Links
Warning: PNG web sites seem to come and go. The fact of life is that it costs money to host a web site (try -- http://pngwebhost.com -- for an excellent, reliable but cheap deal) and there is not much return on the outlay to most businesses in PNG due to very poor e-commerce infrastructure. If you do click on a link and use the services or even have some comments to make then please contact the people at the relevant web site and let them know so they at least know that someone has gained some value from their efforts. If you are so inclined then mention that you heard about them from this web site. -- The PNG Gossip Newsletter.
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Do you have a web site or link to a PNG related area on the WWW? If so do you want it mentioned here? Then send an email to -- pngnewsqueue @ pnggossip.com
Blogs
The Obregon Family Blog -- http://theobregons.blogspot.com/
Flying to Kundiawa -- http://juhauitto.blogspot.com/2007/11/flying-to-kundiawa.html
Rabaul Daily Photo - Details of Fire Dance Mask -- http://tinyurl.com/2e2rh7 -- and -- http://tinyurl.com/26q3p7
Rich Western tourists on a cruise along the Sepik River and their interaction, or lack of it, with the local villagers -- http://kbirk.blogspot.com/2007/11/blog-entry-number-7.html
PNG is a raw land, remarkably untamed -- http://tinyurl.com/3yw5za
A Day in a PMV -- http://tinyurl.com/22uf5f
Up the river with a bag of money -- http://fly2.ws/vhveJUX
Sepik - an insight -- http://tinyurl.com/34kunl
Adventures from Solomon's to PNG -- http://tinyurl.com/3x35ec
PNG Links
Nambawan Super -- http://www.nambawansuper.com.pg -- was -- http://www.posf.com.pg/
National Superannuation Fund -- http://www.nasfund.com.pg
Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papua_New_Guinea
PNG Tourism Promotion Authority -- http://www.pngtourism.org.pg/
Lonely Planet Destination Guide -- http://lonelyplanet.com/destinations/australasia/papua_new_guinea/
PNG Government Online -- http://www.pngonline.gov.pg
An extensive history of PNG -- http://www.geographia.com/papua-newguinea/
Jane's PNG Home Page -- http://www.janeresture.com/png_home/index.htm
CIA - The World Fact book -- http://tinyurl.com/2hqxj5
Digicel PNG -- http://www.digicelpng.com
Telikom PNG -- http://www.telikompng.com.pg
PNG White Pages Directory -- http://www.telikompng.com.pg/WhitePages.aspx
National Soccer League -- http://www.pngfootball.com.pg
Map of PNG -- http://graphicmaps.com/webimage/countrys/oceania/pg.htm
See the magnificent wonders of PNG, including the infamous Kokoda Trail -- http://www.adventurekokoda.com.au
About the PNG National AIDS Council -- http://staging.nacs.org.pg/www/html/7-home-page.asp
Steamships Trading History -- http://www.steamships.com.pg/stc_history.html
Thread Needle Embroidery - For quality professional embroidery service pay a visit to -- http://www.threadneedle.com.pg/
PNG in the News
The Vancouver Sun writes about exploring primitive PNG in modern times -- http://tinyurl.com/2fp7g4
Three suspects allegedly involved in a series of criminal activities in the north Goroka community in EHP escaped from the back of a police vehicle -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/112207/Nation%2015.htm
Landowner concerned over lack of service delivery -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/112307/Nation%2016.htm
Photo of the day -- http://www.gadling.com/2007/11/22/photo-of-the-day-11-22-07/
News Items
Cyclone GUBA
Tropical Cyclone GUBA recently dumped litres of rain on Moresby and surrounding provinces causing untold damage in Oro Province, but what does GUBA mean. According to my contact in Brisbane GUBA in Motu means sky? or Heavens? Motu is one of the three official languages of PNG.
Oro Province
http://www.popondota.anglican.org/
Oro Province has suffered from the deluge of rain dumped on it as a result of Tropical Cyclone Guba. The death toll continues to rise as rescue workers make their way through the affected areas. At last count the total was reported as being higher than 150 -- http://tinyurl.com/2r5fc8 -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/112107/Nation%202.htm -- and -- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7101316.stm
Oro devastation shocking -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/111907/Nation%201.htm
PNG declares state of emergency -- http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22783623-1702,00.html
Aid has been slow -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/112307/Nation%204.htm
Water is a problem -- http://tinyurl.com/yoxqlt
Many organisations have responded with help. Digicel donated K20,000 followed closely by Telikom with K30,000
Caritas sends flood relief funds for Oro -- http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0711/S00407.htm
Australian teams fly to devastated Oro -- http://tinyurl.com/yo9uzj -- and -- http://tinyurl.com/2oxh3n
Aid flies in! -- http://www.newnation.vg/forums/showthread.php?t=114759
Aussie military planes provide flood aid -- http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22803828-1702,00.html
Trucks help address fuel and water shortage for PNG's Oro province -- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=36564
The weather has even been rough in the islands -- http://rabauldailyphoto-jules.blogspot.com/2007/11/stormy-weather.html -- without photos and -- http://rabauldailyphoto-jules.blogspot.com/2007/11/stormy-weather-try-again.html -- with photos.
In the middle of all this an earthquake rattled Lae and Madang. -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/112307/Nation%202.htm -- I even felt it in Goroka. My daughter accused me of shaking the meal table!
ENB Disaster Fund
With the effects of cyclone Guba still being felt around PNG the East New Britain provincial administration, with the help of a special project unit, is in the process of designing and implementing a multi-programme to fit a K20 million disaster fund. Half of the K20 million allocated would be put towards securing plantations and between K5 and K6 million would be spent on infrastructure in the province.
Girua Airport
As reported in the last issue of The PNG Gossip, Air Niugini services to Girua the airport that serves Popondetta and is the main airport for Oro province has been isolated from the town so Air Niugini has suspended services to the airport.
Hoskins Airport
Hoskins Airport, the airport that serves West New Britain and the town of Kimbe, has been closed to jet operations causing flight disruptions as Air Niugini has one of its Dash 8 aircraft in the hanger for regular, planned maintenance.
PNG Budget
The 2008 budget, worth K8.9 billion, has been handed down by Finance Minister Patrick Pruaitch.
The budget has offered Income tax relief for low income earners - a drop from 25 per cent to 22 per cent for some workers. Some stamp duties have also been abolished. Money has been set aside for the Liquid Natural Gas project.
PNG Games
The PNG Games have been successfully held in Lae, Morobe Province. The PNG Games is a subsidiary of the PNG Sports Foundation. Cell phone company Digicel is the official communications sponsor so PNG Telikom donated K10,000 to Papindo and Shorncliffe Team Morobe to strengthen the team's efforts to win more medals. It seems Telikom is currently running one step behind Digicel when it comes to an activity.
http://www.thenational.com.pg/112007/sports%203.htm
http://www.thenational.com.pg/112207/sports%2010.htm
http://www.thenational.com.pg/112007/sports%209.htm
K5 million Flying Robbery
The hijack of a Tropicair aircraft (P2-DRS Kingair C90) and K5 million destined for the mining towns of Tabubil and Kiunga was foiled by quick action by aviators finding the aircraft and subsequent police intervention. The plane landed at the Daugo airstrip on Fisherman's Island where some of the robbers escaped with guards and pilots to the mainland leaving one man with the money. One of the alleged robbers was shot dead in the mangrove swamp just outside Port Moresby. The two pilots were found nearby handcuffed to a tree.
http://tinyurl.com/yrxc9k -- and -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/112007/Nation%201.htm
Portable Charger
Recent entrant to the mobile telephone market in PNG, Digicel, will soon introduce a hand wind-up device to help remote villagers charge their mobile phones. The charger will be given away free to Digicel mobile phone purchasers. Digicel has extended their mobile network signal to many locations where household power is not readily available. The charger also includes a radio, torch and siren.
http://www.digicelpng.com/
Digicel has donated K20,000 to help the people of Oro Province.
Kalibobo Spirit
The newly acquired Kalibobo Spirit has arrived in Madang. The Kalibobo Spirit was built in Picton New Zealand by Carey's Shipyard in 2004 from timber and coated with epoxy and fibre glass over a two year period. Initially it was designed to operate in the Malborough Sounds and named the Swannee River, the name was changed upon its acquisition by the current owner, Sir Peter Barter, Chairman of Melanesian Tourist Services Limited (MTS) primarily for his private use but available for charter to selected guests. The ship has a 20 line telephone exchange and connects to the outside world via Iridium and Optus Satellite equipment. Passengers are also able to have access to internet.
http://www.kalibobospirit.com
Utu High School
The Utu High School near Kavieng in New Ireland Province is being upgraded to take Grade 11 next year and Grade 12 thereafter. The school can now undergo renovation to accommodate the extra classes.
US Art Collection
The media was recently taken on a private tour of the "Art in Embassies" collection held in the home of the US ambassador to PNG, Ms Leslie Rowe. The exhibition featured New Guinea landscape, study for New Guinea landscape one and study for New Guinea landscape two, by a former US soldier Anthony Soppelsa, who remarkably completed them while stationed near Nadzab in Morobe province during World War II.
Pineapple Building
Has the Nambawan Superannuation company taken on more than it can handle? The Managing Director, Leon Busikins, of Nambawan has signed a Memorandum of Agreement to renovate the Central Government offices and the Pineapple building at Waigani in Port Moresby. Both buildings have stood idle for many years and have been stripped of everything that is not bolted down. The government currently pays K90 million annually for rental of office space around town.
http://www.nambawansuper.com.pg/
Digicel
DIGICEL, the new entrant in the mobile phone sector, plans to set up an "eight-lane each way" data transmission highway at the cost of US$25 million (K73 million) to provide Papua New Guineans with cheap means of hi-tech communication.
see -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/112007/Business1.htm -- for full story.
Sports Budget Slashed
The PNG sports budget has been slashed by a massive K1.3 million in the 2008 budget. The PNG Sports Foundation has only been allocated K2.75 million compared with K4.075 million which its predecessor PNG Sports Commission received in the 2007 Budget. Dreams of becoming the premier sporting nation in the South Pacific may now not realisable. A separate allocation of K300,000 has been set aside for PNG's participation at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Umm, let's see how many officials will be able to travel on that budget to the Olympics. The PNG Sports Federation had submitted a figure of K450,000 for the Olympics.
Tropical Polar Scientist?
Dan Zwartz, Polar Scientist, recently spent some time in PNG measuring the movement of the tectonic plates. Where the Australian Plate is colliding with the Pacific Plate, there are a lot of fault lines and earthquakes, and the land is pushed up into high mountain ranges.
http://questacon.typepad.com/polarpassport/2007/11/a-polar-scienti.html
Australian Smartraveller
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Smartraveller advisory service has released a new Travel Advice for PNG -- http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Papua_New_Guinea
NasFund Acquisition
Nasfund has acquired 20 per cent equity in Hornibrook NGI Ltd. The superannuation fund said the acquisition was based on "a number of sound reasons, including Hornibrook's commitment to excellence and social responsibility by looking after its workforce." -- http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/pireport/2007/October/10-24-16.htm
Kart Series
Len Pianta and Chris Pevy of Team Bishop Brothers found a winning combination to collect their maiden title in the 2007 Port Moresby Kart Series championship. Both Pianta and Pevy made use of the absence of former champions Urss Cotti and Yiannis Nicolaou to win early races of the 2007 championship to put them on course to victory.
St Mary's School
St Mary's Primary School in Wewak has received K40,000 Prime Minister's office in Wewak. The presentation was part payment of a commitment of K80,000 which Sir Michael made in 2003 when he personally presented K10,000 to the school for maintenance of school facilities. The money was drawn from the Prime Minister's district services grants (DSG) from the previous budget before the national election. Chairman of the school's board of management Peter Taiko thanked Sir Michael for his generous support but added that because of the increase in prices of goods and services over the years, a building which would have cost K80,000 to complete in 2003, would now need about K120,000.
New Ireland Cocoa Export
New Ireland is set to export its first shipment of cocoa. Currently Rabaul-based Agmark Pacific buys cocoa from New Ireland but exports it out of Rabaul. Local company, Tutuman Integrated Products, will have the honour of making the province's debut cocoa export.
Soccer Draw
PNG's Telikom National Soccer League (NSL) board chairman John Kapi Natto has officially announced the release of the 2007/2008 NSL draw during a media conference held at the PNG Football Association office in Port Moresby
http://www.pngfootball.com.pg -- and also -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/112307/sports%201.htm
Coming Events
Anti Corruption Day - 9th December
Christmas Day -- 24th December
New Year's Day -- 1st January
Medical Symposium - September 2008, Rabaul East New Britain.
40th anniversary of the PNG Institute of Medical Research - between the 18th and 22nd of June 2008 in Goroka
Do you have an event that you want advertised? Send email to -- PNGNews[@]pnggossip.com
PNG Media
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