About Me

My photo
I am of Melanesian/Polynesian/Asian descent born in Lae, Papua New Guinea at ANGAU Memorial Hospital.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Northern Territory (NT), Australia Tribute Post

To be continued (Last updated Thursday, 27 April 11)


Easter Saturday, 23 April 2011 @ Buley Rockhole, Litchfield National Park, Northern Territory, Australia

Well after living in Darwin for 8 years I have decided to move back to the East Coast of Australia.  There were times when I used to bag the Northern Territory (NT), and wished I'd have left the place a lot sooner.  However anyone who tells me they are bored on the weekend up here has got to be out of their mind.  There is heaps to do in the NT, especially if you or someone you know owns a boat or like fishing, love the outdoors, camping, driving, picnicing, whatever your fancy.  After I had completed my Tourism studies here in the NT, I was interested in working in Domestic Tourism here in the NT, but ended up working for the Australian Defence Force (ADF)  for the next 3 years afterwards (which was not a bad thing at all, sometimes these things happens.)  The NT is one of Australia's main Tourism destination both for International and Domestic Travellers. I was able to build up my Tourism knowledge whilst studying at the Charles Darwin University (CDU), Palmerston Campus.  I also know that not everyone is interested in living in a 5 star accommodation and that the most expensive time of the year in the NT is the Tourist season, so it pays to do your own home work and shopping when looking for discounts.  Locals may not feel the costs as such but outsiders will definately feel it if they do not know where to look for bargains. 

Such discount offers could be found with some of the following groups just to give you a couple of examples:

International Youth Travellers
Youth Hostel Associations
Australian Senior Citizens Cards

All such information are on my Pages to right where you can click on to :

Australia - All the specific travel information you need to know; and

Australian Domestic Travellers Page

Bear in mind that I am still updating these Pages as I still have more information to put on them.  It is just a matter of taking the time out to do this, as I am also in the middle of packing and holidays at the moment.

Best places to do your food shopping especially for the International traveller  I would recommend are:

Coles/Stores and Services - Location and Trading Hours

Woolworths - Stores Locator

If you have a Rewards Cards, Fly Buy Cards or for those of you who are from overseas and know you can get discounts on whatever you can, use it to your advantage.  Accumulating points, rewards, bonus just might save you a lot of money.  I know I rely on my Rewards Cards to help me to accumulate my QANTAS Frequent Flyer Points and that my Coles Fly Buy Cards might help me with my Christimas shopping at the end of the year (depending on how much points I have accumulated.)  Always read the fine print and read what they have on offer carefully if unsure ask.  I make it a habit to read properly word to word nowadays as I am actually a skim reader and some times do not read properly til I go back and read it again properly then I realise the information was relevent for me to know.  If you have lots of money and can spend to your hearts content well good on you, this Post or the Pages is not for you then.

In the mean time to read the Northern Territory hyperlink Tourism information please go to Pages on your right and click on to

Northern Territory (NT), Australia Tribute Page - all the relevent NT Tourism websites will be inserted in here.

Take notice of the websites I am recommending they are actually Official websites and not third party agency types websites.  They are the kind of websites I usually use how ever they may not necessarily may be what you are looking for.

Feel free to contribute your own opinions or share whatever it is you want to share with others.  Comments are monitored by me but you'll find I'll approve it.  I hardly ever get many comments anyway otherwise they welcome on my Blog (depending the tone and content of the comment.)

Disclaimer:  I accept no responsibility or liability of any loss to any incorrect or out dated information some of these websites may contain.  The most accurate up to date information at the time known to me is inserted in these pages.  It is the responsibility of the individual to do their own research in their own time.  This is just a guide to assist people in giving them as much information as I possibly can to assist them in preparing for a trip to the Northern Territory,Australia or wanting to learn about the Northern Territory,Australia.  My views and opinions and experiences will not exactly reflect other peoples' views and opinions and experiences.


This material is copyright © Wendy J. Seymour 2011 - Exempt the hyperlinks they are from the World Wide Web (WWW)

I still call australia home - Peter Allen

Friday, April 8, 2011

Wendy's Photos Of Some Of Her Australian Travels


To be continued (Last update Fri, 08 Apr 11)



Nightcliff Jetty, Nightcliff Northern Territory June 2006


Low tide at Front Beach Thurday Island, Torres Straits, Queensland

Mitchell River Walk, Bairnsdale, Victoria January 2008













Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Australian Budget/Backpackers Accomdation and other information

Watch This Post!

Australian Domestic Travellers Page


To be continued (Last update Fri, 08 Apr 11)

Gove Lookout, Arnhem land, Northen Territory (NT), August
2008
Finally!  I have created the page for the DomesticTraveller in Australia.  I travelled parts of Australia with dad and mum in the car, first of course we had to fly in from PNG to Australia.  Dad told me how much he loved driving and how he enjoyed viewing different parts of the country otherwise any other time we would catch the bus to country New South Wales (NSW), to Willow Tree and Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT); and other parts of country NSW where uncle Laurie and aunty Beryl  and other relatives and friends lived at the time.  The other trip was to Brisbane, Queensland (QLD) where we would stay with uncle Tom and aunty Sondra.  Those are my earliest and fondest memories of travelling around Australia.  In the Willow Tree hyperlink you will see something about History and 5 generations of Barwick family, who are my Australian relatives on dad's side of the family.  Nana Seymour's family.
Nana Lila Seymour (nee Barwick) and my cousin Mandy 1970's


On the train passing through Willow Tree in August 2010









During my teenage years when my sister Jo and I could not fly home to PNG during school holidays,we would catch the bus to Brisbane, to uncle Tom and aunty Sondra.  At the time we would catch Mc Cafferty's Buses now taken over by Greyhound.  I now catch Greyhound if I decide to catch a bus anywhere in Australia.  Unfortunately I left everything late in life and one of them was my driver's licence, otherwise I'd be driving and not catching buses and trains and planes.

I also travelled a lot through the Australian Army as an Active Reservists and a full time service personnel, up Cape York Peninsula, the Torres Straits, Mount (Mt) Isa, and parts of Western Australia and New South Wales and the Northern Territory.  I travelled these places by army transport the Caribou, Hercules a navy dive boat called the Malu Baizam and army vehicles.  I went to places that tourists would dream of going to "off the beaten track."  I even went on a small joy ride around Cairns, Far North Queensland in an Australian Army Black Hawke Helicopter.

Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Dive/Launch BoatMalu Baizam Oct 1995

 The Australian Domestic Traveller's Page will list all the reputable transports in Australia and holiday accommodation websites, etc.  Those of you who are insured with your states automobile/car insurance eg NRMA or AANT, they should be able to give you information and discounts to any parts of Australia you are thinking of driving or travelling to.

Please click go to Pages on your right under Home and the link Australian Domestic Travellers Page.  I hope the information in there might be able to help you.


Disclaimer:  I accept no responsibility or liability of any loss to any incorrect or out dated information some of these websites may contain.  The most accurate up to date information at the time known to me is inserted in these pages.  It is the responsibility of the individual to do their own research in their own time.  This is just a guide to assist people in giving them as much information as I possibly can to assist them in preparing for a trip to Australia or wanting to learn about Australia.  My views and opinions and experiences will not exactly reflect other peoples' views and opinions and experiences.
This material is copyright © Wendy J. Seymour 2011 - Exempt the hyperlinks they are from the World Wide Web (WWW)

BLOGs I am following in regards to PNG

To be continued...(last update Wednesday, 21 September 2011) - I am aware needs to be tidied up a bit.

Well now the new PNG Government is on Facebook here is Post Link New Papua New Guinea Government in regards to them.  For those of you who are into politics and want to keep updated.

When I first created this Post I had not been in PNG for 14 years, but the opportunity presented itself, which you can read in this Blog Post on this link Visited PNG After 14 Years But Headed To Kokoda, Oro Province.

So now I have first hand experience about the situation over there and about travelling over there .  Which I will give up to date information on in regards to vaccinations and immunisation and how they do things in PNG in regards to these.  I prefer to experience things myself because I am over people carrying on about danger and so forth in PNG, when there are other countries in the world that are more dangerous than PNG.  For example if you read your Travel Insurance properly you will see that most will say they will not cover you if you travel to Afghanistan and such places.  I have inserted one Travel insurance web link just to give you an idea of what I am talking about.

For those of you who really want to know about the current the situation in PNG at the moment. I recommend you click on to the following  two PNG based Journalist Blogs:

Malum Nalu Blogspot - Malum Nalu

Geoffrey Heard's Pngtimetraveller Blogspot - Geoffrey Heard

Other Blogs that might be of interest

Keith Jackson's PNG Attitude

Melanesian Way Blog

Papua New Guinea Blogs

Expat-blog - Blog written by expatriates in Papua New Guinea, living in Papua New Guinea, working in Papua New Guinea.

Papua New Guinea Life - Story from a Volunteer called NOMAD - An old Blog but interesting from someone who did Volunteer Work over there...

University Of California Press Blog on Papua New Guinea

Click on their Blogs and read all about them and I will probably add other Bloggers later on when I find them.  Otherwise just type in Papua New Guinea Blogs in Google/Bling (whatever search engine you use) and it will bring up all these Blogs you can read.

Other PNG Bloggers for those of you interested in Children's Charity Organisations you can look to your right and under Pages Home click on the link Papua New Guinea Charity Organisation of the 21st Century

Papua New Guinea and South Pacific/Asia Others - Current Charity Organisations of the 21st Century

In the mean time below is a Blog on one of the Children's Charity Organisation in PNG:

Tembari Children's Care (TCC) - Tembari Children's Care (TCC)  Inc -
THE Tembari Children's Care (TCC) Inc is a day care facility at ATS Oro Settlement, 7-Mile, outside of Port Moresby, PNG. To date, it takes care of 175 former street children - orphans, abandoned and the unfortunate - by serving them meals twice a day, and providing them early education. Assistance - food and money - is sent by supporters who find merit in the services we provide to these children. At The Center, they are family. For all of these, we need support that is sustainable.



Please bear in mind that this BLOG is updated once or twice on a weekly basis or more. 

Disclaimer:  I accept no responsibility or liability of any loss to any incorrect or out dated information some of these websites may contain.  The most accurate up to date information at the time known to me is inserted in these pages.  It is the responsibility of the individual to do their own research in their own time.  This is just a guide to assist people in giving them as much information as I possibly can to assist them in preparing for a trip to PNG or wanting to learn about PNG.  My views and opinions and experiences will not exactly reflect other peoples' views and opinions and experiences. 
This material is copyright © Wendy J. Seymour 2011 - Exempt the hyperlinks they are from the World Wide Web (WWW)

Ways In Rewarding Papua New Guineans After Visiting Their Country

In PNG tipping is not encouraged, how ever if you do want to make a difference and contribute in some small way please check the following websites out to your right in my Pages List as it might be able to aid you in deciding which charity organisation you might want to donate to or sponsor.  Please also take note that if I am promoting a Charity Organisation and the likes anything to do with financial gain, I will normally do a back ground check on them.  There is no way I would be inserting false or misleading hyperlinks in my POSTS and PAGES.  At the end of the day most of us should be mature enough and smart enough to know what is geniuine and what is not.  Fortunately I do not have time for such operators and I will ensure I will report them to the relevant authorities.  To the point of going  a Court of Law to testify as a witness if need be.

Over the years I have had ADF personnel and people in general ask me the following questions:

What do people like in PNG?
What can you suggest I can give to people I meet along the way? Questions like that.

I have told some of these people that it depends on which part of PNG you will be visiting  as my people are very simple people and material things are not of great importance to them.  I am only going by my own experiences with my family and friends over there when they used to ask me for my hat or t shirt, etc when I used to visit PNG on my school holiday breaks from Australia.  Now that I am older and a lot more wiser I usually encourage people to donate any thing educational towards schools in the remote places of PNG.  Exercise books, reading books you name it any thing a school would need.  One suggestion that was made to me was the Kokoda Hospital for those of you who will be trekking the Kokoda Track and want to contribute in some way to the Kokoda people.  They really lack the medical equipments and medicines there.  Just to give you an example as I was actually asked by a Navy Officer of any charity ideas I can think of as they are thinking of doing a charity fund raiser over there in the near future this year.

It has been one of my many wishes to visit my large extended family in PNG over the years but unfortunately due to medical reasons for the time being I have had to remain in Australia.  The only way I can contribute to PNG at the moment  is from a computer and bring to attention to those concerned, what is on offer over there or what they can do for my people over there.  I have contacts in the business world over there too and I am sure some of them will not hesitate in letting me know that I am giving out false information.  I can also assure you I will rectify the situation as soon as I possibly can if this ever happens.

Til the next BLOG update.

Disclaimer:  I accept no responsibility or liability of any loss to any incorrect or out dated information some of these websites may contain.  The most accurate up to date information at the time known to me is inserted in these pages.  It is the responsibility of the individual to do their own research in their own time.  This is just a guide to assist people in giving them as much information as I possibly can to assist them in preparing for donating or sponsoring to a PNG Charity Organisation or PNG people in general.  However please be assured I usually do a background on the authenticity of such organistions before I insert certain hyperlinks in here.  My views and opinions and experiences will not exactly reflect other peoples' views and opinions and experiences.


This material is copyright © Wendy J. Seymour 2011 - Exempt the hyperlinks they are from the World Wide Web (WWW)

Tracks and the Trails of PNG during WWII and the present

To be continued... (Last update Tues, 05 Apr 11)

The most famous Track and Trail of all time in PNG is the KOKODA TRACK, how ever did you know that during World War 2 (WWII)  in PNG, there were other tracks and trails that were being used over there.  I thought I would share some with you.  I am at this stage only inserting the Wikipedia hyperlinks I am sure if you want to know about these tracks just Google them or Bing which ever search engine you prefer.  I do recommend though that you never give up on the books and other published reading materials as the internet may not necessarily cover everything some times.  Peoples choice.

In the mean time if you want to know more about PNG please look to your right and see under Pages and Home the link Papua New Guinea (PNG) - All the specific travel information you need to know

Last of all click on the Post BLOGS I Am Following In Regards To PNG.  They are BLOGs from people who actually live in PNG and can tell you first hand of their experiences there.  I currently reside in the Northern Territory in Australia and the last time I was in PNG was in back in 1997, but for 12 days only in Port Moresby.  I still how ever know a hell of a lot more about the country than those who had lived there longer than me, and it may be because I had an interest in knowing about the country of my birth and heritage whilst studying Tourism for two years and retained the memory of the place when I left and may be a longing of belonging.

Black Cat Track - in the Morobe Province my side of PNG.

Bulldog Track - in the Wau and Bulolo regions not far from my mother's village the Buangs.

East West Trail - is a trail in Bouganville Island - Autonomous Region of Bouganville of Papua New Guinea

Kapa Kapa Trail - on the South coast of  Papua, near GabaGaba

Lark Force Wilderness Track - and as I am inserting this in I must admit today is the first time I have ever heard of it.  I have also met Kori Chan when he was the Captain of the PNG Rugby Union mens team that played in the Hottest 7's Rugby Union Tournament in Darwin in January 2007

Numa Numa Trail - is another trail on Bouganville that runs from Numa Numa (east coast) over the central mountains of Bouganville to Torokina on the western coast.

Piva Trail - another trail on Bouganville that runs alongside the Piva River that connects it to the East West Trail  and the Numa Numa Trail

I have now been in contact with a couple of the Track and Trail Tourism Operators in PNG whose business I would like to promote on my Blog.  Please see on your right Pages followed by Home and click on the link Tracks and Trails Tourism Operators of PNG.

Disclaimer:  I accept no responsibility or liability of any loss to any incorrect or out dated information some of these websites may contain.  The most accurate up to date information at the time known to me is inserted in these pages.  It is the responsibility of the individual to do their own research in their own time.  This is just a guide to assist people in giving them as much information as I possibly can to assist them in preparing for a trip to PNG or wanting to learn about PNG.  My views and opinions and experiences will not exactly reflect other peoples' views and opinions and experiences.

This material is copyright © Wendy J. Seymour 2011 - Exempt the hyperlinks they are from the World Wide Web (WWW)

Mountains and Volcanoes of Papua New Guinea

To be continued (Last update Mon, 11 Apr 11)

At this stage I am only inserting the Wikipedia hyperlinks  and John Search's PNG volcanoes as I am sure if you want to know anything further about these mountains and volcanoes just Google them or Bing which ever search engine you prefer.  I do recommend though that  you go to the library and read books on these too.  Never give up on the books and other reading materials as the internet may not necessarily cover everything that you really want to know.

In the mean time if you want to know more about PNG please look to your right and see under Pages and Home the link Papua New Guinea (PNG) - All the specific travel information you need to know

Last of all click on the Post BLOGS I Am Following In Regards To PNG.  They are BLOGs from people who actually live in PNG and can tell you first hand of their experiences there.  I currently reside in the Northern Territory in Australia and the last time I was in PNG was in back in 1997, but for 12 days only in Port Moresby.  I still how ever know a hell of a lot more about the country than those who had lived there longer than me, and it may be because I had an interest in knowing about the country of my birth and heritage whilst studying Tourism for two years and retained the memory of the place when I left and may be a longing of belonging.

Mountains

Mt Wilhelm - The highest mountain in PNG

Mt Giluwe - The 2nd highest mountain in PNG in the Southern Highlands Province

Volcanoes

I have since found a website that seems to cover all the Volcanoes in Papua New Guinea.  Feel free to click on to Papua New Guinea Volcanoes - John Search - Papua New Guinea contains the most active volcanoes in the South West Pacific. The volcanoes stretch in an arc from the north coast of New Guinea near the border with Indonesia, to Bougainville Island in the east. Volcanoes in Papua New Guinea occur in nine volcanic provinces.  I think I have found all of PNG's volcanoes on this website alone.  Feel free to correct me though if there is more.

Mt Hagan - Had no idea Mt Hagan is the 2nd highest Volcano how embarassing that it's taken me 42 years to learn this.

Ambitle - New Ireland Province

Balbi - North Solomon Province, Bouganville Island

Baluan - Admiralty Islands, Manus Province

Bamus - East New Britain Province

Billy Mitchell - North Solomon Province, Bouganville Island

Bogana - North Solomon Province, Bouganville Island

Bokanovi - North Solomon Province, Bouganville Island

Bola - Mt Wangore, West New Britain Province

Bosavi - Southern Highlands Province

Crater Mountain - Eastern Highlands Province

Dakataua - West New Britain Province

Doma Peaks - Southern Highlands Province

Hargy - East New Britain Province

Hydrographers Range - Oro Province

Koranga - Central Province

Langila - West New Britain Province

Lihir - New Ireland Province

Lolobau - East New Britain Province

Loloru - North Solomon Province, Bouganville Island

Madilogo

Managlase Plateau

Musa River -

Mount Lamington - In the Oro Province

Rabaul - East New Britain Province

Ritter Island - Dampier Strait, Morobe Province

Sakar - Morobe Province

Sessagara

Tanga - New Ireland Province

Takuan - North Solomon Province, Bouganville Island

Tavui - East New Britain Province

Tore - North Solomon Province, Bouganville Island

Tulaman - St Andrew Strait, Admiralty Islands, Manus Province

Ulawun - East New Britain Province

Umboi  - Morobe Province

Victory

Waiowa

Yelia - Eastern Highlands Province

Unnamed Volcanes - their names unknow in accodardance with John Search

Unnamed Volcanoe - Admiralty Islands, Manus Province

Please free free to add your comments, expert opinions, advice.  Others might like to know.

Disclaimer:  I accept no responsibility or liability of any loss to any incorrect or out dated information some of these websites may contain.  The most accurate up to date information at the time known to me is inserted in these pages.  It is the responsibility of the individual to do their own research in their own time.  This is just a guide to assist people in giving them as much information as I possibly can to assist them in preparing for a trip to PNG or wanting to learn about PNG.  My views and opinions and experiences will not exactly reflect other peoples' views and opinions and experiences.
This material is copyright © Wendy J. Seymour 2011 - Exempt the hyperlinks they are from the World Wide Web (WWW)

Welcome to My PNG and Australia Travel and Tourism Blog

Well this BLOG is created due to the fact that my other BLOG Days Of My Life From PNG to Australia - 1968 to current went from the story of my life and a WWII Aussie Digger's Diary to the WWII History blog to travel and tourism in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Australia.  So I have decided to create another BLOG specifically related to Travel and Tourism only.  Most of the Post and Pages links from my first blog will be transferred here now, as I am now dealing directly with PNG Tour Operators direct from PNG who have requested if I can add some more information on their behalf on my BLOG.  I have no problems with so will be making a couple of amendments here and there on a weekly basis.



Student at Palmerston Campus at the virtual Travel Gateway which was sponsored by the then Northern Gateway Group of Companies
 I studied a Diploma of Tourism (Operations Management), Certificate IV in Tourism (Sales and Marketing) of which I won a scholarship with the Northern Territory Government (NTG) to study this, and a Certificate III in Retail Travel at the Palmerston Campus, Charles Darwin University (CDU). 


Charled Darwin Universtity (CDU) Palmerston Library at the back in 2007
My background is with the Australian Defence Force (ADF) [you can read all about that history in my first blog,] and I have a long working history in a whole range of other works which I will put on later in one of my pages.  When I was studying the Diploma of Tourism - I was mainly interested in Domestic Travel in Australia, I was not interested in  International Travel.  Australia is a beautiful country and the European tourists are fascinated with the Australian outback.  What makes Australia unique is that instead of driving from one country in to another you're driving or flying or training or busing (whatever it is that you are doing) from one state into another compared to Europe and the United Kingdom.  International Tourists/Visitors from overseas would love to visit some of the most of the way places that the everyday ordinary Aussie reside in.  I will be sharing some of my experiences with you the International and Domestic Traveller throughout this blog.  I must admit Aussies are a unique breed of people in this world.  However I call myself a Papua New Guinean Australian as I am of PNG origins before I came to Australia when I was thirteen years old.

Most of the time I do my own research as I travelled alot around Australia except  the Kimberleys and the Pilbara region and still some parts of Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania I have yet to visit.

I hope my Posts and Pages will come in handy for you.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer:  I accept no responsibility or liability of any loss to any incorrect or out dated information some of these websites may contain.  The most accurate up to date information at the time known to me is inserted in these pages.  It is the responsibility of the individual to do their own research in their own time.  This is just a guide to assist people in giving them as much information as I possibly can to assist them in preparing for a trip to PNG or Australia or wanting to learn about PNG and Australia.  My views and opinions and experiences will not exactly reflect other peoples' views and opinions and experiences.
This material is copyright © Wendy J. Seymour 2011 - Exempt the hyperlinks they are from the World Wide Web (WWW)