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Potter Smashes Kokoda Record
LITTLE known potter Brendan Buka has smashed the record as the fastest man to trek the gruelling 96 kilometre Kokoda Track in 17 hours, 49 minutes & 17 seconds. Buka, 22, from Eastern Highlands Province, slashed the previous record by 5 hours during the annual Kokoda 24 Hour Challenge on Aug 26 & 27. Buka took out the K10,000 prize money, crossing ahead of 32 year old Sydney engineer Damon Goerke. Goerke who had led for most of the race became the first Australian to finish the track in less than 24 hours coming in third in a time of 19 hours, 28 minutes & 48 seconds. The race on the wartime track made famous by Australian soldiers and their local Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels started at Owers Corner and ended at Kokoda Station. The Kokoda 24 Hour Challenge is in its second year and is organised and sponsored by PNG Trekking Ltd (www.pngbd.com).
Endeavour visits Port Moresby
PORT Moresby's Fairfax Harbour played host to the cruise ship Endeavour on Aug 28. Some 120 mainly American tourists took in the sights and sounds of Port Moresby on a half day tour organised by local tour operator Melanesian Tourist Services before boarding their flights back home. A similar number of tourists who arrived on Air Niugini that afternoon boarded Endeavour for the turnaround cruise of PNG and the Pacific completing that leg in Tahiti.
Emerald Status for Airways
Hotel
FLORIDA based Boutique Hotels and Resorts has announced that
the Airways Hotel in Port Morebsy has earned Emerald Collection status in
the world wide network of genuine boutique hotels. John Sears of Boutique said
they were pleased to appoint Airways Hotel to the seleect Emerald Collection
which comprises of the very best hotels in the destination. Airways Hotel has
completed several service enhancing and hotel amenity projects such as
"Artisan", an exclusive tailors shop with the finest Australian woolen suit
making fabric, a complete fitness centre, refurbishment upgrades to the polside
restuarant with a new menu combining local and international, and a Crabtree
& Evelyn boutique. Airways Hotel is now building a K3.5 million health
& racquet club with a lap pool, special gym, sauna, tennis and
squash modelled on a luxury Dubai hotel design.
Welcome
to Port Moresby
The Pacific Islands Publishing have unveiled their new publication called "Welcome to Port Moresby". This comprehensive guide is an exciting boost for tourism in Papua New Guinea and provides valuable information for the business or holiday traveller about Port Moresby and Papua New Guinea. The tourism guide includes maps, security advice, general information, dining options, entertainment, sights, tours, treks, attractions, diving, destinations in PNG, and the tourism directory in Papua New Guinea. For more information click here and read about it.
PATA Chief to stay at Helm
PATA President and CEO Mr Peter de Jong (pictured) will continue to lead the Association for another three years, PATA 2006-2007 Chairman Mr Richard Beere announced today. "PATA's Executive Committee agreed unanimously to ask Peter to renew his contract through to 2009 and we are delighted that he has accepted the challenge," Mr Beere said. "The committee fully supports the vision and direction that Peter has brought to PATA over the past five years and applauds the outstanding results that he and his team have achieved, especially during some difficult times for our industry." Mr de Jong said he was excited to be able to continue an "agenda of change", which had re-energised and refocused the association during a period of revolutionary change in travel and tourism. "The PATA team has achieved a great deal but a lot of important work lies ahead," he said. "We are focusing on the many exciting opportunities for our members in growth markets such as China, India and the Gulf Region. "We are creating a new strategic summit, we are building on the success of the PATA Travel Mart, we are producing new intelligence products that provide genuine business insights, and we are committed to being a powerful advocate for Asia Pacific travel and tourism." (Source: SPTO Weekly Newsletter Issue 33)
Up Coming Events
THERE's some exciting events coming up as we head towards the back end of another exiciting year in Papua New Guinea. Slated in for the Independence Weekend (14, 15, 16 & 17 Sept 2006) are the popular Hiri Moale Festival in Port Moresby and the colourful Tufi Show. Coming up in November will be the Canoe & Kundu Festival (6 - 12) in Alotau and the Morobe Show (Nov 4 & 5) in Lae. Visit www.pngtourism.org.pg or email info@pngtourism.org.pg
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Cruise Down Under - An Eye Opener
PAPUA New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority's key stakeholder partners to the Cruise Down Under Conference in Cairns from Aug 23 & 24, 2006 have come away satisfied. Representing Customs, PNG Harbours, Quarantine, Immigrations and the main cruise towns of Rabaul and Alotau, participants described CDU as an an eye opener. It gave them a better understanding of the cruise tourism industry, particularly the expectations of the industry in relation to their respective organisations.
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Australian Workshops - A Success
THE Australian workshops organised by the Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority has been a major success with about 300 wholesalers, travel agents & tour operators turning up in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane & Cairns. Seventeen PNG tour operators were on hand to meet these keen agents wanting to discover what PNG can offer as a tourism destination. "This is the best thing that has happened for me because I wanted to meet people who will buy and sell my products," said a delighted Samuel Kepuknai. Kepuknai operates Kiunga Nature Tours - a successful birdwatching operation in the Western Province.
Public Liability
THE Tour Operators Association of Papua New Guinea is emphasizing that all its members to take out public liability cover as a minimum requirement. This is to safeguard their tour operations as well as to give confidence for overseas wholesalers/travel agents to package and market their products. Those that already have public liability cover are Paivu Tours in Rabaul(email: paivu@daltron.com.pg), Milne Bay Magic Tours in Alotau (email: magictours@global.net.pg), Island Adventure Tours in Alotau, Rainforest Habitat in Lae, Tufi Dive in Tufi(email: info@tufidive.com), Paradise Adventure Tours in Mount Hagen (email: elizah@toursinpng.com) and Sepik Adventure Tours.
New TOAPNG Members
THE Tour Operators Association of Papua New Guinea has increased its membership to 25 following the signing up of three new operators. Islands Adventure Tours (email: islandtours@datec.net.pg) in Alotau operates glass-bottom boat tours, reef and island sightseeing and bushwalks. Rainforest Habitat (website: www.habitat.org.pg or email: moc.unitech@global.net.pg) in Lae runs tours with the Habitat area which is home to amaging birds, animals and plants. The Habitat also runs insect farming and trading and operates a guest house. Sicklebill Safaris (website www.sicklebill.com email: ian@sicklebill.demon.co.uk) based in the United Kingdom specializes in birdwatching & photography.
Strategic Development Plan for Surfing
THE Surfing Association of Papua New Guinea has completed phase one in the development of its Strategic Development Plan. The SDP is being developed with the assistance of the World Bank's International Finance Corporation. A workshop was conducted by consultant Hugh Walton and attended by Jennifer Barlett from IFC's Sydney office as well as representatives from Vanimo, Kavieng and Sero (Port Moresby) surf clubs. The underpinning goals of the strategic plans are to strengthen the organisational and administrative capacity of SAPNG. Address issues in poverty alleviation in PNG through surf tourism development and the application of the principles of the SAPNG models of the parallel approach and the reverse spiral model. A draft framework is currently being circulated for members comments.
National Game Fishing Titles
In April this year
the Lae Game Fishing Club hosted the 31st Game Fishing Association of PNG
National Game Fishing Titles. Since the Game Fishing Association of PNG
introduced the event in 1974, the National Titles has grown from strength to
strength to become PNG’s most prestigious annual fishing competition. This year,
around 60 game boats registered and 383 anglers from all over the country
attended the annual fishing event, included 44 anglers from overseas. Among
those present were renowned marine artist and cartoonist, Craig “Pirate” Smith,
and Peter Pakula from Blue Water Boats & Sports Fishing magazine. Pakula, a
huge fan of game fishing in PNG, contributed a massive 8 page write-up to the
June/July issue of Blue Water magazine. In Pakula’s own words, “Papua New Guinea
is a very special destination. There is nowhere else like it. The contrasts of
new and ancient worlds colliding with a spectacular backdrop of tropical jungle
and volcanic mountain ranges is simply wondrous and full of unique experiences.
When you get on that flight back home it’s hard to think of anything else except
for getting back to PNG.” As the word spreads through write-ups like this, the
National Titles will continue to keep putting PNG on the global game fishing
map, drawing more anglers from overseas to help boost tourism in the country. To
read up on Peter Pakula’s take on fishing the Lae Titles, see the June/July
issue of Blue Water magazine, or go to http://www.bluewatermag.com.au
Did
you know? In April 2004, the 29th National Game Fishing Titles drew a team of
anglers all the
way from Alaska!
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