by Ghillieshot » Mon 11 Mar, 2013 4:46 pm
Hey Guys,
Well I don't normally say much on here, but this is a topic I definitely know about. I am an Aussy, but was born up here in PNG in the Goroka hospital. For the first 8 years of my life I grew up in the Kuman tribe, just outside of Kundiawa. We worked/work with a mission organization (main base just out of Goroka) and would frequently have the 12th grade class stay with us one night so the next night they would head to Wilhelm. These were great years of spending time with the Newguineans. We then moved out of the Kuman tribe in 97 and started working on the base just out of Goroka. I spent the rest of my schooling there at the school. Anyway, my senior year (12th grade) me and a bunch of my mates attempted Wilhelm. We were experienced with the land and we were all in great shape, though we didn't have experiance or equipment for such a hike. We went up after one of the coldest weekends in a long time. I tell you it was really hard, one of the guys going with us got Hypothermia, but luckally he had served in the OZ military and knew how to deal with it. It is not an easy hike, the drive in alone wears you out.
As for hiking in general in PNG, it's more of a safety issue. I spent 20 years here and I am currently working here again for a year, I am fluent in Pidgen and understand basic Benna and Kuman tribal languages and I still wouldn't attempt to hike out alone, or even with someone. I do know a lot of Newguineans around this base and in the Goroka valley, so I do occasionally get some of my local friends, and mission friends to go out for hikes up mountains and so. But if you know nothing about the culture or the language, it would be very challenging as we 'Whits' have endless supply of 'stuff' in their eyes and so if you aren't cearfule or ready, they will take gear and whatever they can get their hands on.
So enough with the negatives. The PNG people are really lovely people once you get to know them and their culture, but if you are the typical ignorant white man, they will take advantage of that. For the most part. Its a great country. I love it, hence why I am back here working.
The other down side to it is the cost to fly in to PNG. I got tickets here in Oct last year, $550 from Adelaide to Cairns, and I believe it was about $400 from Cairns to Pom to Goroka. Plus they only allow 16 kgs of baggage when traveling in PNG. You get slogged the excess baggage weight fee. So I believe it cost about the close to $500 to get from Cairns to Goroka and that is only a travel time of 2 hours. Where as Adelaide to Brisbane to Cairns is about close to 6ish hours. So the cost alone is a downer.
I have friends who have flown to the US and back to AUS for the price they had to pay to get in to PNG. But you may be lucky. 21 years of this and its still the same.