Expedition In New Guinea

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31107, 9 July 1966, Page 12

Expedition In New Guinea

(Specially written for tf The Press** by

GUY MANNERING)

r FHE country is so rugged and the big rivers so rough that with our small jet boats we feel we are at the feet of a giant. The forest is crowded with clang, buzz, clatter, screech and gong above and below.

The forest floor is alive with creatures, which crawl, jump and slither, the trees above alive with parrots and pigeons and bats- They are all seemingly undisturbed by this entry of humans, probably the first ever to camp at this place.

Since leaving Madang, a small coastal port, the three jet boats have traversed 150 miles of coral coast line of the Bismarck Sea, 100 miles of the Sepik river and 70 miles of the tributary Yuat river to establish a base camp in a

clear as crystal backwater of a tiny mountain stream. The sea journey on May 20 bad been the subject of considerable speculation by us New Zealanders, unable, as we had been, to imagine a blue tropical sea lying as calm as any millpond and endlessly blue. Our fears were laid as miles and hours went by to the steady throb of the engines. Our average speed was just better than 30 miles an hour.

We followed the coral-lined forest coast Ten miles out to sea lay the volcanoes Karkar and Manus. They grew in turn to splendid cumulousshrouded islands first seen dimly as though through bluesmoked glass. They drew

abreast and fell behind to join the vanishing 13,000 feet Finisterre range which had been our early backdrop. At mid-afternoon we reached the Sepik, a great brown river flowing sluggardly from a swamp larger than all Canterbury to stain the brilliant sea. The smell of the river reached us even before we could see it It is locally known without great affection as the “Septic” We could readily imagine crocodiles and snakes lurking in the shadows of the dank low crawling growth which lines the banks. After 60 miles we reached Angoram, a tiny river port built on an island of rolling fertile dunes in the swamp. A few yards from the wharf in

the shade of graceful poincianas on the close-slipped grass slopes Europeans in white shirts, shorts and stockings were playing golf. The European population of this town is about 30. We settled for two days and sorted the tons of gear brought here by river steamer for this expedition. Then the ferrying journeys were made 100 miles towards the mountains to establish a base camp in the Yuat. The boats staggered away with loads they could just lift then settled to the usual cruise of about 30 m.p.h. The journey with outboard-powered canoes over this distance is usually made in two days, but the jet boats made the distance in less than five hours against the rapidly-increasing currents. Now we are ready to push into the tumbling mountain rivers with our native carriers and geologists. The picture shows Karkar volcano.