PAPUA NEW GUINEA
EXPEDITION
AN UNMOTORISED CROSSING
17th March 2014
Week 1: Vanimo to Green River
With bags packed and weighing in at a crushing 39Kg each, we set off on 15th March. Within the first hour, it became quickly apparent that, despite months of training in the UK, nothing could have prepared us for carrying such weight in the suffocating heat. In brutal sunshine, our body temperatures quickly jet upwards, and within 60 minutes our fingers swell to the size of South African Boerewor sausages. To avoid heatstroke, we carry vast quantities of water, and have developed a routine of walking for twenty minutes, resting for ten.
We have made slow progress on the first few days, acclimatizing our bodies to the routine and slogging through some astounding hills. Admin became priority, and much of day two was taken up as Richard slogged back to Vanimo, depositing 10% of our kit. There is such a delicate balance between freedom from weight and essential reliance on kit, but at this point we have chosen to deposit many of our ‘spares’ back with our friends in Vanimo.
This expedition is the greatest challenge that either of us have undertaken so far, but has been made far easier by the generosity and helpfulness of the local people that we have met in Papua. We have been invited to spend the past few nights in the centre of communities through which we have passed, being supported with sago, shelter and good company- the encouragement has been phenomenal.
We are receiving and grateful for all of the messages of support via the sat phone- keep them coming!
Thanks for following,
Patrick Hutton
[blog called in via AST Satellite Comms]
Having spent every weekend for the past two years salivating over maps, developing an intricate knowledge of obscure knot techniques, and growing to first name terms with the postman, we are finally here, in Papua New Guinea.
The journey to our starting point in Vanimo was arduous. The most cost effective route from London to PNG is not always the quickest, and it was on this principle that we found ourselves sitting in Brisbane, half way through our five flight passage. Richard seized the opportunity to grab some last minute advice from Papua New Guinea’s ‘Lonely Planet’… and was relieved to find very little information on our route. Papua New Guinea is reported to have seen a 30% increase in UK visitors 2013, and with considerable growth in industry we feel privileged to be visiting at a turning point for the country’s tourism.
Our first impression of Papua New Guinea has been fantastic. We were greeted in the airport at Port Moresby by Victor Tremani, of Brunel, who are providing immigration and visa support for our expedition- renewing our visas at the two month limit on our behalf- saving us a lengthily and disrupting journey out of the jungle and back to PM.
We arrived in Vanimo on 13th March- Richard’s 27th birthday. A decidedly monumental way to age. Staying with a Christian family, we took two days to collate additional kit and food, and put out word that we were looking for a local to support the first stage of our trip.
Benson presented himself on our third day in Vanimo. A relative of our hosts, Benson volunteered his services to translate and assist with navigation for the first stretch of our route, from Vanimo to Green River. We were delighted and relieved to have Benson travel with us for this first stage- the road from Vanimo to Green River is approximately 200Km in length, and very rarely walked by locals. Anyone travelling this route would usually do so by vehicle.