Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Papua New Guinea
    Papua New Guinea
    Papua New Guinea
    Ebook91 pages48 minutes

    Papua New Guinea

    By Thomas Booth

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Papua New Guinea, the eastern half of the second-largest island in the world, includes a cluster of islands off its northeast coast – New Britain, New Ireland, Bougainville, Manus, the Trobriands, and scores of smaller islands. The other half of the islan
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHunter Publishing
    Release dateJul 5, 2012
    ISBN9781556500473
    Papua New Guinea

    Read more from Thomas Booth

    Related to Papua New Guinea

    Related ebooks

    Europe Travel For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Ghost Ships of Truk Lagoon

      Feb 22, 2020

      The adventures to be experienced with the underwater exploration of the mysterious Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon remain unparalleled. The wrecks in this most famous of lagoons represent some of the most well-preserved shipwrecks in the world. Truk Lagoo

      9 min read

    • Article

      Cold Water/hot Topic

      Oct 8, 2021

      Cold Water/hot Topic
      4 min read

    • Article

      Death In The Mountains

      Feb 24, 2020

      Death In The Mountains
      4 min read

    • Article

      Solomon Islands Dive “Fest”

      May 22, 2018

      Solomon Islands Dive “Fest”
      5 min read

    • Article

      Nuclear Arms Race

      Mar 19, 2020

      Nuclear Arms Race
      2 min read

    • Article

      Surviving ata

      May 29, 2022

      Surviving ata
      5 min read

    • Article

      New Gold Dreams

      Jun 17, 2021

      New Gold Dreams
      8 min read

    • Article

      From the Islands

      Jan 25, 2021

      In 2019, I revisited Clarks Beach, the village on the Manukau Harbour where I learned to swim as a kid in the 80s. Back then, the place was mostly populated by retired Pakeha farmers. On regular trips to the fish and chips shop, I’d hear them chattin

      6 min read

    • Article

      Outrigger Revival

      Aug 29, 2018

      Outrigger Revival
      9 min read

    • Article

      Sharing Paradise

      Mar 28, 2024

      Sharing Paradise
      10 min read

    • Article

      Come From Away

      Nov 16, 2022

      Come From Away
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Tongan Way

      May 25, 2023

      Around a week after we arrived in Tonga we had slowed down and learned to accept the Tongan way. Life here is unpolished and nothing happens fast, or even at all. Church, feasts, sleeping and relaxing seem the order of the day. We arrived late August

      3 min read

    • Article

      Fiji

      Oct 7, 2021

      Fiji
      3 min read

    • Article

      The SPICE of LIFE

      Jun 6, 2018

      The SPICE of LIFE
      3 min read

    • Article

      Aye, Aye brother Shackleton

      Sep 1, 2022

      Aye, Aye brother Shackleton
      6 min read

    • Article

      Where Culture Shines

      May 7, 2020

      Where Culture Shines
      7 min read

    • Article

      How Taboos Can Help Protect the Oceans

      May 26, 2021

      In 1777—after whipping local people for trivial offenses, spreading venereal disease, and clumsily avoiding a plot to kill him—the English explorer James Cook left the shores of Tonga laden with treasures. Not least among them was a word scrawled in

      11 min read

    • Article

      Patagonia Dreaming

      May 28, 2020

      Patagonia Dreaming
      5 min read

    • Article

      NEW ZEALAND: Land of the Hobbits… and So Much More

      Nov 1, 2020

      NEW ZEALAND: Land of the Hobbits… and So Much More
      3 min read

    • Article

      Off The Beaten Track

      Oct 10, 2019

      Off The Beaten Track
      5 min read

    • Article

      A Slice Of paradise

      Jun 14, 2022

      A Slice Of paradise
      6 min read

    • Article

      The New Italy Settlement, NSW

      Feb 24, 2022

      The New Italy Settlement, NSW
      2 min read

    • Article

      NAVIGATING the UNKNOWN

      Jul 4, 2021

      NAVIGATING the UNKNOWN
      9 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Papua New Guinea

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Papua New Guinea - Thomas Booth

      PAPUA NEW GUINEA

      Thomas H. Booth

      © Hunter Publishing, Inc.

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the publisher.

      For all inquiries, contact Michael Hunter at michael@hunterpublishing.com.

      INTRODUCTION 

      Papua New Guinea, the eastern half of the second largest island in the world, includes a cluster of islands off its northeast coast – New Britain, New Ireland, Bougainville, Manus, the Trobriands, and scores of smaller islands. 

      The other half of the island, the western part-Indonesian Irian Jaya – is another story and, other than brief remarks about it, this chapter is confined to Papua New Guinea. However, when you put both halves of the island together, notice how in profile it resembles a huge bird t<;lking off. The head of the bird, a place the Dutch called Vogelskopf (bird's head) is on the Indonesian side. The other end, given no anatomical name by the Australians, is in newly independent Papua New Guinea. 

      The Dutch left their half of the island after World War II, and things have changed. Vogelskopf is called Manokwari and the town Pacific veterans knew as Hollandia is called Jayapura. 

      In 1944 when I first saw Hollandia it was suffering from the excesses of war. Seen recently, the same town still suffers, but now it's from Indonesian neglect and a curious military problem on its border. 

      The eastern half has changed too and as of 1975 Papua New Guinea, calling itself Niugini and its airline Air Niugini, became independent. Fortunately the Australian presence lingers and in a generous way controls the purse-strings. Without Australia Papua New Guinea would probably fall apart. And you're sure to hear commentary on all of this moments after stepping off the plane in Port Moresby, the usual port of entry-particularly if, with an icy South Pacific lager in mind, you go directly across the street and enter the public room of the Gateway Hotel. 

      There, standing at the bar, you'll almost certainly find a clutch of Aussies, many of them smartly turned out in Aussie gear-shorts, white shirt, and knee-length white stockings. They're sociable people, particularly when they're drinking, and being a newly arrived Yank is apt to get you a slap on the back, a "Good on ya mate;' and another beer. 

      Then, attended by appropriate ribaldry without which Aussie drinking cannot be sustained, you'll hear a mixed bag of remarks. You may hear that, while matters aren't going flat out for the new government, there's hope, even progress. Perhaps too, you'll hear the other point of view-the Aussie who'll say what bloody cheek the United Nations had to suggest independence for this lot, some of whom a generation ago were stealing each others' pigs and wives and blipping each other on the head. 

      For a newly arrived American this is a time for listening. 

      Our point of view is neither required nor recommended. In time someone will sum up all points of view by offering, But don't get us wrong, mate, this is a good country, and we wish them the very best of luck. 

      We once fell in with such a group, and in time they asked why we were in Papua New Guinea. I explained that World War II nostalgia drew at me a little, but mostly we wanted to see the Sepik River, the Trobriands, the Highlands, maybe the Kokoda Trail. They approved with noisy enthusiasm, but one of them added, You're just scratching the surface of this country, mate. There are other rivers to be seen, trails to be walked, mountains climbed, some snow-clad, and with valleys so remote that Stone-Age people live in them. There are jungles with birds of paradise in them, cassowaries, wallabies, little pigmy blokes too. And don't forget the hundreds of islands in the Bismarck Sea off the North Coast that are like little jewels. Remember too that over 700 linguistic groups and cultures share this country. 

      Someone else broke in, If it's the Kokoda Trail you're interested in, you'd better come home with us. We're doing a mixed grill, we've got plenty of grog, and Bert here has done the Trail. 

      We went. It was a

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1