Kuta Ridge lives again

From JAMES PORTER at Mt Hagen

Kuta Ridge, the 7,000 ft high divide between the Nebilyer River and Wahgi River systems, five miles out of Mt Hagen in Papua New Guinea's Highlands, takes on new life with the installation of a Posts and Telegraphs radio microwave repeater station, carrying STD telephone channels through to Mendi in the Southern Highlands.

Danny Leahy, one of the famous Leahy brothers, "discoverers" of the great Wahgi Valley in 1933, built a two-storeyed house on top of Kuta Ridge after he discovered gold in near by Ewunga Creek. Kuta is the local native name for salt, which Dan used in early trade with the Hagen people whenever they came to his house.

Later, he also put out salt-licks for his cattle spread around the ridges, and so it became known as the place of salt.

Standing on the ridge-top in front of the decaying ruins of Dan Leahy's old house today, with its magnificent view of Mt Hagen township below, and the high mountains of lalibu (11,400 ft), Giluwe (14,300 ft) Hagen (12,300 ft) and the 14,000 ft Kubor Range on all

sides, it is not difficult to sympathise with Dan's choice of a homesite.

When the gold ran out, Dan went in for grazing cattle, sheep and pigs at Kuta, and at one time employed a number of Highland girls spinning his own wool to make rugs and clothing.

A few years ago, however, Dan finally tired of the cold Highland mists drifting in through one window and out the other. He forsook his Kuta eyrie foFthe sunnier Nebilyer Valley below, where he now grows coffee. Almost blind, and partially deaf, Dan is nevertheless still going strong, and visits Hagen regularly.

Microwave radio engineers have now moved in with their steel towers and parabolic dish antennae, con structed alongside the ghostly shell of the old homestead with its gaping glassless windows and rotting boards, to take advantage of that fabulous view. For that's just what microwave signals require "line of sight" paths to Hagen and Mt lalibu on either side to carry the ever-increasing Jumble of telecommunications farther into the country's wilderness.

Kuta repeater alongside Dan Leahy's old house.