Gold in them hills

 Wau landscape

 Wild West Wau

 Digging for gold

 Taking a break 

Easter trip to Wau so a 7am start but the pmv bus is not going anywhere until it has found a full load of passengers and bags of beetul nut cargo for exporting to Lae. 10.30 we set off but arrive in Lae too late to get transport up to Wau so a night in a cheap hostel for delf, my guide Jimmy from the Council’s nursery gardens (whose family come from Wau) and his friend who has come down from Wau to meet us.

So then at last – up into the hills, the truck winding its way around the contours at the edge of precipitous chasms in dense forest with just glimpses of the rocky rivers below. As we rise so the climate becomes more temperate with pine trees and bamboo and clearer views of the rivers where individuals and families are all panning for gold that they can sell in Lae. At Wau Jimmy’s family are away somewhere so we walk (if that’s the right word) out of the village  which is the last one in the valley and amazingly looks like an American gold rush outpost. We stagger across long deserted gold mining quarries, through the bush and across rivers in the pouring evening rain to our companion’s abode which he shares with half a dozen other earnest, hardworking and teetotal colleagues (so much for the cans of beer that Jimmy has been carrying!).  we are well looked after and in the morning greeted by hoards of children who have come from far and wide to see and marvel at the waitman

The serious gold mining has moved to the Hidden Valley just over the ridge where we can hear the helicopters and machinery. On this side nevertheless gold is still found, one sparkling piece in a rock I lost clambering about, such is life! One guy recently found a good size nugget which he sold for 6 million Kina following which everyone speaking his small clan’s language naturally came to congratulate him and share in his good luck. Another clan claimed that the gold was found on their land so wanted their property back – a few battles, not many deaths and the the police arrived and characteristically demolished a dozen houses before leaving it to the village court to resolve matters.

On our return the truck left early but then encountered a number of landslides that had blocked the road to traffic. Rather than going back we climbed and slid in the mud without falling into the valley to meet another truck attempting to travel in the opposite direction and so, home safely after a 12 hour journey and ready for work the next day.

a single fortnight

St Patrick's day mayhem

Desert Island picnic

Settlement near town centre
"Doctor Livingstone I presume"

Week 1 – we have visitors from JICA (Japanese aid organisation) who are hoping to fund a central Market upgrade and extension. The Market is run (badly) by my Council who carry out no maintenance until something falls down and the water supply has been cut off for years due to non-payment of bills despite the Market providing a significant part of the Council’s income. Jica ask if any existing buildings or trees need to be kept. “No, everything can go if you like” the volunteer planner wants the big shade trees keeping and happily JICA agree leaving it for him to specify which ones. A planning application has to be made (“just a formality”) which will be decided upon in Port Moresby. Jica ask about public consultation “very important to us” they are told that the Council think its important also and after everything has been designed there will be a public consultation week before building starts. Jica insist on a series of public and traders meetings in the next month.

Week 2 – visiting Australian Aid partners arrive with 12 most welcome computers for the office, a meat thermometer for health section and the promise of a GPS hand held mapping device for my section. Most of the time is taken up waiting for meetings with important officials about extending their working relationship – but they can’t expect any decision before the June elections.

Never mind, had a good St Patrick’s day picnic trip I arranged with a few other volunteers to a couple of nearby islands with sandy beaches and friendly natives and at Easter am hopeful of a trip by bus to Wau, near the hidden valley gold mine where a tanker carrying cyanide to the mine fell into the river and by an amazing coincidence all the river fish died only days later. Still the temperature there is more temperate and I will meet relatives of our youthful chief gardener who I will travel with

Internet access remains decidedly dubious, maybe I should add internet to my conditions for extending my stay but again this is a subject where no decisions will be made before the Elections (if then). J