Central Highlands

Tea Planting in N. Guinea Central Highlands

A READER in the New Guinea Central Highlands, writing apropos of Old Territorian’s letter in August PIM, states that two South Australians have cleared an airstrip near Arona (not Altona, as stated) and that they will later plant tea. Arona is on the Kainantu side of Garoka and there is a Department of Agriculture stock experimental farm

there.

Although no announcement has been made to that effect, apparently some parts of the NO Highlands have been thrown open to private enterprise and it is possible to take up land there for com mercial purposes.

Our Highland reader states also, that tea is, of course, being grown at Aiyura and in fact is being processed there. But at present it is not a palatable drink because it is straight tea, and not blended —the pleasure in tea-drinking is in direct proportion to the skill displayed by the blender.

No tea has been planted yet at Nondugl but they do expect to plant a few acres if or when they get the seeds or plants.

Hallstrom National Park?

ANOTHER reader, with tongue in cheek, has written suggesting a solution to Mr. Hallstrom’s dilemma over his lions. It appears that the lions at Sydney’s Taronga Park Zoo (Mr. Hall strom is chairman of tne Zoo Trust) are breeding in such prolific fashion that it is possible to buy one for £35 although they are still worth about £4OO in Afncr.

It has been suggested, therefore, that Mr.

Hallstrom ship them up to Nondugl and turn them loose. The idea, we have been assured, has dollars in it. Wealthy Americans would pay a lot to go big game shooting in the wilds of Central New Guinea, and the whole thing could be turned into something akin to Kruger National Park in Kenya.

What would the lions do for nourish ment? Well, there are the Nondugl sheep; and our reader has been told that the area is a well-populated one. The Africans have coped with lions all their lives and the big cats would provide a bit of interest in the dull existence of the Central Highlanders.

We still think that the United Nations Trusteeship Council would object.