Links
Botanical Gardens
Situated within the vast campus of the University of Papua New Guinea in
Port Moresby, the National Capital Botanical Gardens is one of the prime tourist
attractions in the country. -- http://www.ncbg.org.pg
-- The Botanical Gardens has a huge collection of plants from all over PNG
as well as many plants from other parts of the world. These include many palm
species, bamboos, heliconias, cordyline, pandanus, native trees and shrubs.
National Mapping Bureau
The home of the National Mapping Bureau is located at -- http://www.natmap.gov.pg/
-- a division of the Department of Lands & Physical Planning.
The National Mapping Bureau is responsible for providing Papua New Guinea
with mapping products and services. The Bureau sells a wide range of paper
and digital map products, provides GIS and GPS data and services including
data capture both in the field and in the office along with printing and consultancy
services for the Private Sector and Government Bodies.
National Mapping Bureau
P.O. Box 296,
Waigani, N.C.D.
Papua New Guinea
Phone: (+675) 327 6459, 327 6467, 327 6967
Fax: (+675) 327 6460
E-mail: natmap@datec.com.pg
Kudjip
Kudjip Hospital, Western Highlands has a website located at http://www.kudjipnazarenehospital.org/
some photographs can be found at http://www.brucesteffes.net/scrapbook/png/photoalbum.php
Mining
Misima Gold and Silver Mine -- http://www.mining-technology.com/projects/misima
and http://www.placerdome.com/properties/misima/misima.html
-- Misima Mine
http://www.pngchamberminpet.com.pg
-- PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum
http://www.highpacific.com.au
-- Highlands Pacific
http://www.lihir.com.pg -- Lihir Gold
Limited
http://www.oilsearch.com.au -- Oil
Search
http://www.oktedi.com -- Ok Tedi
http://www.orogen.com.au -- Orogen
http://www.peak-pjv.com -- Porgera Environmental
Advisory Komiti - PEAK
http://www.placerdome.com/properties/porgera/porgera.html
-- Porgera Mine
Rainforest Habitat
Papua New Guinea's largest zoological institution -- Rainforest Habitat website
-- http://www.habitat.org.pg -- The
Rainforest Habitat began operations in 1994 on a ten-hectare section of the
University of Technology campus in Lae, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea.
The Rainforest Habitat and its sister company the Insect Farming and Trading
Agency are both operated by the University of Technology as community development
initiatives. They are both self-funding.
Insect Farming
If you are interested in insects and butterfly then a visit to -- http://www.ifta.com.pg.
The Insect Farming and Trading Agency (IFTA) has been in operation in Papua
New Guinea since 1978, when the innovative P.N.G Wildlife Department began
fauna ranching initiatives to help villagers
Their rural income previously only derived from traditional cash cropping.
Many villagers saw the selling of logging rights as the only way to increase
their standard of living, the advent of both crocodile and butterfly farming
meant that for the first time there were some eco-friendly alternatives.
News Items
Port Moresby Roads
Global Construction, much to the relief of residents around 4 and 5 mile,
have recommenced road works in the area. It is hoped that the work is completed
quickly as the residents, motorists and pedestrians passing through the area
for the last six months have had to put up with a dust bowl that turns to
a quagmire at the slightest hint of rain
Marijuana Haul
Central Province police have confiscated more than 20 bags of marijuana packed
in backpacks from a PMV travelling to Port Moresby. Three suspects including
a 12-year-old boy have been arrested and charged for being in possession of
drugs.
Press Freedom
The freedom of the press was recently threatened when the Parliamentary Privileges
Committee Chairman said that the committee was out to curb and curtail media
freedom. The chairman later came out and said that the press had misquoted
him
Freedom of Speech
Is Gumine MP, Nick Kuman, pushing freedom of speech to an all time low? He
has interviewed an Australian journalist about the Manning/Mitchell article.
Both Manning and Mitchell were required to present themselves to a Parliamentary
Committee explaining comments made in the Australian press about PNG. MP Kuman
and two others fronted up in Brisbane requesting information on who else helped
prepare the article. This threatens the whole idea of the freedom of the press
Miss PNG Red Cross
Helen Stephen, from Misima, Milne Bay, is likely to be the first Miss PNG
contestant with an official sponsor. There are three other contestants who
are still waiting for official sponsors. Miss Stephen recently won the Miss
Milne Bay title from a field of five competitors
Red Cross
A PNG Red Cross official has had to flee the country after he was attacked
and his counterparts fear that this is a setback to the programs of the Red
Cross in the country
Potatoes
The highlands of PNG are facing a potato shortage. Three provinces in the
Highlands region are already facing shortages in the supply of potatoes and
restaurant owners are opting to use kaukau chips as an alternative
Exploding Anchors
Hot on the heals of a recent death of a man killed by a war time bomb a community
leader has called on the Government to find ways to remove the war remains.
The death was a repeat of an incident in the same area in 2001
Tokua (Rabaul) Airport
More than K120,000 for consultancy work has been approved towards the proposed
Tokua Airport Authority. The East New Britain (ENB) assembly have said that
a submission should be prepared for the transfer of Tokua Airport the ENB
Provincial Government
Porgera Gold Mine
The Porgera Gold Mine in the Enga Province has been cut off from the rest
of the Highlands region by road due to a major landslide for over a week.
It is believed the landslide was caused by continuous rain in the area for
close to a month. All trucks carrying fuel and cargo for the mine have had
to be turned back since the landslide. It is believed fuel and other important
supplies at the mine may be running very low
Lae Harbour
Silt in Lae Harbour is a threat to the supply of fuel. Shell PNG has warned
that any further reduction to ship's draft at Lae port could affect the supply
of fuel into Lae and the Highlands region. PNG Harbours Limited has announced
plans to start dredging work at the end of June
Tree House Village
For those who want a truly tropical style accommodation package then I suggest
the exotic Tree House Village which will be opening just in time for Christmas.
The village is about 15 minute along the scenic Buluminski Highway from Kavieng
in the New Ireland province. If anyone wants further details then please write
to Tree House Village PO Box 351 Kavieng, PNG. Phone +675 984 2666 / facsimile
+675 984 2693 or email albeck@treehouse.com.pg
The main building (tree house) is a three story traditional building starting
five metres up a huge 200-year-old callophylum tree on the edge of a lagoon.
The Balus Bar and the Raintree Restaurant are located on the first floor
Chevron Texaco
Chevron Texaco are withdrawing from PNG within the next six months. The decision
by the oil company was based on commercial realties and was not unexpected
by the Minister for Petroleum and Energy and it should have little to no impact
on the PNG Gas Project. Chevron Texaco owns 14 percent of PNG's current oil
production and has a 9.7 percent share in the PNG Gas Project
Bougainville Weapons
Leaders from Bougainville, United Nation Observer Mission on Bougainville
(UNOMB) and the Peace Monitoring Group have all appealed to the Bougainvillean
community to hand in all unregistered weapons. The hand in of weapons is progressing
slowly
AIDS Reporting
PNG currently has 6,103 reported case of people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.
It is expected that figure will soon increase as the testing and reporting
system is improved. Approximately 150 cases are being reported every month
but with the old recording system it is not possible to know whether these
are new cases all old cases being re-reported. Some people already tested
positive are travelling to other centres for confirmation
HTML Version
Did you know that there is an html version of this newsletter? The only real
benefits are that links to other sites are coded into the html document so,
if the link is still valid, it is simply a matter of clicking on the link.
Some email clients do not convert links in the text version correctly and
some readers have to cut and past the links into the browser. http://pnggossip.com/news/apply
is the link where you can change your subscription
CAA Fee Increase
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) plans to increase charges so that it can
generate more revenue. It is hoped that the various services offered by the
CAA to the public and to the aviation industry, such as navigational aids,
will be able to be fixed with the increase in fees
Dive Links
If you are interested in diving in PNG -- then any of the following websites
should be of interest to you -
The diversionoz web page, with dive information on PNG, can be found at http://diversionoz.com/en/png.htm
http://www.underwaterphotos.com/tiata2.htm
http://www.cathychurch.com/png.html
http://www.worlddive.com/phgal/png/pngpix.htm
http://www.blueseacharters.com
Quoting from the web page -- PNG is a dream of divers. Crystal clear waters,
"paradise islands", and mountain ridges covered with thick rainforests
or spectacular volcanoes provide an exclusive setting for the best dive vacations
imaginable
End Quote
Moresby Rain
Port Moresby seems to have come to the end of the wet season. Apart from
a little bit of very fined drizzle no rain has fallen in the city for a week
Port Moresby (POM) Weather
One reader has asked the following question: -
What's the weather like over there? (PNG)
Well to answer that I can probably truthfully say that the temperature will
most likely be about 30 to 32 degrees Celsius during the day and will probably
drop to somewhere near 20 degrees during the night. The reason I can say that
is because that is the temperature range for Port Moresby for about 350 days
of the year. A couple of days a year the temp drops to below 20 but in the
whole time the temp has been recorded it has not reached the magical 100 degree
Fahrenheit on the other end of the scale in Port Moresby. The records go back
for about 100 or so years. Because of the "high" temperatures it
is pleasant when it rains.
With the weather being the way it is it is usually forgotten about in conversations.
Can you imagine a conversation that doesn't bring up the subject of weather?
Passport Scam
At last one of the 12 public servants implicated in the passport scam in
2002 has been charged and the case is pending before the National Court. Another
officer has appeared before the National Court but was acquitted due to lack
of evidence against him.
Kina
The Kina has continued to fall after a very brief period where it gained
some ground. It has currently hit the 25 US cent mark and it would appear
ready to go lower again
Kina Display
The bank of PNG is celebrating the 28th birthday of the Kina and Toea. The
Bank will have a currency display for the public at the National Museum and
Art Gallery from the 14th to the 23rd of April during normal museum hours.
Weekdays - 8:30am - 3:30pm / Sundays - 1:30pm - 3:30pm
Bank of PNG
The Bank (http://www.bankpng.gov.pg)
is short of 1 toea and 2 toea coins and has made a call for all people to
collect up these coins un return them to the Bank. Other countries have done
away with the small 1 and 2 unit denomination coins. Maybe it is time PNG
did the same thing? Maybe that is what the bank is attempting to do?
PNG Financial Sites
ANZ Bank - http://www.anz.com.au/png
Bank of Papua New Guinea -- http://www.bankpng.gov.pg
Bank South Pacific -- http://www.bsp.com.pg
Credit Corporation -- http://www.creditcorporation.com.pg
Currency Conversions -- http://www.michie.net/pnginfo/moni.html
Currency Conversions -- http://www.pngbd.com/finance
Finance Corporation -- http://www.fincorp.com.pg
Kina Securities -- http://www.kina.com.pg
Public Officers Superannuation Fund -- http://www.posf.com.pg
PNG Coins -- http://www.bankpng.gov.pg/kinatoea/coins/index.htm
PNG Notes -- http://www.bankpng.gov.pg/kinatoea/notes/index.htm
PNG Commemorative Coins -- http://www.bankpng.gov.pg/kinatoea/comm/index.htm
PNG Currency pictures -- http://www.giervalk.bravepages.com/PNG/pgn.html
Traditional Money -- http://www.michie.net/pnginfo/monibagi.html
and http://www.michie.net/pnginfo/monitabu.html
Anzac Day
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the battles of the Papua New Guinea
campaign in World War II. The Returned Services League (RSL) of Australia
will be hosting the ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Day dawn
service at the Bomana war cemetery on April 25th.
Port Moresby RSL president John Mudge said: "The dawn service at Bomana
is one of the most moving ANZAC day ceremonies conducted, due to the fact
that it is held in the place where many brave souls are laid to rest."
As usual the Rotary Club of Mt. Hagen will be hosting the Anzac Day ceremonies
in Mt. Hagen. The program (similar to the Bomana program in most respects)
will be the same as in previous years with a 5.45am kick off Mt. Hagen Independence
Park.
The Rotary Club in Mt Hagen has been proud to host the service for well over
15 years
More Links to Visit
http://www.altnews.com.au/kali/
- a web site dealing with Manus. This site also has a map of the main islands
of Manus.
http://archaeology.about.com/science/archaeology/library/atlas/blpapua.htm
An archaeology site with links to archaeological excavations at the Kamgot
site, on the island of Babase, New Ireland and also a link to Origins of Agriculture
in New Guinea.
Tolai tubuan and dukduk masks: unique photos from the 1960's http://www.art-pacific.com/artifacts/nuguinea/nbritain/tolaiduk.htm
Learn more about the Tolai's of East New Britain at http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/lcj/women/ch5.pdf
- Note PDF/Adobe Acrobat file. (Google will give you an html translation if
you can't view PDF files, search for Tolai and tubuan.)
Transparency International
The Papua New Guinean chapter of Transparency International -- http://www.transparencypng.org.pg
Hotel Links
The following link will take you to the Coral Sea Hotel website which covers
these hotels around Papua New Guinea.
Gateway Hotel (Port Moresby), Melanesian Hotel (Lae), Highlander Hotel (Mount
Hagen), Coast Watchers Hotel (Madang), Huon Gulf Lodge (Lae), Lamington Lodge
(Popondetta), Hibiscus Motel (Port Moresby)
http://www.coralseahotels.com.pg
- They also look after Budget rent a car.
Haus Poroman in Mt Hagen has a website located at http://www.hausporoman.com.pg
Miscellaneous Links
If you are looking for logging or conservation on Woodlark (Muyuw) island
take a trip to
http://www.ulb.ac.be/soco/apft/GENERAL/PUBLICAT/RAPPORTS/YOUNG.HTM
An interesting view of Port Moresby --
http://www.fourmilab.to/cgi-bin/uncgi/Earth?lat=9d26m9s&ns=lSouth&lon=147d13m0s&ew=East&alt=200
This site -- http://www.geocities.com/edbooth_1,
-- By Edwin O. Booth, is dedicated as a resource to the Veterans of WW II
and their families and friends...and to the citizens of Bougainville who assisted
the Americans in WW II. Special attention is given to personnel of the Americal
and the 37th Infantry Divisions. It offers a generous selection of publications
related to the Islands as they were in the old days, as well as updates on
current information and facilities.
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