Trip to the Highlands: Day 1

The premise for this trip was to check out some field sites for a research project. Eight sites had been selected at which to do fieldwork, each site at a different altitude - what is called an altitudinal gradient. The first site was in the lowlands at 200m, the last in the highlands at 3,700m close to Mt. Wilhem, the highest mountain in PNG (at 4,500m). Each intermediate site was separated by 500m elevation. So... 200, 700, 1200 .... 3700. You get the idea. See this graphical representation drawn (innacurately) by Sentiko!



Three PNG students would be doing their surveys at each site. My trip was a little breakaway group of myself, Katka (Czech PhD student) and Brus (botanist from Madang). We would be going to each site, spending an hour or so looking for ficus (fig) trees, and then moving on.

Sounds straight forward, but all trips (or patrols as they call them) in PNG are logistical nightmares. Basically, everything we needed, including food, for a 7 - 10 day trip would have to be taken with us as we could not rely on being able to re-stock at any point. So we loaded many boxes of savoury biscuits (bigpela biskit liklik prais! - big biscuit, low price!), noodles, rice and all equipment necessary to the venture onto two landcruisers in the rain.



Team photo. Student assistants on the left, Sentiko (with diagram), Brus (below him), me, Martin (driver), Legi, Katka, Pagi (all students), Chris (project leader) and Francesca (student). So, basically, I was along for the ride!



There are very few sealed roads in PNG and, having left Madang only an hour or so, we were on a dirt road driving through wildly undulating hills and valleys. It was very hot and we were crammed into the back of the cruiser along with all manner of bags, jerry cans, food and equipment. Not the comfiest journey.

The cruiser behind us had roof rack trouble. One of the 'legs' had snapped off so it was sloping somewhat and had become unstable. Eric & Martin taking a break.



We had planned to visit the first site, but due to extended last minute shopping in Madang and the roof rack trouble, we only made it as far as Brahmin.



Here, we unloaded the kit, said goodbye to the landcruisers who headed back home, and took rooms in a catholic brothers guest house. See Chris contemplating the Lorrrr-dah!



We only had electricity until 9:00, then the generator was switched off. We would be without electricity for the next 5 days as we moved through the sites.