PNG-why we get nostalgic.
Grandpa Aerotart
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PNG-why we get nostalgic.
This is a tourism ad for PNG that appears in Japan. Its got a bit of everything, flying, diving, surfing, wartime stuff, flora and fauna etc. Some of the young blokes who think they might like to go there for the flying might find it interesting.
To give it some balance the fella getting the coconut or any one of the Mud Men prancing around could be the fella standing at the road block wearing a balaclava and carrying a home made shotgun...but like everywhere 95% of the population are wonderful, friendly people...well maybe its 85% in places like Moresby. Get away from the main coastal/highland towns though and that goes up to 99%.
It really is a magical place...in my time there I saw, first hand, everything in this film and tons more.
http://www.air-niugini.co.jp/vtr/index.html
Enjoy....it makes me want to go back for a diving holiday
To give it some balance the fella getting the coconut or any one of the Mud Men prancing around could be the fella standing at the road block wearing a balaclava and carrying a home made shotgun...but like everywhere 95% of the population are wonderful, friendly people...well maybe its 85% in places like Moresby. Get away from the main coastal/highland towns though and that goes up to 99%.
It really is a magical place...in my time there I saw, first hand, everything in this film and tons more.
http://www.air-niugini.co.jp/vtr/index.html
Enjoy....it makes me want to go back for a diving holiday
Last edited by Chimbu chuckles; 17th Nov 2006 at 18:13.
Damn you Chimbu, 
thought I had got the place out of my system.
Waterfront at Morsbey has changed a bit since my time ( late 80's ), but as for the rest..........................
thought I had got the place out of my system.Waterfront at Morsbey has changed a bit since my time ( late 80's ), but as for the rest..........................
Man Bilong Balus long PNG
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Aw heck Chuck, You really know how to make a bloke get all nostalgic now don't you?
I was only a short timer; total of 18 months there. Enjoyed it immensely, it being the best time of my life, and deeply regret the manner of my leaving!
I was only a short timer; total of 18 months there. Enjoyed it immensely,
it being the best time of my life, and deeply regret the manner of my leaving!
I never lived there, but did many trips to various places. A particularly memorable one was to Walindi. I did the most amazing dive trip on the 'FeBrina' for 10 days around Kimbe Bay. Breathtaking.
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Oh god here we go... another 1000+ thread that somehow defies all the rules of PPRuNe... if it was that good, why don't you all go back... 
Seriously though, it's rather nice to be able to look back on some of the golden years of one's career. It was Europe for me, but there are some great memories of some interesting flying and some neat people. Not quite as many creepy-crawlies though...
Seriously though, it's rather nice to be able to look back on some of the golden years of one's career. It was Europe for me, but there are some great memories of some interesting flying and some neat people. Not quite as many creepy-crawlies though...
Grandpa Aerotart
Thread Starter
CS Walindi was like a second home for me after the volcanic eruptions in Rabaul kicked us out of town and wrecked our homes.
Max, Cecily and Al Rabe are old friends....I spent a week on Febrina as 'invited crew' in late 94...all I had to do was unblock the odd dunny and pay my bar bill..and keep Al company because the boat had been chartered by a Yank family who were non smoking, non drinking vegan fundamentalists. Al cornered me at the bar one night at Walindi with the fax outlining their 'requirements' and begged me to come out on the week long dive trip to give him 'moral' support...i.e drink with him when they had gone to bed at some god awefull early hour....every morning we were woken by two large splashes as the mother and daughter dived over the side and swam laps of the boat for half an hour...we would stagger out bleery eyed, me from my cabin and Al from the floor of the bridge, and watch them in hope a shark or three would take an interest...but no such luck.
The first 2 days this family looked at Al in absolute horror...it was like Mr and Mrs Howl and the skipper from Giliigan's Island...but then as usual Al's incredible intelligence, natural infectous enthusiam and awesome knowledge of the world in general and the Bismark Sea in particular won them over.
In fact just been emailing Al about doing a dive trip from Walindi->Rabaul with him next year. It is long past time I took my daughter back to where she grew up until she was 7 and introduce her to the best diving on the planet.
Max, Cecily and Al Rabe are old friends....I spent a week on Febrina as 'invited crew' in late 94...all I had to do was unblock the odd dunny and pay my bar bill..and keep Al company because the boat had been chartered by a Yank family who were non smoking, non drinking vegan fundamentalists. Al cornered me at the bar one night at Walindi with the fax outlining their 'requirements' and begged me to come out on the week long dive trip to give him 'moral' support...i.e drink with him when they had gone to bed at some god awefull early hour....every morning we were woken by two large splashes as the mother and daughter dived over the side and swam laps of the boat for half an hour...we would stagger out bleery eyed, me from my cabin and Al from the floor of the bridge, and watch them in hope a shark or three would take an interest...but no such luck.
The first 2 days this family looked at Al in absolute horror...it was like Mr and Mrs Howl and the skipper from Giliigan's Island...but then as usual Al's incredible intelligence, natural infectous enthusiam and awesome knowledge of the world in general and the Bismark Sea in particular won them over.
In fact just been emailing Al about doing a dive trip from Walindi->Rabaul with him next year. It is long past time I took my daughter back to where she grew up until she was 7 and introduce her to the best diving on the planet.
You'd have dived on the Jerry Garcia memorial bombi then.....
I went out with Al in 96. Never had such a good time diving, it was indescribable. Outside of flying and skiing, its the best fun you can have without a woman. 
Back to the flying though.....
I went out with Al in 96. Never had such a good time diving, it was indescribable. Outside of flying and skiing, its the best fun you can have without a woman. Back to the flying though.....
Silly Old Git
Seems the PNG out flung islands have mostly avoided the pox of rascals from urban and highland areas?
Wonder where the next pacific island basket case is gonna be that needs Aussie forces ? PNG ,Solomons, Fiji ,Tonga.....ut oh
Kiwiland ?
Wonder where the next pacific island basket case is gonna be that needs Aussie forces ? PNG ,Solomons, Fiji ,Tonga.....ut oh
Kiwiland ?
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Wonder where the next pacific island basket case is gonna be that needs Aussie forces ? PNG ,Solomons, Fiji ,Tonga.....ut oh Kiwiland ?
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Ha!
Might pop down on Wednesday to have a few at the Yottie and a few more at the dreaded Dero Klub with whoever is propping up the bar these days.
Maybe you could corral the Kiwis on Tasmania!
Might pop down on Wednesday to have a few at the Yottie and a few more at the dreaded Dero Klub with whoever is propping up the bar these days.
Maybe you could corral the Kiwis on Tasmania!
well...what do they say missfits, missionaries and mercernaries?
so tin, chuck, torres, pinky what are you? or was it just for the love of flying, sp, meris and the scenery?
so tin, chuck, torres, pinky what are you? or was it just for the love of flying, sp, meris and the scenery?
Man Bilong Balus long PNG
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for the love of flying, sp, meris and the scenery
All of the quote above and then some! Well sp longnecks actually, not to mention the cheap 'strong drink' (Black label Johnny Walker) that could be had at the Club Dero.
Grandpa Aerotart
Thread Starter
Kiwis corralled and Tassy?
Well at least Senator Bob Brown would no longer be the weirdest guy on the Island.
Troppo. For me PNG was just a great place to misspend my youth...it appealed to me on every level...even getting stuck up at gunpoint was worth it.
Give it 10 yrs and I bet the place will be under Australian administration again. It might be a great place to retire to.
Well at least Senator Bob Brown would no longer be the weirdest guy on the Island.
Troppo. For me PNG was just a great place to misspend my youth...it appealed to me on every level...even getting stuck up at gunpoint was worth it.
Give it 10 yrs and I bet the place will be under Australian administration again. It might be a great place to retire to.
Man Bilong Balus long PNG
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Give it 10 yrs and I bet the place will be under Australian administration again.
Someone correct me if I am mistaken but I seem to remember some of the more switched on PNG Nationals positively begging Canberra not to give independence at the time, saying that they were'nt ready for it!!
I definitely remember many times being asked by Village Elders at so many bush strips.....
''When taim bilong Masta come back?"
Silly Old Git
Pinky I can remember Goff and cronies touring TPNG before the "Its Time" election and spruiking about independance.
Junior gave him a right bollocking at Goroka airport 
Junior gave him a right bollocking at Goroka airport