GULF & WESTERN PROVINCES that theseprovinces have thefinalwordinPapua ofthisbook. NewGuineasection payment calculations. landowners whoare concernedaboutenvironmentaldegradationandthevalidityofroyalty toPapuanomic importance toconsiderablelitigationbytraditional NewGuinea,and subject receiving rave reviews fromfishermenwiththeresources andtenacity togetthere. greatest rivers, theFlyandStrickland,alongwithTondaWildlife ManagementArea, are ing adizzyingarrayofsometheisland’smostexoticbirds. Similarly,twoofthecountry’s but growing,trickleofnature enthusiasts. venture farbeyondthesleepyprovincial capitalsofKerema asmall, andDaru,whichattract few travellers reach thearea andeven fewer dosoindependently.Those thatdoseldom to befound,androadsofanydescriptionare rare. Becauseofthislimited infrastructure, less mealsofsagogetaroundbyfoot,canoeandsmallplane. There isbarely asealedroad flooded grasslandseventually give risetothefoothillsandmountainsofHighlands. of Papua fromoneisolated Inlandtherichwetlandsandseasonally communitytothenext. are coastlinearchesaroundtheGulf theWildWestofPNG.Avastandmangrove-pocked drenched,Rain sparselypopulated andfrighteningly remote, theGulfandWestern Provinces Provinces Gulf &Western 200 © LonelyPlanetPublications „ In acountryoften considered thelastfrontierforadventure travellers, itisonlyfitting seeking In theremote cornerofWestern Province, northwest theOkTedi isofmajoreco- Mine In theforests andriverside andTabubil, wetlandsaroundKiunga adventurers are discover- thethrivingpopulationofmalarialmosquitoesandend- Locals hardyenoughtosurvive

„ „ „ „ HIGHLIGHTS POPULATION: 260,200 Buyingthelocalmudcrabat Watching birds andfishingforbarramundi Knowingyou are thefirstWesterner for upwithSamuelKepuknai Hooking places inthecountry at many yearstocanoe paradise forests andthesecret leksofthebirds Kiunga on foot visit traditionalvillagesnear and having it cooked foryouthatnight and havingitcooked Bensbach ( p206 ) andheadingintothecloud ( p208 ), oneofthemostremote Kaintiba Kaintiba 24) and ( p204)

( p205) in (p202) „ AREA : 133,800 SQKM Bensbach Tabubil Kiunga Daru Kaintiba Kerema GULF & WESTERN PROVINCES 201 (conical (conical 321 7204, 321 7990 in kovaves % (

were veritable museums of tra- museums of veritable were operates a monthly boat that calls operates dobus Pacific Frontline Trading Frontline Pacific The Gulf people have been bombarded been bombarded The Gulf people have The Gulf is the country’s least-visited province, province, country’s least-visited Gulf is the in many ways is its most appealing which tourist infra- is virtually zero aspect. There the ‘real’ and it is impossible to avoid structure in PNG. Getting around is an endurance test the at the end of little respite itself and there’s The most notable thing about the roads – any. Apart from the Hiritano aren’t there and the Tabubil–Kiunga Hwy to Kerema, most mine), road (maintained by Ok Tedi The Southern Highlands transport is by air. to Kikori Gulf Hwy will connect sometime in 2008. Be to the first one of villages it, exploring seldom-visited travel you go. as ) ports province into most Gulf and Western Kikori and Daru but find- including Kerema, is difficult. dates departure ing reliable GULF PROVINCE coloured abstract patterns or stylised figures. or stylised abstract patterns figures. coloured a gope board have entitled to were Warriors each celebrate or to bravery act of for each successful conflict. a century and with Christianity for nearly been lost, including many traditions have flesh had ritual cannibalism. While eating importance, it is also possible and religious protein by endemic that it was provoked food today The main deficiency in the area. is sago: starchy food from the the tasteless, is no shortage the sago palm. There pith of sago, so nobody starves,of pro- but severe a problem. deficiencies remain tein Getting There & Around important artefacts, ceremonial objects and objects and ceremonial important artefacts, While stored. were enemies of the skulls smaller women slept in men slept inside, huts outside. individual and sevenditional art, styles distinct artistic the been categorised of from the mouth have no ‘fully are There to Kerema. Fly around spirit housesfurnished’ you can left, but bullroarers, find figures, masks, skull masks), headrests, ceremonial one) and have racks (every home should elliptical in shape, are gope boards, which shield, and incised a brightly with rather like sent from Port (spirit houses). PROVINCE GULF Merrie England, a longhouse in which weapons, a longhouse weapons, in which

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dobu, discovering the Fly River. In 1876 ruthless ruthless In 1876 the Fly River. discovering

In 1842 French Dumont d’Urville In 1842 French charted From the mouth of the Fly east to the the Fly east to the From the mouth of Charles Karius and Ivan Champion set out toCharles Karius In 1901 the Scottish Reverend James James Reverend In 1901 the Scottish History

the the Culture around traditionally centred were Villages swamps running up to 60km inland. swamps running up to Purari River, the is a succes- Papua the Gulf of Purari River, by mangrove deltas, backed river sion of mosquitoes are the only welcoming party. the only mosquitoes are are usually some distance from the river to usually some distance from the river are flooding, and the Fly flows through avoid countless wetland where 250,000 sq km of island-filled delta. The Strickland River joins delta. The Strickland River island-filled the Fly about 240km from the coast. Villages The Fly River starts highThe Fly River in the mountains and turns southeast towards the sea and a huge, the north coast. Their first attempt failed, but a attempt the north coast. Their first the journey. they completed year later Geography travel up the Fly River from Daru in 1927, cross up the Fly River travel the central mountains and go down the Sepik to protein-starved villagers, but 24 of them soon protein-starved but 24 of villagers, killed by the paid the price when they were the of crew on the Gulf of Papua. Chalmers and co might Chalmers Papua. on the Gulf of seemed a gift from the gods to the like have crushed with stone clubs when they attempted crushed with stone clubs when they attempted Island God to Goaribari to bring the word of Chalmers and 12 companions had their skulls Chalmers with a huge collection of botanical specimens, collection of with a huge skulls from insects, and even painted artefacts village 900km up the Fly, terrifying any dangerous- 900km up the Fly, terrifying and returning with fireworks looking villagers justice. of in the name Moresby Fly, over Luigi d’Albertis steamed Italian explorer the western side of the Gulf of Papua in HMS Papua the Gulf of side of the western Missionary Society ‘soul hunters’, who arrived hunters’, Missionary Society ‘soul 1880s. early in the but haven’t pursued head-hunting seriously head-hunting pursued but haven’t raid at Ipisi, near Kerema, major since the last to the sea also WWII. Their proximity before the London of made the coastal people targets who live in the hills behind the coastal swamp- who live human flesh, for had a taste land. The Anga pottery brought the Port by Motuans from pottery for centuries. Less harmoniousarea Moresby the fierce Anga people, with existed relations lonelyplanet.com The coastal people of the Gulf traded sago for sago Gulf traded the forThe coastal of people