Diving Beautiful Tufi... The sun was just breaking as we walked across the tarmac towards the small plane that would take us over the mountains. Anxious to leave on time and with a busy day ahead of them. The two-person TropicAir crew ushered us into our seats as they continued their pre-departure checks. Within minutes we were taxiing towards the runway for our take-off from Port Moresby’s Jackson Field. Once airborne the pilot turned the plane south-east. Heading down the coast as we gained enough altitude to turn north and cross those 4000m high peaks. Early morning is the best time to make that journey over the Owen Stanley …
Tufi
Papua New Guinea: The Facial Tattoos of Oro Province
One of the most visually intriging things about the local villagers around Tufi in Oro Province are the facial tattoos worn by many of the women – something you would not really be aware of without making the effort to visit them… Tattoos, and body art in general, have enjoyed a significant renaissance in western society over the last 20 years or so and have become both a badge of honor for those seeking to firmly establish their non-conformity and a trendy fashion accessory to others. So it was quite fascinating to see them as an integral part of village customs rather than a recent phenomenon. From an anthropological perspective …
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Papua New Guinea: A Kiap Returns…
I have to be honest and admit that I had no idea what a Kiap actually was until I met Doug Robbins & his family over a drink on the verandah of Tufi Dive Resort’s main lodge. Doug had been a Kiap in Papua New Guinea for 4 years from 1969 to 1973 during the Australian colonial rule, and two of those years had seen him & his wife Annette stationed at Tufi. Kiaps were officers of the Australian colonial administration stationed in remote locations to provide the overall management of that area. They were very much multi-functional and required to cover a wide range of tasks, from basic law & order through to census surveys …
Papua New Guinea – Orotoaba Village Homestay
To get a better appreciation of what life is like for the majority of Papua New Guineans - the ones who don't live in the main towns but spend their their lives in their tightly knit village communities - you really need to do a village homestay. Possibly not for everyone... but I thoroughly enjoyed the ones I have done and would definitely do it again! Things we take for granted, like running water and electricity, are suddenly extreme luxuries that will not be available again till you get back to your resort - in my case Tufi Dive Resort on Oro Province. This article documents the first homestay I did in the village of Orotoaba, …
Papua New Guinea: Puri Puri – PNG’s version of voodoo…
They say that travel broadens the mind and I certainly never expected a personal introduction into the inner workings of Puri Puri when I left Sydney for three weeks diving at Tufi in Papua New Guinea... Puri Puri is variously referred to as traditional medicine, PNG's version of voodoo or just plain BS - depending on who you talk to. But there is no doubt that the local villagers believe in it, as any discussion with them will quickly reveal, and perception as they say is reality! However very few villagers are willing to talk in any detail about Puri Puri and the more I tried to find out about this quite unique aspect of PNG …
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