Last night we finally met face to face with Guy Chester. Someone who I have been communicating with for many months by email. Guy has diverse connections in PNG on the ground and in government and has spent considerable time in the Louisiades for both business and pleasure. Most importantly, he has conducted many small scale water infrastructure projects in the islands and has a wealth of information on the "real" logistics of getting things done. For example: carriage of water tanks from Misima Islands to the Sudest Islands group can cost 500 kina (approx $250 AUD) for charters cartage on a local boat, but it may be only half as much if you find someone who is returning home to Sudest and wants to make some money doing so.
Sitting at Yorkies Knob yacht club and also back at Guys 50 ft catamaran, we talked from about 7pm until midnight about the passage, the place, the politics and possible projects.
At this stage there are three good candidates, two of which have already been partly organized (a tank already Misima waiting to be transported). The third prospect is a village which is known to have need for some good water collection facilities on an island called Panacea west of Sudest Island.
On the way to Guy's yacht we walked along the marina pontoons and passed a super luxury motor vessel, 3 stories high and about 80ft long. I casually asked Guy how much a boat like that would cost to maintain. "Oh around $800,000 dollars a year" he said.
Today we bought cheap magnifying spectacles from Crazy Clarkes. 2 pairs for $8 AUD. We got around 25 pairs. Apparently they are highly prized by the elderly and long sighted in the islands. We had some fun wearing them in a Cafe and reading the sugar sachets at a meter distant.
Weather looking good for Friday departure.
Sitting at Yorkies Knob yacht club and also back at Guys 50 ft catamaran, we talked from about 7pm until midnight about the passage, the place, the politics and possible projects.
At this stage there are three good candidates, two of which have already been partly organized (a tank already Misima waiting to be transported). The third prospect is a village which is known to have need for some good water collection facilities on an island called Panacea west of Sudest Island.
On the way to Guy's yacht we walked along the marina pontoons and passed a super luxury motor vessel, 3 stories high and about 80ft long. I casually asked Guy how much a boat like that would cost to maintain. "Oh around $800,000 dollars a year" he said.
Today we bought cheap magnifying spectacles from Crazy Clarkes. 2 pairs for $8 AUD. We got around 25 pairs. Apparently they are highly prized by the elderly and long sighted in the islands. We had some fun wearing them in a Cafe and reading the sugar sachets at a meter distant.
Weather looking good for Friday departure.
Good to get information from someone who has been involved in projects like that. Hope you can blog your way through PNG, looking forward to hearing what it's like.
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