FERGUSSON ISLAND – 16th April The D’Entrecasteaux Islands are situated near the eastern tip of New Guinea in the Solomon Sea in Milne Bay province of PNG. The group spans a distance of 160km, has a total land area of approx 3100km2 and is separated from the PNG mainland by the 30km wide Ward Hunt Strait in the north and the 18km wide Goschen Strait in the south. The three principal islands are Goodenough, Fergusson, and Normanby. In addition there are numerous small islands and reefs, Sanaroa and Dobu are the most significant of the smaller islands. The highest peak in the group is the 2,566 meter Mount Vineuo on Goodenough Island. Fergusson Island has an area of just over 500 sq miles and most consists of mountainous regions covered by rain forests. There are three large volcanoes on the island. We arrived at 7:00am today under slight overcast skies that quickly cleared to the usual clear blue by 8:00am We were split into two groups, AM and PM, for our Dei Dei Hot sprints Tour and had been warned that this would be a hot walk. No kidding, as we left the shade of the beach we headed up past well tended garden plots, immaculate village buildings and along pathways boarded by orchids towards the hot springs. The walk only took about 40 minutes each way and we spent about an hour at the springs investigating the large number of geysers and mud holes. The water in these is so hot that it cooks food in seconds and is deadly if fallen into…….Dei Dei Hint – stay away from the edge
West Fergusson Island is famous for its woven baskets which can be very elaborate in their patterns. These are made from the small Sago Palm and we actually saw the fronds being dried around the Hot Springs.
Our guides Kathy and Rose were very knowledgeable and eager to share information about their home. They were very excited to show us the new bridge that has recently been built from proceeds of previous Orion Day visits.
PIDGIN WITH JUSTIN – Afternoon I am going to have Justin Friend our Expedition Coordinator and Papua New Guinea expert put together a little info on Pidgin that I will share upon my return to the US. Our crash course today was extremely educational and with Justin’s special brand of humor, very memorable. I have learned a number of words that I could not possible share in writing. However, I have listed a couple of phrases below:
Good Morning – Morning Tru Can I take your photo – mi laik kisim poto bilong yu? My name is – nem bilong mi What is your name? - wannen nem bilong you. Thank you – Tenk yu tru.
West Fergusson Island is famous for its woven baskets which can be very elaborate in their patterns. These are made from the small Sago Palm and we actually saw the fronds being dried around the Hot Springs.
Our guides Kathy and Rose were very knowledgeable and eager to share information about their home. They were very excited to show us the new bridge that has recently been built from proceeds of previous Orion Day visits.
PIDGIN WITH JUSTIN – Afternoon I am going to have Justin Friend our Expedition Coordinator and Papua New Guinea expert put together a little info on Pidgin that I will share upon my return to the US. Our crash course today was extremely educational and with Justin’s special brand of humor, very memorable. I have learned a number of words that I could not possible share in writing. However, I have listed a couple of phrases below:
Good Morning – Morning Tru Can I take your photo – mi laik kisim poto bilong yu? My name is – nem bilong mi What is your name? - wannen nem bilong you. Thank you – Tenk yu tru.
No comments:
Post a Comment