PAPUA NEW GUINEA
EXPEDITION
AN UNMOTORISED CROSSING
Previous Expeditions
The past 150 years has seen multiple expeditions tackle the unforgiving terrain of Papuan New Guinea. Each exped has produced spectacular tales of mythical nuances, several close shaves, and good old fashioned 'adventure'.
Whilst they have racked up some spectacular achievements, to Patrick and Richard's knowledge, no previous expeditions have conquered their aim of an unbroken, North-South, human powered crossing at Papua's widest point- from Vanimo to Daru.
The team will work with Papuan locals on several stages of the trip, hiring one Papuan at a time to accompany them for translations and local knowledge. There will be no hired support to ease the weight burden or provide any sort of domestic luxury.
Below are some past expeditions to PNG, with details of their inspiring journeys. Even two years of research can not unearth all of the achievements in Papua, and if you do know of any other expeditions we would love to hear about them.
Ivan Champion and
Charles H.Karius: 1928
Daru to Vanimo- The Fly & the Sepik
Charles H. Karius and second in command Ivan Champion, completed the first recorded South-North crossing of Papua New Guinea in 1928. Their incredible journey crossed the unmapped and unknown island with a support team of 36 carriers and 12 local police. The team navigated their passage up the Fly River, via Telefomin to the source of the Sepik, and down the river to the Northern coast of New Guinea. This surreal adventure and description of 'old school exploration' played a large inspiration for Patrick and Richard.
Read more: Karius, C.H. and Champion, I.F. Across New Guinea from the Fly to the Sepik. On the expeditions of 1926-27 and 1928 .
Frank Alcorta: 1973/ 1974
Green River to Aitape, Green River to Kiunga, Daru to Kiunga
Frank Alcorta, former Kiap and resident of Papua, successfully completed a unsupported and solo expedition to cross Papua New Guinea at its widest point. This is the only unsupported solo expedition that we can find record of, and is retold in his 2011 book.
Frank completed his expedition in two stages- covering Green River to Aitape in August 1973, returning to walk from Green River to Kiunga in December 1973, and then travelling by boat up from Daru to Kiunga in January 1974. With no support or radio for contact, Frank's journey was the epitome of adventure.
Read more: Alcorta, F. (2011) Trip to the Stone Age. Australia: Chargan.
Kira Salak: 1999
Kira Solo travelled solo to remote communities in the depths of PNG, by dugout canoe, foot and helicopter, publishing an entertaining book on her return.
Read more: Salak, K. (2004). Four Corners: A journey in to the heart of Papua New Guinea. National Geographic.
Kiap Patrols:
1884 to 1975
To date, the bulk of exploration and documentation of PNG was undertaken between the establishment of the British protectorate 1884 and independence in 1975. British and later Australian military units set out to govern the island, appointing ‘kiaps’ or local magistrate officials to remote outposts on the island. The local officers explored huge areas of jungle during well documented patrols- often risky in a then lawless nation. Patrols would often consist of two or three officers, supported by between 20 and 30 local police officers and carriers (NB- it was not uncommon for the number of support carriers and officers to total over 80). Attacks upon patrols were frequent, both by native tribes or the local officers themselves- and lack of documentation lead to fatal mistakes. A 1911 report describes the rediscovery of a patrol led by three Australian officers, Smith, Bell and Pratt. The patrol had been missing for four months, walking 120 miles through jungle before rafting an equal distance down the Kikori river. 11 out of the 26 supporting nationals perished during the expedition. This was not a unique occurrence. In the 100 years between 1880 and 1980, there are over 1,200 newspaper reports of attacks on patrols in PNG.
Despite the numerous violent reports, Papua (like all countries), has changed enormously since 1975. Patrick and Richard's journey aims to dispel some of the negative publicity which Papua is so often blighted with, and highlight the work of all of those who have accomplished such great achievements before them.
Read more: Patrol reports are available via the Australian Government's National Archives.
Will Millard: 2009 & 2012
West Papua: Crossing the Jalan Raya
Will has completed multiple expeditions on the Indonesian side of New Guinea, and is without doubt an expert in the area. Although his expeditions were completed in neighbouring West Papua, Indonesia, his expedition to find the Jalan Raya trade path is very worthy of mention.
Along with tracing the steps of this infamous trade path, Will's secondary challenge aim to his 2009 expedition was to complete the first unaided unbroken crossing of West Papua. Sadly, this secondary challenge was not fully achieved due to political instability in the country- conflict between the Indonesian Military and the OPM put halt to his plans.
Along with his success on the Jalan Raya trade route, Will has also found other ancient trade paths in the New Guinea, after months of searching on foot and pack raft.
Read more: Millard, W. (2009). The Jalan Raya. Uncovering the secrets of Papua's trade on foot. Available at: http://www.willmillard.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Jalan-Raya-Final-Reportweb.pdf . Last accessed: 19th May 2014.