workin in papua new guinea....$$$....

anyone here done it???

am considering an offer to go make some $BIG$ buckeroos doing parts in tax free papua new guinea....

have read a fair amount of pro's and con's, and so far it doesnt seem as bad as everyone makes it out to be... especially the commercial press....

i want to travel there to make the good money to sponsor dub and travel obsessions, but to also experience a totally different culture.........

thoughts or experiences guys and gals??

went to "Irian Jaya" some years back on a surf expedition and was told not to walk the streets at night so guessing the same on the other side of the Island.
sounds kool though, don't wear ya "bring back the biff" tee shirt:duh

Hmmm. Just finished a couple of weeks study of PNG political structure and socio-economic conditions. It remains a lawless place today, and western foreigners are big targets for the gangs. However, i imagine that indeed the pay would be good, and so it shold, the risks are high, but if you are willing to take the risk, you could make megabucks. Comes down to a question of what you value most - money or safety.

[Edited on 18-8-2004 by bertie_beetle]

thats a good question." paper or blood"

Do you get personal guards in the offer?, most foreigners have personal guards these days.

Air fooled,
I did it for 9 years. Depends on where you go. If you are working in the cities you need to think carefully about safety. Some provinces are safer than others. It generally depends on the resources within the province and the tax dollars distributed to those provinces from the resource projects. Coruption is rife and this has a bearing on the stability within town/villages.

By the way it's not exactly tax free. It's 2% or 12% depending on how your contract is structured. Or at least it was up to 2000.

Having said all that I enjoyed everyone of the 35 visits I made to the country. A very interesting culture and generally very friendly people. Awesome islands and highland regions. I worked in Port Moresby, Southern Highlands, The Gulf Region and East New Britain.

"m tasol, lukim yu behin time" ... Thats all, see you later.

Brendan

56ovaltine wrote:thats a good question." paper or blood"

well put matey!!!!

You seem pretty confident, so go for it. Opportunities like this often come only once.
:bounce

I wouldn't take family. No life for them...too restrictive. Going grocery shopping is like delivering the payroll to a bank. International schools are like jails.


I don't know what your work skills are but generally on resource projects a fly in / fly out 28/28 day rotation or 6 and 2 week rotation allows you to have "quality" time when you are home.

Brendan

thanks GLI172, sounds like you know a heap! what type of work were you in?? i'm tossing up a job in port moresby and may also have another offer in the pipeline, parts repping in the pacific region..... the second one is more appealing travel and safety wise but lower paying...... from what ive read its not as dangerous as made out so i've really not taken the safety factor into too much consideration, but just follow the basic rules of not going out at nightime, starting fights bla bla bla.

i would have guards at the compound where i would live too by the way bertie beetle, however not bodyguards or anything per se....

ps- the diving and mountain climbing is a real attraction too!!

nah full time residency buddy, jumpin straight in the deep end.......the way i like it, sink or swim.....

did you have much contact with other westeners??? and your likes and dislikes of the country apart from the scenery??

what was the purpose of your school report bertie??? and the conclusions?

Sounds good then. I guess you run a risk workin anywhere, i'd be scared working in Melbourne.

bertie_beetle wrote:Sounds good then. I guess you run a risk workin anywhere, i'd be scared working in Melbourne.

hahahaha😀😀 if you survive pine rivers you can survive anywhere hahahahaha 😀😀 what suburb you in??? i've lived in kallangur for a few years and narangba and redcliffe too....
currently trying to bring law and order to the heathens on the southside.......hahaha😀😉

Port Moresby has better suburbs than others. Boroko is one of the worst (this was where the riots were in '96). Port Moresby commercial district is ok except that a lot of the stores and restaurants have closed down over the last 10 years. I will say they have some exceptional restaurants though. Great food.

Bertie,
I have a view on the socio economical structure of the country. I believe it is in the state it is due to British Colonialism. You see it everywhere you go... the class system, even down to policemen opening gates for you when you are driving into the carpark of the Gateway hotel for a pissup. A dinner in a restaurant costs generally twice as much as a lobourer makes in a week. Security guards get paid 20 toya per hour and are expected to protect banks with sticks (3 of them once saved me an a mate from being robbed one lunch hour outside the Wespac bank up there). TV adds attempt to show you 6 ways of cooking tinned tuna and bully beef. There is such a disparity between the haves and havenots. Generally only 45% of grade 6 students go on to finish primary school (the future rascals).

A sad story. The company I was contracted to took a collection up one xmas to help out 6 underprivelaged families with hampers. We found out later that all the families were robbed and some of the family members beaten.

Brendan

yeah, pine rivers is like bagdhad. i live in strathpine, i go to Pine Rivers High School. Not too bad around here, but kallangur is a hole.

I grew up in Redcliffe so PNG was a cakewalk.

thanks for the insight mate........

I hope I haven't scared you off. If the right job came up I'd be back there in a second.

Brendan

bertie_beetle wrote:yeah, pine rivers is like bagdhad. i live in strathpine, i go to Pine Rivers High School. Not too bad around here, but kallangur is a hole.

hey watch what you're sayin there young son!!! 😉😉:P haha
i liked kallangur more then strathpine actually. anzac ave goin through starthpine is just ugly and messy. i use to pedal me bike to work at brendale to work everyday along there choking away at the morning congestion.... its a wonder i dont run on diesel these days hahahhahaha.

worked at village motors at petrie for a while. absolutley farkin wankers there i tell you!!!

GL1972 wrote:I grew up in Redcliffe so PNG was a cakewalk.

serious man!!??? hahaha. nah its not such a hole these days!! the council pumped millions into it and its lookin great and all the dero's are gettin squeezed out....

GL1972 wrote:I hope I haven't scared you off. If the right job came up I'd be back there in a second.

Brendan

just great gettin first hand facts!!!! am pretty keen on takin the job!!! bein 22 and makin ~$80-$90K gross is too appealing to pass up......

I also lived in Kalangur for a while.

After I left both places the locals probably realised that the shackles were now broken and the places went on to prosper. 😎

Get your safety sorted out and go for it. You are only young once.

hopefully the same has happened in png then hey??? hahaha

so just which poor town is suffering down on the central coast now then?? hahaha

actually cant talk kallangur up too much.... had my first car stolen from there 3 days after i bought the bastard!!!!! shheessh!!! theyre quick!!!

doing wat sort of work if u dont mind me asking

spare parts interpreting

i worked there for near enough 10 yrs let me say i enjoyed some of what i did but i would not go back nor would i ever contemplate a job within a good boui spit of moresby it is a shithole full of the worst there is to offer lae and even madang arnt much better now and the highlands are just amazing with their own brand of law but by the sound of it you will fit right in if your packin smith--------------------and wesson. u2u me and i will give you specifics if you want but the money aint worth your life and im not bullshitting you about the life bit

Kalangur did not have sealed roads all the way to the guttering on Anzac Ave when I was there.

Just another tip. I have seen a lot of expats come back from PNG after living there. A lot of them are in advanced stages of alcoholism. Because of the restrictive nature of the lifestyle. Join the yacht club, learn to fly, go fishing....stay active.

Regards
Brendan

i worked there for near enough 10 yrs let me say i enjoyed some of what i did but i would not go back nor would i ever contemplate a job within a good boui spit of moresby it is a shithole full of the worst there is to offer lae and even madang arnt much better now and the highlands are just amazing with their own brand of law but by the sound of it you will fit right in if your packin smith--------------------and wesson. u2u me and i will give you specifics if you want but the money aint worth your life and im not bullshitting you about the life bit

U2U sent toplessbug, thankyou.

yeah i've been talking to a guy who was a cop up there for 20 years and he reckons that the biggest vices for the westeners are pokies, booze and aids riddled hookers....... i hate pokies bigtime, spew a lot when i hit the piss hard and would never touch a hooker so i rate myself a good chance of comin back fairly normal.... love the outdoors and all activities you mentioned plus i'm a keen reader so i should hope i could kill the hours sensibly.........

God if I could do it I would....there are a lot of issues up there...and known political corruption.....rape....murder....pillaging but over all a wonderful experience....

They had elections a couple of years ago....things were a bit fierce up in the Highlands.....

Haven't been following things for some time...but here is their online newspaper

http://www.thenational.com.pg/

Expat life happens in Port Moresby...here's a drinking hole

http://www.rpyc.com.pg/

If you have no ties here...or are portable do it....😎

THANKS JENZ!!!!!:bounce:bounce

I lived in PNG (Boganville) for 6 months and it was a real culture shock but worth the trip."I was there with a peace keeping mission in 96, so your time in PNG should be a bit more fun".

Brother-in-law has been in the highlands and moreby for 10 years now.
was only meant to be for 2 so they could buy a house but he has stayed.

Money is really good, 4weeks on 4 weeks off, his family life is up the shit now and he has problems with the culture shock coming back to oz.

Up in the highlands he gets shot at, always has to watch his back and when he comes back to oz, the missus complains teh seal in teh fridge is broken!!!!!!!!!

After hearing his stories from himself and about the other aussies up there I wouldn't go withing 1000miles of the place. the only reason anyone goes is for the money, but whats the point of having heaps in the bank if your dead

My mum and dad went up to PNG about 1970 and along i came in 1974. We had alot of land in and around Kimbi on New Britain....

We had a property right on the furtherest point west of Kimbi as well as land in town. I enjoyed my child hood very muchly but as i was growing up i was sent away to finish high school.

Its a beautiful place but can be very dangerous. As per above posts depends on where you go.... i can point you out to some people that we know which are still living on New Britain. I dont really remember the spelling but a plantation called wallindi is one of the best diving places on the world to go to.....

Depending on what type of industry you want to go into depends on what type of money..... you can not purchase land when we lived in PNG it was all leased.

When we wanted to get out we had the plantation valued at $1,000,000 but a couple of years later when every thing went really really bad we sold it for just over $250,000. My mums shop in town was valued at $250,000. sold that for just over $100,000. and the house with the 30bay shed on the side that was valued a couple of years before the shit hit the wall was $250,000. we sold for $120,000.

Food wise is very cheap if you want what the locals eat.. within reason as the fruit that we get here like graps and apples and pears well you could pay like $20.00 a kg but bananas 20cents and lobsters 20cents.... these prices are a few years old now as i have not been back for hmmmmm about 10 years

If you want more info give me a call or make sure you see me on Sunday and ill give you all the info i can about the place.

I would love to go back and check out what has happened to the town and out property a the last i heard from friends last year was our plantation was over run by the locals and nothing is standing.

Moniek

Now lets chsnge the topic a little
M A L A R I A
damn bad to get rid of but easy to catch. The actual preventive is really the treatment medicine = can't prevent it !!
Can recur several times in your life without new contact to the illness .
AND
Quantas pilots are not to take a certain brand of antimalarial as it seems to cause halusinations abd forms of depression ( c r a s h ) ....

Yes I have been there as a volunteer on short stints and rented a car with bullet holes , heard rascals carreering past our meetings, was in Moresby 2 or 3 Footballers were killed as payback for some kind of accidental death of another player on the opposing team.... you cannot avoid seeing 100% FEAR in the eyes of the people when these things go on
i wont go on, o n l y:
if you have to go, go with G O D !!
that's the only way I could survive it; believing we were bringing good laws to the people.
cheers.
can get you some great contacts I F youre up there....
firmly believe in what you are doing

Here's a good direstory of PNG Internet Sites...Chat Rooms...Media...Research....Culture...etc...etc...

http://coombs.anu.edu.au/SpecialProj/PNG/Index.htm

another

http://www.niugini.com/

....

http://home.iprimus.com.au/rdew/Information/information.html

Social Sciences subject areas of PNG...some good reading if u r interested (informed travel)...can be a lot of reading...

http://www.pngbuai.com/300socialsciences/300.htm

Papua New Guinea has a high crime rate. Carjackings, armed robberies, and stoning of vehicles are a problem in Port Moresby, the capital. Pickpockets and bag-snatchers frequent crowded public areas. Hiking in rural areas and visiting isolated public areas such as parks, golf courses, beaches, or cemeteries can be dangerous. Persons traveling alone are at great risk for robbery or gang rape. Visitors to Papua New Guinea should avoid using taxis or buses, known as public motor vehicles, and should rely instead on their sponsor or hotel to arrange for taxi service or a rental car.

Gang rape is not uncommon...and it doesn't happen only to women....

TIP: Wherever you go (other than the village), assume THERE'S SOMEONE WATCHING YOU and waiting for their chance to grab your purse, camera, bag, etc. With the high rate of unemployment and poverty in the cities, you -- the tourist who obviously has enough money to afford airfare and accomodation -- are fair game for a bit of redistributive justice. Follow all general travel precautions at all time: carry as little cash as possible, and keep it close to your body. Have smaller denominations and coins in your pocket so you don't need to sort through a wad of dough every time you want to buy something. Be modest in what you buy and how you present yourself (i.e., dress casually, not flashy).


Don't damage anyone or anything.......drive carefully......consequences can be life threatening....

My dad got Dengie Fever over there in WWII....he always had it coming back...it never fully goes away...cover up..use nets...use repellants and anti-malarials....The Highlands and Port Moresby are relatively free of Malaria...

If you take the warnings seriously and don't take unnecessary risks then PNG can be sweet....Go informed...

I'd still do it.....

welll gollllllly!!! hahaha, thanks all for their opinions and experiences on time spent in png. still havnt made up my mind about going, i really wanna do it but convincing the missus its a good thing has proven quite hard....
its an ongoing job offer anyway as they always need people there so i've got time on my side....

sounds as if you had one interesting life growing up Mrs M!!! my uncle by marriage family is in a similar situation in zimbabwe. owned a successful business and large estate/farm, and under the mugabe regime it has been over run and is now worthless....if i do go up there and go anywhere near your old home i'll get ya some pics...if i make it out alive hahahhaha

karmen thanks for addressing the malaria issue!!! hadnt put too much thought into that aspect!!! would have to keep on my toes and take the proper precautions.........i will take you up on that offer for the contacts if it eventuates though. so you did missionary work there?? picked up a hitch hiker comin out of cairns at the end of last year, reckoned he had been a missionary in png.. the guy was an absoulute fruit cake!!! think he was pullin my leg......

and jenz58, once again you've proven yourself to be a diamond amongst rubble. thanks for the informative websites......and the tips. if i run anyone over i'll make sure i get the rest of the family before they get me hahahaha.
:P:P

ps- if i dont end up going then a possible move to melbourne is on the cards!!!

not a good place for a female....... and not good for children... like i said have not been back for a long time but i would not take a family back unless you have a security guard or some sort of protection at all times


see ya tomorrow

Moniek

convincing the missus its a good thing for me to go and leave her here is what i meant....would never take her....
ps-sorry i missed the club meeting. i was really amped for it but couldnt make the time. i drove past to find out where yous were but never had the time to get back till i finished working at 6pm......doh!!!!!!

I spent 2 months working in Port Moresby a couple years back. Got to go up to Madang and a few other places too. Was well worth it, but it is a dangerous place. you need common sense, such as wearing old t shirt, shorts and no shoes same as everyone else, and never carry anything that looks valuable such as cameras and things.

it's much more dangerous for women there. However they are all mad keen on rugby league, so a bring back the biff shirt is actually a good idea.

[Edited on 30-8-2004 by Secoh]

ahhhhhh sweeet, i'm too poor to afford cameras, shoes, clothes or any other item that cant be won at the local bingo hall so sounds like i'm home free!!!!!! i will fit right in, maybe i'm part papua new guinean to start with eh!!?? hahahahaha.....:P

My Dad got a job up there in Port Moresby back a few years ago, something to do with steamships. And the whole family went over with him. From what I remember and the stories it can be quite dangerous. But we became really good friends with some of the locals which helped, they even took us to their villages.
I remember my parents accidently locking my 3 year old sister in the car (it's very hot up there!), and one of the head 'rascals' (thiefs) came along and broke into the car without damaging it at all to get her out!
One night some rascals jumped over our back fence and tried to steal some things, but we had bought over our dalmation from Oz so she protected us really well.
And it is true that for females it is a lot more dangerous.
I suggest taking a big guard dog with you!

Make sure you try some local foods. the Plantains are banana looking things but taste like...well...nothing. but it's good to try. Barramundi and swimmer crabs are cheap and plentiful and you'll eat a lot of it. hard to take that is! hehe take lots of anti malaria pills. Try the betel-nut (Buai) it stains your teeth red, but gives you a nice little "high", without all the side effects of pot. pretty gross to look at tho.

drink loads of bottle water not tap water. when you get the squirts (and you will) a table spoon of brown or balsamic vinegar fixes you right up. buy loads of el cheapo sun glasses from the servo here in oz before you go, these are better trading money than cash.