Winsome – Pilatypus » Honiara (Solomon Islands) – Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)

Honiara (Solomon Islands) – Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)

November 28, 2010

From one forgotten land to another forgotten place

After a stop in Honiara where the main attraction has been to visit the Royal Honiara Sailing Club, we left the next day again for Port Moresby. In Honiara we have seen a lot of cargo ships but none of Spliethoff. Also sailingboats probably on a trip around the world we spotted outside of the hotel. Though our stay was too short to give a good opinion of the place, we were not very enthousiastic, to say the least. On top of that we missed an appointed with Gerard Menzel, organized by Martin Koppelaar, due to the fact that we had no internet connection for several days. Therefore not any local input or recommendation what to do during our short stop. Surely there must be nicer islands than the one we have seen.

The flight from Honiara to Port Moresby was another 4,5 hours over the ocean. The aircraft behaved like she does not like anything more than flying over oceans. Mind you it is a single engine aircraft but the Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67P turbine engine with 1,200 shaft horse power can be trusted like nothing else.

So we safely arrived in Port Moresby, where the airline is called PNG whilst our immatriculation is PH-PNG. Also here a lot of ships on the roads, but again no one from Amsterdam. I happened to pass an office called Steamship Line but it was more or less when I entered. The only thing I could do is leave a Spliethoff Group brochure with Lorraine, a lady who openened the door.

In the evening we had another visit to the Royal Papua Nuiguini Yacht Club. A marina full with motorboats, a yachtclub full with people. Security problems forced us to take a car for a trip of say 200 metres. It would be too dangerous to walk outside in the night. Port Moresby is a big mess, dirty and filthy.

To be continued.

leaving Solomon Islands