Western Province, A Brief Guide for the Intrepid Traveller
Western Province in Papua New Guinea is one of the last great adventures for any wanderer in the world.
It is both the largest and least populated province of Papua New Guinea.
It has an extensive grassland, savannah and seasonal flood plains and mangroves in it s lower regions and rugged terrain in it upper regions that feature some of Papua New Guinea’s highest peaks.
It has such a range of habitats that the province is home to immense diversity in flora and fauna. From amazing insects to almost extinct bats, giant lizards, marsupial cats, wild deer, wild pigs, snakes and giant crocodiles and an immense range of birds, it is rated as one of the great treasures of the natural world.
Many of Papua New Guinea’s biggest rivers flow through the province, creating large lakes and lagoons including Papua New Guinea’s biggest lake, Lake Murray.
These rivers flow all the way out into sea, creating the Fly River Delta and estuaries that the province is famous for.
The river systems support a variety of aquatic life including the famous barramundi, Papuan bass, various species of catfish, turtles and other species of fish and turtles.
As you move further inland, much of the extensive grassland is quickly replaced by some of the world’s thickest jungles.
Western Province has two distinctive geological ‘parts.’ Half of the province consists of relatively flat flood plains and the other half suddenly rises several meters higher along giant fault lines and then elevation steeply inclines to become some of Papua New Guineas highest peaks.
This phenomena means that you can travel several kilometres by boat to within mountain ranges of Western Province.
It has cause some spectacular geological formations such as the Star Mountains, the Hindenburg Wall and Wawoi falls.
Travelling to Western Province
By Sea
You can catch ships to Daru and to the Balimo from Port Moresby. The MV Danaya runs here but you must check with PNG Ports for schedule. Its costs K300 one way per person and can take you all the way up the Bamu river and the Aramia Flood Plain system to Balimo.
You can also catch a fibre glass with outboard motor at Kerema if you are brave enough. I wouldn’t recommend it because there will be a lot of water and river systems you are crossing and anything can happen out there.
By Air
This is probably the only real safe way to travel this giant province. The main airports in the province include the Daru airport and the Tabubil and Kiunga mining town airports.
Tabubil has an international airport.
Air Nuigini flies to all three of these airports and so to does the third level airlines Airlines PNG.
There are small airfields scattered all over the province that service mission stations, government stations, towns, logging camps and more. These are services run by Airlines PNG (based in Port Moresby), Tropic Air (based in Port Moresby), and Mission Aviation Fellowship (based in Port Moresby).
While travelling in the province is relatively safe, Tabubil has the worst aviation safety record in PNG. If you are worried, you can choose to head to Kiunga instead and drive to Tabubil.
By Roads
Tabubil and Kiunga are linked by roads but for the rest of the province, its air and water travel only. In many places of the province there are extensive logging road systems but the road surface is poor and there are no real PMV services that operate on these, just logging vehicles and some 4wds owned and operated by landowners of the resource projects.
Other Modes of Transport in the Province
The rivers of this province are busy with boats and barges that run up and down everyday. Some of them support the giant Ok Tedi Mine and its activities in the area. Others are logging barges that transport logs down the river. You could probably ask around and get a free ride, but you’d have to know people who could help.
Banana boats are the main forms of transport in this Province. Boat fuel is quite expensive in many places between K8 — K15 litres for Zoom and people normally organise themselves into groups to hire boats. Boat hire itself is K250 as set by the Government but you also have to pay for fuel on top of this.
I went for a return trip from Balimo to Bamu and all up it cost me K500 for the boat hire and K1200 for the fuel. It was quite and expensive trip.
You could travel by sail boat and canoes with small outboard motors but this can take days of travelling up or down the river. What the people here do is use the tidal surges to travel upstream as the surges can get quite high and help push the canoes along. Many of the canoes do not use out riggers so there is always a chance of capsizing into the water.
By Foot
The locals can walk for days. You can join them if you want.
Things To Do & See
Lake Murray
This is the largest lake in Papua New Guinea, it is located in the Middle Fly District of the Province. It covers 647km2 but during wet season this can increase by over 5 times. It has a 2000 km shoreline. It is fed by a collection of rivers and drains into the Fly River.
Lake Murray is famous for its ancient forests that provide habitats for an immense amount of wildlife including several bird species and possums.
Its waters are home for several fish species that include Barramundi, Saratoga, Catfish, the rare and endangered freshwater sawfish and others.
Lake Murray also has a great mystery of an ancient possibly prehistoric flying creature that has and or still lives in the area and has been spotted by many people including missionaries and more. It is known as the ‘Murray.’
You can hike around the lake or take a dingy across. You can join the locals to go hunting, do some bird watching or fishing.
There is also a crocodile research station here.
Star Mountains
If you follow the Fly River you will come to its source, high up in The Star Mountains.
These mountains are an immense limestone formation that crosses the border into Indonesia. Some of the highest mountains of PNG are found here including Mount Juliana (4700m).
The rainforest environment here is of dense undergrowth, moss and fern, adapted to the high rainfall of this area. It is home to bats, possums, tree kangaroos, tree cuscus and a striking array of orchids and more.
Mysterious large caves, sinkholes and stunning gorges can be found here, created by water eroding limestone.
One cave, the Luplupwintem was discovered to contain the only surviving Bulmer’s fruit bats.
One of the must see phenomena of the Star Mountains is the Hindenburg Wall, a immense cliff up to 1km in height and 40 km’s in length.
Balimo and the Gogodala People
Balimo Station is located in the Middle Fly Area, along the flood plains of the Aramia River.
The area is the home of the Gogodala people. Gogodala people are famous for their intricate but fascinating cultural beliefs, their art and their ancient practice of building giant long houses that could accommodate whole village.
Their distinctive culture that has attracted a lot of researchers.
Every year they hold the Gogodala canoe festival between April and May and features beautifully crafted canoes of each of the Gogodala people’s four tribes racing each other.
This is an ancient Gogodala practice and attracts visitors from all over the world every year.
Travel the Fly
The Fly River is the third largest river in Papua New Guinea. It is also the 23rd largest river in the world. It has a total catchment area of 76,000 square kilometres.
This vast river which begins in the Star Mountain, is the integral part of an ecosystem that hosts an incredible array of life including an 120 fish species and waterbirds, as well as the fly river pig nosed turtles, crocodiles, frogs, prawns, reptiles of all sorts.
The savannahs, its giant estuary and wetlands also sustain a wide range of animals including wallabies, possums, non-native Rusa deers and more.
It has around 39 delta islands, the largest of which is Kiwai Island, famous for its dancers and the reputation of its ancient warriors.
Bamu River Monsters
The Bamu River is famous for the legends and stories of its river monsters including giant snakes and eels that call its dark, turbulent waters home
Wawoi Falls
The giant Wawoi Falls in the province lies in the Wawoi District of Middle Fly. A spectacular waterfall, some argue it is largest waterfall in PNG.
Endangered Snakes and other reptiles
Western Province is the last home of the mighty Papuan Black. Killed of in many places, this dangerous and beautiful snake is now only found in some places of Papua region and especially in the Western Province.
You can also spot a lot of the province various types of crocodiles and reptiles including goanna’s and possibly unclassified species of frogs and small lizards.
Birdlife
Over 50 percent of New Guinea’s total bird population is found in the eco-regions of Western Province. Every visitor to the province will talk about the birds, whether they are a birdwatcher or not.
There has never been a comprehensive book or documentation on the bird life in this province but when I was at Balimo I saw Pelicans, Hornbills, Eagles, Birds of Paradise, Parrots and numerous other types of birds.
Other birders have reported Twelve wired Bird of Paradise, Flame Bower Bird, Southern Crowned Pigeon, Southern Cassowary, Little Paradise Kingfisher, Great billed Heron, Hawk Owl, Painted Quail-thrush, Black Sided Robin, King Bird of Paradise, Black Faced Monarch, Emerald Ground Dove, Superb Pitta and a host of migratory birds.
The main bird watching areas are in the Morehead and Nomad/Lake Murray Areas and Bensbach at the Bensbach Wildlife Lodge. Balimo is also another great spot to Bird Watch along the Aramia flood plains.
Tonda Wildlife Management Area
Visit the Tonda Wildlife Management Area. This area lies in the south-west of the province and is a wetland of significant international importance and is the largest protected area in PNG.
It covers some 590,000 hectares and includes forests and wetlands in the Fly flood plains.
It is sparsely populated and hardly receives visitors.
It is compared on a world scale to world heritage sites in Africa and Brazil and despite the relative age of New Guinea and the fact that the Tonda Wildlife Area is located on an island, its diversity in flora and fauna, especially its bird life, has it earmarked it to become a possible world heritage site.
250 species of resident and migratory birds have been found here, including most of the world’s population of Little Curlew which stage on the plains during migration. Other birds include Birds of Paradise and Brolga.
Fifty mammals have been recorded in this area including animals that have not been found anywhere in New Guinea which include the Spectacled Hare-Wallaby, False Water Rat, Bronze Quoll and Chestnut Dunnart.
Western Province Safety Tips
Life Vests
When travelling on the Waters, remember to always have a life vest.
Snake Guards and Hiking Boots
As well as the Papuan Black, the province is also home to one of the world’s top five venomous snakes, the short and muscular Death Adder. The snake with the world’s fastest strike normally hides under leaves, rotting wood and jungle floor litter. Snake guards and proper boots can help keep you out of its deadly strike.
Insect and Leach Repellent.
The jungles of Papua New Guinea are famous for the assorted color of leaches you can find sucking on your body when you are in thick jungle. In Western Province, you need to have repellent and always be checking yourself for the buggers.
Insect repellent is also needed to keep away the mosquitoes and other bugs. Malaria can be quite severe.
Malaria
If you are travelling here, it’s best to go on a malaria suppressant and bring malaria medicine with you. Just call into your nearest pharmacy and ask for assistance and they will put you on the plan. Also take some garlic pills, which is a known mosquito repellent.
Cholera & Sanitation
Western Province, especially in Daru and lower parts of the mainland where badly affected by recent cholera outbreaks.
Make sure to have hand sanitizers, always wash your hands with soap and avoid public toilets such as those at the Daru airport. Bring water purification pills to treat any water you are drinking.
After the outbreak, you can find bottled water everywhere in little trade stores, even in the middle of the jungle
If you are in places known for outbreaks, take extra precaution. If you are feeling ill, get to the nearest outpost as soon as possible.
Take along hydration packs, if you get the runs, have the hydration packs to keep your body properly hydrated.
You can also get vaccinated for Cholera in Port Moresby and other centres before travelling here. Enquire at any hospital or clinic and they will show you where to go.
Crocodiles
Be wary when you are close to the water line for crocodiles. These creatures normally avoid places of large human population.
Don’t Wander Into the Jungle Without a Guide
The jungle here is so thick in places. I was told stories of people who wandered into the jungle and got lost, some who were found and some who disappeared altogether.
So don’t go into the jungle alone. It’s also a good idea to have a compass and a proper map in your back pack.
Security in Daru, Kiunga and Tabubil
These towns are relatively safe but have known hotspots and security issues. In Daru it’s probably not a good idea to wander around alone at night. Speak with the locals to find out information in regards to security.
Weather Watch
If you want to go birding or fishing, it’s good to know when the dry and wet seasons are because the weather in the Province is monsoon like. Dry season is probably the best time for activities like birding and fishing etc.
Wet Season is between November and May. Dry Season is between June and October.
Accommodation in Western Province
Daru
Tawo’o Hotel -
Kuki Guest House –
Tabubil
Hotel Cloudlands
Kiunga
Kiunga Guest House
Kiunga Lodge
Balimo
Beayamo Guest House — Balimo K120 per night, K20 per meal.
Mana Guest House — Balimo, K80 per night. House with kitchen, cook you own meals on Kerosine stoves.
Bensbach
Bensbach Wildlife Lodge
Lake Murray
Lake Murray Guest House
Morehead Guest House
………
Sources including my own experience, interviews with locals as well as the following links.
