Travel in all forms

By Barbara Tomi of Wantok Niuspepa

HAVE you ever thought of getting to your holiday destination via all forms of transport?

It may unrealistic to the outsider and a lot of hassle but that’s the norm in many areas of Papua New Guinea and especially if you are traveling Rabaraba way, from Alotau in the Milne Bay province.

Travelling by all forms of transport ie: air plane, truck and motor boat or dinghy makes one appreciated the places/villages they’ve passed, improve on local geography, capture the sights, flora and fauna and the landscape and experience the weather. It also brings out a deeper sense of adventure in the traveller. And above all isn’t that what one wants to experience by traveling?

The biggest plus or advantage in this time of economic hardships, traveling this way is a lot cheaper so the traveller can have enough money leftover to puirchase food supplies and other necessities.

A family of three once took such a trip to their home in Rabaraba sub district of the Milne Bay province.
The journey started with an Air Niugini flight PX 154 to Gurney airport in Alotau on December 18, 1998. Alotau was a transit point and they overnighted there at a relative’s house.

For this family, although they originate from that province it was their first visit to Alotau. Their mother grew up in Lae, Morobe province and only went home for holidays by ship directly but had never transmitted through Alotau.

To make matters worse, they arrived in Alotau late in the afternoon due to delays in Port Moresby. There were no public transport available after 6pm and because they did not have pre-arranged transport they were put in a tight spot. However, they were not the only ones who were stranded. They managed to make a group and rented a double seater open back truck. Since Alotau was a fairly small town and most people knew each other they were packed off to their relatives house in time for dinner and sleep.

Travelling via Air Niugini to Gurney Airport in Alotau

The first leg of the journey was over.

The second leg consisted of a road trip over rugged, unsealed and lush jungle to a mooring place along the coast for dinghies servicing the western seaside villages along the mailand. One of which is Wedau, their destination.

The mooring village is Awaiama. Many travellers take this route to avoid a whole day or nights journey through the East Cape passage. And by traveling this way, visitors or villages get to their homes later the same day when leaving Alotau.

Dawn greeted the family in a blazing glory with blue skies and calm sea. After grabbing supplies at a local cash n carry, the second leg of the journey commenced, this time with great anticipation as home, family and rest is but a few hours away.
They set off for Awaiama at about 11.20 am on Saturday, December 19. The road was hard, bouncy and dusty. They were fortunate to sit in the back of the double-cabin Toyota Hilux, comfortable on cushioned seats.

After arrival at the Gurney Airport little Esra with sister Lola wait patiently for the pick-up truck.

Since it was the weekend, the highway was filled with traffic as trucks from Alotau picked up villagers with their garden produces such as pineapples, bananas, taro, chestnuts cooked and uncooked, vegetables and coconuts to take to the town markets. While other trucks deposited their passengers returning from the town after shopping or were just escaping to their roadside or seaside villages to spend the weekend or the festive season.

At the same time, other villages were content to display their produces by the roadside for interested passerbys.

The highway itself is well kept and maintained. Although it is not sealed, the officers of the Provincial Works Department ensures that the road is in good condition and being graded constantly.
The steep areas of the highway is nothing compared to Sogeri road outside Port Moresby with its endless bends or the reknown Kassam Pass or Daulo Pass in the Eastern Highlands province with its height and sharp corners.

The raods is as safe as any responsible driver who values the lives and safety of his passengers.

The cool mountain air during the steep climbs are pure and refreshing which is very welcoming for city dwellers who spend who spend most of their working days in air conditioned offices or polluted outdoors.

The steep sections of the highway ends before Huhuna Health Station turn-off and the site of the coastline will increase the urgency of the impending boat ride home.

The next stop was Awaiama, which is the central point for drop off and pick up for all dinghies and PMV operators serving the route. This port is very popular as a transit point for many people in villagers from Lavora, Divari, Wamira, Wedau, Magavara, Vidia, Girumia, Rabaraba, Boianai, Menapa and as far away as Mukawa and Cape Vogel who goes to Alotau to do their business and for those living in towns/cities to get home for a visit or holidays.
It is also cheaper than air transport as it will cost an adult passenger K15 for a one way trip, K10 for the dinghy ride and K5 by truck.

Little Esra felt asleep on the beach while waiting for the dinghy to take them to the next leg of their journey

Dinghies get to Awaiama as early as 7am especially if the operators have some business to do in town such as purchasing zoom and the return trip is usually made right after lunch or as soon as he has mastered enough passengers.

Unless prior arrangement has been made with a dinghy operator, the dinghy will wait until the passenger reaches the transit point.

In transit there is no fear of hunger or thirst as the villagers always have steaming local delicacies to serve. Shrimps, chestnuts or bananas and vegetables cooked in coconut cream and tulip are favourites and are on the everyday menu as well as fruits such as pineapples, guavas, bananas, coconut milk and not forgetting the well loved betel nuts.

Language is not a barrier as the family found out. Wedau is a commonly spoken language apart from English and a bit of Tok Pisin and as they passed through, they felt at home and among wantoks.

It was high tide after lunch when the family commenced the third and last leg of the journey. High-powered dinghies with 50-55 horse power engines make the crossing to Wedau between two to three hours weather permitting while the lower powered dinghies take five hours maximum.

The big waves shook the aluminum dinghy as it crashed at its side and rocked it from side to side. To a seasoned sailor/operator, it was no big deal as he steadied the boats bow fixing straight for Girumia point.

The point is a rocky cliff stretching six kilometers out to sea from the mailaind while its talons, the reef stretch out further and cautions the seafarers to stay well away when cutting across. Most of the area is uninhabited and shows a visible track of countless feet through endless ages who have walked it. The track is still frequented today by villagers from Lavora, Aigura and even Taupota to visit their relatives at Divari, Wamira and Wedau.

As the family passed Girumia point, the bell tower of the St Peter and St Paul Anglican Cathedral at Dogura with its red tiled roof reflected the fading afternoon sunlight as it make its descend over the mountains.

Having spent almost four hours sitting in a dinghy with two exhausted children sleeping on both sides of her lap, it was a sight that made her heart leap. She is finally home. She has broken new grounds reaching home by air, road and sea transport.

Ends//

Then finally a sign that greets them - Welcome to Dogura