Mount Hagen Cultural Festival a truly exotic event all year round

The Mount Hagen Show will be bigger & better this year

Welda girl from Mt Hagen (Peter Kinjap)

By PETER S KINJAP (Extracted from PNG Attitude blog)

PORT MORESBY - 2019 has brought changes to the Mount Hagen Cultural Show committee in setting priorities designed to regain corporate sector confidence leading to the staging of another colourful cultural extravaganza in August.

A successful team lead by John Bonny has brought forward K30,000 from last year to enhance preparations for this year’s annual cultural festival.

Members representing various organisations have come together to form a strong team including Phil Kelly from Tinining Limited, Pim Mamandi from Paiya Tours, Pauline Grove from Trans Niugini Tours and James Wakapu from Western Highlands Provincial Tourism, Arts and Culture.

John Bonny said the K30,000.00 forms the basis for raising funds this year and he stressed the importance of business community involvement along with key government departments and schools to ensure that one of the world’s great shows will be maintained.

With a history that dates back almost 60 years, the Mount Hagen Cultural Show is one of Papua New Guinea’s finest and most popular cultural events.

The annual show draws tribes from all over the Western Highlands as well as neighbouring provinces for cultural performances, singing and ancient rituals.

Moropangi Dakua men from Bonga, Lower Tambul

It’s a vibrant display of colour, culture and craft. The first event was hosted in 1961 long before Papua New Guinea’s independence in a bid to peacefully share and preserve the region’s traditions.

The rhythmic thumping of kundu drums is the first hint of the festival you will hear if you are around Mount Hagen’s vicinity.

With the last of the early morning fog yet to lift, the field behind Kagamuga showground is already a sea of towering headdresses, colourful flowers and plants, and paint-encrusted faces emitting venue with pulsating chants.

Preparation and dress rehearsals by each tribe take at least two hours. Across the field, hundreds of people are seen in various stages of readiness – tucking leaves, arranging feathers, painting bodies, examining mirrors.

For visitors, it's an opportunity to experience first-hand the customs of some of PNG’s 1,000 tribes in one of the most culturally intact places in the world. This is nothing but a showcase of ‘pride of a tribe.’

At Kagamuga showground on that day in August, you watch the sun's rays catch the morning dew as all the men honour their ancestors by dressing as old men with beards, black, red and yellow painted faces and legs mudded with white clay.

Young Western Highlands girl (Peter Kinjap)

When they dance – holding hands and jogging on the spot in several lines – the rattling of shells, bones and seed necklaces form a mesmerizing percussion to their low chant.

War-like cries and whooping draws the attention of the crowd as the men march round the field forming a circle with spears and traditional axes.

Tourists duck and weave between performers, jostling for the best camera angle - snapping selfies and snapping at other tourists to get out of the way. Curious onlookers are chased and mock-threatened with spears and axes.

Performers are proud to be celebrities for a weekend, and admire and pose with endless patience.

In every corner of the field, performers continue to stamp their feet and shake their as gras (the leaves tucked into the back of their belts).

The closing dance for the day, known as waipa in the Mepla language of Western Highlands, is and usually performed by youngsters in courtship mood, giggling as they hold hands tightly and joggling in a clockwise direction chanting descants of love.

Boys start the circle and jump around with regular chants. Girls look to spot their boyfriends or someone whom they know who they can tap on their back to join them in the waipa ring. When they find their best man, they go round and round joggling through the afternoon until dark.

This year the Mount Hagen Cultural Show is scheduled for the weekend of 17-18 August.

Contact the local tour experts via the following email for your bookings - pngattractions@gmail.com

Icon of the show, the welda girl from Mt. Hagen, pic by Peter Kinjap

moropangi dakua men in traditional attire from Bonga, Lower tambul (1)

moropangi dakua men in traditional attire from Bonga, Lower tambul (1)

moropangi dakua men in traditional attire from Bonga, Lower tambul (1)

moropangi dakua men in traditional attire from Bonga, Lower tambul (1)

Nebilyer men showcasing their colour at the Hagen show. pic by Peter Kinjap

Tambul traditional colour for Hagen. pic by Peter Kinjap

Western Highlanders passing on their tradition to the kids too. pic by Peter Kinjap

Western Highlanders in Australia celebrating PNG's independence with their colour. Picture supplied.

Contact the local tour experts for your next trip to exotic Mt. Hagen Cultural show via the following email - pngattractions@gmail.com

Russia-PNG relationships tightened with historical exhibits

The exhibition "RUSSIA – PAPUA NEW GUINEA" was opened in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation as a part of the international project "Miklouho-Maclay. XXI century. 

Revived History" on April 04, 2019, on the eve of the second in contemporary history of Russia research expedition to the Maclay Coast (Papua New Guinea).

The exhibition was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with participation of the Miklouho-Maclay Foundation.

The photo exhibition, which will not leave anyone indifferent, tells about the history of relations between Russia and Papua New Guinea. 

The exhibited copies of drawings of the Great traveler Nikolay Miklouho-Maclay, made in XIX century during his expeditions to the North-East of New Guinea, and the photos of the Russian expedition in 2017, organized by his descendant and full namesake together with scientists of the Russian Academy of Sciences from Moscow and Saint-Petersburg, testify this.

Igor Morgulov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, made a welcoming speech opening the exhibition. 

He noted that our relations with Papua New Guinea have recently become more active and that the visit of the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Peter O’Neil, to our country is currently planned. 

Igor Vladimirovich also said that our country is ready to accept citizens of Papua New Guinea to study at the Universities, and there are plans to create Russian Corners in Port Moresby and Madang.

 "I am convinced of the undoubted benefits of such events, which make an important contribution to the strengthening of mutual understanding between peoples and, taking this opportunity, I would like to express my gratitude to the Foundation for the ascetic work in promoting the scientific achievements of our outstanding compatriot, and to assure you that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is ready to continue supporting the Foundation and all your initiatives aimed at developing relations with friendly Papua New Guinea", - Morgulov summed up.

The Miklouho-Maclay Foundation Director Nickolay Nikolaevich Miklouho-Maclay told about the history of the exhibition and the expedition in 2017 – it was the residents of Papua New Guinea who sincerely met the expedition in 2017, their attitude to Russia and Miklouho-Maclay prompted to create this exhibition project, which started a year ago in Saint-Petersburg and became so popular - 35 exhibitions have been held with a great success in Russia and Papua New Guinea over the past year! 

Then Nickolay Nikolaevich conducted a tour through the exhibition for the representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Ministries and Departments of the Russian Federation, Ambassadors of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, representatives of Rossotrudnichestvo, the "Russian World" Foundation, the State Museum of Oriental Art and for other honored guests, who, it should be noted, were more than 80 people!

We hope that the expedition of 2019 will further strengthen the relations between our countries, and such exhibition projects could show and tell about the distant, but so close, Maclay Coast, about its inhabitants and its discoverer N.N. Miklouho-Maclay.

The exhibition will be open from 04 to 12 of April, 2019. Address: Moscow, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Smolenskaya-Sennaya square, 32/34, corpus 1, atrium, the 1st floor.

IN an era when many traditional Papua New Guinean customs have been lost to the country’s younger generations, the legacy of the Kenu and Kundu Festival continues to grow in the Milne Bay capital of Alotau each year.

If you are planning for an exotic holiday this year, join the Canoe (Kenu) & Kundu Festival in November 01st, 02nd and 03rd, a spectacular event showcasing the fascinating cultures of Milne Bay and surrounds. 

The stunning traditional canoes and kundu drums used in the festival are a significant part of the lives of the people of Milne Bay. The 'war canoes' are especially crafted from special woods in the same way as those made by local ancestors and the colours and patterns reflect upon the tribe and the area the canoe comes from.

This cultural highlight comprises dozens of canoes, some with 40 plus warriors, adorned in traditional dress and paddling to the beat of island drums, leaving a powerful impression. Races are held amid much rivalry and celebrated with just as much revelry.

The dance performances are even more spectacular with brilliantly attired groups from all around Milne Bay. A festival not to be missed!

Those who find the event complimenting with other recreational activities can think of Alotau as a destination for cruises, snorkel or dive the waters of the Coral Triangle. Exploring tropical fjords in dugout outriggers and meeting generational witch doctors to experience passionate energies of PNG’s most exciting cultural festival.

Staying at Tufi sited on tropical fjords lined with jungles and coral reefs as well as stepping back in time and visit villages whose customs and lifestyle have changed little in thousands of years and getting up close with traditions thriving after hundreds of years.

Touching down at Alotau airport was once the Bob Gurney airstrip during the WW2. 

Aioni Tours, a local tourism SME, provides the pickup at the airport and takes you to experience the village life, traditional basket weaving, traditional fire making, coconut climbing and husking, traditional cooking with clay pots and have the chance to see the last feasting zone during the period of cannibalism in the province. 

Aioni Tours offers bush tracking and water falls; learn about traditional hunting methods used by the locals, survival in the jungle and bird watching to have a feel of the virgin tropical rain-forests.

Hang out with the locals for canoeing and local fishing and have the chance to learn the traditional fishing methods used by the locals living along the coastline for ages. Have the chance to paddle a traditional canoe which is used by the locals as a mode of transport.

Aioni Tour's five packages are:
1). For Alotau highlight tour, visit the sites below (4 hours) AU$80.00 per person 
Bob Gurney air strip during the war, now used as the domestic airport.
John French memorial during world war 2 (1942). Central Memorial, Museum, Local Market, Craft market, Local community schools and Festival Village. 

2). For Village life experience tour, (3 hours) AU$70.00 per person 
Traditional basket weaving, Traditional fire making, Coconut climbing and husking
Traditional cooking with clay pots, Traditional building demonstration.
And have the chance to see the last feasting zone during the period of cannibalism in the province an learn many more interesting stories an activities of how our local people live in there local villages.

3). Bush Tracking and Water fall (5 hours ) AU$100.00 per person
During the tracking an waterfall you will learn about ,traditional hunting methods ,survival in the jungle ,birds watching and also have a feel of the tropical forest an it's different plant species n also enjoy swimming in the water fall.

4). Canoeing and Local Fishing (6 hours)AU$140.00 per person
On this tour you will learn the traditional fishing methods used by the locals ,living on the coastal an island of Milne Bay.
And also have a change to paddle on a local canoe which is used as a mode of transport for locals. And also enjoy snorkeling on the crystal and pristine coaster waters.

5). Skull Caving (6 hours) AU$140.00 per person
This will take an long drive to the tip of Papua New Guinea.
Were you will see the most beautiful part of the country which is the tip of Papua New Guinea with its beautiful crystal waters n islands .
Learn more and see remains of skulls in caves that have been place there ,hundred of years ago during cannibalism.

They also run combination tours upon arrangement.

For more information check our Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/milnebayadventure/

Or
Email: shaneholland177@gmail.com
Phone: (+675) 71862338