[?] ening Up NG’s

[?]Wak-Maprik

[?] D [?] ening Up NG’s Sepik District

From a Special Correspondent ;re are some further details of

lew Wewak-Maprik Road (PIM,

), the opening of which was bly regarded as a milestone of

ress in that often neglected part

ew Guinea.

April a trip was made over 95 miles ative-made road from Wewak to ik. This road had been finally cut gh only a week before the trip was , and the party which undertook it sted of the District Commissioner, f. P. White, Cadet Patrol Officers J. r earne and G. F. Cooke, administra- Mechanic K. Harslett, two native ibles and a native mechanic. iy travelled in two Land Rover pick destined for work in the Maprik tistrict, and completed the strenuous ey in four days travelling time. road, native built with Administra advice and assistance, climbs the ; Alexander Range at Mendi, 11 miles of Wewak. It crosses that range general south-south-westerly direct- The road crosses the Wawat plateau, >y avoiding the worst of the tangled n ridges south and south-west of k for which the range is famous, nding to the lower foothills, the proceeds westward along the northern of the Sepik grasslands, and re ; the foothills of the Torricelli tains between Yangoru and Maprik. completion of the road opens up a eather route for four-wheel-drive es between Wewak and Maprik. and the alluvial gold fields and rich iltural lands of the Yangoru and ik foothill areas faster land com atlon with the coast. ive Rural Progress Societies are pro f rice and peanuts and root crops, iter will be able to make use of the to market their produce. One of the les recently purchased, from Aus , a one-ton four wheel drive utility and other societies will be assisted ihe Administration to purchase es. European agricultural interest * area is also growing. party set out on April 4. The er, at that time of the year, could ►ected to be reasonably dry: however, , unseasonable rains fell, and the which, until it is further developed, tended for dry weather use only, e slippery where the grades were The rivers and streams had more in them than was seasonable, but, stages of the journey enthusiastic s rallied round to assist wherever i. The useful rattan cane (kanda) in handy as hauling-lines. natives had built sturdy bridges many of the rivers, and had r ed a remarkable engineering feat e Minjim River. Across it they had

built a 66-ft. single span bridge. The six large kwila tree trunks forming the bearers of the bridge had been slung across by means of rattan cane lines— the trees on the opposite bank being used as derrick-arms for the purpose. The banks of the Minjim at the site chosen for the bridge are 25 feet at low water.

The Nagum River, which nrovides the main drainage of the inland fall of the Prince Alexander Range, was forded in partial flood. The road crosses the Nagum down on the flats. As the water was high, the engines were not used. A large party of enthusiastic natives (many of them nudists) towed the two vehicles across the river to the accompaniment of yells and howls which are an accepted aid to effort.

At times, in this season, the Nagum can be forded at a depth of only six inches, and of course, in the wet, or after a cloud burst, it can run at 15 feet.

The river is highly unpredictable.

All along the route the party was greeted enthusiastically by the natives.

In some places a vehicle had never appeared before. The headlights after dark were an outstanding success with the children. Many of the natives had known the District Commissioner years before when, as a Patrol Officer, he had visited them in their villages on foot.

With the opening of this new road (which largely follows Administration pre war patrol trails), a total of 137 road

miles can now be traversed by four-wheel drive vehicles in a general west-south westerly direction from Wewak to Maprik and on to Dreikikir to the west. The section between Yangoru through Maprik to Dreikikir has been jeepable now for some time. This road also links up with the 36 mile north-south Mauri Maprik Road from the Sepik River.

Further improvements will be made to the road with heavy equipment which has already been used on the Wewak end and with the arrival of the dry season improvements will continue in the Range section. The natives have agreed to co operate.

Considerable interest was aroused throughout the Sepik District and the Territory at the party’s effort. Travelling times would have been considerably re duced had dry instead of the unseasonably wet weather been encountered.

The isolated missionaries and European pioneers encountered on the journey re ceived the party with typical New Guinea bush hospitality. Some remarked that they never believed that they would see the day when vehicles passed their door from Wewak. fl Mr. Edwin Gold, of Mangaia, has recently submitted a bulky manu script to a United States publisher.

The novel is based on his thirty years of residence at that Island.