a rest 2.5 hours later.

Some of the local boys have never walked this way before (except for my main man in the above picture) everyone including me were a newbie.

We walked another 5 kms along this unused, overgrown logging road (by now I was tripping on the creepy vines every 10 steps or so as my legs got heavier by the minute) and by the time we were to turn into a bush track, off the logging road I was knackered - I was not going to take a picture of the scenario too as I was not in the mood by then.

The main man said we had to keep moving (by then it was 2 pm pushing 3pm) in order to get to some proper shelter before dark and the probable rain.

We got to the location at about 3pm but then first we had to cross the Turama River (which by when near the hills was fast flowing and the stones in the river were so big they were not even rocks but boulders. So you can imagine the river water rushing past and into this boulders and the force of the swirl around the rocks - I wonder how the mothers and children cross this river to go making sago or to walk down to where I just came up from!!!!!)

I did not bother to take pictures here,as it is, by then I was totally drenched, tired, hungry and then some. All I wanted was to get out of the wet cloths, soak my body in hot water tub ( or something close to it) and go to sleep with my feet up.

The leaches were no solace and I was itching all over.

We arrived at a resting place where the lead man said we'd have rest and walk 5 kms more up the hill to Musula (the villages was just over the top of the small ridge).

I acted as if I was not listenng and started stripping off my wet cloths and unpacking rice and tinned fish which prompted everyone else to decide we over night. The boys cooked a big pot of rice and we openned two 777 mackerel tinned fish and just had that straight out of the can. That is serious hungriness if you ask me..................

Banana leaves acted as plates and we had a big serving of the rice and tinned fish - for those whose experienced the taste of rice in the bush, it is definitely good.

We walked up the ridge the next day to get to the village......and came across this huge tree that was felled by the wind (whew!!).

3 hours later we reached the village..............................

And the people were a curious but friendly lot who were welcoming as well. It was a surprise when some man knew me from long ago when we did some drilling work (didn't know I was that well remembered, but the feeling is good though).

My mate from some 8-9 yrs back is now a councillor in this village. Here he is leading his village in constructing the official dais/ stage for the independance celebrations - but back then you should have seeing us; rough, loud, silliness and most of all disobeying and or bending rules was what we got high on.

I guess as you get older you get milder (or is it wiser??

Everyone came down to the small airstrip to see me off................

and I departed then with a swollen ankle, two cucumbers, a pineapple, a water melon and a long sugar cane that I gave away to the pilot.

'SINCERELY APOLOGISE,' means Something else.......

‘We Sincerely Apologise,’ means you’re EFFED!!!!

This is a sample of email sent by my administrations to the Airlines of PNG for the service that they were providing which is getting frustratingly worse each and every day – week in and week out!!!

What is happening I have no idea but you get reasons for delays and cancelations due to technical problems, shortage of aircrafts, pilots running out of flying hours etc; etc; etc - all sorts everyday now. Then to add salt to injury APNG get passengers fitted into aircrafts running another sector hoping for a round trip that never happens, luggage’s loaded onto aircrafts scheduled on a different sector (ensuring passengers will catch it at the other end), inform passengers 2 days after the flights are cancelled, change sector schedules and the list goes on………..of course poor Papua New Guineans having no other options of third level service provider had to just make do with this service. Need you be told about the airfare prices too………it’s as if you are paying to cross the continent in two places with premium overnight stays in the choicest of accommodations!!!!

Its getting bloody worse – to be honest it is coming to stage where loyal passengers are coming to loggerheads with the front office staff – even the odd isolated APNG agent (mind you this person is not a dedicated APNG employee – more self employed) get abused by his own local people for the ****up of APNG Operations.

So if you are sitting out there at the airport with an APNG ticket and the voice on the PA system goes, ’APNG sincerely apologises……blah, blah, blah etc,’ you know very well you are seriously ‘EFFED’ in a big way.

Sometimes you can just pick up the tone of embarrassment on the voice coming from the PA (this person knows it’s time to look for a better employer), and then there is the tone that comes on very smart and with a don’t-give-a-EFF attitude – this one has a very narrow brain space and has no other job options in life; the best he/ she can hope for is stay there until death crosses his/her path.

So spit back our money as quickly as you swallow it at the purchasing counter. Oh and SMILE while you are at it……………..

(Reservations) / Operations / Accounts,

Airlines PNG

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

We had only been informed on Mon.10th May that CG5373 ......... dated Friday 07th May '10 was cancelled without notice. It was very disappointing to us and the operating team as it has disrupted the Doctor's program and work scheduled to be carried out there. As well as that, the related logistics and costs incurred to get him in and out. We had people in the Aramia District all waiting for the distribution of medical supplies. ADI Doctors Australia has voluntarily provided such service to the people in remote communities of PNG. They might reconsider such services if frequent cancellation of flights was an issue here.

We hope that won't happen again but to look forward to a better consistant service in the near future.

Provided below is the copy of the ticket and we request for a refund for unflown sectors at your earliest please.

Thank you

----- Original Message -----

From:

To:

Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2010 10:26 AM

Subject: Emailing: Online Booking - Booking Confirmation (2)

Please do not respond to this email. e-ticket Itinerary, Receipt and Tax Invoice Airlines of Papua New Guinea Limited GT7584 We have made the following booking for you: Booking Reference: Date of Issue: 20/04/2010 10:23:25

CONTACT INFORMATION PASSENGER INFORMATION FLIGHT TICKET NUMBERS ETKT626 ................../01 ETKT626 ................../02 ETKT626 ................../03 Tel: POM TRAVEL/3213400/

DEPARTING: Date Fri 07May 10 All Times Local Flight-Number Cabin (book class) From: Kiunga Departure 12:15 CG 1311 Y (q) To: Daru Arrive 13:20 Rules Flight 1: CORPORATE ADVANTAGE (Q) Flight and date changes are permitted at any time and no change fee is payable. The new fare must be of equal or higher value than the original fare. If the fare for the new booking is higher than the original fare, the difference in fare must be paid at the time of changing the booking. Name changes are permitted at any time free of charge. Re-routing is not permitted. The fare is fully refundable (a refund administration fee of PGK110.00 or AUD50 per passenger applies) or the amount may be held in credit for further travel for up to 12 months from the date of issue of the original ticket. Full payment must be made within 24 hours of making the booking. Failure to check in for a PNG domestic flight by the deadline, not showing up for the flight (no show), or failure to board the aircraft after checking in for the flight will incur a fee of PGK165.00 or AUD85.00 per passenger payable at the time of rebooking, or deducted from any refundable fare amount. Children (2-11 years) pay 75% of the full adult fare. Infants (under 2 years) who do not occupy a seat travel free of charge. Infants occupying a seat pay 75% of the full adult fare. .

NEXT-FLIGHT: Date Fri 07May 10 All Times Local Flight-Number Cabin (book class) From: Daru Departure 15:05 CG 5373 Y (q) To: Awaba Arrive 15:35 Rules Flight 2: CORPORATE ADVANTAGE (Q) Flight and date changes are permitted at any time and no change fee is payable. The new fare must be of equal or higher value than the original fare. If the fare for the new booking is higher than the original fare, the difference in fare must be paid at the time of changing the booking. Name changes are permitted at any time free of charge. Re-routing is not permitted. The fare is fully refundable (a refund administration fee of PGK110.00 or AUD50 per passenger applies) or the amount may be held in credit for further travel for up to 12 months from the date of issue of the original ticket. Full payment must be made within 24 hours of making the booking. Failure to check in for a PNG domestic flight by the deadline, not showing up for the flight (no show), or failure to board the aircraft after checking in for the flight will incur a fee of PGK165.00 or AUD85.00 per passenger payable at the time of rebooking, or deducted from any refundable fare amount. Children (2-11 years) pay 75% of the full adult fare. Infants (under 2 years) who do not occupy a seat travel free of charge. Infants occupying a seat pay 75% of the full adult fare. .

NEXT-FLIGHT: Date Sat 15May 10 All Times Local Flight-Number Cabin (book class) From: Balimo Departure 11:45 CG 5352 Y (q) To: Kiunga Arrive 15:40 Rules Flight 3: CORPORATE ADVANTAGE (Q) Flight and date changes are permitted at any time and no change fee is payable. The new fare must be of equal or higher value than the original fare. If the fare for the new booking is higher than the original fare, the difference in fare must be paid at the time of changing the booking. Name changes are permitted at any time free of charge. Re-routing is not permitted. The fare is fully refundable (a refund administration fee of PGK110.00 or AUD50 per passenger applies) or the amount may be held in credit for further travel for up to 12 months from the date of issue of the original ticket. Full payment must be made within 24 hours of making the booking. Failure to check in for a PNG domestic flight by the deadline, not showing up for the flight (no show), or failure to board the aircraft after checking in for the flight will incur a fee of PGK165.00 or AUD85.00 per passenger payable at the time of rebooking, or deducted from any refundable fare amount. Children (2-11 years) pay 75% of the full adult fare. Infants (under 2 years) who do not occupy a seat travel free of charge. Infants occupying a seat pay 75% of the full adult fare. . PRICING PAYMENT Total of (1) Passengers Form of Payment Cheque Price PGK 1831.82 Payment Amount PGK 2025.00 Taxes and Charges PGK 193.18 Total Price PGK 2025 Agent Name: Agent ID: Agent Office: Port Moresby VERIFICATION STAMP (IF REQUIRED) ___________________________________

CHECK-IN TIMES
Check-in will open 2 hours prior to the scheduled departure time. You must check in NO LATER THAN 60 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time. You will not be able to check in after this time. Arrival after this time, not showing up for the flight (no show), or failure to board the aircraft after checking in for the flight will result in loss of the fare with all fare types except Premium Economy (E class) and Corporate Advantage (Q class).

All In a Holiday

It was good to finally get a full 8 weeks spell back to my island home of Samarai after having been in and out usually 2 weeks at most the past two years.

The island had been experiencing heavy down pours for more than usual months that everyone on the island including the surounding islands were very frustrated.

I suppose the more frustrated ones were the mothers as most of their washing took longer to dry out and even if it did it had that wet feeling with it.......others couldn't bring in the garden kaikai to the market and fishermen were unable to get out to sea as much as they would have wanted to.

For the island itself - it was really and truly soaking wet; as wet as I had never seeing it before - so much water everywhere it flooded places that never experienced flooding.

Couple pics here to show the flooding:

The Catholic Catechist house - Paul Titus

The Arada's Family block

Samarai Oval Looking towards old Kinanale Guest House - (Dart Street)

Samarai Oval looking towards Area Manager's house

Grade 3 & 4 Classrooms flooded (School BOM Chairman Tom Togisi. on the left and Cyprian Kaisa, School PNC Chairman on the right)

Inside of Grade 4 classroom flooded

My first 4 weeks was in the rain as well and yes I was just getting to that point when sun started poking its face out and shined on the island so the next 4 weeks was good for me, plenty of sunshine, plenty of beaches, plenty of blue sea.

And I could go cruising on my prized racer bike.

On a positive note there have been some developments on the island - the government wharf with its surrounding sea walls has undergone major repairs and it is good see some improvements to the public amenities. Some pics here of the wharf:

We now have Digicel network on the island too, with the Digicel tower been erected on the mountain slope at Sariba just above Dagadaga and Sidudu Community School. So if you are out fishing, on Doini Island (I dont know if Ware Island can get the signal), Dekadeka, Gonubalala or anywhere on Samarai Island you can talk to the world. Only if the contractor that is supposed to refuel the gennies that powers the transmitter forgets to refuel or is late then the network blacks-out - which is becoming the usual already.

So I can do phone interviews whilst having a picnic:

I had a grand 4 remaining weeks on the island mostly just laying back and taking it slow before having come back to work.

Will be posting my adventerous long walk crossing the Gulf Province into the Western Province next including photos.