Week 1 & 2

My orientation has started at a steady pace, which has been good to allow time to adjust to new ways of doing things (both inside and outside the compound).

The first few days were spent with my link person, Sharlene, who showed me the quirks of my house and the compound I'm on, and took me to a selection of supermarkets in town. I've also had tours of the other four MAF compounds, two of which are next door, one a few blocks away, and another near the airport.

My compound - my unit is in the grey building,
upstairs on the right

So far the main thing that has been taking up time has been the intensive Tok Pisin language course - I'm very glad that I had been working through another introductory course since March last year, otherwise it would have completely overwhelmed me by now!

My Tok Pisin course materials

Here are some other photos from around town...

Typical pot-holed street once you get off the main road

Mt Hagen 'CBD'

People selling tomatoes at the market

Upmarket homewares store

Going for a walk with some other MAF folks
(Rondon ridge, overlooking Mt Hagen town)

Arrival at MAF PNG!

September 2021 had been initially proposed as my arrival date in PNG (based on me finishing work in Mareeba in July and taking 8 weeks for home assignment). Then it was moved to November, but with the hassles of getting an MIQ spot and me only arriving back in NZ in early October, it was decided that I should aim to arrive in mid-January (since my orientation would not be able to happen over Christmas, and the annual programme meetings are held in the first two weeks of January).

International travel is not what it used to be! In addition to booking flights, I also had to arrange for a pre-departure Covid test and make sure I had all the necessary paperwork: proof of vaccination, approval from the PNG Controller to enter the country, visa, work permit, etc. The limited flight schedules also meant that I had to stay overnight in Sydney and Port Moresby en route. In spite of all this - and no doubt because many people were praying - everything went as smoothly as could be expected, and I arrived in Mt Hagen on 18 Jan.

Unity within the team is something that Todd, the country director, has been leading and focusing on over the last few years, and I was given a very warm welcome by many of the staff and their families, who came to meet the plane. It's great to finally arrive, and when the rest of my stuff arrives (hopefully this week) I'll really be able to settle in to my new home.

Arrival at Port Moresby

Flying on MAF from Port Moresby to Mt Hagen

Being greeted by staff at Mt Hagen

Welcome bouquet

Welcome message

Welcome balloons

Tararua tramping

Before leaving NZ, I was keen to do a multi-day tramp. My friend was available between Christmas and new year, so we kept an eye on the weather forecast and chose a 4-day window of good weather to attempt a new (for us) route: Holdsworth lodge (car park) - Mid Waiohine hut - Maungahuka hut - Totara Flats hut - car park. It would involve two big (>1000 m) ups and downs and two medium (500 m) as we went up and down from one river system to another in a loop.

Day 1 was cloudy with drizzle, but forecast to improve. We got away from the carpark by 8:30 am and had lunch at Powell hut (12:10 pm). From there we continued up to the summit of Mt Holdsworth - well and truly in the Tararua clag! From there it was down and then briefly up to Isabelle, then 1000 m of descent to the Waiohine river. We finally arrived at the hut at around 7 pm, wet, tired and ready to collapse.

(GPS data: Distance 14.2 km, ascent 1436 m, descent, 1334 m, 10 h 30)

On the descent I had started thinking of alternatives, as our onward plan would have us doing a descent of similar altitude loss and gradient on day 3...

a) we could be pig-headed and attempt to continue as planned

b) perhaps we could get to Maungahuka hut as planned, then take the route to Kime and then out to Otaki Forks (a route that we had done previously, although it would mean arranging for someone to collect us)

c) we could have a rest day and then retrace our steps, staying at Powell hut overnight if necessary

d) we could build a raft and float ourselves down the river to Totara flats (not really a viable option!)

We opted for c.

Day 3 we left the hut just after 7:30 am, and set ourselves a time of 3 pm as a go/no-go from Powell hut. Heading back up the hill about which we had said two days earlier, 'I'm so glad we don't have to go back up this,' we eventually made it to the tree line, Isabelle, Mt Holdsworth summit, and Powell hut for lunch at 2:20 pm. Being New Year's Eve, there were some families and other groups already arriving for the night. Powell hut is one of the few in the Tararuas that needs to be booked in advance, and the thought of having to sleep on a bench or the floor was the motivation we needed to keep going.

(GPS data: Distance 13.3 km, ascent 1312 m, descent 1426 m, 10 h 10)

It took about 4-5 days for our legs to completely recover!

Waiohine river

Mid-Waiohine hut

Climbing back up the big hill

Goblin forest near the tree line

Tackling Isabelle

Contemplating Mt Holdsworth

View from Mt Holdsworth summit