New Guinea

personal perspective...

I have been lucky enough to work as a guide & lecturer with four different expedition companies in Papua New Guinea starting from about 8 years ago. Two of these companies still run tours there (see 'how to get there' section below).

general geography

New Guinea is the third largest island in the world, or second if you don't consider Australia. It is the largest island found wholly within the tropics.

New Guinea and Australia are part of the same continental shelf, which has huge implications for the flora and fauna for both regions. During times of ice age, when sea levels are lower, the land masses are connected, allowing constant interchange, and the result is a shared fauna and flora between the savanna and rainforest habitats of both land massses.

But there are some huge and basic differences. As New Guinea is created from activity on the edge of the plates, it has many mountains, with many of thse being much taller than anything in the generally flatter Australia. And these mountains, and much of the land and rivers, is relatively new.

Historically, the island of New Guinea has been ruled by various nations, including Germany and Australia. Today, politically, the island of New Guinea is split in half between two different countries. The eastern half is independent Papua New Guinea (PNG for short). The western half, Irian Jaya or West Papua, is part of Indonesia.

travel in New Guinea...

Travel around New Guinea can be a challenge.

Although it is perhaps not quite as dangerous as most Australian probably think, due to reports in the media, you have to be careful, especially in larger settlements.

And even though this is a developing country, the costs for a traveller are not as cheap as they are in most countries in neighbouring south-east Asia. Therefore, many people opt to go on organized land tours, or on cruise or expedition ships (see below under 'who to go with...')

where to go...

There are several interesting places to explore in New Guinea and I will add more as I can.

I think my favoruite spot so far is the Sepik River.

the rainforest of New Guinea

This huge island includes large tracts of tropical rainforest. In fact, it is really the natural vegetation type for most of the region. This rainforest is a diverse mix of tropical Asian and Australian elements. The plants include primitive southern conifers, asian groups such as gingers and pepper vines, and rainforest members of the eucalypt family such as Syzygium.

what to look for...

Larger animals are hard to see in the wild. The local people depend on them for food, so they are heavily hunted and hard to see outside of the local markets. Thus most of the mammals you will see will be captive, such as wallabies, cuscus and bandicoot.

Unless you are staying at a birdwatching lodge or exploring national park trails, it is the same with many birds.

Among the most famous of New Guinea's birds are the birds of paradise.

But the forest is alive with invertebrates.

Some of the most impressive are the butterflies such as the 'birdwings'; the biggest butterflies in the world.

There are some other types of insects. They are not as pretty, but they are just as spectacular in their own way, such as the stick insects.

who to go with...

There are a few tour companies that do New Guinea.

For birders, North Queensland based Phil Gregory conducts tours there every year with his company Sicklebill Safaris

I have worked in Papua New Guinea as a guide, lecturer and boatdriver with the following expedition companies that always do a great job up there: Coral Princess Cruises and Orion expeditions.