P.N.G. Gossip Newsletter -- 16 Apr 2003

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PNG Gossip Newsletter Meri Milne Bay

Welcome to the

Papua New Guinea Gossip Newsletter


A very special welcome is extended to any new readers. If you have comments or suggestions to make then please click here.

 

Tok Pisin Links
Botanical Gardens National Mapping Bureau
Kudjip Mining
Rainforest Habitat Insect Farming
Port Moresby Roads Marijuana Haul
Press Freedom Freedom of Speech
Miss PNG Red Cross Red Cross
Potatoes Exploding Anchors
Tokua (Rabaul) Airport Porgera Gold Mine
Lae Harbour Tree House Village
Chevron Texaco Bougainville Weapons
AIDS Reporting HTML Version
CAA Fee Increase Dive Links
Moresby Rain Moresby Weather
Passport Scam Kina
Kina Display Bank of PNG
PNG Financial Sites Anzac Day
More Links Transparency International
Hotel Links Miscellaneous Links
Media Sites That's All

 

Articles for this newsletter

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Neo Melanesian

"Pidgin English"
Tok Pisin English
diwai tree / wood (timber)
diwai kros cross
han bilong diwai branch of tree
het bilong diwai crown of tree
lip / lip bilong diwai leaf
pikinini bilong diwai / prut fruit
rop / rop bilong diwai vine
katim diwai i pundaun fell a tree
katim gras cut grass
katim i pundaun / pundaunim cut down
katim long akis/tamiok chop
katim marit annul a marriage
katim tok interrupt

 

 

Remember that this mailing list is mainly meant for people who have an interest and already know a little bit about the people and geography of Papua New Guinea. The PNG Kina, which is mentioned from time to time in this newsletter, is currently worth around 25 United States cents but varies on a daily basis.

If you are really keen on finding out what the Kina is worth a currency converter for most world currencies can be located at http://www.michie.net/pnginfo/moni.html

Want to find out more about Papua New Guinea? Try searching at http://www.michie.net/pnginfo and http://www.michie.net/png_faqs. The PNG Business and Tourism Directory located at http://www.pngbd.com is also an excellent place to look for PNG information.

For those who are not so familiar with the geography of Papua New Guinea I suggest taking a look http://maps.google.com and then click on the find a map option. Go to this link for a quick start to a link to a map of Port Moresby. http://www.michie.net/pnginfo/pom-map.html

Also remember that the accuracy of the information in this newsletter should not be relied upon - it is, after all, a gossip newsletter.



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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-- THE END --

Some of the ways of saying "that's all" are courtesy of Liz and her friends at the University of Technology in Lae. -- http://www.unitech.ac.pg

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Created 16 Apr 2003
Updated 16 May 2004

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