CONTACTS
Jack Bal cannot be contacted directly due to the lack of anything at Ambullua. The best way is to just turn up at Ambullua and he will drop whatever he is doing to be of service to you. Of course you need to get to Ambullua. My advice is to contact Bob Bates at Trans Niugini Tours and he can organise it all for you. If you don't want to pay someone to organise it for you at least just contact him for advice at the time. I am also available to give advice and am in close contact with Bob (I'd want to be because he is my father).
If you still don't want to contact one of us Hevi Lift in Mt.Hagen can organise a chopper in. If the airstrip is open Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF) can organise a Cessna 206, Brittan-Norman Islander or Twin Otter to fly you in (depending on the size of your group). The last and cheapest option is to catch a PMV (Public Motor Vehicle) to within a days walk of Ambullua. PMV's are not known for their safety or clenliness. The easiest way is to go to downtown Mt.Hagen to the bus stop and catch a PMV to Banz and then down the Kol road until you reach a landslide where you get out and walk. It is about 6 hours walk to Kol and a furthur 3 to Ambullua. Alternatively you can catch a PMV to Kerowagi where Jack says it is a days walk to Ambullua, but he basically runs the whole way, so two days must be allowed for. Air Niugini is the best way to get into the country.
Accomodation in Hagen ranges from the hardly budget, like The Highlander Hotel, Haus Poroman and Kimininga Lodge. They are by no means the Hilton... but they sort of try. The mid range is the Airport Hotel. Right down the bottom are local guest houses like the Newtown Lodge which are very basic.
Contacts:
NB. I've included postal addresses, but if you are going to write to these places remember that the postal service in PNG is extrememly slow and you should allow approximately two weeks for airmail. Surface mail takes months!!! Also the phone system can be unreliable, so if no one answers it does not necessarily mean that they don't want to take your call. Also please remember that PNG is GMT +10... so don't go calling in the middle of the night!!
Michael Bates - bateserino@yahoo.com
Ph: +61 401 841 555
Bob Bates - Travel@pngtours.com
PO Box 371
Mt.Hagen
Papua New Guinea
Ph: +675 542 1438
Fax: +675 542 2470
Web Page for Trans
Niugini Tours:
http://www.pngtours.com
Missionary
Aviation Fellowship (MAF)
PO Box 273
Mt. Hagen
Papua New Guinea
Ph: +675 545 1477
Fax: +675 545 1387
Hevi Lift
PO Box 49
Mt.Hagen
Papua New Guinea
Ph: +675 545 1240
Fax: +675 545 1261
Air Niugini
Best to arrange things through QANTAS
Highlander Hotel
PO Box 34
Mt.Hagen
Papua New Guinea
Ph: +675 542 1355
Kimininga Lodge
PO Box 408
Mt. Hagen
Papua New Guinea
Ph: + 675 542 2399
Fax: + 675 5421834
Haus Poroman Lodge
PO Box 1182
Mt.Hagen
Papua New Guinea
Ph: + 675 542 2250
Fax: + 675 542 2207
Hagen Airport
Motel - mmakap@online.net.pg
PO Box 1162
Mt. Hagen
Papua New Guinea
Ph: +675 545 1647
Fax: + 675 545 1618
New Town Lodge
PO Box 1006
Mt.Hagen
Papua New Guinea
Ph:+675 542 2872
Last Updated: 17/04//2001