The decision to go with round beds was taken from travels throughout the Southern Highlands of Niugini. We ventured twice to the Southern Highlands and each time was an eye-opening experience. If our only adventure in PNG was to Tari, then we would not have left the country disappointed. For a real emotional rollercoaster of a ride, it is worth making the journey, despite the history of extreme violence that is associated with Tari (the Provincial Capital) we found an amazingly friendly and warm community.

Some photos to follow.

pain master said:

Some photos to follow.

waiting.

During the 2004 elections, the people of Tari felt short-changed by the decision to elect a certain individual into parliament. In retaliation, the people torched the local administration building and everything associated with corruption, wealth and western civilisation. The schools, the hospital, the banks, the gaol, the markets, the whole lot were razed.

In the 2008 elections, there was no repeat of this action. Nothing had been rebuilt to be burnt down. It was still a shell of a city.

So driving along the road, I saw this chap standing by his garden, I took a quick shot as the bus made its way up the hill. Behind him you can see the pillow styled garden bed arrangement.

later we met this lady who was heading to the very crowded local marketplace. On her back is highland pit-pit grass, can be cooked as a vegetable or thrown on the roof for thatch.

Later we ventured into a garden, here are a bunch of local kids who wanted to see what the white guys were interested in… vegetable gardens in the background, sweet potato growing in foreground, off to the left and behind…

Here is a man’s garden. This guy is pretty wealthy and is a clan leader, his garden was pretty sweet, no vegies, just plants for body decoration. This was a pretty new house and the garden was only just getting established.

Oh and the men and women live separate from each other.

pain master said:

Here is a man’s garden. This guy is pretty wealthy and is a clan leader, his garden was pretty sweet, no vegies, just plants for body decoration. This was a pretty new house and the garden was only just getting established.

Oh and the men and women live separate from each other.

to the left of shot are the rounded vegie beds of “her” garden, but inside the fence is his.

Inside the fence of the man’s garden. Lots of bilas there.

a merihaus or a place for sheilas to have a break from gardening.

and two sheilas working in their garden…. as they pull the weeds, these get discarded to the sides which form small compost heaps which are then covered in a little soil when the sweet potato harvest happens… inside the bilums of these two girls are the ends of the sweet potato which will be placed in little clumps into this fertile soil and become the next crop.

the planting.

good thing veg has left the room, this lady was sans bra.

this is the shot I was after, but had to wait until the bus trip again, so not a great shot at the end of the day, but you get the picture. Here we see the earthen walls that the Southern Highlanders are famous for. Three reasons for them, to define clan boundaries, to make pathways and roadways, for clan fighting, hiding and moving around, and to act as drainage when the rain hits! This part of the Highlands can get 6 -7 metres of rainfall annually.

This particular wall is definitely a clan boundary and roadway, the little tiny tin-roofed houses on top of the walls are the graves of clansmen who have fought and died for their territory. They get buried on the perimeter to re-enforce the clan values and reasons for fighting for glory. They live their whole lives under thatch, yet when they die, they get brick walls and colourbond.

pain master said:

During the 2004 elections, the people of Tari felt short-changed by the decision to elect a certain individual into parliament. In retaliation, the people torched the local administration building and everything associated with corruption, wealth and western civilisation. The schools, the hospital, the banks, the gaol, the markets, the whole lot were razed.

In the 2008 elections, there was no repeat of this action. Nothing had been rebuilt to be burnt down. It was still a shell of a city.

So driving along the road, I saw this chap standing by his garden, I took a quick shot as the bus made its way up the hill. Behind him you can see the pillow styled garden bed arrangement.

crash hot photo – luvly look at NG gardening – great colours too.

pepe said:

pain master said:

During the 2004 elections, the people of Tari felt short-changed by the decision to elect a certain individual into parliament. In retaliation, the people torched the local administration building and everything associated with corruption, wealth and western civilisation. The schools, the hospital, the banks, the gaol, the markets, the whole lot were razed.

In the 2008 elections, there was no repeat of this action. Nothing had been rebuilt to be burnt down. It was still a shell of a city.

So driving along the road, I saw this chap standing by his garden, I took a quick shot as the bus made its way up the hill. Behind him you can see the pillow styled garden bed arrangement.

crash hot photo – luvly look at NG gardening – great colours too.

thanks pepe :)

pain master said:

this is the shot I was after, but had to wait until the bus trip again, so not a great shot at the end of the day, but you get the picture. Here we see the earthen walls that the Southern Highlanders are famous for. Three reasons for them, to define clan boundaries, to make pathways and roadways, for clan fighting, hiding and moving around, and to act as drainage when the rain hits! This part of the Highlands can get 6 -7 metres of rainfall annually.

This particular wall is definitely a clan boundary and roadway, the little tiny tin-roofed houses on top of the walls are the graves of clansmen who have fought and died for their territory. They get buried on the perimeter to re-enforce the clan values and reasons for fighting for glory. They live their whole lives under thatch, yet when they die, they get brick walls and colourbond.

interesting but the least inspirational of the shots.
there were shrines all along the roads of the greek island of naxos. we joked they were the burial sites of all the road accident victims. they weren’t – just 12K years of religious worship.

Wonderful pictorial PM, thanks :)

Happy Potter said:

Wonderful pictorial PM, thanks :)

no dramas, was thinking of putting up some recent pics from my journey up the Cape… not sure if many of us have been up there and might wanna see some pics from a different part of Oz???

pain master said:

Happy Potter said:

Wonderful pictorial PM, thanks :)

no dramas, was thinking of putting up some recent pics from my journey up the Cape… not sure if many of us have been up there and might wanna see some pics from a different part of Oz???

Of course!

pain master said:

Happy Potter said:

Wonderful pictorial PM, thanks :)

no dramas, was thinking of putting up some recent pics from my journey up the Cape… not sure if many of us have been up there and might wanna see some pics from a different part of Oz???

your NG stuff is unique – even if we did go the places you went – with a camera – we still wouldn’t have got the smiles from the locals like you did.
those gardening shots were fanbloodytastic – and so appropriate – bring on the cape york shots.

pepe said:

pain master said:

this is the shot I was after, but had to wait until the bus trip again, so not a great shot at the end of the day, but you get the picture. Here we see the earthen walls that the Southern Highlanders are famous for. Three reasons for them, to define clan boundaries, to make pathways and roadways, for clan fighting, hiding and moving around, and to act as drainage when the rain hits! This part of the Highlands can get 6 -7 metres of rainfall annually.

This particular wall is definitely a clan boundary and roadway, the little tiny tin-roofed houses on top of the walls are the graves of clansmen who have fought and died for their territory. They get buried on the perimeter to re-enforce the clan values and reasons for fighting for glory. They live their whole lives under thatch, yet when they die, they get brick walls and colourbond.

interesting but the least inspirational of the shots.
there were shrines all along the roads of the greek island of naxos. we joked they were the burial sites of all the road accident victims. they weren’t – just 12K years of religious worship.

Interesting. Love the story PM

pepe said:

pain master said:

Happy Potter said:

Wonderful pictorial PM, thanks :)

no dramas, was thinking of putting up some recent pics from my journey up the Cape… not sure if many of us have been up there and might wanna see some pics from a different part of Oz???

your NG stuff is unique – even if we did go the places you went – with a camera – we still wouldn’t have got the smiles from the locals like you did.
those gardening shots were fanbloodytastic – and so appropriate – bring on the cape york shots.

thanks pepe :)

AnneS said:

pepe said:

pain master said:

this is the shot I was after, but had to wait until the bus trip again, so not a great shot at the end of the day, but you get the picture. Here we see the earthen walls that the Southern Highlanders are famous for. Three reasons for them, to define clan boundaries, to make pathways and roadways, for clan fighting, hiding and moving around, and to act as drainage when the rain hits! This part of the Highlands can get 6 -7 metres of rainfall annually.

This particular wall is definitely a clan boundary and roadway, the little tiny tin-roofed houses on top of the walls are the graves of clansmen who have fought and died for their territory. They get buried on the perimeter to re-enforce the clan values and reasons for fighting for glory. They live their whole lives under thatch, yet when they die, they get brick walls and colourbond.

interesting but the least inspirational of the shots.
there were shrines all along the roads of the greek island of naxos. we joked they were the burial sites of all the road accident victims. they weren’t – just 12K years of religious worship.

Interesting. Love the story PM

thanks Anne. :)

pain master said:

Here is a man’s garden. This guy is pretty wealthy and is a clan leader, his garden was pretty sweet, no vegies, just plants for body decoration. This was a pretty new house and the garden was only just getting established.

Oh and the men and women live separate from each other.

Oh and the men and women live separate from each other.

They may not be educated but they are wise.

pain master said:

this is the shot I was after, but had to wait until the bus trip again, so not a great shot at the end of the day, but you get the picture. Here we see the earthen walls that the Southern Highlanders are famous for. Three reasons for them, to define clan boundaries, to make pathways and roadways, for clan fighting, hiding and moving around, and to act as drainage when the rain hits! This part of the Highlands can get 6 -7 metres of rainfall annually.

This particular wall is definitely a clan boundary and roadway, the little tiny tin-roofed houses on top of the walls are the graves of clansmen who have fought and died for their territory. They get buried on the perimeter to re-enforce the clan values and reasons for fighting for glory. They live their whole lives under thatch, yet when they die, they get brick walls and colourbond.

At least they are still useful even when they die. We aren’t.

pomolo said:

pain master said:

Oh and the men and women live separate from each other.

They may not be educated but they are wise.

to be debated… the male of the family lives in his hausman while his wives will live on the same patch of land but in their own hausmeris, some of these ladies may interact with each other peacefully, others aggressively, but ultimately its the bloke who lays down the law (with huge exceptions). In the manhaus, he may choose to live alone, or he may ask his mates over for a get-together in the evening. He will also build another haus to raise his sons in. You see, sons and daughters are raised apart too, once the difference in each other is first noticed.

This all stems from the evil that is deeply rooted within sheilas.

pomolo said:

pain master said:

this is the shot I was after, but had to wait until the bus trip again, so not a great shot at the end of the day, but you get the picture. Here we see the earthen walls that the Southern Highlanders are famous for. Three reasons for them, to define clan boundaries, to make pathways and roadways, for clan fighting, hiding and moving around, and to act as drainage when the rain hits! This part of the Highlands can get 6 -7 metres of rainfall annually.

This particular wall is definitely a clan boundary and roadway, the little tiny tin-roofed houses on top of the walls are the graves of clansmen who have fought and died for their territory. They get buried on the perimeter to re-enforce the clan values and reasons for fighting for glory. They live their whole lives under thatch, yet when they die, they get brick walls and colourbond.

At least they are still useful even when they die. We aren’t.

well not really… the little tin roofs you see are not large enough for sheltering, they are simply grave-sized.

pain master said:

pomolo said:

pain master said:

Oh and the men and women live separate from each other.

They may not be educated but they are wise.

to be debated… the male of the family lives in his hausman while his wives will live on the same patch of land but in their own hausmeris, some of these ladies may interact with each other peacefully, others aggressively, but ultimately its the bloke who lays down the law (with huge exceptions). In the manhaus, he may choose to live alone, or he may ask his mates over for a get-together in the evening. He will also build another haus to raise his sons in. You see, sons and daughters are raised apart too, once the difference in each other is first noticed.

This all stems from the evil that is deeply rooted within sheilas.

That last comment must come from a non educated person as well.

pain master said:

pomolo said:

pain master said:

this is the shot I was after, but had to wait until the bus trip again, so not a great shot at the end of the day, but you get the picture. Here we see the earthen walls that the Southern Highlanders are famous for. Three reasons for them, to define clan boundaries, to make pathways and roadways, for clan fighting, hiding and moving around, and to act as drainage when the rain hits! This part of the Highlands can get 6 -7 metres of rainfall annually.

This particular wall is definitely a clan boundary and roadway, the little tiny tin-roofed houses on top of the walls are the graves of clansmen who have fought and died for their territory. They get buried on the perimeter to re-enforce the clan values and reasons for fighting for glory. They live their whole lives under thatch, yet when they die, they get brick walls and colourbond.

At least they are still useful even when they die. We aren’t.

well not really… the little tin roofs you see are not large enough for sheltering, they are simply grave-sized.

OK. I get it. I pictured it like they use barbed wire around the top of a prison wall. Or broken, jaggered, bits of glass in some cases.

pomolo said:

pain master said:

pomolo said:

They may not be educated but they are wise.

to be debated… the male of the family lives in his hausman while his wives will live on the same patch of land but in their own hausmeris, some of these ladies may interact with each other peacefully, others aggressively, but ultimately its the bloke who lays down the law (with huge exceptions). In the manhaus, he may choose to live alone, or he may ask his mates over for a get-together in the evening. He will also build another haus to raise his sons in. You see, sons and daughters are raised apart too, once the difference in each other is first noticed.

This all stems from the evil that is deeply rooted within sheilas.

That last comment must come from a non educated person as well.

I guess I should elaborate… The Southern Highlander Males are a tad confused with their women, well women in general. You see, the Sheilas, can grow vegetables, they can raise pigs (breastfeeding included), they can give birth to live humans and basically all of “life” emanates from the womenfolk. Ergo they have a level of magic that cannot be matched by men. So the men have created a lifestyle which demonstrates that men still have complete control and that women (despite the evil magic) are subservient. The men have established their own rituals and magic which is more powerful (it does nothing and produces nothing) and it gives the man complete faith in his brotherhood and a complete mistrust in the women.

pain master said:

I guess I should elaborate… The Southern Highlander Males are a tad confused with their women, well women in general. You see, the Sheilas, can grow vegetables, they can raise pigs (breastfeeding included), they can give birth to live humans and basically all of “life” emanates from the womenfolk. Ergo they have a level of magic that cannot be matched by men. So the men have created a lifestyle which demonstrates that men still have complete control and that women (despite the evil magic) are subservient. The men have established their own rituals and magic which is more powerful (it does nothing and produces nothing) and it gives the man complete faith in his brotherhood and a complete mistrust in the women.

I thought it a little amusing that the men grow flowers for personal ornaments, while the women got on with the business of feeding the family. A bit different from the Western tradition (big generalisation here I realise, and I know it doesn’t apply to many here) where the man is the breadwinner while the women pretty themselves up.

bluegreen said:

pain master said:

I guess I should elaborate… The Southern Highlander Males are a tad confused with their women, well women in general. You see, the Sheilas, can grow vegetables, they can raise pigs (breastfeeding included), they can give birth to live humans and basically all of “life” emanates from the womenfolk. Ergo they have a level of magic that cannot be matched by men. So the men have created a lifestyle which demonstrates that men still have complete control and that women (despite the evil magic) are subservient. The men have established their own rituals and magic which is more powerful (it does nothing and produces nothing) and it gives the man complete faith in his brotherhood and a complete mistrust in the women.

I thought it a little amusing that the men grow flowers for personal ornaments, while the women got on with the business of feeding the family. A bit different from the Western tradition (big generalisation here I realise, and I know it doesn’t apply to many here) where the man is the breadwinner while the women pretty themselves up.

the men have to look good for warfare. It’s the best they can do. I’ll go in search for some warfare shots… you guys may have seen ‘em before.

pain master said:

the men have to look good for warfare. It’s the best they can do. I’ll go in search for some warfare shots… you guys may have seen ‘em before.

Southern Highlander ready for warfare…

a bunch of Southern Highlanders (Huli Wigmen) having a singalong just before going off to fight.

pain master said:

pomolo said:

pain master said:

to be debated… the male of the family lives in his hausman while his wives will live on the same patch of land but in their own hausmeris, some of these ladies may interact with each other peacefully, others aggressively, but ultimately its the bloke who lays down the law (with huge exceptions). In the manhaus, he may choose to live alone, or he may ask his mates over for a get-together in the evening. He will also build another haus to raise his sons in. You see, sons and daughters are raised apart too, once the difference in each other is first noticed.

This all stems from the evil that is deeply rooted within sheilas.

That last comment must come from a non educated person as well.

I guess I should elaborate… The Southern Highlander Males are a tad confused with their women, well women in general. You see, the Sheilas, can grow vegetables, they can raise pigs (breastfeeding included), they can give birth to live humans and basically all of “life” emanates from the womenfolk. Ergo they have a level of magic that cannot be matched by men. So the men have created a lifestyle which demonstrates that men still have complete control and that women (despite the evil magic) are subservient. The men have established their own rituals and magic which is more powerful (it does nothing and produces nothing) and it gives the man complete faith in his brotherhood and a complete mistrust in the women.

Now that could well apply to the present day also.

pain master said:

pain master said:

the men have to look good for warfare. It’s the best they can do. I’ll go in search for some warfare shots… you guys may have seen ‘em before.

Southern Highlander ready for warfare…

He is pretty isn’t he?

pain master said:

a bunch of Southern Highlanders (Huli Wigmen) having a singalong just before going off to fight.

Serious stuff alright.

pomolo said:

pain master said:

pomolo said:

They may not be educated but they are wise.

to be debated… the male of the family lives in his hausman while his wives will live on the same patch of land but in their own hausmeris, some of these ladies may interact with each other peacefully, others aggressively, but ultimately its the bloke who lays down the law (with huge exceptions). In the manhaus, he may choose to live alone, or he may ask his mates over for a get-together in the evening. He will also build another haus to raise his sons in. You see, sons and daughters are raised apart too, once the difference in each other is first noticed.

This all stems from the evil that is deeply rooted within sheilas.

That last comment must come from a non educated person as well.

definitely agreed Pomolo.

I think I’m stuck in my chair.