Ponam Island - True Holiday destination

[mangitbay]

"....and that my youthful wish had actually come true: I had visited the island of my dreams in the South Pacific with its waving palms and blue lagoon. ...And as the golden sun sinks slowly in the west, we say farewell to that exotic paradise island of Ponam". Reg Veale (stayed at Ponam till the end of the Pacfic War)

Recently, my family and I flew out of Thunder Bay, Ontario Canada to Papua New Guinea. It was summer holidays for the kids and I got time off from work to take them home. The kids stayed in Port Moresby for awhile. Upon my arrival in Port Moresby via Singapore, my two girls (age 9 & 12 ) told me, "daddy, its boring here in the city; let's go back to Canada".

Holymoly, just hold it girls! We have not gone home yet. We flew out three days later to Manus Province then took a long boat ride (approximately 80 minutes) to Ponam Island.

It was a sight of relief to be back home again after all these years of travelling. The last time we were home was in November 2000.

It was late August and the mood in the community was so high. Like any other celebrations held in a small PNG village, one would say: you could feel it in the air!

All 15 Ponam clans were all preparing for the independence celebrations - in particular the annual North Coast Traditional Canoe Racing. This involved smaller canoes through to ocean going canoes. The canoes were divided into 6 divisions classified according to where a canoe was originally built, either from the mainland people or the Ponam Islanders. If a canoe was made by the mainland people, it would be grouped in one division. The canoes made by Ponam Islanders were further sub-divided according sizes thereby giving 5 separated divisions. In 2004, 2 canoes from nearby village (Tulu) took part.

Monetary awards were given to the winners (1st, 2nd & 3rd) of each category. The annual event was sponsored by some sons and daughters of Ponam Islanders, who felt that it was time they revived building of lager ocean going canoes. This traditional knowledge was close to dying out, and thanks to high prices of gas! The prime minister, Sir Michael also contributed towards this event.The total amount of money was close to K5,000.00.

It was an opportunity to get some video clips of the the whole event. This was done using a Hitachi 240x digital zoom DVD CAM. Once a division race was completed for the day, the video was reviewed by the race committee and judges to confirm placings. My two elder boys (age 15 & 17) were given the task to download the clips onto a laptop, edit then burn onto a DVD disc for the community to watch in the evening. This went on over a four day period.

Apart from the independance celebrations, there were plenty to do; fishing - trolling for marlin, yellowfin, skipjacks, jacks, spanish mackeral; bottom fishing for red snappers and other reef fishes; swimming, diving; or just having few glasses of black lable rum with coconut juice on the beach.

Ponam airfield played a major role in WWII. The island was converted into a Mobile Operational Air Force Base (MONAB IV) (see attached photo) and click on the links below. The airfied was built by the US Navy construction unit known as the Seabees in 8-10 weeks and was generously allocated to the British Royal Navy for their use as the main operational base closer to the action around Philippines and Japan. The island airstrip was called HMS Nabaron.

Few American war planes did not quite make it to the airfield after being crippled by enemy fire. Some of these planes can still be seen in the lagoons surrounding the island. Of particular interest is that of ENG Jensen, a pilot that reported a full strength of Japanese warships slipped by undetected by the Americans. He attacked the destroyers, reporting two hits. He later lost his life while departing from Ponam airfield. His plane can still be seen in the lagoon on the eastern side of the island.

For those who take diving as a hobbie, there is plenty to see. Unimpacted coral reefs; Ponam Island has the longest coral reef in the province; unregistered historical warplanes and many more. Research scientists are very welcome to stay at my place and enjoy an unimpacted marine ecosystem. Just recently, few Bristish pilots that lived at Ponam Island during WWII returned for a visit. They could not belief what they saw!

Here is the link to Seabees building of the airstrip on the island of Ponam in 1944.

http://www.btinternet.com/~faahistoryweb/Seabees_home.htm

Here is the link to a dairy by 2 British sailors relating to the war in the Pacific.

http://www.hms.vengeance.btinternet.co.uk/dbloxam2.htm

http://www.btinternet.com/~faahistoryweb/REM_Veale_1.html

HMS Nabaron (MONAB IV) to the British Navy/Airforce

http://www.btinternet.com/~faahistoryweb/Nabaron-1.htm

Few more general pictures of Ponam Island can be seen at this link.

http://www.pngbd.com/photos/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=4526

http://compositesquadron20vc20.homestead.com/MorePhotos.html

Our 3 summer months were well spent. The kids had fun and were fishing everyday.

The only thing that we kept losing daily were lures. We will surely bring a couple more next time around!

There you go! Yes it was fun and no place is like home! No bills to pay; no waking up in the morning and worrying about removing snow; no cel phone therefore no work related calls; and no security concerns!

You all are most welcome to visit and enjoy a tropical Ponam environment. Call your nearest travel agent and make that booking. Once in Lorengau, ask for any Manusian's at the Lorengau boat shack, and they will be too willing to assist you.

Be prepared to chip-in with food and gas supplies for the duration of your stay. Once on the island, accommodation is free.

You just have to be there to experience it first hand!
lukim yupela gen..........mangitbay

Attachments:

• Picture 1 - Blk & white pic - Taken by US Navy in 1944 - Airstrip. East looking west.
• Picture 2 - September 2004 - South looking north view of the eastern end of the island of Ponam.
• Picture 3 - September 2004 - Indpendence Day "Main Event" canoe racing.
• Picture 4 - Blk & white pic - Taken by Royal Navy - 1945 - west looking east
• Picture 5 - Birds eye view of Ponam Island - 1981 Carrier, A & J picture - East looking west.

[mangitbay]

I am organising a trip to the island of Ponam in late June early July 2005 in conjunction with the Department of History (War Section), University of Calgary, Manitoba, Canada.

The objective is to try and locate the plane of En. Jensen, the first American Pilot that saw the Japanese Naval Fleet, which managed to slip pass undetected.

He later lost his life after taxing from the Ponam airfield a couple of days later after the sighting. His plane can still be seen in the lagoon. We have managed to get a copy of the details on the investgations into this incident.

The first picture (1944 airfield west-looking-east) shows the flight path in yellow. Taking off from the east end and airborne to the west. The second picture shows in red the flight path on a more recent picture of Ponam (1981 - east-looking-west). The remains of the plane can still be seen on the sandy lagoon to the west of Ponam, at approximately in the vicinity of end tip of the red line. The area is currently being used as a land mark for various fishing activities.

I will keep you all posted on the details of the proposed visit.

later..mangitbay

[mangitbay]

From: David C. Wright
Date: 02/15/05 17:53:14
To: matt
Subject: Re: Fw: RE: Trip to Ponam Island?! - Flights details

Matt,

Thanks for all the information; it is valuable. I am going to approach the University of Calgary's Centre for Military and Strategic Studies for funding for this. I don't know what they will say, but since I am writing a biography of Ensign Jensen (my uncle), the island where he lived and worked for the last month of his life (late October - November 27, 1944) is obviously important. Photographs of his plane, the propeller (wherever it is), and of a mass at his crash site would be most useful and also very meaningful to me personally. (I never knew him, of course; I was born in 1960, and he died in 1944).

For the budget proposal I will need hard numbers for all costs. I have already learned that getting to Sydney from Calgary in June 2005 is very reasonable (1000 Canadian). Going to Port Moresby from Australia would be another leg of the trip, and then to Manus would be another leg. The boat passage from Manus to Ponam is another expense, and then I have to figure incidentals and food costs. If you could help me out with estimated costs, it would be great.

Personal safety on Ponam sounds like no problem. I do have a tender tummy when it comes to water (I even got sick from a trip to Hungary last year), so I will bring my own purification equipment. I'm glad it cools down at night; I have good backpacking tents and also a range of sleeping bags I could choose from.

Would it be an imposition if I brought along a relative? (They would of course pay all their own way and stay in my tent.) I've asked my cousins if they'd like to go. We'll see what they say; most of them are spoiled North Americans.

Let's keep talking. Good luck in Nunavut. Sounds like you and I are both headed farther north this month.

Regards,

David

[pitravel]

Dear Mat,
We noted the importance of your return trip to Manus.
Pacific International will be the appropraite Tour Agency to organsie a cheap and less costs trip for your friends and yourself.
If you have not finalise the trip details, please email: pitravel@online.net.pg

Thank you kawasaki.

[mangitbay]

Thanks Kawasaki: I am currently in no mans land, but will do something once I get into the city.

mangitbay