Papua New Guinea

[jungle_re]

A quick turn around after getting back from Greenland this Summer saw me 2 weeks after begin my journey out to Papua New Guinea (PNG).
6 weeks spent working and travelling around the River systems and jungle of the Southern Highlands and Gulf provinces of PNG.
The wildlife and scenery is fantastic the large River systems that it would be tempting to compare to other SE Asian jungle are another level.
Most things are fair game for the Melanesian villages making the wildlife difficult to capture in photographs. He's a small set mainly from Lake Kutubu following the Kikori River to the coast. This can be a difficult country to travel around and my thought are with the families of the 38 young people killed in the last weeks air crash.

 

[nuggets]

Now thats one country i would love too see !!! How are you finding the locals ?? What is it you do for a living ???

 

[Barn Owl]

Some place Will, too humid for me I'd imagine.

 

[BOD]

AAH! I love that waterfall! How many metres?

The canoes are great. Jungle canoe trips are great as long as you are going downstream most of the time

 

[drewdunnrespect]

will with photos like that i am dying to know what u do for a living

 

[Toddy]

Beautiful really, and thanks for sharing

Makes me wonder what a tree covered British Isles looked like before we stripped the canopy bare.

cheers,
M

 

[timf2009]

SWMBO, who has a thing about butterflies and moths, just declared PNG off limits after seeing your pics. Fantastic looking place. Thanks for sharing!

 

[nuggets]

Just bumping it up to see if will has returned or is still out there ???

Any more pics to post up please ??

 

[BOD]

He came back and went off to Africa. Now he is in the US. Should be back soon

 

[jungle_re]

Hi Ash. Got back today. Not been at home really since June so loads of admin to catch up with but i will try and have a look and get a few more pics loaded up when i have a few spare mins.

 

[R3XXY]

Stunning pics. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Tony]

Thanks for the update, got a bit of envy to deal wtih

 

[jungle_re]

here you go

 

[John Fenna]

here you go

Great pics!
Are you home for long mate - coming to any mets?

 

[jungle_re]

Great pics!
Are you home for long mate - coming to any mets?

not sure yet John. Only just got back but off on a course for work next week and really need to get away again straight after. Trying to recoup some funds after my wedding and nearly 2 months in NZ and San fran. I'll make any meet if i'm in country and hopefully will make the knapping

 

[nuggets]

hI WILL ,How did you get along with the locals ??? Any scary moments ?? The travel blogs i,ve read ,mention a lot of tribal fights and gun crime !! did you witness any trouble ??

nice pics

 

[John Fenna]

not sure yet John. Only just got back but off on a course for work next week and really need to get away again straight after. Trying to recoup some funds after my wedding and nearly 2 months in NZ and San fran. I'll make any meet if i'm in country and hopefully will make the knapping

You are much missed buddy!
But have fun whatever you are up to

 

[jungle_re]

To be honest i think the Ozzys over egg it a bit. The most dangerous places are the cities (Port Moresby not very pleasant) but if you have travelled in developed countries its no great shakes (places to avoid, minimal trip out in urban area after dark, not looking like a tourist etc). I never had any problem with the Menasians. It very similar to parts of West Africa but unlike in the Niger Delta i never saw anyone openenly carrying or firing of weapons (apparently the favoured tool is the machete (a bolo type shape one) where they wait in door ways to get you) and found the local people up the rivers friendly and welcoming. The wan tok system is interesting and leads to a lot of the corruption issues they have. The only aggressive behaviour arose from when the Kikori village had not been paid (the money form any mineral exploration is paid to the tribes that the land belongs to (very little public land) but it is done so through the government which often is late; the village blocked off the river with the dugouts. We got though as the oil company hadn't paid us and 'we were very angry with them too'.

Great place and I'm sure i will go back, would like to spend some time on the other side also

More worrying were the crocs, river and bull sharks. Two girls were eaten a week before we got there!