Links
The Yahoo regional directory on PNG is located at -- http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Countries/Papua_New_Guinea/
Papua New Guinea information includes Anthems, Defence, Economy, Flags, Geography,
Government, Maps, News, Weather.
http://www.emulateme.com/papuanew.htm
Jane's Papua New Guinea -- A pictorial insight with comments on Papua New
Guinea traditional culture, art and history. Contains a series of excellent
photographs and can be located at -- http://www.janeresture.com/png_home/
The Lonely Planet Guide to PNG is located at -- http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/australasia/papua_new_guinea/
Papua New Guinea - From Sky to Sea -- http://www.totheweb.com/personal/travel/png/
One Thousand One Papua New Guinean Nights. These stories originally appeared
in Wantok, the Pidgin English (Tok Pisin) newspaper of PNG over many editions.
Thomas Slone has translated and cross-referenced these into two volumes. Information
about how to buy a copy and a few sample copies can be found at -- http://members.tripod.com/~THSlone/1001PNGnights.html
-- Another sample authorised by Thomas can be found at -- http://www.michie.net/pnginfo/1001.html
A site worth visiting, especially if you are into diving is http://www.walindi.com
Another Site worth visiting is http://www.diversionoz.com/
This is the home of Diversion Dive Travel
P.O. Box 7026, Cairns 4870, Australia,
Ph.: +61-740 390 200, Fax: +61-740 390 300
within Australia: Ph: 07-4039 0200 Fax 07-4039 0300
News Items
Air Niugini
A couple of major events are coming up for Air Niugini. The first one is
that the Boeing 767 currently registered as VK-NCE on the New Zealand aviation
register will be re-registered as P2-ANG on the PNG register by the 16th of
August. The other event is, despite all the financial hardship the airline
seems to have suffered every financial year since Independence, the airline
will be celebrating 30 years of service to the public of PNG. Due to financial
constraints the 30th anniversary is being celebrated as a low-key event but
it is still being measured as a major milestone for the airline.
Illegal Entrants
Three illegal visitors are in police custody waiting for immigration officials
to help police prepare charges. The three people entered PNG without proper
documentation from neighbouring Indonesia recently. It is said that they were
on their way to Australia.
Kayak Trip
I have just recently received word that the proposed sea kayak trip from
Townsville in Australia to PNG has had to be cancelled due to the last minute
pullout of some of the people participating. It is hoped that the trip will
be able to go ahead next year when the conditions are once again favourable.
-- http://www.users.bigpond.com/kayakkhan/Paluma_Voyage.html
Yam House
A traditional Trobriand yam house built at the Gordon's roundabout has been
dismantled and it has been relocated to a safer position at the same roundabout.
It has been suggested that the original location was a traffic hazard and
this is why it was removed.
Parliament
The Clerk of Parliament has said that If K7 million is not found within the
next 3 months then parliament will not have any money to pay the Parliamentarians.
Miss PNG
The RH Hypermart has agreed to sponsor a contestant in the Miss PNG red Cross
contest. The 22-year-old contestant, Miss Bogahenao, is employed as an Accounts
Supervisor with the company. She is the eldest of six children. RH has donated
an initial amount of K5000 towards the fund raising activities of Miss RH
Hypermart.
Trends Hair and Beauty is also supporting an entrant in the quest. The entrant,
Alice Solomon another 22 year old, will carry the official title of "Miss
Skala / Evoluse.
Manus Detention Centre
The government of Australia will close the migrant detention centre currently
located on Manus Island. The detention centre housed up to 356 detainees at
the height of the Pacific Solution that saw 1500 asylum seekers headed off
on their way to Australia. Only 3 residents remain and these are moving to
Australia.
Ela Beach Road
The new road going along the beachfront from Koki to Ela Beach has been closed
off again. Sources say that the construction company has not been paid for
the work. The construction took over two and a half years to complete with
one stoppage lasting many months when the funding ran out. The construction
company claims they are owed K16 million and the City Council claim they only
owe less than a million.
Finschhafen
The Postmaster at Finschhafen Post Office has been jailed for misusing funds
belonging to Post PNG. The employee was sentenced to five years for stealing
K34,000. The money was stolen when it was shipped from Finschhafen to Lae.
Goldie Barracks
An exercise known as "Exercise Pukpuk 2003" is underway between
Australian and PNG soldiers. The exercise views training as an important aspect
to rebuild Goldie Barracks. Members of the PNGDF Engineer Battalion from Lae
and 21 Construction Squadron, Brisbane are working together at the Goldie
River Training Depot (GRTD) to improve facilities. The exercise consists of
68 ADF and 46 PNGDF soldiers . The group consists of electricians, plumbers,
carpenters, drivers, plant operators, mechanics, surveyors, cooks, logisticians
and combat engineers.
Kwikila Market
The MP for Rigo, Anderson Vele, has committed K100,000 towards a facelift
for the Kwikila market in Central Province. People from the Rigo District
and other surrounding villages use the market.
Office of Rural Development
The Office of Rural Development has a new head. The former Agriculture and
Livestock secretary Paul Saii has been appointed to head the Office of Rural
Development (ORD).
Kick Boxing
Another PNG person is entering the world kickboxing scene. Billy Mamu lost
his fight against New Zealander Chris Johnson but still managed to impress
the man promoting World Champion Stanley Nandex. Mamu will fight in the light
middleweight (72kg) division and he will get his first crack on the world
stage when he makes his debut in the professional circuit on the 39th of November
in Melbourne.
Electricity
Consumers of electricity have been hit with a 12.5 percent increase in the
cost of electricity. The electricity company (PNG Power) is under pressure
to pay off some of the debts it has accumulated over the years. A report by
PriceWaterhouse Coopers has indicated that at least a thirty percent increase
is needed to get PNG Power back on track.
Nonga Base Hospital
The Nonga Base Hospital in East New Britain will be relocated. The hospital
in Rabaul is very close to the volcanos and is considered to be in an unsafe
location. It is possible that the hospital will move to Vunakanau.
Libraries
Once again book week has come and once again it has been highlighted that
the many libraries around PNG are suffering from a chronic shortage of funding
to keep them running. This statement rings true even for the National Library
located in Port Moresby. Even access to new books has come under criticism
because most of the places that sell books in PNG are hidden away from the
general public and located in places were only tourists visit or stay. This
leave little avenue for the typical PNG person to have access to books.
PNG Information
Elder statesman, Sir Paulias Matane, has urged nationals to write more about
Papua New Guinea rather than allowing foreigners to do it. He said it had
been a long time since Independence but there were not many books on PNG by
local writers
Buka Ring Road
Emergency work on the ring road around the island of Buka in the North Solomons
Province has commenced thanks to assistance of K1.3 million form AusAID. Public
Motor Vehicles have refused to travel on some sections of the road due to
the extremely poor condition of the road and villagers have had to resort
to tractors. Even the tractors have had problems with the Post Courier recently
showing a picture of one with a flat rear tyre stuck on the ring road.
Rabaul
Residents of Rabaul are protesting because Post PNG are closing down the
only Post Office in town at the end of August. Residents and nearby villagers
will now have to travel to Kokopo to post letters. The official post office
was destroyed during the volcanic eruption in 1994 and the Hamamas Hotel has
been acting as a post office.
MV Minigulai
The MV Minigulai has had to be slipped in Madang because of damage to the
engines caused by volcanic ash clogging the engines. The state of the art
450 passenger ferry belonging to Lutheran Shipping has been on the slipway
for over 12 months due to serious engine problems.
Open Heart
The Operation Open Heart has received donations from two sources. Both the
Bank South Pacific and the Public Officers Superannuation Fund have donated
K10,000 towards the Open Heart team at the Port Moresby General Hospital.
The money will be used to help pay the costs of bringing patients from other
provinces to undergo heart surgery. 43 patients benefited from the scheme
last year. The Australian surgeons performing the operations have bought their
own drugs to help the shortage at the hospital.
Port Moresby Hospital
What many patients have known for ages has finally been reported as being
official. The Port General Moresby Hospital has run out of basic drugs. Patients
are being given prescriptions to buy the drugs from pharmacies around town.
Of course what is given out for free from the hospital costs anything from
K10 to a couple of hundred Kina. Many patients cannot afford to buy medicine
at these prices. Operation Open Heart will still go ahead despite this crisis.
Home Brew
The brewing of alcoholic drinks at home is a major concern raised by the
Member for Jimi, MP Francis Kunai. He said that homebrew was becoming a social
problem in urban centres and villages.
MAF
Up to 3000 people fly on MAF (Missionary Aviation Fellowship) services each
week in PNG. Most of these are inaccessible by road and MAF is the only aircraft
serving these places making the service a necessity in some cases. The airline
gets little publicity for the work it does around the country.
PNG Cricket
PNG Cricket has named the junior team to compete in the World Cup qualifier
in Namibia in October. Chris Amini will captain the 14-member team. Two vice
captains have also been named - John Boto and Mahuru Dai. The rest of the
team consists of: John Gavera, Assad Vala, Vivian Kila, Kapena Arua, Gavera
Dai, William Harry, Kupana Amini, Kila Pala, Mavara Tamasi, Vali Vali and
Jack Lou.
Breast Feeding
World breastfeeding week is about to finish and PNG has been cited as being
a very good example. PNG was the first country to adopt the international
code of marketing of breast milk substitutes. Under the legislation baby feeding
bottles, formula, baby cups, dummies and teats are only available on prescription
from a paediatrician.
South Pacific Games
Ryan Pini was named the best male swimmer in the 2003 South Pacific Games.
He won seven gold, four silver and one bronze medal. Other swimmers managed
to win 14 other medals with Anna-Liza Mopio the only other PNG swimmer to
pick up a gold medal.
Ryan Pini
-Gold Medal - 50m backstroke
-Gold Medal - 100m freestyle
-Gold Medal - 200m backstroke
-Gold Medal - 50m butterfly
-Gold Medal - 100m backstroke
-Gold Medal - 100m butterfly
-Gold Medal - 200m individual medley
-Silver Medal - 50m freestyle
-Silver Medal - 100m-medley relay
-Silver Medal - 4x100m freestyle relay
-Silver Medal - 4x200m freestyle relay
-Bronze Medal - 200m freestyle
Anna-Liza Mopio
-Gold Medal - 200m freestyle
-Silver Medal - 100m freestyle
-Silver Medal - 50m freestyle
-Bronze medal - 100m butterfly
Matthew Sheenan
-Silver Medal - 50m breaststroke
-Silver Medal - 4x100m medley relay
-Silver Medal - 4x100m freestyle relay
-Silver Medal - 4x200m freestyle relay
Leo Biggs
-Silver Medal - 4x100m medley relay
-Silver Medal - 4x100m freestyle relay
-Silver Medal - 4x200m freestyle relay
Ben Wells
-Silver Medal - 4x100m medley relay
-Silver Medal - 4x100m freestyle relay
-Silver Medal - 4x200m freestyle relay
Sewerage Blockage
Residents of downtown Port Moresby must be taking the HIV/AIDS message to
heart. Condoms have blocked the sewerage system recently. The water and sewerage
company have put out adverts advising residents and office workers not to
flush condoms down the toilet but they have not been listening.
Hockey Wars
The war between the Port Moresby Hockey Association and the PNG Hockey Federation
has gone on for over a year. Hockey players are being deprived of opportunities
to excel, upgrade their skills and compete in overseas competitions because
of the dispute. It is time that both bury the hatchet and get back to promoting
hocky. Hockey is a sport in PNG that is like many others - rapidly declining.
Goroka Show
The Goroka Show will take place as scheduled in September near Independence
Day.
Enga Cultural Show
Enga Province is holding its 2003 Cultural Show. It was due to start from
the 8th and go until the 10th of August but due to the recent murder of an
Engan business man the show is now postponed until the 2nd to the 5th of October.
This has left the Engan provincial government K80,000 out of pocket. The show
will be held at the Mommers oval in the heart of Wabag town. There will be
the usual singsing groups, ritual demonstrations, craft demonstrations, wood
chopping using stone axes, traditional bridge construction and a whole lot
more.
Enga Telephones
It is hoped that with the commissioning of a new telephone system in Enga
that communications problems will be a thing of the past. The new telephone
exchange system was imported from Israel and it replaces and old ARK Analogue
telephone exchange. The old system allowed for a maximum of 300 subscribers
of which only 16 people could call out at any one time. The new system allows
for a total of over 1200 lines but Telikom is only installing equipment for
600 people at present.
Western Province
The provincial assembly of the Western Province has made a call to see Concord
Pacific ousted from the province immediately. It has been reported that the
logging company has been in trouble for continuously logging the forests without
any regard to the laws of PNG.
East New Britain
Commuters in East New Britain have recently had to find more money to ride
on public transport. The bus fare for trips within towns will now cost 60
toea. The costs increases have been blamed on the rising cost of parts and
new vehicles due to the fall in the exchange rate of the Kina.
PNG Media
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