Page 139 - Pacific Paradises 2019

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— Papua New Guinea — Papua New Guinea —

THE HIGHLANDS AND THE SEPIK

The Sepik is an immense, lush, Bird of Paradise worn by the tribal quaint Sepik Spirit, a slow house-boat.
grassland reserve, surrounded elders. Dancing is proud and fierce In addition, Kilibobo Spirit is available
by one of the world’s greatest at traditional sing-sings, with drums primarily for charter, though it doesn’t
river systems, running 1126 beating long into the night. have a schedule. On special occasions the
kilometres from its origins high The Eastern Highlands Province is ship operates expeditionary cruises to the
in the mountains to the sea. a one hour flight north from Port Sepik and the PNG Islands.
Moresby or half an hour from Lae West Sepik or Sandaun Province is near
The people along the river depend or Mt Hagen. Once there, you are the West Papua (Irian Jaya) border and
heavily on it for transportation, water surrounded by steep, rugged mountains is inhospitable terrain. It is home to the
and food. Their cultural links with the covered in dense rainforest graduating Upper Sepik people who move around
Sepik River are symbolised in many of to sub-alpine vegetation. in long, narrow dugout canoes. Travel is
their ancient and spiritual rituals, such always difficult as there are no roads and
as the manhood initiation. This requires The valleys are blanketed in grass and the rivers are narrow.
painful carving of flesh on the backs of the panoramic views contain every
young men with razor blades. Patterns imaginable shade of green. Altitude The centres are Vanimo and Amanab
are that of a crocodile lying on the banks varies from 600 metres in the south and villages around here have strong
of the river. to Mt Michael’s 2750 metre summit. religious beliefs centred on deities that
Goroka, the largest town and capital, lies are believed to hold supernatural powers
The history of the Sepik region reflects
the influence over the years of the at 1600 metres above sea level. that are vital for survival in this remote
missionaries, traders, labour recruiters The Sepik River has no actual river delta and dense countryside.
and administrators. and stains the sea brown for up to 50 East Sepik is the middle and lower region
kilometres. It is said that islanders off the from Angoram to Wewak town. There
Here river and crocodiles, man and
nature have learned to live in mutual coast can draw fresh water straight from are a number of large rubber and cocoa
respect. Parts of the Highlands remain the sea. The Sepik River is navigable plantations along the river flats.
untouched just as they were when first for almost its entire length and winding Wewak is an attractive palm-fringed
‘discovered’ in 1933. its way through the land it resembles a town, which felt the might of Japanese
huge, brown, coiling serpent. The force troops who ‘discovered’ its isolation and
The people are hardy and village of the river tears great chunks of mud its hidden ports around Kairiuru Island.
life depends on subsistence farming. and vegetation out of the river banks
Visitors will be fascinated by the bright and at times these drift downstream Many war memories remain around
ochre colours and two–metre high and appear as floating islands. You can the plantations and a Japanese gun still
head-dresses swathed in plumes of the cruise the middle Sepik aboard the points from the eastern end of the island.

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