Detailed Itinerary -Pilgrimage to Papua New Guinea
Wednesday 26 August – 20 Pilgrims
Depart Brisbane airport (BNE) at 09:55 on flight VA189, arrive Jacksons Field International Airport, Port Moresby (POM) at 13:20 to be met by +Denny Bray Guka (and possibly ++Clyde Igara) who will offer us dinner; transport by Lutheran Guest House minibus.
Wednesday 26 August – P Hendry, S & J Bradford
Depart Brisbane airport (BNE) at 10:40 on flight PX4, arrive Jacksons Field International Airport, Port Moresby (POM) at 13:50 to be met by +Denny Bray Guka (and possibly ++Clyde Igara) who will offer us dinner; transport by Lutheran Guest House minibus.
Dogura Group (7 Pilgrims)
Thursday 27 August
~07:45 Lutheran Guest House minibus take to airport; depart Jacksons Field International Airport (POM) at 09:40 on flight PX154, arrive Gurney airport, Alotau (GUR) at 10:35. Two hours by truck and dinghy to Dogura, stay at Wedau Guest House (20 mins walk from Dogura Cathedral) and meet Bishop Tennyson Bogar
Friday, Saturday: detailed itinerary to be arranged but visiting the cathedral, health centre, primary and secondary schools and the famous Madawa tree
Sunday 30 August
Leave Wedau village for Napatana Lodge[1] in Alotau
Monday 31 August
depart Gurney airport (GUR) at 11:10 on flight PX955, arriving Port Moresby (POM) at 12:10; depart Port Moresby (POM) at 15:25 on flight PX856, arrive Popondetta (POP) at 16:00
Aipo Rongo Group (7 Pilgrims)
Thursday 27 August
~09:00 Lutheran Guest House minibus take to airport; depart Jacksons Field International Airport (POM) at 11:45 on flight PX182, arrive Kagamuga airport, Mount Hagen (HGU) at 12:45. Stay at Mt Hagen Missionary Home[2] opposite Anglican Church of St Michael where Bishop Nathan Ingen and his wife Jessica live
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: detailed itinerary to be arranged but visiting Anglicare, Anglican charity promoting HIV awareness one day and going into the bush on the other day, either north to the Jimi Valley[3] or to the east
Monday 31 August
depart Kagamuga airport (HGU) at 10:00 on flight PX181, arriving Port Moresby (POM) at 11:00; depart Port Moresby (POM) at 15:25 on flight PX856, arrive Popondetta (POP) at 16:00
New Guinea Islands Group (9 Pilgrims)
Thursday 27 August
Group to spend time with +Denny in the morning; ~12:45 Lutheran Guest House minibus take to airport; depart Jacksons Field International Airport (POM) at 15:00 on flight PX844, arrive Hoskins airport, Kimbe, West New Britain airport (HKN) at 16:30. Two vehicles pick up at airport, meet Bishop Allan Migi and stay at Kimbe (venue to be arranged)
Friday 28 August
8:00am, pick up for programme in Bialla parish including welcome by parish chairman, Mr Laban Gabarura; brief history and parish profile by parish priest, Fr. George Kasme; blessing of parish priest’s house by Bishop Jonathan Meyrick; light refreshments and sight-seeing; evening dinner at Banuale with entertainment of choruses and drama by combined Anglican/Roman Catholic youth group
Saturday 29 August
8:30am welcome and combined Eucharist at St Lawrence, Mosa; light refreshments and speeches; 12:30pm visit diocesan oil palm project; 3:30pm visit Roman Catholic Bishop William Fay; 5:00pm travel back to Banaule; 7:00pm dinner at Liamo Resort
Sunday 30 August
8:30am pick up for Eucharist at Kimbe Martyrs church, Bishop Jonathan Meyrick to celebrate & Bishop Andrew Hedge to preach; (8:45am welcome by Mothers’ Union members); 11:30am light refreshments, speeches and entertainment; 2:30pm return to Banaule
Monday 31 August
Depart Hoskins airport (HKN) at 07:00 on flight PX841, arriving Port Moresby (POM) at 08:30; depart Port Moresby (POM) at 15:25 on flight PX856, arrive Popondetta (POP) at 16:00
Popondetta Visit – All Pilgrims
Monday 31 August
Arrive Girua airport, Popondetta at 16:00 to be met by Bishop Lindsley Ihove and picked up by Birdwing Butterfly Lodge (BBL, our accommodation) minibus; evensong in Popondetta Cathedral with food (kaikai) and fellowship afterwards
Tuesday 1 September
Breakfast at BBL, then their Minibus to Newton Theological College (NTC) to meet the Principal Fr. Peter Moi; Eucharist upon arrival (~9am), meet students and their families as well as staff over morning tea then minibus to Oro Bay on north coast, visit St Margaret’s School of Nursing and meet Sister Mildred Laksen; have lunch and then take minibus to religious orders: tea with Sisters of the Visitation (Sister Edna) and also meet members of the Society of St Francis (SSF) and the Melanesian Brothers; back to BBL for evening meal
Wednesday 2 September (PNG Martyrs Day)
Visit Martyrs School for Eucharist with school community (+Graham to celebrate, other bishops to assist), refreshments, singing and dancing; return to BBL for evening meal
Thursday 3 September All Pilgrims
Tour Popondetta town in the morning, lunch with +Lindsay at BBL then leave ~15:00 for Popondetta airport (POP), depart at 16:25 on flight PX857, arrive Jacksons Field International Airport (POM) at 17:00 then minibus to LGH.
Port Moresby Visit – All Pilgrims
Friday 4 September
Transport by PMV (with a roof!): morning visit to Diocesan offices, Anglicare offices and Chapel of the Good Shepherd, all in diocesan compound in Waigani, Port Moresby; then visit to Christ the King school (with +Denny) at 8-mile settlement and also Melanesian Brothers; visit Commonwealth War Graves cemetery at Bomana; return to Port Moresby to visit the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea; evening meal at St Martin’s Boroko with a youth focus.
Saturday 5 September
Morning visit to the National Botanical Garden on the Goro-Kaeaga Road in Port Moresby; afternoon visit to St John’s Cathedral for lunch and discussions with Dean (Fr. Reg), +Denny and ++Clyde; return to LGH for evening meal
[Saturday 5 September (P Hendry)
Depart Jacksons Field International Airport (POM) at 13:30 on flight PX5, arrive Brisbane airport (BNE) at 16:40.]
Sunday 6 September
Morning visits to three different parishes (one bishop to each): St Mary’s Gerehu (with its 1616 Norfolk bell (oldest man-made object in PNG?)); St Martin’s Boroko and Holy Family Hohola; final fellowship meal in the evening hosted by St Martin’s Boroko
Sunday 6 September – (+G James & J Page)
Depart Jacksons Field International Airport (POM) at 14:05 on flight VA188, arrive Brisbane airport (BNE) at 17:10
Monday 7 September (S & J Bradford)
Depart Jacksons Field International Airport (POM) at 09:30 on flight PX90, arrive Cairns airport (CNS) at 10:55
Monday 7 September – (16 Pilgrims)
Depart Jacksons Field International Airport (POM) at 14:05 on flight VA188, arrive Brisbane airport (BNE) at 17:10
Thursday 10 September – (+A & J Robinson)
Depart Jacksons Field International Airport (POM) at 14:05 on flight VA188, arrive Brisbane airport (BNE) at 17:10
Revd Phil Charlesworth: Executive Officer, Papua New Guinea Link Group
+44 7545 968435 revdphilcharlesworth@gmail.com
[1] See http://www.napatanalodge.com
[2] See http://mhmhpng.weebly.com
[3] See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimi_Valley and Richard Attenborough’s book ‘Quest in Paradise’ (Pan Books)