By JACK NOAH YAMAHA
PAPUA New Guinea’s tourism catch phrase ‘expect-the-unexpected’ is very much true to its words to the visiting tourists, both locals and internationals alike when touring many parts of our beautiful country.
The country’s diverse rich cultures and tranquility of natural beauties will surely blow your mind off when traversing through some of the unexplored places in the country.
Lack of better road networks linking many areas and unmanned and almost in a secluded small airstrip such as Oksapmin’s Tekin airstrip in the Telefomin Electorate of Sandaun Province is one of the challenging scenarios in the country that you will truly do not want to see and experience.
This airstrip is located in a very remote and isolated environment along the Strickland Gorge that cuts through the borders of Hela’s Lake Kopiago and Enga’s Kandep districts of the Highlands province.
The impenetrable natural localities and isolations are also some impediments which prevent tourists from not fully complementing their travel itineraries in their quests to conquer some of the world’s treacherous riverine sites of PNG.
This country has massive tourism potential which are not known to the outside world because of tough terrains and tyrant rivers crisscrossing the entire breath and length of the mainland PNG.
Steep cliffs and gorges also become unfriendly scenarios for few weak and older tourists who cannot put up with nature’s hostile reception.
Whilst on tourism issue, a female friend of mine asked me to make a booking for a trip to Tabubil for a private business engagement with Ok Tedi mine during 2022 festive period.
A trip to mining township was my first ever life-time experience and imaginations and curiousness engulfed my mind when I was told to go there on her behalf.
I was quite excited for the trip and so I didn’t waste any time and sent one of my nephews to Air Niugini agent at Rangeview Plaza opposite the City Hall to make a booking for me.
After minutes, he came back with a print-out copy of a booking. And in our amazement, my sponsor was stunned to a jaw-dropping look when she saw a one-way airfare costing nearly K1,700, and she even insists on the figure until I confirmed when purchasing it.
My first attempt to fly out on the 24th December was unsuccessful so I had to rebook to fly on the Boxing Day, which was on December 26, 2022. I was told that I was a very lucky last passenger on PX-900 after the first unsuccessful attempt.
And again, in the morning on that very crucial day, the lady-luck may have gotten herself upset with me for unknown reasons, when waking up and tried to contact a taxi driver to bring me to the airport. Unfortunately, my phone was dead-set off and the driver wasn’t there on time as instructed earlier either.
I was red-faced when seeing my brand-new Samsung S52 Galaxy handset couldn’t care about my maiden trip so I had to purchase one K35.00 one bang phone. I’ve never use unknown phone like this but I have to buy it in such tight situation when you really need it.
Fortunately, I contacted my longtime friend, Jacky Timdan from Oksapmin or better known as ‘Oksy’ and confirm with him of my flight into Star Mountains in next two-hours’ time.
I knew the guy very well so my short stay in Tabubil will be filled with so much of fun and memorable experiences.
When plane touched down at the Tabubil airport, I was the first person to disembark and heading towards the arrival terminal building to catch up with my friend.
I looked around but could not spot him so I gave him a buzz and there he said will be in minutes.
While there, one of my friends from Ialibu Kenny Kevin spotted me and whisk me over to a coffee shop at the terminal and gave me a K50 note and a can of coke before he flies out on his field breaks to Port Moresby.
At the same moment my friend Jacky spotted me and came over to where Kenny and I were standing. After a little while, I bid farewell to Kenny and jumped onto the Jacky’s company vehicle and left.
Jacky and the driver showed me few areas before dropping me off at Catholic guesthouse where I spent two nights. I spent the other two days at Umeng Investment staff quarters down the road to Kiunga.
On a second and third day, a cool dude from Oksy seemingly popular face in town, Philip Sapalit, owner of Umeng Investment. Philip drove me and Jacky to Tabubil Country Club as though being strictly for club members but because Philip being a club member and a prominent personality in there, we were allowed in.
Night was bit unpleasant with freezing cold and we were at the rear end while I briefly scanned the area with anxiety.
Without my knowledge Philip assigned a waitress for couple of greenies with sumptuous dishes to complement his hectic day’s job at workshop. We continued next day but this time without Jacky.
On 30th December I boarded a PMV bus with Jacky for three-and-half-hours ride for Kiunga. We left Tabubil at around 15:30pm and arrived at Kiunga at around 18:30pm.
On my way to Kiunga I contacted a cousin of mine Darrell Timba, a prominent resident of Kiunga town and told me to be dropped off near Cassowary Hotel.
I was met at the location by my cousin’s son which he took me to their house few yards away from the hotel and we spend that night with the family before returning to Port Moresby the next day in the evening.
For me it was an experienced of a life-time as a local tourist in capturing pictures of some breathtaking views and fantastic panoramic sceneries along Tabubil Kiunga highway as a collector’s item to go amongst 3’000-plus photographic memorabilia in my archive.
I feel very proud as a Papua New Guinean that we are so blessed with our country’s natural wonders and beauties are compared one-to-none in the world.
And that only the government’s proposed railway system, upgrading of small airstrips and connect PNG programs be the catalyst for influx of tourists to explore ÂÂÂÂÂÂthe unexplored places in the country.
