Trekking in Omie Territory, Oro Province, Papua New Guinea

INTRODUCTION: The Omie terroritory is a remote, rugged forest territory on the southern slopes of Mount Lamington in Oro Province. The territory has only been opened up to trekkers last year after not seeing any Europeans for the past 30 years. Local villagers have recently begun accepting visitors for guided 7 day safaris. Unescorted trekkers are not permitted.
LOCATION: Airlines of PNG (formerly MBA) flies into Asafa on Saturdays from Port Moresby on an "as needs" basis. The service is designated as a "freight and fares" service and the flight time is approximately 50 minutes. From Asafa airfield it is a 30 minute walk from the Omie territory base camp at Godibehi.
DESCRIPTION: Omie territory treks offer the widest range of involvement with some of Papua New Guinea's mountainous natural beauty and cultural heritage. While trekking through the mountains in Omie territory you will not only hear the call of many different birds of paradise but you will be able to watch their ritualistic displays at dawn and at dusk. There are many different kinds of rock wallabies and tree kangaroos that live in the hills surrounding Mt Lamington. As you walk along the trails across the streams and through the village gardens, you will be mesmerised by the beauty of the brilliantly coloured butterflies, including the famous Queens Alexandra Birdwing.
The Omie people have fiercely defended their right to maintain their traditional customs (although they no longer send out raiding parties to gather protein from the lowland Orakaiva villages!). Possibly the most memorable times for visitors are when they watch as the Omie people, bare-chested and dressed in tapa cloth and magnificent grand feather head-dresses, dance to the rhythmic beat of their kundu drums. Great teams of dancers challenge each other as they dance on through the night. Visitors are welcome to participate and learn the dance routines.
On clear nights, the skies are filled with a million stars and often you will see giant trees illuminated by the twinkling lights of thousands and thousands of fire-flies.
Visitors to the Omie territory are hosted by villagers who have formed an ecotourism development committee. The committee has organised 7 day jungle safaris which give trekkers the opportunity to:

· Climb to the top of Mount Lamington and view the sleeping caldera of the volcano. Please remember that when the mountain erupted in 1951, it blew to the north and Omie territory is to the south…

· Watch the Omie people create their famous tapa cloth material with their unique designs and motifs. Tapa created by Omie masters is prized by collectors around the world. Visitors can select their own masterpiece.

· Watch as the Omie people generate enormous pulsating power as they rhythmically pound their kundu drums and dance to their beat.

· Walk with guides to secret locations to view the dawn and dusk displays of the magnificent birds of paradise.

· Walk with guides as they search with you for the many different species of rock wallabies and tree climbing kangaroos and cuscus.

· Sit in the villages and listen to the old men and women tell of the legends and histories of the Omie people.

· Walk through the lush green under-forest of this tropic high country, along saddles with almost vertical drops to more jungles below. For long periods you can walk along well trod, centuries old paths under a canopy of giant trees. To record this humid wonderland of green moss and ferns and bright coloured succulents, trekkers should consider carrying waterproof cameras.

· Swim in the many fast flowing mountain streams that criss-cross Omie territory. There are no crocodiles in Omie territory.

SAFARI PROGRAM: The Omie people have developed a program for a 7 day trek through Omie territory, staying at village homestays along the way. The safari program is very flexible and can be amended to meet the adventurous spirit of visitors. There are no hidden or additional charges for variations. It is also possible to extended the trekking program to 14 days by spending longer at each village or taking side trips along the way such as a climb to the summit of Mt Lamington. The suggested 7 day program is as follows:

Saturday: Fly from Port Moresby to Asafa. Met by guides on arrival. Walk to Godibehi (30 minutes) for a traditional greeting. (Have your camera ready!) Settle in to the homestay dwelling where you can sit and discuss the activities you would like to focus your time on during your trek (eg birdwatching, photography, climbing).

Sunday: As the sun rises and as the clouds begin to lift from the valleys below, commence a three hour walk to Jaipa village. This small village is perched on a spur of Mount Lamington with views across valleys to distant ranges. The accommodation is located in the middle of the village. At night there will most probably be a full scale traditional Omie territory dance.

Monday: After breakfast begin a four hour walk to Budo village. The accommodation, located in the village, has views across the foothills to the Owen Stanley Range beyond. The view from the toilet is something to behold!

Tuesday: This is the longest walk. For six hours you follow streams as you make your way to beautiful Savodobehi village - the Omie people's centre of culture. The people of Savodobehi village have built a large village homestay facility a couple of hundred metres away from the village proper. The accommodation is set amidst mountain rainforest. On your arrival at Savodobehi there will be a traditional Omie welcome and then, in the evening, dinner and stories.

Wednesday: At Savodobehi. Just before dawn, walk into the hills to witness a display of birds of paradise or walk into the hills and, with guides, search for rock wallabies , tree kangaroos, cuscus and cassowaries. During the day, watch as master tapa makers create magnificent designs on their tapa cloth. At night, traditional dancing and singing.

Thursday: After breakfast, commence a four hour walk to Godibehi, your starting point. Chances are that you will be greeted by the youth of the village and entertained by them as they, dressed in tapa and sporting giant feather head-dresses, perform traditional Omie dances.

Friday: Rest at Godibehi or walk to the gardens and along the streams in search of the world's largest butterfly, the giant Queen Alexandra Birdwing. Alternatively, you can walk with guides to view birds of paradise or other wildlife. At night, a farewell banquet followed by traditional Omie culture singing and dancing.

Saturday: After an early breakfast, commence the 30 minute walk to the airstrip at Asafa and wait for the arrival of the plane which will sweep you away from the Omie people and leave you wondering if it was all a dream - until you develop your photos!!!

ACCOMMODATION: The village houses that trekkers sleep in along the route homestay facility are all built from bush material but vary in size and configuration. At Savodobehi, for example, there are three secure rooms that could be used as bedrooms but the first walkers to Savodobehi chose to sleep in the fresh mountain air, on the open-sided haus win (verandah). Visitors sleep on woven mats and if you are adventurous, you could sleep beneath new tapa cloth sheeting. As it can become quite cold at night, it is recommended that hikers pack a tropical sleeping bag or lightweight blanket and also bring their own pillowcase and towel. The furnishings are sparse. Expect to sit and sleep on the floor. Clean mats will be provided but BYO rolled up foam underlay if you need a little comfort.
BATHROOMS: Bathing is in cool fresh streams or standing under waterfalls. Private bush toilets (latrines) for visitors are located within easy walking distance of each villagestay facility. All Omie villages are located at the top of different spurs that spread out from Mount Lamington. (The district's history of tribal warfare dictates that the villages are all located in strong defensive positions, way above the valleys below.) So, the bathing streams may be 100 or 300 metres below the village. It is recommended that hikers bathe just prior to making the final assent to each villagem
MEALS: All meals are prepared and served by the villagers. All of the food has either been freshly collected from the gardens or caught from the streams or in the forests. The staple for most meals is sweet potato, accompanied by green vegetables, fish, wild pork and other hunted meats. Many of the meals are prepared by first wrapping the raw vegetables and protein in banana leaves and then slowly cooking the food parcels between layers of red hot river stones. On other occasions, the raw vegetables and protein may be housed in freshly hollowed-out lengths of bamboo that are sealed with aromatic fern leaves before being slowly cooked beneath hot stones. Visitors are welcome to bring other (non-perishable) foods with them from Port Moresby if they wish.
OTHER INFORMATION: Omie territory is a very remote area. If you are interested in trekking through Omie territory you must accept that you will do so at your own risk. You will be out of touch of "civilisation" for 6 nights while on this trek. There are no reliable communication or medical facilities in Omie territory. You must be in good physical health and not at significant risk of requiring medical attention for a known condition while trekking. If you happen to break a leg while hiking in Omie territory it may be 48 hours before a helicopter medivac can be arranged. You should ensure your travel insurance will cover you for medivac from this location. Although there are no mosquitos and therefore no malaria in these mountains, trekkers may wish to travel with their own mosquito nets just in case, and to keep other insects at bay. Hiking in Omie territory without local guides is not permitted.
COST: Approximately USD$600 per person including guides, village-style meals and airfares from Port Moresby. Enquire for current rate.
BOOKING ARRANGEMENTS: This is a tour to a remote area and must be pre-paid in full no later than 8 weeks in advance to allow time for arrangements to be made.
ENQUIRIES: Read our general booking information E-mail info@eco-melanesia.8k.com

PHOTOS:


welcome dance, Budo village	traditional musicians, Jaipa village


Andrew Naumo, leader of the Omie ecotourism cooperative	Omie villagers in their day gear - these are your guides and hosts


the entrance to Budo village, located on a ridge top	Omie villagers preparing to remove cooked vegetables from a hot stone oven


a trekker and guides relax in a cool stream	Boja, one of the village guides, poses with Mt Lamington in the background


Omie father and daughter prepare to dance the night away

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