1. F_ _K
2. PU_S_
3. S_X
4. P_N_S
5. BOO_S
6. _ _NDOM

Answers:

1. FORK
2. PULSE
3. SIX
4. PANTS
5. BOOKS
6. RANDOM 

You got all 6 wrong….didn’t you?

How fast can you guess these words?

1. F_ _K
2. PU_S_
3. S_X
4. P_N_S
5. BOO_S
6. _ _NDOM

Answers:

1. FORK
2. PULSE
3. SIX
4. PANTS
5. BOOKS
6. RANDOM 

You got all 6 wrong….didn’t you?

How fast can you guess these words?

1. F_ _K
2. PU_S_
3. S_X
4. P_N_S
5. BOO_S
6. _ _NDOM

Answers:

1. FORK
2. PULSE
3. SIX
4. PANTS
5. BOOKS
6. RANDOM 

You got all 6 wrong….didn’t you?

How fast can you guess these words?

1. F_ _K
2. PU_S_
3. S_X
4. P_N_S
5. BOO_S
6. _ _NDOM

Answers:

1. FORK
2. PULSE
3. SIX
4. PANTS
5. BOOKS
6. RANDOM 

You got all 6 wrong….didn’t you?

Copyright © 2009 Trupela

wankain stori...

• Taking PingPressFM for a test run
• The Laws of Ultimate Reality
• Question...

If I hadn’t of woken up on Wednesday morning I’m sure that I would have had a fabulous day. Instead, as I opened my eyes, stirred and started to fang for that first cup of freshly brewed coffee – I woke up to a shower of threes. And let me assure you that it wasn’t to the tune of “Thunderstruck“.

1. Malaria. Some how managed to make it into work but pulled the pin at around 9am after almost passing out a couple of times. Went home and was semi conscious – tossing and turning – sweating – delirious and feverish – for the next 24 hours. Eli went and got me some anti-malarials in the morning and as far as the big “M” – I’ve been improving ever since.
2. A swollen right inner thigh. This was a bugger because it’s been painful to walk since. When I visited the doctor on Friday – he told me that due to an existing cut on the outer part of my bottom right leg – that my lymph nodes had reacted to the Malaria parasite. Doc knows best and I was put on a course of antibiotics. Throughout the remainder of Friday and then Saturday the swelling increased plus a rather large blister started to form on the back of my leg. At its peak it was almost the size of a tennis ball. Coincidentally the critter burst whilst I was talking to Mum over Skype. As of Sunday night the bottom part of my right leg – remains swollen – bruised and crater left by the burst blister is literally an open wound. Needless to stay that I’ve been soaking it, cleaning it and dressing it since. White folks do not suffer infections too well around the tropics. I believe the antibiotics have kicked in with the condition of my leg stabilising.
3. Last but not least… my personal laptop (Toshiba Satellite) would not boot up. Further diagnosis suggests that a new motherboard is probably needed. Sunday evening and I’m up and running again after partitioning my work laptop with Ubuntu 10.10 (my favourite OS). On a positive note my personal backup strategy stood up to the disaster and in the end I only lost two days worth of emails. Solid as !!

To make matters slightly more physical I now have a dose of gout in my right toe.

Part of me has felt like curling up in a ball somewhere – sucking my thumb and singing out “I want my Mummy… I want my Mummy…”. Life does suck at times and there’s not much that can be done other then to cop it. Here’s a slightly more positive and perhaps unattached perspective on the events from the past few days:

• Some surrender has come back into my life.
• With less attachment to circumstances and a mind more open to alternatives.
• An opportunity to setup/fiddle with Ubuntu on another laptop!
• Have had more time with Eli.
• Managed to fit in some much needed rest (had two days off work).
• Realised the value for when good health is there.
• Evidence that my personal data backup strategy is solid!

Rub-a-dub-dub three men in a tub!

They say that bad luck, good luck, wheels on a tricycle, little piggies, blind mice, stooges and amigos all come in threes. Heck – I’ve even heard that only three floating cords are used to play every AC/DC song.

If I hadn’t of woken up on Wednesday morning I’m sure that I would have had a fabulous day. Instead, as I opened my eyes, stirred and started to fang for that first cup of freshly brewed coffee – I woke up to a shower of threes. And let me assure you that it wasn’t to the tune of “Thunderstruck“.

1. Malaria. Some how managed to make it into work but pulled the pin at around 9am after almost passing out a couple of times. Went home and was semi conscious – tossing and turning – sweating – delirious and feverish – for the next 24 hours. Eli went and got me some anti-malarials in the morning and as far as the big “M” – I’ve been improving ever since.
2. A swollen right inner thigh. This was a bugger because it’s been painful to walk since. When I visited the doctor on Friday – he told me that due to an existing cut on the outer part of my bottom right leg – that my lymph nodes had reacted to the Malaria parasite. Doc knows best and I was put on a course of antibiotics. Throughout the remainder of Friday and then Saturday the swelling increased plus a rather large blister started to form on the back of my leg. At its peak it was almost the size of a tennis ball. Coincidentally the critter burst whilst I was talking to Mum over Skype. As of Sunday night the bottom part of my right leg – remains swollen – bruised and crater left by the burst blister is literally an open wound. Needless to stay that I’ve been soaking it, cleaning it and dressing it since. White folks do not suffer infections too well around the tropics. I believe the antibiotics have kicked in with the condition of my leg stabilising.
3. Last but not least… my personal laptop (Toshiba Satellite) would not boot up. Further diagnosis suggests that a new motherboard is probably needed. Sunday evening and I’m up and running again after partitioning my work laptop with Ubuntu 10.10 (my favourite OS). On a positive note my personal backup strategy stood up to the disaster and in the end I only lost two days worth of emails. Solid as !!

To make matters slightly more physical I now have a dose of gout in my right toe.

Part of me has felt like curling up in a ball somewhere – sucking my thumb and singing out “I want my Mummy… I want my Mummy…”. Life does suck at times and there’s not much that can be done other then to cop it. Here’s a slightly more positive and perhaps unattached perspective on the events from the past few days:

• Some surrender has come back into my life.
• With less attachment to circumstances and a mind more open to alternatives.
• An opportunity to setup/fiddle with Ubuntu on another laptop!
• Have had more time with Eli.
• Managed to fit in some much needed rest (had two days off work).
• Realised the value for when good health is there.
• Evidence that my personal data backup strategy is solid!

Rub-a-dub-dub three men in a tub!

They say that bad luck, good luck, wheels on a tricycle, little piggies, blind mice, stooges and amigos all come in threes. Heck – I’ve even heard that only three floating cords are used to play every AC/DC song.

If I hadn’t of woken up on Wednesday morning I’m sure that I would have had a fabulous day. Instead, as I opened my eyes, stirred and started to fang for that first cup of freshly brewed coffee – I woke up to a shower of threes. And let me assure you that it wasn’t to the tune of “Thunderstruck“.

1. Malaria. Some how managed to make it into work but pulled the pin at around 9am after almost passing out a couple of times. Went home and was semi conscious – tossing and turning – sweating – delirious and feverish – for the next 24 hours. Eli went and got me some anti-malarials in the morning and as far as the big “M” – I’ve been improving ever since.
2. A swollen right inner thigh. This was a bugger because it’s been painful to walk since. When I visited the doctor on Friday – he told me that due to an existing cut on the outer part of my bottom right leg – that my lymph nodes had reacted to the Malaria parasite. Doc knows best and I was put on a course of antibiotics. Throughout the remainder of Friday and then Saturday the swelling increased plus a rather large blister started to form on the back of my leg. At its peak it was almost the size of a tennis ball. Coincidentally the critter burst whilst I was talking to Mum over Skype. As of Sunday night the bottom part of my right leg – remains swollen – bruised and crater left by the burst blister is literally an open wound. Needless to stay that I’ve been soaking it, cleaning it and dressing it since. White folks do not suffer infections too well around the tropics. I believe the antibiotics have kicked in with the condition of my leg stabilising.
3. Last but not least… my personal laptop (Toshiba Satellite) would not boot up. Further diagnosis suggests that a new motherboard is probably needed. Sunday evening and I’m up and running again after partitioning my work laptop with Ubuntu 10.10 (my favourite OS). On a positive note my personal backup strategy stood up to the disaster and in the end I only lost two days worth of emails. Solid as !!

To make matters slightly more physical I now have a dose of gout in my right toe.

Part of me has felt like curling up in a ball somewhere – sucking my thumb and singing out “I want my Mummy… I want my Mummy…”. Life does suck at times and there’s not much that can be done other then to cop it. Here’s a slightly more positive and perhaps unattached perspective on the events from the past few days:

• Some surrender has come back into my life.
• With less attachment to circumstances and a mind more open to alternatives.
• An opportunity to setup/fiddle with Ubuntu on another laptop!
• Have had more time with Eli.
• Managed to fit in some much needed rest (had two days off work).
• Realised the value for when good health is there.
• Evidence that my personal data backup strategy is solid!

Rub-a-dub-dub three men in a tub!

They say that bad luck, good luck, wheels on a tricycle, little piggies, blind mice, stooges and amigos all come in threes. Heck – I’ve even heard that only three floating cords are used to play every AC/DC song.

If I hadn’t of woken up on Wednesday morning I’m sure that I would have had a fabulous day. Instead, as I opened my eyes, stirred and started to fang for that first cup of freshly brewed coffee – I woke up to a shower of threes. And let me assure you that it wasn’t to the tune of “Thunderstruck“.

1. Malaria. Some how managed to make it into work but pulled the pin at around 9am after almost passing out a couple of times. Went home and was semi conscious – tossing and turning – sweating – delirious and feverish – for the next 24 hours. Eli went and got me some anti-malarials in the morning and as far as the big “M” – I’ve been improving ever since.
2. A swollen right inner thigh. This was a bugger because it’s been painful to walk since. When I visited the doctor on Friday – he told me that due to an existing cut on the outer part of my bottom right leg – that my lymph nodes had reacted to the Malaria parasite. Doc knows best and I was put on a course of antibiotics. Throughout the remainder of Friday and then Saturday the swelling increased plus a rather large blister started to form on the back of my leg. At its peak it was almost the size of a tennis ball. Coincidentally the critter burst whilst I was talking to Mum over Skype. As of Sunday night the bottom part of my right leg – remains swollen – bruised and crater left by the burst blister is literally an open wound. Needless to stay that I’ve been soaking it, cleaning it and dressing it since. White folks do not suffer infections too well around the tropics. I believe the antibiotics have kicked in with the condition of my leg stabilising.
3. Last but not least… my personal laptop (Toshiba Satellite) would not boot up. Further diagnosis suggests that a new motherboard is probably needed. Sunday evening and I’m up and running again after partitioning my work laptop with Ubuntu 10.10 (my favourite OS). On a positive note my personal backup strategy stood up to the disaster and in the end I only lost two days worth of emails. Solid as !!

To make matters slightly more physical I now have a dose of gout in my right toe.

Part of me has felt like curling up in a ball somewhere – sucking my thumb and singing out “I want my Mummy… I want my Mummy…”. Life does suck at times and there’s not much that can be done other then to cop it. Here’s a slightly more positive and perhaps unattached perspective on the events from the past few days:

• Some surrender has come back into my life.
• With less attachment to circumstances and a mind more open to alternatives.
• An opportunity to setup/fiddle with Ubuntu on another laptop!
• Have had more time with Eli.
• Managed to fit in some much needed rest (had two days off work).
• Realised the value for when good health is there.
• Evidence that my personal data backup strategy is solid!

Rub-a-dub-dub three men in a tub!

Copyright © 2009 Trupela

Nothing even close!

This is the 2nd vehicle we have lost in as many months – the 1st one was involved in an accident late November – and one begins to wonder whether the adage “Three steps forward and two backwards” should in this instance be amended to read “Two steps forward and three backwards”.

You want to see what a raskol looks like? Look no further… check out the bloke lying on the ground in the photo below.

The following story – published in this morning’s edition of The National – goes into a little more detail.

Robbery gone wrong ... A man lies injured at the Lae Yacht Club premises after an armed robbery on Saturday morning went wrong. Reports said four men drove into the club premises in a white utility and stole about K14,000 in cash and cheques. On their way out, the robbers were confronted by a security unit when shots were exchanged and a man, who is recovering at the Angau Memorial Hospital, shot. The robbers abandoned the utility and escaped in another waiting vehicle.. – Nationalpic by RIGGO NANGAN

Story by By RIGGO NANGAN

ONE man is in critical condition at the Angau Memorial Hospital after an armed robbery at the Lae Yacht Club on Saturday morning went wrong,

Four armed men drove into the Lae Yacht Club premises through the gate, unsuspecting while one of them held up a G4S guard at the guardhouse at gunpoint. The vehicle they arrived in was believed to be stolen from an electronic goods employee last Wednesday and had another company’s sticker on it.

Three men rushed into the clubhouse and straight for the club office and held up the employees. They took about K14,000 cash and cheques and were on their way out when a G4S armoured vehicle which was on its routine routine to pick up the money pulled up. The G4S guard who was held up at the gate said he did not suspect anything because the sticker was of a vehicle which always supplied food to the club and never checked it when it drove through the gate.

He said when the utility had gone in, one of the suspect walked up to him and pushed the barrel of a pistol into his mouth and pushed him into a room in the guardhouse. “On hearing a commotion in the club house, the suspect left me and ran to meet his colleagues who were making their getaway after they were disturbed by the armoured vehicle personnel,” the guard said. He said he quickly locked the gate and ran out to the main road while the gang tried to drive out.

The armoured guards exchanged shots with the gang. It was then that one of the suspects, identified later by the guard at the gate to be the one who held him up, was shot and seriously wounded. The armoured vehicle rammed the parked utility to keep it from moving and seeing no way to escape, other members of the gang jumped over the fence and drove away in another vehicle that was waiting on the main street, the Butibam Road.

The injured man was later taken to the hospital by police. Police had issued warning to the public to take extra precautions when moving around in their vehicles because car thefts were on the rise in the city.

One of our work vehicles was carjacked last Tuesday evening and then used in an armed hold-up at the Lae Yacht Club on Saturday morning. The stolen white Nissan – which was once in good nick – is now sadly sitting at Lae Police Station worse for wear – with bullet holes all sprayed along one side – and waiting for a tonne of paperwork (literally) to be processed before we can even think about getting it released.

This is the 2nd vehicle we have lost in as many months – the 1st one was involved in an accident late November – and one begins to wonder whether the adage “Three steps forward and two backwards” should in this instance be amended to read “Two steps forward and three backwards”.

You want to see what a raskol looks like? Look no further… check out the bloke lying on the ground in the photo below.

The following story – published in this morning’s edition of The National – goes into a little more detail.

Robbery gone wrong ... A man lies injured at the Lae Yacht Club premises after an armed robbery on Saturday morning went wrong. Reports said four men drove into the club premises in a white utility and stole about K14,000 in cash and cheques. On their way out, the robbers were confronted by a security unit when shots were exchanged and a man, who is recovering at the Angau Memorial Hospital, shot. The robbers abandoned the utility and escaped in another waiting vehicle.. – Nationalpic by RIGGO NANGAN

Story by By RIGGO NANGAN

ONE man is in critical condition at the Angau Memorial Hospital after an armed robbery at the Lae Yacht Club on Saturday morning went wrong,

Four armed men drove into the Lae Yacht Club premises through the gate, unsuspecting while one of them held up a G4S guard at the guardhouse at gunpoint. The vehicle they arrived in was believed to be stolen from an electronic goods employee last Wednesday and had another company’s sticker on it.

Three men rushed into the clubhouse and straight for the club office and held up the employees. They took about K14,000 cash and cheques and were on their way out when a G4S armoured vehicle which was on its routine routine to pick up the money pulled up. The G4S guard who was held up at the gate said he did not suspect anything because the sticker was of a vehicle which always supplied food to the club and never checked it when it drove through the gate.

He said when the utility had gone in, one of the suspect walked up to him and pushed the barrel of a pistol into his mouth and pushed him into a room in the guardhouse. “On hearing a commotion in the club house, the suspect left me and ran to meet his colleagues who were making their getaway after they were disturbed by the armoured vehicle personnel,” the guard said. He said he quickly locked the gate and ran out to the main road while the gang tried to drive out.

The armoured guards exchanged shots with the gang. It was then that one of the suspects, identified later by the guard at the gate to be the one who held him up, was shot and seriously wounded. The armoured vehicle rammed the parked utility to keep it from moving and seeing no way to escape, other members of the gang jumped over the fence and drove away in another vehicle that was waiting on the main street, the Butibam Road.

The injured man was later taken to the hospital by police. Police had issued warning to the public to take extra precautions when moving around in their vehicles because car thefts were on the rise in the city.

One of our work vehicles was carjacked last Tuesday evening and then used in an armed hold-up at the Lae Yacht Club on Saturday morning. The stolen white Nissan – which was once in good nick – is now sadly sitting at Lae Police Station worse for wear – with bullet holes all sprayed along one side – and waiting for a tonne of paperwork (literally) to be processed before we can even think about getting it released.

This is the 2nd vehicle we have lost in as many months – the 1st one was involved in an accident late November – and one begins to wonder whether the adage “Three steps forward and two backwards” should in this instance be amended to read “Two steps forward and three backwards”.

You want to see what a raskol looks like? Look no further… check out the bloke lying on the ground in the photo below.

The following story – published in this morning’s edition of The National – goes into a little more detail.

Robbery gone wrong ... A man lies injured at the Lae Yacht Club premises after an armed robbery on Saturday morning went wrong. Reports said four men drove into the club premises in a white utility and stole about K14,000 in cash and cheques. On their way out, the robbers were confronted by a security unit when shots were exchanged and a man, who is recovering at the Angau Memorial Hospital, shot. The robbers abandoned the utility and escaped in another waiting vehicle.. – Nationalpic by RIGGO NANGAN

Story by By RIGGO NANGAN

ONE man is in critical condition at the Angau Memorial Hospital after an armed robbery at the Lae Yacht Club on Saturday morning went wrong,

Four armed men drove into the Lae Yacht Club premises through the gate, unsuspecting while one of them held up a G4S guard at the guardhouse at gunpoint. The vehicle they arrived in was believed to be stolen from an electronic goods employee last Wednesday and had another company’s sticker on it.

Three men rushed into the clubhouse and straight for the club office and held up the employees. They took about K14,000 cash and cheques and were on their way out when a G4S armoured vehicle which was on its routine routine to pick up the money pulled up. The G4S guard who was held up at the gate said he did not suspect anything because the sticker was of a vehicle which always supplied food to the club and never checked it when it drove through the gate.

He said when the utility had gone in, one of the suspect walked up to him and pushed the barrel of a pistol into his mouth and pushed him into a room in the guardhouse. “On hearing a commotion in the club house, the suspect left me and ran to meet his colleagues who were making their getaway after they were disturbed by the armoured vehicle personnel,” the guard said. He said he quickly locked the gate and ran out to the main road while the gang tried to drive out.

The armoured guards exchanged shots with the gang. It was then that one of the suspects, identified later by the guard at the gate to be the one who held him up, was shot and seriously wounded. The armoured vehicle rammed the parked utility to keep it from moving and seeing no way to escape, other members of the gang jumped over the fence and drove away in another vehicle that was waiting on the main street, the Butibam Road.

The injured man was later taken to the hospital by police. Police had issued warning to the public to take extra precautions when moving around in their vehicles because car thefts were on the rise in the city.

One of our work vehicles was carjacked last Tuesday evening and then used in an armed hold-up at the Lae Yacht Club on Saturday morning. The stolen white Nissan – which was once in good nick – is now sadly sitting at Lae Police Station worse for wear – with bullet holes all sprayed along one side – and waiting for a tonne of paperwork (literally) to be processed before we can even think about getting it released.

This is the 2nd vehicle we have lost in as many months – the 1st one was involved in an accident late November – and one begins to wonder whether the adage “Three steps forward and two backwards” should in this instance be amended to read “Two steps forward and three backwards”.

You want to see what a raskol looks like? Look no further… check out the bloke lying on the ground in the photo below.

The following story – published in this morning’s edition of The National – goes into a little more detail.

Robbery gone wrong ... A man lies injured at the Lae Yacht Club premises after an armed robbery on Saturday morning went wrong. Reports said four men drove into the club premises in a white utility and stole about K14,000 in cash and cheques. On their way out, the robbers were confronted by a security unit when shots were exchanged and a man, who is recovering at the Angau Memorial Hospital, shot. The robbers abandoned the utility and escaped in another waiting vehicle.. – Nationalpic by RIGGO NANGAN

Story by By RIGGO NANGAN

ONE man is in critical condition at the Angau Memorial Hospital after an armed robbery at the Lae Yacht Club on Saturday morning went wrong,

Four armed men drove into the Lae Yacht Club premises through the gate, unsuspecting while one of them held up a G4S guard at the guardhouse at gunpoint. The vehicle they arrived in was believed to be stolen from an electronic goods employee last Wednesday and had another company’s sticker on it.

Three men rushed into the clubhouse and straight for the club office and held up the employees. They took about K14,000 cash and cheques and were on their way out when a G4S armoured vehicle which was on its routine routine to pick up the money pulled up. The G4S guard who was held up at the gate said he did not suspect anything because the sticker was of a vehicle which always supplied food to the club and never checked it when it drove through the gate.

He said when the utility had gone in, one of the suspect walked up to him and pushed the barrel of a pistol into his mouth and pushed him into a room in the guardhouse. “On hearing a commotion in the club house, the suspect left me and ran to meet his colleagues who were making their getaway after they were disturbed by the armoured vehicle personnel,” the guard said. He said he quickly locked the gate and ran out to the main road while the gang tried to drive out.

The armoured guards exchanged shots with the gang. It was then that one of the suspects, identified later by the guard at the gate to be the one who held him up, was shot and seriously wounded. The armoured vehicle rammed the parked utility to keep it from moving and seeing no way to escape, other members of the gang jumped over the fence and drove away in another vehicle that was waiting on the main street, the Butibam Road.

The injured man was later taken to the hospital by police. Police had issued warning to the public to take extra precautions when moving around in their vehicles because car thefts were on the rise in the city.

Copyright © 2009 Trupela

wankain stori...

• Live footage of an armed hold up in Madang
• A fight at the bus stop just outside the main gate...

Is Open Source really cheaper?

by Josh Lerner and Mark Schankerman: Open Source More Expensive Says MS Report

doperative writes on Slashdot: “”Much conventional wisdom about programs written by volunteers is wrong. The authors took money for research from Microsoft, long the archenemy of the open-source movement — although they assure readers that the funds came with no strings attached. Free programs are not always cheaper. To be sure, the upfront cost of proprietary software is higher (although open-source programs are not always free). But companies that use such programs spend more on such things as learning to use them and making them work with other software”…

Welcome to the 3rd millennium folks!

by James Chessell: Savvy net surfers brace for third wave

FEW industries can create and destroy wealth as efficiently as technology. And few companies demonstrate both sides of this investment equation better than Facebook. In a little over six years, Facebook has grown from an unknown startup based in Mark Zuckerberg’s Harvard dorm room to the world’s biggest social networking website with more than 600 million registered members…

I’ve been hearing this for years…

by The Australian: Web addresses drying up

With everything from smartphones to appliances and cars getting online, the group entrusted with organising the web is running out of the “IP” numbers that identify destinations for digital traffic. The touted solution is a switch to a standard called IPv6 that allows trillions of internet addresses, while the current IPv4 standard provides a meagre four billion or so. “The big pool in the sky that gives addresses is going to run out in the next several weeks,” said Google engineer Lorenzo Colitti…

Despite the ban one can still buy beer in Madang!

by Stephanie Elizah: Madang liquor ban to be reviewed

LIQOUR ban imposed on businesses in Madang is into its ninth month with pressure mounting from private and public sectors to lift the ban and allow for business to earn income. Since imposing the ban last May, the provincial government has lost over K150,000 in internal revenue; however, a source at the provincial headquarters said the loss in revenue had not impacted on the province’s budget…

Round-up of stories that have recently found their way into my newsreader – here’s a selection of my favourites together with a one line comment.

Is Open Source really cheaper?

by Josh Lerner and Mark Schankerman: Open Source More Expensive Says MS Report

doperative writes on Slashdot: “”Much conventional wisdom about programs written by volunteers is wrong. The authors took money for research from Microsoft, long the archenemy of the open-source movement — although they assure readers that the funds came with no strings attached. Free programs are not always cheaper. To be sure, the upfront cost of proprietary software is higher (although open-source programs are not always free). But companies that use such programs spend more on such things as learning to use them and making them work with other software”…

Welcome to the 3rd millennium folks!

by James Chessell: Savvy net surfers brace for third wave

FEW industries can create and destroy wealth as efficiently as technology. And few companies demonstrate both sides of this investment equation better than Facebook. In a little over six years, Facebook has grown from an unknown startup based in Mark Zuckerberg’s Harvard dorm room to the world’s biggest social networking website with more than 600 million registered members…

I’ve been hearing this for years…

by The Australian: Web addresses drying up

With everything from smartphones to appliances and cars getting online, the group entrusted with organising the web is running out of the “IP” numbers that identify destinations for digital traffic. The touted solution is a switch to a standard called IPv6 that allows trillions of internet addresses, while the current IPv4 standard provides a meagre four billion or so. “The big pool in the sky that gives addresses is going to run out in the next several weeks,” said Google engineer Lorenzo Colitti…

Despite the ban one can still buy beer in Madang!

by Stephanie Elizah: Madang liquor ban to be reviewed

LIQOUR ban imposed on businesses in Madang is into its ninth month with pressure mounting from private and public sectors to lift the ban and allow for business to earn income. Since imposing the ban last May, the provincial government has lost over K150,000 in internal revenue; however, a source at the provincial headquarters said the loss in revenue had not impacted on the province’s budget…

Round-up of stories that have recently found their way into my newsreader – here’s a selection of my favourites together with a one line comment.

Is Open Source really cheaper?

by Josh Lerner and Mark Schankerman: Open Source More Expensive Says MS Report

doperative writes on Slashdot: “”Much conventional wisdom about programs written by volunteers is wrong. The authors took money for research from Microsoft, long the archenemy of the open-source movement — although they assure readers that the funds came with no strings attached. Free programs are not always cheaper. To be sure, the upfront cost of proprietary software is higher (although open-source programs are not always free). But companies that use such programs spend more on such things as learning to use them and making them work with other software”…

Welcome to the 3rd millennium folks!

by James Chessell: Savvy net surfers brace for third wave

FEW industries can create and destroy wealth as efficiently as technology. And few companies demonstrate both sides of this investment equation better than Facebook. In a little over six years, Facebook has grown from an unknown startup based in Mark Zuckerberg’s Harvard dorm room to the world’s biggest social networking website with more than 600 million registered members…

I’ve been hearing this for years…

by The Australian: Web addresses drying up

With everything from smartphones to appliances and cars getting online, the group entrusted with organising the web is running out of the “IP” numbers that identify destinations for digital traffic. The touted solution is a switch to a standard called IPv6 that allows trillions of internet addresses, while the current IPv4 standard provides a meagre four billion or so. “The big pool in the sky that gives addresses is going to run out in the next several weeks,” said Google engineer Lorenzo Colitti…

Despite the ban one can still buy beer in Madang!

by Stephanie Elizah: Madang liquor ban to be reviewed

LIQOUR ban imposed on businesses in Madang is into its ninth month with pressure mounting from private and public sectors to lift the ban and allow for business to earn income. Since imposing the ban last May, the provincial government has lost over K150,000 in internal revenue; however, a source at the provincial headquarters said the loss in revenue had not impacted on the province’s budget…

Round-up of stories that have recently found their way into my newsreader – here’s a selection of my favourites together with a one line comment.

Is Open Source really cheaper?

by Josh Lerner and Mark Schankerman: Open Source More Expensive Says MS Report

doperative writes on Slashdot: “”Much conventional wisdom about programs written by volunteers is wrong. The authors took money for research from Microsoft, long the archenemy of the open-source movement — although they assure readers that the funds came with no strings attached. Free programs are not always cheaper. To be sure, the upfront cost of proprietary software is higher (although open-source programs are not always free). But companies that use such programs spend more on such things as learning to use them and making them work with other software”…

Welcome to the 3rd millennium folks!

by James Chessell: Savvy net surfers brace for third wave

FEW industries can create and destroy wealth as efficiently as technology. And few companies demonstrate both sides of this investment equation better than Facebook. In a little over six years, Facebook has grown from an unknown startup based in Mark Zuckerberg’s Harvard dorm room to the world’s biggest social networking website with more than 600 million registered members…

I’ve been hearing this for years…

by The Australian: Web addresses drying up

With everything from smartphones to appliances and cars getting online, the group entrusted with organising the web is running out of the “IP” numbers that identify destinations for digital traffic. The touted solution is a switch to a standard called IPv6 that allows trillions of internet addresses, while the current IPv4 standard provides a meagre four billion or so. “The big pool in the sky that gives addresses is going to run out in the next several weeks,” said Google engineer Lorenzo Colitti…

Despite the ban one can still buy beer in Madang!

by Stephanie Elizah: Madang liquor ban to be reviewed

LIQOUR ban imposed on businesses in Madang is into its ninth month with pressure mounting from private and public sectors to lift the ban and allow for business to earn income. Since imposing the ban last May, the provincial government has lost over K150,000 in internal revenue; however, a source at the provincial headquarters said the loss in revenue had not impacted on the province’s budget…

Copyright © 2009 Trupela

wankain stori...

• The Best of News Feeds #17
• The Best of News Feeds #26
• The Best of News Feeds #18
• The Best of News Feeds #8
• The Best of News Feeds #12

(We’ve both put on the kilo’s since moving to Lae early June 2010!)

With my sweetheart Eli, Isaac and Valdek (Early January 2011)

Early January when Valdek (the light skin kid) was visiting us from Madang – him and Isaac would have these “boy” run ins. Although very smart and eloquent for his age, it’s probably fair to say that Valdek’s a little on the spoilt side – very used to getting his way with things if you know what I mean. More often than not the cause of the differences between the two lads lay with Valdek (Could I be siding with Isaac here?). One of several and regular points of contention was Valdek not allowing Isaac to play with his flash toy red ferrari racing car – which at the time happened to be bigger and flashier than any of Isaac’s toy cars.

With Dutch physiotherapist/volunteer Marcel, Isaac and Valdek (Early January 2011)

One afternoon I was in a store that sold toy cars and I thought… (this is where the 3rd kid in the story comes in) – fuck it… I’m going to get Isaac a bigger, flashier and better looking toy car than Valdek. So I did.

When I got home later that afternoon I couldn’t wait to give Isaac the toy truck I had bought him (it was a MACK truck by the way!) – I so wanted to see the look of surprise on his face. Believe me… he was absolutely rapt as he slowly laid eyes on his new toy – the look on his face and his excitement was well worth the investment.

But then the kid and bully within took hold… as I was helping Isaac unwrap the box I said to him (in Tok Pisin of course) : “Isaac… take your new big flashy truck over to Valdek and tell him that his fancy red racing car is  a piece of shit (pekpek) and the next time you pass him on “road” you’re going to smash it”. Isaac’s face lit up and he did as I suggested – two weeks of putting up with needling from Valdek were released instantly.

Naturally the two of us got into big trouble from Eli. But it was well worth the castigation let me tell you!

The positive flow on from this episode of male one-upmanship is that it has brought the two of us a smidge closer.

Guess I haven’t really grown up at all.

In the backyard at our home in 4th Street…

(We’ve both put on the kilo’s since moving to Lae early June 2010!)

With my sweetheart Eli, Isaac and Valdek (Early January 2011)

Early January when Valdek (the light skin kid) was visiting us from Madang – him and Isaac would have these “boy” run ins. Although very smart and eloquent for his age, it’s probably fair to say that Valdek’s a little on the spoilt side – very used to getting his way with things if you know what I mean. More often than not the cause of the differences between the two lads lay with Valdek (Could I be siding with Isaac here?). One of several and regular points of contention was Valdek not allowing Isaac to play with his flash toy red ferrari racing car – which at the time happened to be bigger and flashier than any of Isaac’s toy cars.

With Dutch physiotherapist/volunteer Marcel, Isaac and Valdek (Early January 2011)

One afternoon I was in a store that sold toy cars and I thought… (this is where the 3rd kid in the story comes in) – fuck it… I’m going to get Isaac a bigger, flashier and better looking toy car than Valdek. So I did.

When I got home later that afternoon I couldn’t wait to give Isaac the toy truck I had bought him (it was a MACK truck by the way!) – I so wanted to see the look of surprise on his face. Believe me… he was absolutely rapt as he slowly laid eyes on his new toy – the look on his face and his excitement was well worth the investment.

But then the kid and bully within took hold… as I was helping Isaac unwrap the box I said to him (in Tok Pisin of course) : “Isaac… take your new big flashy truck over to Valdek and tell him that his fancy red racing car is  a piece of shit (pekpek) and the next time you pass him on “road” you’re going to smash it”. Isaac’s face lit up and he did as I suggested – two weeks of putting up with needling from Valdek were released instantly.

Naturally the two of us got into big trouble from Eli. But it was well worth the castigation let me tell you!

The positive flow on from this episode of male one-upmanship is that it has brought the two of us a smidge closer.

Guess I haven’t really grown up at all.

In the backyard at our home in 4th Street…

(We’ve both put on the kilo’s since moving to Lae early June 2010!)

With my sweetheart Eli, Isaac and Valdek (Early January 2011)

Early January when Valdek (the light skin kid) was visiting us from Madang – him and Isaac would have these “boy” run ins. Although very smart and eloquent for his age, it’s probably fair to say that Valdek’s a little on the spoilt side – very used to getting his way with things if you know what I mean. More often than not the cause of the differences between the two lads lay with Valdek (Could I be siding with Isaac here?). One of several and regular points of contention was Valdek not allowing Isaac to play with his flash toy red ferrari racing car – which at the time happened to be bigger and flashier than any of Isaac’s toy cars.

With Dutch physiotherapist/volunteer Marcel, Isaac and Valdek (Early January 2011)

One afternoon I was in a store that sold toy cars and I thought… (this is where the 3rd kid in the story comes in) – fuck it… I’m going to get Isaac a bigger, flashier and better looking toy car than Valdek. So I did.

When I got home later that afternoon I couldn’t wait to give Isaac the toy truck I had bought him (it was a MACK truck by the way!) – I so wanted to see the look of surprise on his face. Believe me… he was absolutely rapt as he slowly laid eyes on his new toy – the look on his face and his excitement was well worth the investment.

But then the kid and bully within took hold… as I was helping Isaac unwrap the box I said to him (in Tok Pisin of course) : “Isaac… take your new big flashy truck over to Valdek and tell him that his fancy red racing car is  a piece of shit (pekpek) and the next time you pass him on “road” you’re going to smash it”. Isaac’s face lit up and he did as I suggested – two weeks of putting up with needling from Valdek were released instantly.

Naturally the two of us got into big trouble from Eli. But it was well worth the castigation let me tell you!

The positive flow on from this episode of male one-upmanship is that it has brought the two of us a smidge closer.

Guess I haven’t really grown up at all.

In the backyard at our home in 4th Street…

(We’ve both put on the kilo’s since moving to Lae early June 2010!)

With my sweetheart Eli, Isaac and Valdek (Early January 2011)

Early January when Valdek (the light skin kid) was visiting us from Madang – him and Isaac would have these “boy” run ins. Although very smart and eloquent for his age, it’s probably fair to say that Valdek’s a little on the spoilt side – very used to getting his way with things if you know what I mean. More often than not the cause of the differences between the two lads lay with Valdek (Could I be siding with Isaac here?). One of several and regular points of contention was Valdek not allowing Isaac to play with his flash toy red ferrari racing car – which at the time happened to be bigger and flashier than any of Isaac’s toy cars.

With Dutch physiotherapist/volunteer Marcel, Isaac and Valdek (Early January 2011)

One afternoon I was in a store that sold toy cars and I thought… (this is where the 3rd kid in the story comes in) – fuck it… I’m going to get Isaac a bigger, flashier and better looking toy car than Valdek. So I did.

When I got home later that afternoon I couldn’t wait to give Isaac the toy truck I had bought him (it was a MACK truck by the way!) – I so wanted to see the look of surprise on his face. Believe me… he was absolutely rapt as he slowly laid eyes on his new toy – the look on his face and his excitement was well worth the investment.

But then the kid and bully within took hold… as I was helping Isaac unwrap the box I said to him (in Tok Pisin of course) : “Isaac… take your new big flashy truck over to Valdek and tell him that his fancy red racing car is  a piece of shit (pekpek) and the next time you pass him on “road” you’re going to smash it”. Isaac’s face lit up and he did as I suggested – two weeks of putting up with needling from Valdek were released instantly.

Naturally the two of us got into big trouble from Eli. But it was well worth the castigation let me tell you!

The positive flow on from this episode of male one-upmanship is that it has brought the two of us a smidge closer.

Guess I haven’t really grown up at all.

Copyright © 2009 Trupela

wankain stori...

• Give away a la Yolande
• Visitors from Madang...
• Area 5 - The Boys Hostel
• The street boys from West Goroka....
• Meet the "in-laws" !!

To download this table in PDF format click here.

Postal codes of Papua New Guinea courtesy PNG Post:

To download this table in PDF format click here.

Postal codes of Papua New Guinea courtesy PNG Post:

To download this table in PDF format click here.

Postal codes of Papua New Guinea courtesy PNG Post:

To download this table in PDF format click here.

Copyright © 2009 Trupela

wankain stori...

• MPs flock to NA (National Alliance)
• Brothers all the way...
• PNG Elections go into full swing...
• RIP - Jeffery Ku
• Countdown...

Most readers could not give a rats arse about my PR (don’t blame you) – some unfortunately might be feeling a little envious (stiff shit) – but at least a few – I would hope – would be thinking “onya Rob” !!

You will now be able to tell your friends: “I know someone who’s website has a PR  7″ !!

Courtesy Piwik Web Analytics

Google describes PageRank:

PageRank reflects our view of the importance of web pages by considering more than 500 million variables and 2 billion terms. Pages that we believe are important pages receive a higher PageRank and are more likely to appear at the top of the search results.

PageRank also considers the importance of each page that casts a vote, as votes from some pages are considered to have greater value, thus giving the linked page greater value. We have always taken a pragmatic approach to help improve search quality and create useful products, and our technology uses the collective intelligence of the web to determine a page’s importance.

I don’t want to rub it in folks (well perhaps I do) but Trupela Tok remains the number one ranked website in Papua New Guinea according to Alexa. I just checked! Go here if you don’t believe me.

And whilst I’m rubbing it in… I’ve have not been able to find another Papua New Guinea based website with a Google PR of 7.

To those wanting to improve their ranking here’s 10 Simple Tips from the “master” – your website /blog must be:

1. Pleasing to the eye (aesthetics)
2. Grabs attention (content)
3. Of interest to other websites (back links)
4. Search Engine friendly and optimised (SEO)
5. Semantically correct (validation)
6. Updated regularly (frequency)
7. Easy to find things (navigation)
8. Fast to load (performance)
9. Tidy up broken links (maintenance)
10. Have an open mind (variety)

After Google recently updated it’s PageRank (PR) algorithm – ranking for Trupela Tok jumped from a 5 to a 7. Google PR is the current de-facto for ranking popularity of web pages and considering that until last week I had posted zilch for a whole 6 months – this change to my blog’s ranking came as an unexpected surprise.

Most readers could not give a rats arse about my PR (don’t blame you) – some unfortunately might be feeling a little envious (stiff shit) – but at least a few – I would hope – would be thinking “onya Rob” !!

You will now be able to tell your friends: “I know someone who’s website has a PR  7″ !!

Courtesy Piwik Web Analytics

Google describes PageRank:

PageRank reflects our view of the importance of web pages by considering more than 500 million variables and 2 billion terms. Pages that we believe are important pages receive a higher PageRank and are more likely to appear at the top of the search results.

PageRank also considers the importance of each page that casts a vote, as votes from some pages are considered to have greater value, thus giving the linked page greater value. We have always taken a pragmatic approach to help improve search quality and create useful products, and our technology uses the collective intelligence of the web to determine a page’s importance.

I don’t want to rub it in folks (well perhaps I do) but Trupela Tok remains the number one ranked website in Papua New Guinea according to Alexa. I just checked! Go here if you don’t believe me.

And whilst I’m rubbing it in… I’ve have not been able to find another Papua New Guinea based website with a Google PR of 7.

To those wanting to improve their ranking here’s 10 Simple Tips from the “master” – your website /blog must be:

1. Pleasing to the eye (aesthetics)
2. Grabs attention (content)
3. Of interest to other websites (back links)
4. Search Engine friendly and optimised (SEO)
5. Semantically correct (validation)
6. Updated regularly (frequency)
7. Easy to find things (navigation)
8. Fast to load (performance)
9. Tidy up broken links (maintenance)
10. Have an open mind (variety)

After Google recently updated it’s PageRank (PR) algorithm – ranking for Trupela Tok jumped from a 5 to a 7. Google PR is the current de-facto for ranking popularity of web pages and considering that until last week I had posted zilch for a whole 6 months – this change to my blog’s ranking came as an unexpected surprise.

Most readers could not give a rats arse about my PR (don’t blame you) – some unfortunately might be feeling a little envious (stiff shit) – but at least a few – I would hope – would be thinking “onya Rob” !!

You will now be able to tell your friends: “I know someone who’s website has a PR  7″ !!

Courtesy Piwik Web Analytics

Google describes PageRank:

PageRank reflects our view of the importance of web pages by considering more than 500 million variables and 2 billion terms. Pages that we believe are important pages receive a higher PageRank and are more likely to appear at the top of the search results.

PageRank also considers the importance of each page that casts a vote, as votes from some pages are considered to have greater value, thus giving the linked page greater value. We have always taken a pragmatic approach to help improve search quality and create useful products, and our technology uses the collective intelligence of the web to determine a page’s importance.

I don’t want to rub it in folks (well perhaps I do) but Trupela Tok remains the number one ranked website in Papua New Guinea according to Alexa. I just checked! Go here if you don’t believe me.

And whilst I’m rubbing it in… I’ve have not been able to find another Papua New Guinea based website with a Google PR of 7.

To those wanting to improve their ranking here’s 10 Simple Tips from the “master” – your website /blog must be:

1. Pleasing to the eye (aesthetics)
2. Grabs attention (content)
3. Of interest to other websites (back links)
4. Search Engine friendly and optimised (SEO)
5. Semantically correct (validation)
6. Updated regularly (frequency)
7. Easy to find things (navigation)
8. Fast to load (performance)
9. Tidy up broken links (maintenance)
10. Have an open mind (variety)

After Google recently updated it’s PageRank (PR) algorithm – ranking for Trupela Tok jumped from a 5 to a 7. Google PR is the current de-facto for ranking popularity of web pages and considering that until last week I had posted zilch for a whole 6 months – this change to my blog’s ranking came as an unexpected surprise.

Most readers could not give a rats arse about my PR (don’t blame you) – some unfortunately might be feeling a little envious (stiff shit) – but at least a few – I would hope – would be thinking “onya Rob” !!

You will now be able to tell your friends: “I know someone who’s website has a PR  7″ !!

Courtesy Piwik Web Analytics

Google describes PageRank:

PageRank reflects our view of the importance of web pages by considering more than 500 million variables and 2 billion terms. Pages that we believe are important pages receive a higher PageRank and are more likely to appear at the top of the search results.

PageRank also considers the importance of each page that casts a vote, as votes from some pages are considered to have greater value, thus giving the linked page greater value. We have always taken a pragmatic approach to help improve search quality and create useful products, and our technology uses the collective intelligence of the web to determine a page’s importance.

I don’t want to rub it in folks (well perhaps I do) but Trupela Tok remains the number one ranked website in Papua New Guinea according to Alexa. I just checked! Go here if you don’t believe me.

And whilst I’m rubbing it in… I’ve have not been able to find another Papua New Guinea based website with a Google PR of 7.

To those wanting to improve their ranking here’s 10 Simple Tips from the “master” – your website /blog must be:

1. Pleasing to the eye (aesthetics)
2. Grabs attention (content)
3. Of interest to other websites (back links)
4. Search Engine friendly and optimised (SEO)
5. Semantically correct (validation)
6. Updated regularly (frequency)
7. Easy to find things (navigation)
8. Fast to load (performance)
9. Tidy up broken links (maintenance)
10. Have an open mind (variety)

Copyright © 2009 Trupela

wankain stori...

• Cool as Cuil can be!!
• The Best of News Feeds #21
• Top Alexa rankings for Papua New Guinea
• Awesome website....
• Sorry for rubbing it in folks!

Apart from catching up with dear friends Nick, Bernadette and family the highlight of the week for me personally was when I witnessed a full blown eruption of Manam Island one evening. Absolutely spectacular and awe inspiring !!

Although my photographic episodes have been almost non existent recently I did manage to catch a great one of Eli and young Isaac…

Here’s a sample of some the snapping I managed to do…

For all of the photos from our week away go to the Madang Visit Xmas 2010 photo album.

Better keep cranking that handle!

Between Xmas and New Year I took a well deserved break from work and the three of us headed up to the Madang. Four nights in a beach hut at Anua Negu Lodge in Bogia followed by three nights right on the water (Unit 71 and 66) at the majestic Madang Resort turned out to be exactly what the doctor ordered.

Apart from catching up with dear friends Nick, Bernadette and family the highlight of the week for me personally was when I witnessed a full blown eruption of Manam Island one evening. Absolutely spectacular and awe inspiring !!

Although my photographic episodes have been almost non existent recently I did manage to catch a great one of Eli and young Isaac…

Here’s a sample of some the snapping I managed to do…

For all of the photos from our week away go to the Madang Visit Xmas 2010 photo album.

Better keep cranking that handle!

Between Xmas and New Year I took a well deserved break from work and the three of us headed up to the Madang. Four nights in a beach hut at Anua Negu Lodge in Bogia followed by three nights right on the water (Unit 71 and 66) at the majestic Madang Resort turned out to be exactly what the doctor ordered.

Apart from catching up with dear friends Nick, Bernadette and family the highlight of the week for me personally was when I witnessed a full blown eruption of Manam Island one evening. Absolutely spectacular and awe inspiring !!

Although my photographic episodes have been almost non existent recently I did manage to catch a great one of Eli and young Isaac…

Here’s a sample of some the snapping I managed to do…

For all of the photos from our week away go to the Madang Visit Xmas 2010 photo album.

Better keep cranking that handle!

Between Xmas and New Year I took a well deserved break from work and the three of us headed up to the Madang. Four nights in a beach hut at Anua Negu Lodge in Bogia followed by three nights right on the water (Unit 71 and 66) at the majestic Madang Resort turned out to be exactly what the doctor ordered.

Apart from catching up with dear friends Nick, Bernadette and family the highlight of the week for me personally was when I witnessed a full blown eruption of Manam Island one evening. Absolutely spectacular and awe inspiring !!

Although my photographic episodes have been almost non existent recently I did manage to catch a great one of Eli and young Isaac…

Here’s a sample of some the snapping I managed to do…

For all of the photos from our week away go to the Madang Visit Xmas 2010 photo album.

Better keep cranking that handle!

Copyright © 2009 Trupela

wankain stori...

• Photos from the Madang trip
• Photos from my trip north...
• Photos from recent visit to Wagang village...
• Gone to Madang for a few days
• Photos from yesterday's trip out to the "Hut"...

This post… short and sweet. No marathon account of all that has transpired nor any photos of our recent trip to the North Coast of Papua New Guinea where we witnessed a volcanic eruption of Manam Island. No jokes or anecdotes. Nor (unfortunately) any lists of 10 things. No ranting or raving and certainly no running commentary on topics such as the inevitability of social collapse facing PNG.

No Sir-ee !

The purpose of this post… to crank that handle and fire up the passion within.

I can feel a tingle already!

It’s been well over six months since I have posted anything at all. The six months prior posting had already become sporadic. Last post dated: 27th of June, 2010. Well folks… the time has come to crank it up!

This post… short and sweet. No marathon account of all that has transpired nor any photos of our recent trip to the North Coast of Papua New Guinea where we witnessed a volcanic eruption of Manam Island. No jokes or anecdotes. Nor (unfortunately) any lists of 10 things. No ranting or raving and certainly no running commentary on topics such as the inevitability of social collapse facing PNG.

No Sir-ee !

The purpose of this post… to crank that handle and fire up the passion within.

I can feel a tingle already!

It’s been well over six months since I have posted anything at all. The six months prior posting had already become sporadic. Last post dated: 27th of June, 2010. Well folks… the time has come to crank it up!

This post… short and sweet. No marathon account of all that has transpired nor any photos of our recent trip to the North Coast of Papua New Guinea where we witnessed a volcanic eruption of Manam Island. No jokes or anecdotes. Nor (unfortunately) any lists of 10 things. No ranting or raving and certainly no running commentary on topics such as the inevitability of social collapse facing PNG.

No Sir-ee !

The purpose of this post… to crank that handle and fire up the passion within.

I can feel a tingle already!

It’s been well over six months since I have posted anything at all. The six months prior posting had already become sporadic. Last post dated: 27th of June, 2010. Well folks… the time has come to crank it up!

This post… short and sweet. No marathon account of all that has transpired nor any photos of our recent trip to the North Coast of Papua New Guinea where we witnessed a volcanic eruption of Manam Island. No jokes or anecdotes. Nor (unfortunately) any lists of 10 things. No ranting or raving and certainly no running commentary on topics such as the inevitability of social collapse facing PNG.

No Sir-ee !

The purpose of this post… to crank that handle and fire up the passion within.

I can feel a tingle already!

Copyright © 2009 Trupela

Nothing even close!

Wrap-up of the 2010 7^th Coca Cola Waghi Cultural Show

as reported by Waghi Cultural Show Organising Committee

Twenty 22 Japanese and Brazil tourists flocked the 7^th Coca Cola Waghi Cultural Show at remote Nondugl, Jiwaka Province Papua New Guinea over the Queens Birthday long weekend.

It was a peaceful and quiet event held over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend from 12-13 June 2010 at the once renowned colonial Edward Hallstrom Bird of Paradise Sanctuary.

Continuous highlands torrential rain which has caused havoc through floods and roadside landslide the last four months or so was respectful of the annual celebration taking a good well advance two weeks break. A week of dry period before the show was ample for the 10km dirt muddy pothole-ridden road to be refilled and flattened for comfortable rides by travelers to the showground. Only concerned sections needed patching, not the whole 1okm to be specific. From Waghi Bridge, junction of the road leading to Nondugl from the Okul Highlands Highway, was at a reasonable state for show goers travelling to and from the show ground on a 25-seater Toyota coaster bus and trucks, after the road being maintained.

A fine day on Saturday 12 June 2010 preceded by early morning fog clearance after the first dawning rays was a fantastic day. Usual tropical highlands of the pacific hue of green, blue fading with elevation to white clouds on the top of the ranges of Kubor and Bismack to sky blue was the spectacular ambient sight for the visitors. Panoramic view from Dona ridge, just 4km meters up north from Waghi Bridge, the junction of the dirt road leading to Nondugl, was breathtaking. Scattered plumes of smoke on the nearby hills remind us of subsistence farmers utilizing the dry weather making garden, hunting or having an outdoor mumu. Dotted sweet potatoes garden plots with nearby village hamlets are visible along the hills. That is the centre of Waghi Valley and Papua New Guinea. Here, there is another junction with road branching to Banz and Nondugl. The road leading to Banz has been upgraded by Cameron Construction which will to be sealed soon. Truck and bus loads of singsing groups and spectators are heading for the showground from both roads towards Nondugl.

The smaller local crowd within the showground provided enough room for tourists to mingle with the members of singsing groups and take photos. Two Brazilian tourists attended the show on Saturday through Trans Niugini Tours were delighted. Expatriates from the Melanesian Nazarene Bible and Teachers college at Ninge and Kudjip attended, though they were purposely there for an evangelistic outreach at the showground. They enjoyed the event too.

Mark Eby and Marion Cadora from University of Goroka (UOG) attended the show after checking Waghi Cultural Facebook fan page. Mark Eby is a lecturer at UOG. He is from Venice, California but has grown up in Waghi Valley at age 13 when his father Lee Eby established the Melanesian Nazarene Bible College in 1967 at Ninge. He enjoyed the show and is sharing his photos as posted on his Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=222104&id=756420347). Mark is a filmmaker based in Los Angeles, USA but has taken avid interest in Waghi Valley producing a Papua New Guinea documentary featuring tribal fights, coffee, local painters to name a few featuring local talents. It will be showed for the first at Melanesia Nazarene Bible/Teachers College at Ninge at 2pm on Saturday 26 June 2010. Feel free to contact Mark Eby on markeby@azbri.com about the documentary film. Marion is quickly adaptable in Papua New Guinea jumping up PMVs while in Goroka. She is having a great time. Marion is living in Honolulu, Hawaii but she is originally from Dana Point, California. While on a short visit to PNG she managed to make it to Waghi Cultural Show which we hope she took brought back lasting memories of the place and event.

The consistent staging of the 7^th Waghi Cultural Show annually since 2004 has impressed a senior officer of Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority (PNG TPA). Jerry Agus, Manager of Policy and Planning, who has associated with the show since its infant stages was impressively delightful. Jerry has attended the show in 2006 and again in 2010. In 2008, the former PNG TPA Marketing and Promotion Manager, Jimmy Yomapisi attended. Jimmy was accorded beautiful Waghi hospitality when he attended the event. Jerry congratulated the WCS Committee for consistently staging the event annually making it a tourist attraction event.

The annual cultural festival not only brings in international tourists to witness the event but also promotes preservation of the local Waghi Valley style of decoration (bilas), face-painting, singsing, dance and songs during pig killing, bridge price, compensation, tribal fights and funeral rituals.

Fine weather again on Sunday 13 June. Two 25-seater bus load of Japanese tourists left Mt Hagen town for the show at around 9am. This group of tourists was arranged by Elizah Hon of Paradise Tours. They headed eastward flowing with Waghi Valley along the Okuk Highlands Highway. Passed Kuli Gap and descended into fertile belly of Waghi Valley. The testimony of the soil fertility should be the lush tea and coffee trees along either sides of the road. WR Carpenters tea and coffee plantations on either sides of Kudjip is an irresistible sight for photographers to pass by. The tourists toured Banz town, a bustling and fast-growing township serving the newly created Jiwaka Province. Back to Kudjip and another further 40km east to Waghi Bridge and a 10km dirt road drive north to Nondugl. They were in the midst of the event mixing and taking shots of the dancers in colorful costumes. Groups of celebrants from Muinde (border of Chimbu and Jiwaka Province), Minj Junction, Tambul-Nebilyer and one from Nondugl entertained the Japanese tourists. Each tourist was pinned a badge each commemorating their attendance at the 7^th 2010 Coca Cola Waghi Cultural Show by the committee members. They left the vicinity around 2pm with lasting memories of the event and place, friendly people.

The bonuses, as always been and are, for tourists traveling to Waghi Cultural Show apart from seeing the celebrants in finely attired traditional customs, dances and songs are many . But the few notable are the breathtaking scenery of Waghi Valley including the everyday life of people along the roads; the food crops, the gardens, the village huts, markets, food sold on the market, tea and coffee plantations, the ambient temperature and climate and rivers. Innumerable tourism activities can be undertaken within Waghi Valley and Jiwaka Province. A tourist choose to Waghi Cultural Show is not just about witnessing a cultural festival but stepping a into a lifetime adventure of tropical highlands of Papua New Guinea where nature is still pristine with less western influence. Yes, that is where the people still live in their traditional style…much different from urban Papua New Guinea lifestyle.

The 7^th Coca Cola Waghi Cultural Show would not have been staged successfully without the support of Coca Cola Amatil (PNG) and Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority. A word of thank you to the singsing groups that celebrated the annual festival and 22 tourists that have attended through Trans Niugini Tours and Paradise Tours. Praise be to Gob, we acknowledge the Prayer Warriors who were involved in praying for a quiet and peaceful event. Thank almighty for hearing our prayers. Continued support is anticipated in the 8^th Waghi Cultural Show to be held from 11-12 June 2011 at the same location.

For pictures and videos of previous shows and the 2010 event, log into Facebook and check this link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Waghi-Cultural-Show/369793836780 .

Feel free to contact the Chairman of Waghi Cultural Show committee, Mr John Koimo on mobile +675 71351439 or email us at waghi_culture@hotmail.com.

(For remainder of photos from the Waghi Cultural Show 2010 see album)

Extra Information for Tourist to Waghi Cultural Show

Background information of Papua New Guinea

It is advisable to check following websites and know as much as possible about Papua New Guinea before deciding to travel here. It is important to note as a tourist important requirements as set by Papua New Guinea government. Check these websites:

Tourism Promotion Authority: www.pngtourism.org.pg

Customs and Immigrations: www.customs.gov.pg

YellowPages www.yellowpages.com.pg. A one-stop-shop directory to products and services in Papua New Guinea.

Also search on Google about other information regarding Papua New Guinea.

The Remote Nondugl, Jiwaka Province Papua New Guinea

Nondugl is a rural constituency of North Waghi Electorate of Western Highlands Provincial (now under Jiwaka Province) Government of Papua New Guinea and also a small government station. It located 5° 52′ 0″ South, 144° 46′ 0″ East on the world map. Click this link to locate Nondugl on the Google Map.

The local government stations boasts a district administration building, police station, heath centre, rugby field, two nearby community schools, a coffee plantation, Christian church buildings, Division of Primary Industry station, public servants houses, small local shops (trade stores), road side markets with local village hamlets are a walking distance from the showground.

The administrative headquarter is Mt Hagen under Western Highlands Province. By 2012, a new administrative centre will be established for the newly created Jiwaka Province.

How to get there

Air Niugini, the national airlines of Papua New Guinea, flies twice daily to Mt Hagen from Port Moresby, Jacksons International Airport. It is the international gateway to Papua New Guinea. Mt Hagen Township is the central hub of the 5 highlands provinces and is only less than 5 minutes drive from Mt Hagen airport westward. Reasonably charged accommodation facilities are found in Mt Hagen. Check www.pngtourism.org.pg under accommodation in Western Highlands Province. Airlines PNG also operates flights between Mt Hagen and Port Moresby.

By road from Mt Hagen to Nondugl, 61km, is about an hour’s drive eastward along scenic Okuk Highlands Highway. The PMV fare is only K5.

You can either plan and fly to Lae-339km southeast (Morobe Province), Madang – 150km southwest (Madang Province), Goroka- 92km northweat (Eastern Highlands Province), Kundiawa -33kmnorthwest(Simbu Province) and travel by road to Nondugl along the Okuk Highlands Highway from the plain savannah coast to the rugged highlands of Papua New Guinea. It takes about 9 hours on PMV from Lae or Madang. PMV fare from both Lae and Madang is K40. It should take about 4 hours from Goroka and less than 2 hours from Kundiawa to reach Waghi Cultural Show venue.

You can hire chauffeured or self-driven vehicles from following international hire car companies: Budget, Hertz and Avis. There many local hire car companies in all towns which you can check through Papua New Guinea Yellowpages (www.yellowpages.com.pg).

Historical Significance of the showground

The showground is a renowned colonial Edward Hallstrom Bird of Paradise Sanctuary from 1948 to 1966. The aviaries were managed by Captained Neptune Blood from 1948 to 1953 when locally well-known “Master Pisin” (Bird Man) Fred Shaw Mayer took over in 1953 as manger. Fred was a famous ornithologist. He bred Bird of Paradise at the site. It acted mainly as a staging post for Taronga Zoo in Sydney, either to provide birds directly for Taronga, or for exchanges with other zoos. A local sheep breeding station was also established around the same time by Edward Hallstrom jointly be Administration of Australian Territories of Papua New Guinea. This was later handed to the Administration but kept the aviaries. Catholic missionaries walked into the area from Mingende Catholic station to Nondugl establishing the Catholic Church. During that time, the local airstrip was constructed by wooden spades and stone axes. Missionaries also introduced modern gardening and working tools like spades, bush knifes and salt. Land was also bought during these periods by the Administrations and Explorers over few cents, cigar, salt and gardening tools.

Road links between nearby areas were connected between 1949 and 1950. This was the first road network linking most of the highlands region. Kerowaghi and Nondugl were connected. This was the construction of first highlands highway. Prior to that, aero plane was the only mode of transport from one centre to others in Papua New Guinea. The nearby airstrips Kerowaghi, Minj, Kup, Danal, Banz, Kol, Tabibuga to name a few. Sheep were transported to Nondugl on DC3 planes 1940s.

The remnants of the sanctuary are the tall tress and three big ponds surrounding the showground. It is within a showground where tourists take photographs or pose for photographs.

Accommodation Facilities

There are no guesthouse or proper accommodation facilities and well defined tourist activities in Nondugl. The only guesthouse that services Trans Niugini Tours tourist is the Waghi Guesthouse at Wara Sek, Nondugl about another 10km northwest from the showground. All tourists to the show have been accommodated at hotels in Mt Hagen. However, there are nearby hotel accommodations at Minj and Banz which are so close to showground and reachable by vehicle within less than hour drive. For accommodation in Western Highlands Province check www.pngtourism.org.pg.

Waghi Cultural Show will endeavor to provide accommodation listing within Waghi Valley before June 2011.

Tourism Activities

Innumerable activities can be enjoyed while in Waghi Valley. Waghi River kayaking, apart from Minj, Alh, Ganinge, Tuman rivers to name a few. Bird Watching, Bush Walking andTrekking, Visit to cultural centre establishments, tours to villages, tea and coffee plantation, visiting local food gardens harvesting food, visiting the Jimi-Waghi divide are just only what we can think of. These activities have to be developed through proper awareness and training by PNG TPA through its local agent.

Communication Infrastructure

Two mobile phone companies have now penetrated the Nondugl constituency. Full strength Digicel mobile phone network coverage covers all around the showground and some 60kms off. BMobile mobile phone network transmission tower installation is completed and now ready to be switched on together with the national only TV channel EMTV. With this communication facilities, you can call or text sms anywhere around the world apart from your satellite phone. Internet compatible activated mobile phones are available on good Digicel shops where you can access internet while on the go at such remote places.

Security

The organizing of Waghi Cultural Show provides ample security for tourists and show goers before, during and/or after the festival period. Mobile PNG Constabulary police from Mt Hagen and other centres are engaged the previous shows boosting local boys mending surveillance around the showground vicinity. With a well-represented community member’s involvement in the Waghi Cultural Show organization, likely upheaval during the festival are detected well before the show and settled in advance before the staging of annual Waghi Cultural Shows. The organizing committee is comprised of local chiefs, Local Level Government Representatives, Church leaders, Women’s and youth group leaders.

Tourists to Waghi Cultural Show have been treated like angels to not only expatriates but Papua New Guineans as well. They left satisfied with fond memories.

Wrap-up of the 2010 7^th Coca Cola Waghi Cultural Show

as reported by Waghi Cultural Show Organising Committee

Twenty 22 Japanese and Brazil tourists flocked the 7^th Coca Cola Waghi Cultural Show at remote Nondugl, Jiwaka Province Papua New Guinea over the Queens Birthday long weekend.

It was a peaceful and quiet event held over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend from 12-13 June 2010 at the once renowned colonial Edward Hallstrom Bird of Paradise Sanctuary.

Continuous highlands torrential rain which has caused havoc through floods and roadside landslide the last four months or so was respectful of the annual celebration taking a good well advance two weeks break. A week of dry period before the show was ample for the 10km dirt muddy pothole-ridden road to be refilled and flattened for comfortable rides by travelers to the showground. Only concerned sections needed patching, not the whole 1okm to be specific. From Waghi Bridge, junction of the road leading to Nondugl from the Okul Highlands Highway, was at a reasonable state for show goers travelling to and from the show ground on a 25-seater Toyota coaster bus and trucks, after the road being maintained.

A fine day on Saturday 12 June 2010 preceded by early morning fog clearance after the first dawning rays was a fantastic day. Usual tropical highlands of the pacific hue of green, blue fading with elevation to white clouds on the top of the ranges of Kubor and Bismack to sky blue was the spectacular ambient sight for the visitors. Panoramic view from Dona ridge, just 4km meters up north from Waghi Bridge, the junction of the dirt road leading to Nondugl, was breathtaking. Scattered plumes of smoke on the nearby hills remind us of subsistence farmers utilizing the dry weather making garden, hunting or having an outdoor mumu. Dotted sweet potatoes garden plots with nearby village hamlets are visible along the hills. That is the centre of Waghi Valley and Papua New Guinea. Here, there is another junction with road branching to Banz and Nondugl. The road leading to Banz has been upgraded by Cameron Construction which will to be sealed soon. Truck and bus loads of singsing groups and spectators are heading for the showground from both roads towards Nondugl.

The smaller local crowd within the showground provided enough room for tourists to mingle with the members of singsing groups and take photos. Two Brazilian tourists attended the show on Saturday through Trans Niugini Tours were delighted. Expatriates from the Melanesian Nazarene Bible and Teachers college at Ninge and Kudjip attended, though they were purposely there for an evangelistic outreach at the showground. They enjoyed the event too.

Mark Eby and Marion Cadora from University of Goroka (UOG) attended the show after checking Waghi Cultural Facebook fan page. Mark Eby is a lecturer at UOG. He is from Venice, California but has grown up in Waghi Valley at age 13 when his father Lee Eby established the Melanesian Nazarene Bible College in 1967 at Ninge. He enjoyed the show and is sharing his photos as posted on his Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=222104&id=756420347). Mark is a filmmaker based in Los Angeles, USA but has taken avid interest in Waghi Valley producing a Papua New Guinea documentary featuring tribal fights, coffee, local painters to name a few featuring local talents. It will be showed for the first at Melanesia Nazarene Bible/Teachers College at Ninge at 2pm on Saturday 26 June 2010. Feel free to contact Mark Eby on markeby@azbri.com about the documentary film. Marion is quickly adaptable in Papua New Guinea jumping up PMVs while in Goroka. She is having a great time. Marion is living in Honolulu, Hawaii but she is originally from Dana Point, California. While on a short visit to PNG she managed to make it to Waghi Cultural Show which we hope she took brought back lasting memories of the place and event.

The consistent staging of the 7^th Waghi Cultural Show annually since 2004 has impressed a senior officer of Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority (PNG TPA). Jerry Agus, Manager of Policy and Planning, who has associated with the show since its infant stages was impressively delightful. Jerry has attended the show in 2006 and again in 2010. In 2008, the former PNG TPA Marketing and Promotion Manager, Jimmy Yomapisi attended. Jimmy was accorded beautiful Waghi hospitality when he attended the event. Jerry congratulated the WCS Committee for consistently staging the event annually making it a tourist attraction event.

The annual cultural festival not only brings in international tourists to witness the event but also promotes preservation of the local Waghi Valley style of decoration (bilas), face-painting, singsing, dance and songs during pig killing, bridge price, compensation, tribal fights and funeral rituals.

Fine weather again on Sunday 13 June. Two 25-seater bus load of Japanese tourists left Mt Hagen town for the show at around 9am. This group of tourists was arranged by Elizah Hon of Paradise Tours. They headed eastward flowing with Waghi Valley along the Okuk Highlands Highway. Passed Kuli Gap and descended into fertile belly of Waghi Valley. The testimony of the soil fertility should be the lush tea and coffee trees along either sides of the road. WR Carpenters tea and coffee plantations on either sides of Kudjip is an irresistible sight for photographers to pass by. The tourists toured Banz town, a bustling and fast-growing township serving the newly created Jiwaka Province. Back to Kudjip and another further 40km east to Waghi Bridge and a 10km dirt road drive north to Nondugl. They were in the midst of the event mixing and taking shots of the dancers in colorful costumes. Groups of celebrants from Muinde (border of Chimbu and Jiwaka Province), Minj Junction, Tambul-Nebilyer and one from Nondugl entertained the Japanese tourists. Each tourist was pinned a badge each commemorating their attendance at the 7^th 2010 Coca Cola Waghi Cultural Show by the committee members. They left the vicinity around 2pm with lasting memories of the event and place, friendly people.

The bonuses, as always been and are, for tourists traveling to Waghi Cultural Show apart from seeing the celebrants in finely attired traditional customs, dances and songs are many . But the few notable are the breathtaking scenery of Waghi Valley including the everyday life of people along the roads; the food crops, the gardens, the village huts, markets, food sold on the market, tea and coffee plantations, the ambient temperature and climate and rivers. Innumerable tourism activities can be undertaken within Waghi Valley and Jiwaka Province. A tourist choose to Waghi Cultural Show is not just about witnessing a cultural festival but stepping a into a lifetime adventure of tropical highlands of Papua New Guinea where nature is still pristine with less western influence. Yes, that is where the people still live in their traditional style…much different from urban Papua New Guinea lifestyle.

The 7^th Coca Cola Waghi Cultural Show would not have been staged successfully without the support of Coca Cola Amatil (PNG) and Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority. A word of thank you to the singsing groups that celebrated the annual festival and 22 tourists that have attended through Trans Niugini Tours and Paradise Tours. Praise be to Gob, we acknowledge the Prayer Warriors who were involved in praying for a quiet and peaceful event. Thank almighty for hearing our prayers. Continued support is anticipated in the 8^th Waghi Cultural Show to be held from 11-12 June 2011 at the same location.

For pictures and videos of previous shows and the 2010 event, log into Facebook and check this link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Waghi-Cultural-Show/369793836780 .

Feel free to contact the Chairman of Waghi Cultural Show committee, Mr John Koimo on mobile +675 71351439 or email us at waghi_culture@hotmail.com.

(For remainder of photos from the Waghi Cultural Show 2010 see album)

Extra Information for Tourist to Waghi Cultural Show

Background information of Papua New Guinea

It is advisable to check following websites and know as much as possible about Papua New Guinea before deciding to travel here. It is important to note as a tourist important requirements as set by Papua New Guinea government. Check these websites:

Tourism Promotion Authority: www.pngtourism.org.pg

Customs and Immigrations: www.customs.gov.pg

YellowPages www.yellowpages.com.pg. A one-stop-shop directory to products and services in Papua New Guinea.

Also search on Google about other information regarding Papua New Guinea.

The Remote Nondugl, Jiwaka Province Papua New Guinea

Nondugl is a rural constituency of North Waghi Electorate of Western Highlands Provincial (now under Jiwaka Province) Government of Papua New Guinea and also a small government station. It located 5° 52′ 0″ South, 144° 46′ 0″ East on the world map. Click this link to locate Nondugl on the Google Map.

The local government stations boasts a district administration building, police station, heath centre, rugby field, two nearby community schools, a coffee plantation, Christian church buildings, Division of Primary Industry station, public servants houses, small local shops (trade stores), road side markets with local village hamlets are a walking distance from the showground.

The administrative headquarter is Mt Hagen under Western Highlands Province. By 2012, a new administrative centre will be established for the newly created Jiwaka Province.

How to get there

Air Niugini, the national airlines of Papua New Guinea, flies twice daily to Mt Hagen from Port Moresby, Jacksons International Airport. It is the international gateway to Papua New Guinea. Mt Hagen Township is the central hub of the 5 highlands provinces and is only less than 5 minutes drive from Mt Hagen airport westward. Reasonably charged accommodation facilities are found in Mt Hagen. Check www.pngtourism.org.pg under accommodation in Western Highlands Province. Airlines PNG also operates flights between Mt Hagen and Port Moresby.

By road from Mt Hagen to Nondugl, 61km, is about an hour’s drive eastward along scenic Okuk Highlands Highway. The PMV fare is only K5.

You can either plan and fly to Lae-339km southeast (Morobe Province), Madang – 150km southwest (Madang Province), Goroka- 92km northweat (Eastern Highlands Province), Kundiawa -33kmnorthwest(Simbu Province) and travel by road to Nondugl along the Okuk Highlands Highway from the plain savannah coast to the rugged highlands of Papua New Guinea. It takes about 9 hours on PMV from Lae or Madang. PMV fare from both Lae and Madang is K40. It should take about 4 hours from Goroka and less than 2 hours from Kundiawa to reach Waghi Cultural Show venue.

You can hire chauffeured or self-driven vehicles from following international hire car companies: Budget, Hertz and Avis. There many local hire car companies in all towns which you can check through Papua New Guinea Yellowpages (www.yellowpages.com.pg).

Historical Significance of the showground

The showground is a renowned colonial Edward Hallstrom Bird of Paradise Sanctuary from 1948 to 1966. The aviaries were managed by Captained Neptune Blood from 1948 to 1953 when locally well-known “Master Pisin” (Bird Man) Fred Shaw Mayer took over in 1953 as manger. Fred was a famous ornithologist. He bred Bird of Paradise at the site. It acted mainly as a staging post for Taronga Zoo in Sydney, either to provide birds directly for Taronga, or for exchanges with other zoos. A local sheep breeding station was also established around the same time by Edward Hallstrom jointly be Administration of Australian Territories of Papua New Guinea. This was later handed to the Administration but kept the aviaries. Catholic missionaries walked into the area from Mingende Catholic station to Nondugl establishing the Catholic Church. During that time, the local airstrip was constructed by wooden spades and stone axes. Missionaries also introduced modern gardening and working tools like spades, bush knifes and salt. Land was also bought during these periods by the Administrations and Explorers over few cents, cigar, salt and gardening tools.

Road links between nearby areas were connected between 1949 and 1950. This was the first road network linking most of the highlands region. Kerowaghi and Nondugl were connected. This was the construction of first highlands highway. Prior to that, aero plane was the only mode of transport from one centre to others in Papua New Guinea. The nearby airstrips Kerowaghi, Minj, Kup, Danal, Banz, Kol, Tabibuga to name a few. Sheep were transported to Nondugl on DC3 planes 1940s.

The remnants of the sanctuary are the tall tress and three big ponds surrounding the showground. It is within a showground where tourists take photographs or pose for photographs.

Accommodation Facilities

There are no guesthouse or proper accommodation facilities and well defined tourist activities in Nondugl. The only guesthouse that services Trans Niugini Tours tourist is the Waghi Guesthouse at Wara Sek, Nondugl about another 10km northwest from the showground. All tourists to the show have been accommodated at hotels in Mt Hagen. However, there are nearby hotel accommodations at Minj and Banz which are so close to showground and reachable by vehicle within less than hour drive. For accommodation in Western Highlands Province check www.pngtourism.org.pg.

Waghi Cultural Show will endeavor to provide accommodation listing within Waghi Valley before June 2011.

Tourism Activities

Innumerable activities can be enjoyed while in Waghi Valley. Waghi River kayaking, apart from Minj, Alh, Ganinge, Tuman rivers to name a few. Bird Watching, Bush Walking andTrekking, Visit to cultural centre establishments, tours to villages, tea and coffee plantation, visiting local food gardens harvesting food, visiting the Jimi-Waghi divide are just only what we can think of. These activities have to be developed through proper awareness and training by PNG TPA through its local agent.

Communication Infrastructure

Two mobile phone companies have now penetrated the Nondugl constituency. Full strength Digicel mobile phone network coverage covers all around the showground and some 60kms off. BMobile mobile phone network transmission tower installation is completed and now ready to be switched on together with the national only TV channel EMTV. With this communication facilities, you can call or text sms anywhere around the world apart from your satellite phone. Internet compatible activated mobile phones are available on good Digicel shops where you can access internet while on the go at such remote places.

Security

The organizing of Waghi Cultural Show provides ample security for tourists and show goers before, during and/or after the festival period. Mobile PNG Constabulary police from Mt Hagen and other centres are engaged the previous shows boosting local boys mending surveillance around the showground vicinity. With a well-represented community member’s involvement in the Waghi Cultural Show organization, likely upheaval during the festival are detected well before the show and settled in advance before the staging of annual Waghi Cultural Shows. The organizing committee is comprised of local chiefs, Local Level Government Representatives, Church leaders, Women’s and youth group leaders.

Tourists to Waghi Cultural Show have been treated like angels to not only expatriates but Papua New Guineans as well. They left satisfied with fond memories.

Wrap-up of the 2010 7^th Coca Cola Waghi Cultural Show

as reported by Waghi Cultural Show Organising Committee

Twenty 22 Japanese and Brazil tourists flocked the 7^th Coca Cola Waghi Cultural Show at remote Nondugl, Jiwaka Province Papua New Guinea over the Queens Birthday long weekend.

It was a peaceful and quiet event held over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend from 12-13 June 2010 at the once renowned colonial Edward Hallstrom Bird of Paradise Sanctuary.

Continuous highlands torrential rain which has caused havoc through floods and roadside landslide the last four months or so was respectful of the annual celebration taking a good well advance two weeks break. A week of dry period before the show was ample for the 10km dirt muddy pothole-ridden road to be refilled and flattened for comfortable rides by travelers to the showground. Only concerned sections needed patching, not the whole 1okm to be specific. From Waghi Bridge, junction of the road leading to Nondugl from the Okul Highlands Highway, was at a reasonable state for show goers travelling to and from the show ground on a 25-seater Toyota coaster bus and trucks, after the road being maintained.

A fine day on Saturday 12 June 2010 preceded by early morning fog clearance after the first dawning rays was a fantastic day. Usual tropical highlands of the pacific hue of green, blue fading with elevation to white clouds on the top of the ranges of Kubor and Bismack to sky blue was the spectacular ambient sight for the visitors. Panoramic view from Dona ridge, just 4km meters up north from Waghi Bridge, the junction of the dirt road leading to Nondugl, was breathtaking. Scattered plumes of smoke on the nearby hills remind us of subsistence farmers utilizing the dry weather making garden, hunting or having an outdoor mumu. Dotted sweet potatoes garden plots with nearby village hamlets are visible along the hills. That is the centre of Waghi Valley and Papua New Guinea. Here, there is another junction with road branching to Banz and Nondugl. The road leading to Banz has been upgraded by Cameron Construction which will to be sealed soon. Truck and bus loads of singsing groups and spectators are heading for the showground from both roads towards Nondugl.

The smaller local crowd within the showground provided enough room for tourists to mingle with the members of singsing groups and take photos. Two Brazilian tourists attended the show on Saturday through Trans Niugini Tours were delighted. Expatriates from the Melanesian Nazarene Bible and Teachers college at Ninge and Kudjip attended, though they were purposely there for an evangelistic outreach at the showground. They enjoyed the event too.

Mark Eby and Marion Cadora from University of Goroka (UOG) attended the show after checking Waghi Cultural Facebook fan page. Mark Eby is a lecturer at UOG. He is from Venice, California but has grown up in Waghi Valley at age 13 when his father Lee Eby established the Melanesian Nazarene Bible College in 1967 at Ninge. He enjoyed the show and is sharing his photos as posted on his Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=222104&id=756420347). Mark is a filmmaker based in Los Angeles, USA but has taken avid interest in Waghi Valley producing a Papua New Guinea documentary featuring tribal fights, coffee, local painters to name a few featuring local talents. It will be showed for the first at Melanesia Nazarene Bible/Teachers College at Ninge at 2pm on Saturday 26 June 2010. Feel free to contact Mark Eby on markeby@azbri.com about the documentary film. Marion is quickly adaptable in Papua New Guinea jumping up PMVs while in Goroka. She is having a great time. Marion is living in Honolulu, Hawaii but she is originally from Dana Point, California. While on a short visit to PNG she managed to make it to Waghi Cultural Show which we hope she took brought back lasting memories of the place and event.

The consistent staging of the 7^th Waghi Cultural Show annually since 2004 has impressed a senior officer of Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority (PNG TPA). Jerry Agus, Manager of Policy and Planning, who has associated with the show since its infant stages was impressively delightful. Jerry has attended the show in 2006 and again in 2010. In 2008, the former PNG TPA Marketing and Promotion Manager, Jimmy Yomapisi attended. Jimmy was accorded beautiful Waghi hospitality when he attended the event. Jerry congratulated the WCS Committee for consistently staging the event annually making it a tourist attraction event.

The annual cultural festival not only brings in international tourists to witness the event but also promotes preservation of the local Waghi Valley style of decoration (bilas), face-painting, singsing, dance and songs during pig killing, bridge price, compensation, tribal fights and funeral rituals.

Fine weather again on Sunday 13 June. Two 25-seater bus load of Japanese tourists left Mt Hagen town for the show at around 9am. This group of tourists was arranged by Elizah Hon of Paradise Tours. They headed eastward flowing with Waghi Valley along the Okuk Highlands Highway. Passed Kuli Gap and descended into fertile belly of Waghi Valley. The testimony of the soil fertility should be the lush tea and coffee trees along either sides of the road. WR Carpenters tea and coffee plantations on either sides of Kudjip is an irresistible sight for photographers to pass by. The tourists toured Banz town, a bustling and fast-growing township serving the newly created Jiwaka Province. Back to Kudjip and another further 40km east to Waghi Bridge and a 10km dirt road drive north to Nondugl. They were in the midst of the event mixing and taking shots of the dancers in colorful costumes. Groups of celebrants from Muinde (border of Chimbu and Jiwaka Province), Minj Junction, Tambul-Nebilyer and one from Nondugl entertained the Japanese tourists. Each tourist was pinned a badge each commemorating their attendance at the 7^th 2010 Coca Cola Waghi Cultural Show by the committee members. They left the vicinity around 2pm with lasting memories of the event and place, friendly people.

The bonuses, as always been and are, for tourists traveling to Waghi Cultural Show apart from seeing the celebrants in finely attired traditional customs, dances and songs are many . But the few notable are the breathtaking scenery of Waghi Valley including the everyday life of people along the roads; the food crops, the gardens, the village huts, markets, food sold on the market, tea and coffee plantations, the ambient temperature and climate and rivers. Innumerable tourism activities can be undertaken within Waghi Valley and Jiwaka Province. A tourist choose to Waghi Cultural Show is not just about witnessing a cultural festival but stepping a into a lifetime adventure of tropical highlands of Papua New Guinea where nature is still pristine with less western influence. Yes, that is where the people still live in their traditional style…much different from urban Papua New Guinea lifestyle.

The 7^th Coca Cola Waghi Cultural Show would not have been staged successfully without the support of Coca Cola Amatil (PNG) and Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority. A word of thank you to the singsing groups that celebrated the annual festival and 22 tourists that have attended through Trans Niugini Tours and Paradise Tours. Praise be to Gob, we acknowledge the Prayer Warriors who were involved in praying for a quiet and peaceful event. Thank almighty for hearing our prayers. Continued support is anticipated in the 8^th Waghi Cultural Show to be held from 11-12 June 2011 at the same location.

For pictures and videos of previous shows and the 2010 event, log into Facebook and check this link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Waghi-Cultural-Show/369793836780 .

Feel free to contact the Chairman of Waghi Cultural Show committee, Mr John Koimo on mobile +675 71351439 or email us at waghi_culture@hotmail.com.

(For remainder of photos from the Waghi Cultural Show 2010 see album)

Extra Information for Tourist to Waghi Cultural Show

Background information of Papua New Guinea

It is advisable to check following websites and know as much as possible about Papua New Guinea before deciding to travel here. It is important to note as a tourist important requirements as set by Papua New Guinea government. Check these websites:

Tourism Promotion Authority: www.pngtourism.org.pg

Customs and Immigrations: www.customs.gov.pg

YellowPages www.yellowpages.com.pg. A one-stop-shop directory to products and services in Papua New Guinea.

Also search on Google about other information regarding Papua New Guinea.

The Remote Nondugl, Jiwaka Province Papua New Guinea

Nondugl is a rural constituency of North Waghi Electorate of Western Highlands Provincial (now under Jiwaka Province) Government of Papua New Guinea and also a small government station. It located 5° 52′ 0″ South, 144° 46′ 0″ East on the world map. Click this link to locate Nondugl on the Google Map.

The local government stations boasts a district administration building, police station, heath centre, rugby field, two nearby community schools, a coffee plantation, Christian church buildings, Division of Primary Industry station, public servants houses, small local shops (trade stores), road side markets with local village hamlets are a walking distance from the showground.

The administrative headquarter is Mt Hagen under Western Highlands Province. By 2012, a new administrative centre will be established for the newly created Jiwaka Province.

How to get there

Air Niugini, the national airlines of Papua New Guinea, flies twice daily to Mt Hagen from Port Moresby, Jacksons International Airport. It is the international gateway to Papua New Guinea. Mt Hagen Township is the central hub of the 5 highlands provinces and is only less than 5 minutes drive from Mt Hagen airport westward. Reasonably charged accommodation facilities are found in Mt Hagen. Check www.pngtourism.org.pg under accommodation in Western Highlands Province. Airlines PNG also operates flights between Mt Hagen and Port Moresby.

By road from Mt Hagen to Nondugl, 61km, is about an hour’s drive eastward along scenic Okuk Highlands Highway. The PMV fare is only K5.

You can either plan and fly to Lae-339km southeast (Morobe Province), Madang – 150km southwest (Madang Province), Goroka- 92km northweat (Eastern Highlands Province), Kundiawa -33kmnorthwest(Simbu Province) and travel by road to Nondugl along the Okuk Highlands Highway from the plain savannah coast to the rugged highlands of Papua New Guinea. It takes about 9 hours on PMV from Lae or Madang. PMV fare from both Lae and Madang is K40. It should take about 4 hours from Goroka and less than 2 hours from Kundiawa to reach Waghi Cultural Show venue.

You can hire chauffeured or self-driven vehicles from following international hire car companies: Budget, Hertz and Avis. There many local hire car companies in all towns which you can check through Papua New Guinea Yellowpages (www.yellowpages.com.pg).

Historical Significance of the showground

The showground is a renowned colonial Edward Hallstrom Bird of Paradise Sanctuary from 1948 to 1966. The aviaries were managed by Captained Neptune Blood from 1948 to 1953 when locally well-known “Master Pisin” (Bird Man) Fred Shaw Mayer took over in 1953 as manger. Fred was a famous ornithologist. He bred Bird of Paradise at the site. It acted mainly as a staging post for Taronga Zoo in Sydney, either to provide birds directly for Taronga, or for exchanges with other zoos. A local sheep breeding station was also established around the same time by Edward Hallstrom jointly be Administration of Australian Territories of Papua New Guinea. This was later handed to the Administration but kept the aviaries. Catholic missionaries walked into the area from Mingende Catholic station to Nondugl establishing the Catholic Church. During that time, the local airstrip was constructed by wooden spades and stone axes. Missionaries also introduced modern gardening and working tools like spades, bush knifes and salt. Land was also bought during these periods by the Administrations and Explorers over few cents, cigar, salt and gardening tools.

Road links between nearby areas were connected between 1949 and 1950. This was the first road network linking most of the highlands region. Kerowaghi and Nondugl were connected. This was the construction of first highlands highway. Prior to that, aero plane was the only mode of transport from one centre to others in Papua New Guinea. The nearby airstrips Kerowaghi, Minj, Kup, Danal, Banz, Kol, Tabibuga to name a few. Sheep were transported to Nondugl on DC3 planes 1940s.

The remnants of the sanctuary are the tall tress and three big ponds surrounding the showground. It is within a showground where tourists take photographs or pose for photographs.

Accommodation Facilities

There are no guesthouse or proper accommodation facilities and well defined tourist activities in Nondugl. The only guesthouse that services Trans Niugini Tours tourist is the Waghi Guesthouse at Wara Sek, Nondugl about another 10km northwest from the showground. All tourists to the show have been accommodated at hotels in Mt Hagen. However, there are nearby hotel accommodations at Minj and Banz which are so close to showground and reachable by vehicle within less than hour drive. For accommodation in Western Highlands Province check www.pngtourism.org.pg.

Waghi Cultural Show will endeavor to provide accommodation listing within Waghi Valley before June 2011.

Tourism Activities

Innumerable activities can be enjoyed while in Waghi Valley. Waghi River kayaking, apart from Minj, Alh, Ganinge, Tuman rivers to name a few. Bird Watching, Bush Walking andTrekking, Visit to cultural centre establishments, tours to villages, tea and coffee plantation, visiting local food gardens harvesting food, visiting the Jimi-Waghi divide are just only what we can think of. These activities have to be developed through proper awareness and training by PNG TPA through its local agent.

Communication Infrastructure

Two mobile phone companies have now penetrated the Nondugl constituency. Full strength Digicel mobile phone network coverage covers all around the showground and some 60kms off. BMobile mobile phone network transmission tower installation is completed and now ready to be switched on together with the national only TV channel EMTV. With this communication facilities, you can call or text sms anywhere around the world apart from your satellite phone. Internet compatible activated mobile phones are available on good Digicel shops where you can access internet while on the go at such remote places.

Security

The organizing of Waghi Cultural Show provides ample security for tourists and show goers before, during and/or after the festival period. Mobile PNG Constabulary police from Mt Hagen and other centres are engaged the previous shows boosting local boys mending surveillance around the showground vicinity. With a well-represented community member’s involvement in the Waghi Cultural Show organization, likely upheaval during the festival are detected well before the show and settled in advance before the staging of annual Waghi Cultural Shows. The organizing committee is comprised of local chiefs, Local Level Government Representatives, Church leaders, Women’s and youth group leaders.

Tourists to Waghi Cultural Show have been treated like angels to not only expatriates but Papua New Guineans as well. They left satisfied with fond memories.

Wrap-up of the 2010 7^th Coca Cola Waghi Cultural Show

as reported by Waghi Cultural Show Organising Committee

Twenty 22 Japanese and Brazil tourists flocked the 7^th Coca Cola Waghi Cultural Show at remote Nondugl, Jiwaka Province Papua New Guinea over the Queens Birthday long weekend.

It was a peaceful and quiet event held over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend from 12-13 June 2010 at the once renowned colonial Edward Hallstrom Bird of Paradise Sanctuary.

Continuous highlands torrential rain which has caused havoc through floods and roadside landslide the last four months or so was respectful of the annual celebration taking a good well advance two weeks break. A week of dry period before the show was ample for the 10km dirt muddy pothole-ridden road to be refilled and flattened for comfortable rides by travelers to the showground. Only concerned sections needed patching, not the whole 1okm to be specific. From Waghi Bridge, junction of the road leading to Nondugl from the Okul Highlands Highway, was at a reasonable state for show goers travelling to and from the show ground on a 25-seater Toyota coaster bus and trucks, after the road being maintained.

A fine day on Saturday 12 June 2010 preceded by early morning fog clearance after the first dawning rays was a fantastic day. Usual tropical highlands of the pacific hue of green, blue fading with elevation to white clouds on the top of the ranges of Kubor and Bismack to sky blue was the spectacular ambient sight for the visitors. Panoramic view from Dona ridge, just 4km meters up north from Waghi Bridge, the junction of the dirt road leading to Nondugl, was breathtaking. Scattered plumes of smoke on the nearby hills remind us of subsistence farmers utilizing the dry weather making garden, hunting or having an outdoor mumu. Dotted sweet potatoes garden plots with nearby village hamlets are visible along the hills. That is the centre of Waghi Valley and Papua New Guinea. Here, there is another junction with road branching to Banz and Nondugl. The road leading to Banz has been upgraded by Cameron Construction which will to be sealed soon. Truck and bus loads of singsing groups and spectators are heading for the showground from both roads towards Nondugl.

The smaller local crowd within the showground provided enough room for tourists to mingle with the members of singsing groups and take photos. Two Brazilian tourists attended the show on Saturday through Trans Niugini Tours were delighted. Expatriates from the Melanesian Nazarene Bible and Teachers college at Ninge and Kudjip attended, though they were purposely there for an evangelistic outreach at the showground. They enjoyed the event too.

Mark Eby and Marion Cadora from University of Goroka (UOG) attended the show after checking Waghi Cultural Facebook fan page. Mark Eby is a lecturer at UOG. He is from Venice, California but has grown up in Waghi Valley at age 13 when his father Lee Eby established the Melanesian Nazarene Bible College in 1967 at Ninge. He enjoyed the show and is sharing his photos as posted on his Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=222104&id=756420347). Mark is a filmmaker based in Los Angeles, USA but has taken avid interest in Waghi Valley producing a Papua New Guinea documentary featuring tribal fights, coffee, local painters to name a few featuring local talents. It will be showed for the first at Melanesia Nazarene Bible/Teachers College at Ninge at 2pm on Saturday 26 June 2010. Feel free to contact Mark Eby on markeby@azbri.com about the documentary film. Marion is quickly adaptable in Papua New Guinea jumping up PMVs while in Goroka. She is having a great time. Marion is living in Honolulu, Hawaii but she is originally from Dana Point, California. While on a short visit to PNG she managed to make it to Waghi Cultural Show which we hope she took brought back lasting memories of the place and event.

The consistent staging of the 7^th Waghi Cultural Show annually since 2004 has impressed a senior officer of Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority (PNG TPA). Jerry Agus, Manager of Policy and Planning, who has associated with the show since its infant stages was impressively delightful. Jerry has attended the show in 2006 and again in 2010. In 2008, the former PNG TPA Marketing and Promotion Manager, Jimmy Yomapisi attended. Jimmy was accorded beautiful Waghi hospitality when he attended the event. Jerry congratulated the WCS Committee for consistently staging the event annually making it a tourist attraction event.

The annual cultural festival not only brings in international tourists to witness the event but also promotes preservation of the local Waghi Valley style of decoration (bilas), face-painting, singsing, dance and songs during pig killing, bridge price, compensation, tribal fights and funeral rituals.

Fine weather again on Sunday 13 June. Two 25-seater bus load of Japanese tourists left Mt Hagen town for the show at around 9am. This group of tourists was arranged by Elizah Hon of Paradise Tours. They headed eastward flowing with Waghi Valley along the Okuk Highlands Highway. Passed Kuli Gap and descended into fertile belly of Waghi Valley. The testimony of the soil fertility should be the lush tea and coffee trees along either sides of the road. WR Carpenters tea and coffee plantations on either sides of Kudjip is an irresistible sight for photographers to pass by. The tourists toured Banz town, a bustling and fast-growing township serving the newly created Jiwaka Province. Back to Kudjip and another further 40km east to Waghi Bridge and a 10km dirt road drive north to Nondugl. They were in the midst of the event mixing and taking shots of the dancers in colorful costumes. Groups of celebrants from Muinde (border of Chimbu and Jiwaka Province), Minj Junction, Tambul-Nebilyer and one from Nondugl entertained the Japanese tourists. Each tourist was pinned a badge each commemorating their attendance at the 7^th 2010 Coca Cola Waghi Cultural Show by the committee members. They left the vicinity around 2pm with lasting memories of the event and place, friendly people.

The bonuses, as always been and are, for tourists traveling to Waghi Cultural Show apart from seeing the celebrants in finely attired traditional customs, dances and songs are many . But the few notable are the breathtaking scenery of Waghi Valley including the everyday life of people along the roads; the food crops, the gardens, the village huts, markets, food sold on the market, tea and coffee plantations, the ambient temperature and climate and rivers. Innumerable tourism activities can be undertaken within Waghi Valley and Jiwaka Province. A tourist choose to Waghi Cultural Show is not just about witnessing a cultural festival but stepping a into a lifetime adventure of tropical highlands of Papua New Guinea where nature is still pristine with less western influence. Yes, that is where the people still live in their traditional style…much different from urban Papua New Guinea lifestyle.

The 7^th Coca Cola Waghi Cultural Show would not have been staged successfully without the support of Coca Cola Amatil (PNG) and Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority. A word of thank you to the singsing groups that celebrated the annual festival and 22 tourists that have attended through Trans Niugini Tours and Paradise Tours. Praise be to Gob, we acknowledge the Prayer Warriors who were involved in praying for a quiet and peaceful event. Thank almighty for hearing our prayers. Continued support is anticipated in the 8^th Waghi Cultural Show to be held from 11-12 June 2011 at the same location.

For pictures and videos of previous shows and the 2010 event, log into Facebook and check this link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Waghi-Cultural-Show/369793836780 .

Feel free to contact the Chairman of Waghi Cultural Show committee, Mr John Koimo on mobile +675 71351439 or email us at waghi_culture@hotmail.com.

(For remainder of photos from the Waghi Cultural Show 2010 see album)

Extra Information for Tourist to Waghi Cultural Show

Background information of Papua New Guinea

It is advisable to check following websites and know as much as possible about Papua New Guinea before deciding to travel here. It is important to note as a tourist important requirements as set by Papua New Guinea government. Check these websites:

Tourism Promotion Authority: www.pngtourism.org.pg

Customs and Immigrations: www.customs.gov.pg

YellowPages www.yellowpages.com.pg. A one-stop-shop directory to products and services in Papua New Guinea.

Also search on Google about other information regarding Papua New Guinea.

The Remote Nondugl, Jiwaka Province Papua New Guinea

Nondugl is a rural constituency of North Waghi Electorate of Western Highlands Provincial (now under Jiwaka Province) Government of Papua New Guinea and also a small government station. It located 5° 52′ 0″ South, 144° 46′ 0″ East on the world map. Click this link to locate Nondugl on the Google Map.

The local government stations boasts a district administration building, police station, heath centre, rugby field, two nearby community schools, a coffee plantation, Christian church buildings, Division of Primary Industry station, public servants houses, small local shops (trade stores), road side markets with local village hamlets are a walking distance from the showground.

The administrative headquarter is Mt Hagen under Western Highlands Province. By 2012, a new administrative centre will be established for the newly created Jiwaka Province.

How to get there

Air Niugini, the national airlines of Papua New Guinea, flies twice daily to Mt Hagen from Port Moresby, Jacksons International Airport. It is the international gateway to Papua New Guinea. Mt Hagen Township is the central hub of the 5 highlands provinces and is only less than 5 minutes drive from Mt Hagen airport westward. Reasonably charged accommodation facilities are found in Mt Hagen. Check www.pngtourism.org.pg under accommodation in Western Highlands Province. Airlines PNG also operates flights between Mt Hagen and Port Moresby.

By road from Mt Hagen to Nondugl, 61km, is about an hour’s drive eastward along scenic Okuk Highlands Highway. The PMV fare is only K5.

You can either plan and fly to Lae-339km southeast (Morobe Province), Madang – 150km southwest (Madang Province), Goroka- 92km northweat (Eastern Highlands Province), Kundiawa -33kmnorthwest(Simbu Province) and travel by road to Nondugl along the Okuk Highlands Highway from the plain savannah coast to the rugged highlands of Papua New Guinea. It takes about 9 hours on PMV from Lae or Madang. PMV fare from both Lae and Madang is K40. It should take about 4 hours from Goroka and less than 2 hours from Kundiawa to reach Waghi Cultural Show venue.

You can hire chauffeured or self-driven vehicles from following international hire car companies: Budget, Hertz and Avis. There many local hire car companies in all towns which you can check through Papua New Guinea Yellowpages (www.yellowpages.com.pg).

Historical Significance of the showground

The showground is a renowned colonial Edward Hallstrom Bird of Paradise Sanctuary from 1948 to 1966. The aviaries were managed by Captained Neptune Blood from 1948 to 1953 when locally well-known “Master Pisin” (Bird Man) Fred Shaw Mayer took over in 1953 as manger. Fred was a famous ornithologist. He bred Bird of Paradise at the site. It acted mainly as a staging post for Taronga Zoo in Sydney, either to provide birds directly for Taronga, or for exchanges with other zoos. A local sheep breeding station was also established around the same time by Edward Hallstrom jointly be Administration of Australian Territories of Papua New Guinea. This was later handed to the Administration but kept the aviaries. Catholic missionaries walked into the area from Mingende Catholic station to Nondugl establishing the Catholic Church. During that time, the local airstrip was constructed by wooden spades and stone axes. Missionaries also introduced modern gardening and working tools like spades, bush knifes and salt. Land was also bought during these periods by the Administrations and Explorers over few cents, cigar, salt and gardening tools.

Road links between nearby areas were connected between 1949 and 1950. This was the first road network linking most of the highlands region. Kerowaghi and Nondugl were connected. This was the construction of first highlands highway. Prior to that, aero plane was the only mode of transport from one centre to others in Papua New Guinea. The nearby airstrips Kerowaghi, Minj, Kup, Danal, Banz, Kol, Tabibuga to name a few. Sheep were transported to Nondugl on DC3 planes 1940s.

The remnants of the sanctuary are the tall tress and three big ponds surrounding the showground. It is within a showground where tourists take photographs or pose for photographs.

Accommodation Facilities

There are no guesthouse or proper accommodation facilities and well defined tourist activities in Nondugl. The only guesthouse that services Trans Niugini Tours tourist is the Waghi Guesthouse at Wara Sek, Nondugl about another 10km northwest from the showground. All tourists to the show have been accommodated at hotels in Mt Hagen. However, there are nearby hotel accommodations at Minj and Banz which are so close to showground and reachable by vehicle within less than hour drive. For accommodation in Western Highlands Province check www.pngtourism.org.pg.

Waghi Cultural Show will endeavor to provide accommodation listing within Waghi Valley before June 2011.

Tourism Activities

Innumerable activities can be enjoyed while in Waghi Valley. Waghi River kayaking, apart from Minj, Alh, Ganinge, Tuman rivers to name a few. Bird Watching, Bush Walking andTrekking, Visit to cultural centre establishments, tours to villages, tea and coffee plantation, visiting local food gardens harvesting food, visiting the Jimi-Waghi divide are just only what we can think of. These activities have to be developed through proper awareness and training by PNG TPA through its local agent.

Communication Infrastructure

Two mobile phone companies have now penetrated the Nondugl constituency. Full strength Digicel mobile phone network coverage covers all around the showground and some 60kms off. BMobile mobile phone network transmission tower installation is completed and now ready to be switched on together with the national only TV channel EMTV. With this communication facilities, you can call or text sms anywhere around the world apart from your satellite phone. Internet compatible activated mobile phones are available on good Digicel shops where you can access internet while on the go at such remote places.

Security

The organizing of Waghi Cultural Show provides ample security for tourists and show goers before, during and/or after the festival period. Mobile PNG Constabulary police from Mt Hagen and other centres are engaged the previous shows boosting local boys mending surveillance around the showground vicinity. With a well-represented community member’s involvement in the Waghi Cultural Show organization, likely upheaval during the festival are detected well before the show and settled in advance before the staging of annual Waghi Cultural Shows. The organizing committee is comprised of local chiefs, Local Level Government Representatives, Church leaders, Women’s and youth group leaders.

Tourists to Waghi Cultural Show have been treated like angels to not only expatriates but Papua New Guineans as well. They left satisfied with fond memories.

Copyright © 2009 Trupela

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