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2005 PNG Coffee
Festival
THE increasingly
popular Papua New Guinea Coffee Festival for 2005 is set for 5, 6 & 7 May at
the Raun Raun Theatre in Goroka. There will be more than 30 traditional singsing
groups as well as educational exhibits on coffee; agriculture; fisheries;
livestock; business development; tourism & culture; banking & finance;
vocational education; radio communications and technology to rural areas;
horticulture & cut flowers; arts and crafts; pottery making; woodworking;
alluvial gold mining; farming equipment & demonstrations and many more. The
art exhibition runs for two weeks, while the Coffee Ball will be on the night of
May 7. The festival is a must see for all PNG coffee lovers. For more
info telephone: (675) 732 1602 or email: tours@goldfinance.com.pg For
more upcoming events visit: www.pngtourism.org.pg Heritage Listing for Kokoda
Papua New Guinea's fastest growing tourism icon - the Kokoda Track -
could be added to Australia's National Heritage Listing. According to the
Weekend Australian newspaper (12 March 2005), it has learnt senior
heritage officials are discussing the Kokoda Track, Gallipoli and a schoolhouse
on the Somme in France for listing after fears the Anzac Cove had been damaged
by recent road works. Milne Bay, where the battle of Milne Bay was fought and
Buna in Northern Province where the battle of the Beachheads was fought are also
been considered for listing. Kokoda was arguably Australia's most significant
campaign of World War II where more Australians died in the seven months of
fighting that in any other campaign. Shane Warne not
coming
Shane Warne
is not coming to do the ANZAC Trek, but that does not mean Papua New
Guinea will miss out completely on the list of top Aussie sports personalities
walking the famous Kokoda Track in April. Former cricket captain Allan Border
and rugby league legend Mal Meninga will now lead the assault on
Kokoda culminating with the first formally organised Anzac dawn service at the
sacred Isurava Memorial on April 25 to remember the fallen diggers who fought side by
side with the brave and gallant Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels. The expedition
which starts on April 18 at Owers Corner will also include Border's son Dean,
former rugby league player Paul Osborne and Hon Mal Brough MP Minister for Revenue and
Assistant Treasurer. The celebrity trek is the initiative of the Blue Skies
Foundation to raise funds for kidney research. Organisers also expect
hundreds of international and local trekkers to be at the service as well,
because close to a thousand people will be trekking the Kokoda around this
time. More Cruiseliners visit PNG
PAPUA New Guinea has seen more cruise ship visits, in the first quarter of this year after visits by the Japanese Peace Boat, and the luxurious Asuka to Rabaul and Madang respectively in January. One of the world's most luxurious cruiseliners Europa with 400 tourists on board visited Rabaul, Madang and Wewak in late February. Rabaul's Mt Tavurvur volcano was spewing ash on the morning of the 25th when she entered the majestic Simpson Harbour. The Europa's sister ship Columbus berthed in Port Moresby allowing passengers to travel by plane to Mount Hagen, while others toured the attractions of Port Moresby. Paradise Adventure Tours have been the ground operators for the two cruise ships for the last five years. Another regular visitor to PNG - Clipper Odyssey also sailed into Port Moresby in March with some 100 tourists - mostly from America, Australia and Europe. North Star Cruises of Western Australia will start its Adventures to Paradise cruises to PNG in October, while the Coral Sea Princess - also from Australia - will start about the same time.
PNG cruise
specials
PAPUA New Guinea's premier cruise operator Melanesian Tourist Services (MTS) is offering specials beginning in March up the magical Sepik River and the exotic Trobriand Islands. All cruises will be aboard the luxurious Melanesian Discoverer beginning with the Easter Sepik Cruise departing Madang on Mar 24. The cruises also extend to off-shore islands in the Solomons & Bismarck Sea. While these cruises are designed to cater for international visitors, MTS offers Bona Fide PNG residents
"standby rates" subject to conditions. For information on all
other cruises by the Melanesian Discoverer email: mts@mtspng.com or visit: www.mtspng.com Madang Resort Expands
ONE of Papua New
Guinea's premier hotels - The Madang Resort Hotel, part of the Melanesian
Tourist Services (MTS) Ltd - is undergoing a major K12 million
expansion. To be known as the Kalibobo Resort, work has already began
on an adjoining up-market development to the current seafront resort.
It will include 100 new deluxe and executive rooms and a new
waterfront facing the vast blue waters of the Bismarck Sea. For More information
on the Kalibobo Resort or for holidays in Madang
and PNG contact MTS on Email: mtsoperations@mtspng.com or visit
website: www.mtspng.com.
Telephone: (675) 3112050 Facsimile: (675) 3112060 
Extreme
Adventure
Journalist Chris Ord from Australia's ultimate travel magazine Get Lost ( www.getlostmag.com) and freelance photographer Mark Chew took to the jungles of Northern Province hunting for wild pigs. Chris and Mark were guests of the Gauga people, who live on the banks of the Karaisa River - a tributary of the mighty Musa River. Accompanied by local hunters, they went out to the singoide siko - the sacred hunting grounds of the
Gauga people after going through some primitive good luck rituals. Chris and
Mark are now back in Melbourne working on their articles. For more info on the
hunting trip email: info@pngtourism.org.pg Fishing titles a
success
The Game Fishing
Association of Papua New Guinea's National Titles held over Easter and the
preceding week was a highly successful tournament. Hosted by the Madang Game
Fishing Club, it was fished in perfect weather with even the smallest boats able
to go beyond Bagabag Island. A total of 285 anglers fished off 40 boats, with
boats visiting from Lae and Port Moresby. The largest Blue Marlin weighed was
126kg, caught by Kathy Chue on 24kg line. 'Tribal Thunder' landed 6
big yellowfins up to 58kg, with Ian Middleton landing the 58kg fish on 8kg line,
a new national record. The other meritorious fish was a Robinson, again
took out both the Junior and Senior Female Highest Point Scoring Angler
throphies. The 2006 titles will be held in Lae.
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