The tribal diversity of a country with over 700 languages cannot easily be summarised, although in Papua New Guinea it is the tribal life that is most fascinating to the visitor. Some of the excursions in Papua New Guinea are interestingly different from those offered elsewhere; for example, tourists can be taken to one of the many wrecks of World War II aircraft that lie in the jungle. Haus Tambarans (‘Spirit Houses’) are a feature of many towns and villages in the country, especially in the area of the Sepik River, so only a few of them can be given specific mention. Only initiated
men of a tribe can enter (though in places this rule is relaxed for foreigners). They are built in a variety of styles, with massive carved wooden supports being a major feature. Other carvings and masks inside represent spirits. The orator’s stools in these places are not used for sitting on; bunches of leaves are slapped down on the stools as the orator makes his points.
Port Moresby
Port Moresby, the capital, is situated on the magnificent Fairfax Harbour. It houses the National Parliament, the National Museum, which contains exhibits of pottery from all the provinces, the Botanical Gardens and the Catholic Cathedral (which is built in the Haus Tambaran style). The National Museum contains a historical record stretching back over 50,000 years. There are many sporting facilities in Port Moresby, including scuba diving, windsurfing, sailing, game fishing, water-skiing, golf, tennis and squash.
Excursions
Major attractions in the Port Moresby area include The Kokoda Trail and Sogeri, 40km (24 miles) from Port Moresby via the Sogeri road, which offers magnificent views and winds through rubber plantations; Village Arts, a government-owned artifacts shop with the best artifact collection in the country situated at Six Mile, near the airport. Other places of interest near Port Moresby include the Wairiata National Park; Moitaka Crocodile Farm; Loloata Island and the Sea Park Oceanarium.
Lae & Morobe
Lae
Lae, the capital of Morobe province, is Papua New Guinea’s second city and an important commercial center and seaport. The Botanical Gardens are among the best in the country. Mount Lunaman in the center of the town was used by the Germans and the Japanese as a lookout point. It gives a magnificent view over the Huon Gulf and the Markham Valley.
Elsewhere
Outside Lae is Wau, formerly a gold-mining center. The Wau Ecology Institute, a privately funded organization, has a small museum and zoo. Visitors can see cassowaries, tree kangaroos, crocodiles, birds of paradise, native butterflies and rhododendrons. Sights near Wau are McAdam National Park and Mount Kaindi, Finschhafen (a very pretty coastal town) and the Tami Islands, whose people are renowned for their carved wooden bowls. Sialum is an attractive area of coastline known for its coral terraces. White-water rafting on the Watut River is an attraction for the adventurous.
Madang
Madang
The capital of Madang Province, Madang is an ideal starting place for many of the tours round the islands and up the Sepik River. It has a variety of shops, hotels, restaurants and markets, where storyboards depicting myths and legends can be bought. In nearby Bilbils and Yabobs, traditional pottery-making can be seen.
Elsewhere
There are four main population groupings in the province: island, coastal, river and mountain, each with its own diet, traditions and customs. The Manam islanders make houses out of sago trees and toddy palms with leaves and leaf stems tied into each other. The Ramu River people make similar houses, but on stilts, and their carving traditions are influenced by the cultures of the Sepik River. The mountain people are physically smaller and grow familiar crops such as lettuce, radishes, cabbages and potatoes. The families of the coastal population place a special value on dog’s teeth necklaces, tambu shell headbands and pig tusk amulets. These items are sometimes still used as currency in tribal transactions.
The Sepik River
The Sepik River is the longest river in Papua New Guinea and has been for many centuries the trade route into the interior. It winds down from the mountains near the border with Irian Jaya, draining immense tracts of scarcely explored jungle, swamp and grassland until it meets the sea, where it is more than a mile wide. It abounds with meandering waterways, oxbow lakes, tributaries and backwaters, swamps, lagoons, lakes and artificial channels built to short-cut its looping journey. Unusually for a great river, it has no delta system and its waters spew directly into the sea with enormous force. From the many villages along its banks come highly-prized examples of primitive art. The Haus Tambaran at Angoram possesses a display of art from almost the entire length of the river. At Kambaramba village, and elsewhere, houses are built on stilts as a protection against flooding and the dugout canoe is still the main local means of transport. Tourists have the option of being taken on a cruise. Woodcarving is one of the main local crafts and its architectural use in gables and posts in houses is a noteworthy feature as can be seen, for instance, at the village of Tambanum. Timbunke village is a further example of fine construction techniques, including bridge-building.
The area around the Chambri Lakes is home to the diverse species of birds for which Papua New Guinea is famous. These include egrets, pied herons, brahminee kites, whistling kites, jacanas, darters, cormorants and kingfishers. Islands of tangled vegetation and the debris of fallen trees float down the river to the Bismarck Sea. Salt and freshwater crocodiles abound and come out mostly at night. Nightly or early morning excursions into the jungle can be arranged for tourists wishing to experience the unique cacophony of birds preparing for the day’s hunting. Tours along the river have a flexible itinerary which is adapted to river conditions and set to coincide with the many local customs and events. Also in the Chambri area can be found a unique pottery-making village, Aibom, where clay fireplaces, storage and cooking pots are made by the coil method and fired in the open air by women.
At Kanganaman, a Haus Tambaran of national cultural importance is being rebuilt, providing an excellent example of the carvings on the immense Haus Posts. Korogo is famous for its Mei Masks.
In the upper reaches of the Sepik, clan representation and art is characterized by insect totems using praying mantis, rhinoceros-beetle motifs and distinctive insect eyes. Canoe prows are extremely elaborate, as are the tops of stepladders leading into dwellings. At Waskusk, the drawings on the ceiling of the Haus Tambaran depict a clan leader’s dream, but conditions on the river sometimes make this village inaccessible. At Yigei, Upper Sepik-style Garamut Drums (‘Slit Gongs’) can be seen (and heard); and there are dramatic designs in white and yellow along the waterway in Swagap Village, which also has simple, elegant pottery and fireplaces, and often very fine examples of the canoe-builder’s craft.
The Highlands
The majority of the country’s population lives in this least accessible part of Papua New Guinea.
Eastern Highlands
This region has the longest history of contact with the West. Kainantu is reached from Lae through the Kassim Pass. It has a large cultural center, selling traditional artifacts; it also provides training in print-making and weaving. The largest town is Goroka, an agricultural and commercial center for the entire Highlands region. The JK McCarthy Museum has a comprehensive display of regional artifacts; the Leahy wing contains photographs taken by early explorers. In the town center the Raun Raun Theater company provides contemporary performances of traditional stories and legends. Bena Bena Village, 10km (6 miles) from Goroka, is the largest handweaving organization in the Highlands. Also nearby is Asaro, where the men coat themselves with grey mud and re-enact for visitors their historic revenge on a neighboring village. The legend has it that, having been defeated in battle, the resourceful villagers covered themselves in mud and successfully frightened the opposition, who ran away in fear of being visited by ghosts.
Simbu Province
Kundiawa, a small town, is the capital of Simbu Province. Some of the local caves are used as burial places; others are popular with cavers. Rafting down the Wahgi and Purari rivers is also exciting. Mount Wilhelm, 4509m (1480ft), is in Simbu Province and is the highest mountain in Papua New Guinea.
Western Highlands
In some ways Mount Hagen in the Western Highlands resembles a town from the Wild West. Its expansion is only recent and the local population organize a number of sing-sing celebrations to mark a diverse variety of events ranging from payment of a bride-price to the opening of a new road. There is also a cultural center in the town. The Baiyer River Wildlife Sanctuary lies 55km (34 miles) north of Mount Hagen and is one of the best places to see the famous birds of paradise. Possums, tree kangaroos, parrots and cassowaries are also part of the natural habitat.
Southern Highlands
The Mendi Valley of the Southern Highlands is noted for its spectacular scenery and limestone caves. It is home to the Huli Wigmen who wear red and yellow face-paint and elaborately decorated wigs made of human hair.
Enga Province
Wabang in Enga Province has a large cultural center with an art gallery and a museum. Young artists can be seen working on sand paintings. War shields, wigs, weapons and other artifacts from all over Papua New Guinea are on display. Enga is the most primitive of the Highland Provinces.
The Islands
The main islands are New Britain, New Ireland and the Manus group (together comprising the Bismarck Archipelago), the northernmost Solomon Islands of Bougainville and Buka, and an eastern group of islands including the Trobriand and D’Entrecasteaux Islands.
New Britain
Rabaul on New Britain is the capital of the island and suffered extensive damage, owing to volcanic activity a few years back. During the eruptions most of the town was destroyed and the inhabitants were evacuated to other parts of the island. Rabaul used to be renowned for the Gunantabu (the remains of Queen Emma’s residence) with her private cemetery; the remains of the German Government House on Namanula Hill; a 576km (360 mile) underground tunnel system left by the Japanese; the Admirals Bunker, now a museum; an orchid park; and Rabaul Market, which is famous throughout the South Pacific. New Britain is one of the most popular islands for diving and there are many diving boats available.
New Ireland & Manus
New Ireland and the Manus group of islands are off the general tourist trail. In the northwestern islands of the latter group there are no trees. The islanders have a tradition of making sea-going canoes out of logs that float down the Sepik into the surrounding ocean.
North Solomons
Bougainville and Buka are separated by a narrow channel of islets. Before Bougainville was closed to visitors, tourists were well catered for with activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, game fishing and swimming as well as bushwalking, caving expeditions, a six-hour downhill hike from Panguna to Arawa and a three-day jungle trek to the summit of Mount Balbi, a dormant volcano. For details about visiting this area as well as the nearby Butterfly Farm in Kerei Village, contact the Tourism Promotion Authority (see General Info section). Relics of German and Japanese occupation abound throughout Papua New Guinea and visitors will have no trouble finding them. The wreck of Admiral Yamamoto’s plane in the rainforest of Buin is perhaps one of the most interesting.
Milne Bay
The islands offshore from Bougainville are lined with white sandy beaches. The Trobriands are the most accessible of the groups of islands in Milne Bay Province, but tourists might feel slightly less welcome than in the main tourist areas. As elsewhere in the islands, swimming and snorkeling enthusiasts are well catered for. The harvesting of yams from May to September is accompanied by extended rituals and celebrations which peak in the months of July and August. The mountainous D’Entrecasteaux Islands rise out of the sea. In the center of Goodenough Island, there is a large stone decorated with mysterious paintings.
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