Dr Robert Thistlethwaite Travel Snippets25 Travel went with the job in PNG and, except for road travel around Port Moresby or inland to Brown River, was by air. For main internal travel it was in the main TAA, Air Niugini, or Talair, with an assortment of plane types ranging from DC3, Fokker Friendship, Pilatus Porter, and many different light aircraft e.g., with MAF, Adventist Aviation, Bush Pilots. Most flights were uneventful unless you were in a light aircraft at lower attitude when it completely clouded in and you stooged around waiting for a break in the clouds. If aviation gas was running low, then you had to take the risk and make a run for it. Take your hats off for pilots in PNG, especially when landing at places like Laiagam, Tapini, Efogi. But in all the travel I did during my time there and subsequently as a consultant, only once when I was really concerned on a flight from Moresby to Madang on a Fokker, when in the Okapa area the pilot realised he was flying up the wrong valley for his approach to Goroka. A cliff appeared ahead and disturbingly close. He stood the plane almost on its tail, hung on the props and side-slipped out of danger. We exited the aircraft at Goroka a bit white around the gills, decided we would stay in Goroka for the night and forget flying on to Madang. I did not know that the Fokker was so versatile but subsequently learned that it was originally designed for military operations. The pilot was of course feted by all but fit enough to fly on to Madang in the morning. No matter how you got there, you did your work and then hoped to get home. However, in the early 1970s there were several pilot strikes which, while inconvenient, could prove quite entertaining. One was at Madang where I had flown with Prof Lindsay Pryor of botanical fame and whose name graces the National Arboretum in Canberra. We were stuck in Madang for a few short days but made the most of it and, with the loan of a DoF 4x4, explored the Gogol JANT operations, made some WW II forays (the area had seen very heavy fighting during the Japanese retreat to Wewak where they surrendered), and more casually up the north coast accompanied by a couple of TAA hostesses. I did glean some botanical knowledge, but more importantly greatly enjoyed Lindsay’s company. We had both started our forestry careers as Assistant Foresters at Uriarra Forest west of Canberra, and had some things in common, but not his botanical knowledge I am afraid! Another occurrence was on a trip to the Western Province with Kevin White during the dry season. We boated up the Oriomo River to Peawa and travelled a little distance along the road to Morehead. Items of interest included the microtopography which governed ground moisture and drainage during the wet season when swamp covered much of the area except for small hummocks which would have been above the flood level. Along the road was what was then known as Eucalyptus polycarpa, Flindersia and Oreocallis. In wetter areas were E. brassiana and Melaleuca spp. There were also Wattle species. The Oreocallis was in flower and with the reasonably straight boles an extremely attractive tree. The timber was prized locally, and I have always thought Oreocallis to be a grossly undervalued species.
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Article submitted by Dr Bob Thistlethwaite 29 Dec 2019
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