Final tally was 10 kiters.
Departed Cape York Thursday 26th.
Arrived Daru Island PNG Saturday 28th. to a thronging horde of 1000's of wildly excited locals who crammed the beach to get close to these wonders of the world who appeared from across their seas.
Magic conditions, magic location/s, truly magical experience.
Winds were very much on the lighter extreme of expectations - which made for big kites but water conditions ideal - and more Easterly than we had hoped - making for a few strategic course alterations.
Full details soon here on Seabreeze + on www.5thelementexpeditions as well as on our 'kitesurfsup' facebook page - see www.facebook.com/pages/Kite-Surf-SUP-WoodysScarbs/276504175726278
Totally awesome experience - awesome part of the world - so stoked to have been part of the whole deal. Fund raising will be very well spent helping these proud & happy people at the PNG end to 'get a life' rather than suffering a demeaning squalid existence. Very disturbing to see the poverty in what, with a very little help from us wealthy westerners, could be a tropical paradise for them all. The poor majority of the native PNG people are innocent victims of circumstance. The living standards they endure are no fault of their own. They deserve a fairer share of the wealth.
Im not sure just what Im going to do about it yet but when plans are in place Id like think the kiting community will be one of the first communities to respond to a program to improve the lifestyle of these economically dispossessed people.
The world just has to be made a fairer place for all of humanity. Having now seen it for myself I can no longer sit back in selfish silence. That would be a crime which far exceeds the crime resorted to in those places by people who are forced steal or starve. I am convinced we can make a difference. I am even more convinced we MUST make a difference.
Congratulations!, sounds like an epic adventure.
Maybe you can establish a kite surfing outpost in PNG, if the conditions are any good and help the locals that way.
Work somewhere that will do the most good.
Stop corrupt Australian & Malaysian timber companies ripping off the local landowners.
From Wikipedia :
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The logging industry has influence in PNG through political donations, public sponsorship, lobbying and media ownership.[3]
According to the governmental report (1989) corruption included bribery, non-compliance with regulations, extensive violations of landowners' rights and extreme environmental destruction. Logging companies are roaming the countryside with the self assurance of robber barons; bribing politicians and leaders, creating social disharmony and ignoring laws in order to gain access to, rip out, and export valuable timber. Logging industry provide a ground for arms smuggling.
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And it's still happening right now.
The resource will be totally exhausted in less than 15 years and the locals will have gotten F all out of it.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deforestation_in_Papua_New_Guinea
sounds like a pretty awesome experience.
I know how you feel because if felt the same way when i visited PNG for the 1st time 4 years ago. This place blows your mind. The people, the cultures, the kiting conditions..
Did you have a gps tracking we can have a look from the trip?
Dont get too worked up on some things you seen, most people in remote PNG islands/coast have a pretty good life- intact eco systems, big families.. They usually live the 'easy life' of fishermen and farmers.
Papua New Guinea is one of the most culturally diverse countries on Earth so they have a rich culture.
The coral reef systems of Milne Bay/Trobes/Louisiades are some of the most biodiverse in the world.
You will be amazed that their telecommunication infrastructure is as good, if not better than in Australia. You get phone reception almost everywhere in PNG.
Maybe you should come on a png cruise with us to see some more of the land of lahara ;)
As InTheLoop says ^^
On a PNG kite cruise I read an old Jack Cousteau diving exploration book on Png islands... He too felt sad for the people and questioned a 'Cheif' ...
The cheif replied...
'Apart from some medicines, my people do not know how happy they really are... our lush vegetation and oceans provide all we need. I hear stories of people leaving thier culture to live in the city in squalor becoming a Slave to money - I cannot see happiness for my people in that'
I personally could not help feeling that there are some places in this world we should not let 'modern man' loose upon to destroy ![]()
Its true what Intheloop & Savethewhale are saying. For many life in PNG; and most certainly for those lucky enough to live on the Torres Strait Islands; life is truly a paradise. Makes you re-think what life should be all about.
But for the people of Daru Island it is anything but paradise. It is overcrowded and grossly under serviced. It is almost impossible to imagine how these people survive. Hand to mouth is a literal picture of life. Survival is a daily necessity. There is nothing to guarantee that there will be food tomorrow and food is all that is sought.
Im going to look into it in far more depth than a few hour stop-over allows you to know but Im sure at this stage that some form of self-help program there could make a world of difference to these peoples lives.
daru is a back water place even for PNG. its a tough town. and can be very confronting if you have never been to a place like that before. if the developers have their way it will look like gladstone in 10 years time. a major refining facility and port. there will be lots to gain as well as all the pitfalls that come along with mega projects.
The surfing community has "Surf aid", maybe a "kite aid" may happen??
5th E server down and there is no info on your FB page.
How long was the trip ??
Well done, I guess a few beers was had at the end.
So cool to feel guilty about "modern' humanity where man's knowledge and self actualisation is held to be inferior to animals, plants, primitive cultures and inanimate objects.
Its Ok because mans self interest will trump the small minority who want to impose their subjective delusion on mankind.