Some Tourist Highlights of Papua Niugini Quiz

Answer: New Britain

Rabaul was the largest town on the island of New Britain, one of the main islands aside from the eastern half of New Guinea that form the country of Papua New Guinea. The incorrect options are the other three main islands. After it was virtually destroyed by ash from a volcanic eruption in 1994, the district capital was moved to Kokopo, about 20 km (12 mi) away as the crow flies, and almost half again as far by road. Before the eruption, Rabaul was known for the fantastic scuba diving opportunities it offered, and for its magnificent harbour, which made it a high priority target for armed forces to use during World War II.

The mask festival is only one of many reenactments for the benefit of tourists that we will be seeing. Like the rest of them, it is based on ancient tribal rituals, but what the 21st century tourist sees is not necessarily completely within the tradition - some secret rituals should not be opened for public scrutiny by the uninformed. This ritual comes from the Tolai people who live in this area. At dawn, canoes land at Kokopo beach, carrying the duk duk (male) and tubuan (female) spirit figures. The duk duk wears a body covering of leaves that makes it look somewhat like a walking shrub, and a conical mask on its head. As the embodiment of law enforcement, they are fierce and remote. Tourists will observe some of the ritual dances, but the legal proceedings which actually constitute the majority of the proceedings will not be open.

A short distance away, you could spend the following day in the Baining mountains, with interesting treks (or just wandering through the villages), and in the evening watch a traditional Baining fire dance. You know the one, where they walk barefoot across burning coals. You might even want to try it yourself. I'll look at the pictures, thanks.

Answer: Return of traders from their annual voyage

The Motu Koitabu people used to travel westwards across the Gulf of Papua in their lakatoi - multi-hulled dugout canoes with rigging that is referred to as crab-claw sails - to exchange the pottery artefacts that their people made for food from the Erema people. They set sail when the southeasterly winds arrived, and returned when the northwest winds took over. The return of the voyagers meant there would be food for the year, as well as other trade goods, and was thus a cause for serious celebration. Improved agricultural techniques means they are no longer dependent on the trade, but the festival continues. The crab-claw sails do indeed resemble large crab claws held vertically, so that the bottom part is solid, and the sides curve upwards to nearly meet at the top. The canoes look very top-heavy, and it is easy to believe that the voyage was more than a little hazardous!

As well as the arrival of the lakatoi, the festival features canoe and outrigger races, choral singing known as peroveta, and traditional dancing.

Answer: Kokoda Track

The terrain (rugged mountains, and a narrow path that can only be navigated on foot, or hands and knees in places), the climate (hot humid days and near-freezing nights), the regular heavy rainfall that turns everything to mud, not to mention the risk of catching diseases such as malaria along the route, make this a challenging trip for any tourist.

The most fit may cover the 96 km (60 mi) in about three days, others may take up to two weeks. (I would never make it at all, and am in awe of those who do undertake this trip in memory of those who died there in WWII.) We will be hosted at villages along the way, and the Koiari and Orokaiva people who inhabit them will offer fresh tropical fruit (such as the cauliflorus fig in the picture) for your refreshment.

The tourist industry has become an important source of income for many of these villages, although there are some disputes as to whether they have been receiving their fair share of the money paid by tourists. Those of you who choose to travel by airplane to meet us at our next stop 130 km (80 mi) east of the trail end at Kokoda have my blessing.

Answer: Bark

Tapa is made from the bark of the breadfruit tree, the paper mulberry tree, or similar. Once it has been dried, soaked and beaten it forms a somewhat pliable cloth which can be painted with traditional designs. Sometimes the standard-sized pieces are glued together using tapioca starch to make larger ones. They are often given as gifts for important celebrations. Nowadays they are frequently worn for the entertainment of tourists, as part of demonstrations of traditional music and dance. Tufi is one of the main centres of tapa production in the South Pacific.

If you are not interested in the textiles of the region, perhaps you would like to go scuba diving or snorkeling. As well as a vast amount of offshore coral reefs, you can explore a large range of World War II wrecks, some in the actual harbour, some requiring a charter boat to reach.

Answer: Singsing

There are many singsings in Papua New Guinea, some staged specifically for tourists rather than as the traditional intertribal ceremonies that they once were, but the Goroka Show is one of the largest and most spectacular. It was started in the 1950s by the Australian Kiaps (the local name for representatives of the Australian government), to encourage intertribal cultural sharing. You can expect to see around a hundred different tribes displaying their unique cultures.

Answer: Mudmen of Asaro

According to legend, the people of the village of Komunive were overwhelmed and forced to flee, hiding themselves in the Asaro River, concealed by the bushes along the bank. When they thought it was safe, they emerged covered in mud, and frightened the waiting enemy warriors, who thought they were spirits of dead people and ran off in fear. So significant was this victory that it became a traditional means of defense against future raids.

However, to increase the impressive effect, they not only coated their bodies in mud, but they also used masks made from the white clay to be found at the river's edge to form masks, often with tusks from wild pigs used for added ferocity. You may see similar shows at other villages, but only that of Komunive is the real traditional thing. (The picture shows a different river, Kalo Creek, but illustrates the riverbank concealment available for the legend.)

Answer: Bird of Paradise

The picture actually shows a Greater Bird of Paradise, while the national bird of Papua New Guinea is the Raggiana Bird of Paradise, which has slightly different colouring. The walks through the reserve will offer plenty of opportunities for photos - over 250 species of birds have been recorded here, as well as kangaroos and bandicoots, animals which most people associate with Australia rather than Papua New Guinea.

The Torres Strait which separates the island of New Guinea from Australia has been a land bridge at times of lower sea levels, and there are marked similarities between the fauna in the two currently-separated lands.

The scenery is also spectacular, and if you get too hot you can rest in the shade of the oak trees which are the main species of tree in the sanctuary.

Answer: Mt Everest

Papua New Guinea has over 850 languages currently in use, primarily because of the extreme isolation of the tribal villages in the mountainous highlands. Residents of Kelglsugl call the mountain Enduwa Kombugu; if you travel with a group that takes you on the more difficult ascent that starts in the village of Ambullua, you will find that it is called Korikhi Khu; English-speaking administrators adopted the name given it during German rule in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when it was named in honour of Kaiser Wilhelm.

The ascent of Mt Wilhelm starts through mountain rain forest, then proceeds along an alpine grassland valley to two glacial lakes where climbers spend the night. Actually, they only spend part of the night there, as the final ascent is usually started around midnight, so that the peak can be reached around dawn. Although the climb does not require ropes and other equipment, it is often treacherous underfoot, and the altitude is high enough to provide challenges in terms of breathing. A tour guide is an absolute must for the ascent - if you are on your own, and not with an organized group, you can hire a guide in Kelglsugl. The peak, as can be seen in the photo, is a fairly rugged scramble. If you aren't up for the stress of the final ascent, you can wait at the base camp, and enjoy the scenery there. Some tour operators offer a longer hike from Ambullua, which is more difficult but which also includes more opportunities to explore diverse ecological regions of the country.

Answer: Wood carving

Because the staple food for the river tribes is fish and saksak, flour made from the sago palm, adequate food supplies require little effort when compared to hunting or agriculture, and communities have the time to develop elaborate ceremonies and the trappings to go with them. Every village has its own distinctive style, using clay, feathers, stones and shells to decorate the carved wood (which again varies from one place to another, depending on what species are locally available).

As well as complex and ornate masks, they carve garamut drums from hollow trees, carving them into animal shapes.

Answer: Wigmen

Wigs are made from hair (it can take years to grow enough hair for a man to form his first wig) shaped on a bamboo frame and decorated with items such as clay, flowers, feathers, bones, stones, shells, animal fur, in fact, just about anything that comes to hand may be integrated into the latest project. Each wig is an individually crafted work of art, and men may have several of them for use in different ceremonies. Performances at a singsing involve face and body decoration, in addition to the wigs.

The Huli Bird Dance imitates the movements of the Bird of Paradise, accompanied by drums, and is quite spectacular.