Alotau

October 8, 2019 – Alotau, Papua, New Guinea – +30C no wind partly cloudy.

First a little bit about Alotau. Note: this is an “Excerpt from the tour brochure”

Welcome to an undiscovered paradise of white-sand beaches, crystal waterfalls, and volcanic mountains. And if you’ve come for the history, you’ll find that, too. This peaceful town was the site of fierce fighting during World War II. Today, it’s a peaceful retreat offering the vacationer plenty of time to relax and connect with nature. Beyond the city, you’ll find a tropical rainforest full of birds of paradise and a laid-back ease worth discovering.

Alotau is the capital of Papua New Guinea’s Milne Bay Province and is steeped in history, rich culture and blessed with natural beauty.

Alotua is the gateway to some of the most remote island communities remaining in the world today, this is a place that is enriched with age-old culture and traditions. The area claims its fame in the history books where the Battle of Milne Bay took place in 1942 and an Australian digger was awarded the Victorian Cross for bravery – put those two elements together and add a beautiful harbour, relaxed atmosphere and friendly locals, and you are left with a pretty friendly destination – a place whose visitors can quickly add easily find something they love, no matter what their tastes.

Today was tour day in Alotau, our 2-hour tour was on The Battle of Milne Bay.

We signed up for this tour as it sounded like the most interesting part of Alotua’s history and we found that it supplied a highly informative view of the bay’s formative years because of its involvement in World War II.

The tour started on non-airconditioned busses some with a heavy mesh screen covering the front window and both front side windows. I am told rocks from the road surfaces are the reason. Given the condition of the roads, it seemed plausible. Check the photos taken through the “screen”. We entered the busses going through a warehouse shed complete with authentic traditional New Guinea “tribesman/woman” serenading us as we walked through.

First stop after a quick drive through the town and up a steep hill through the “Middle Goilanai” (middle-class community) and then through “Top Goilanai” (upper-class community) to a lookout with an overview of the town and the bay. What is very noticeable is the poverty that the natives experience here. And while poverty exists the young school children stop to wave at as we pass by.

This stop included the token “photo op with the natives” opportunity which mostly consisted of children under 12.

Back down the steep hill and onto the main highway our next stop is the location of what was airfield 3 where we were offered a very comprehensive presentation of what occurred here in 1942. Although 70 plus years have passed it was not hard to imagine the lives that were lost on both sides of the conflict. Of the three airfields that were built for the war effort only one remains and is the Alotau regional airport. This is not an incredibly detailed description of what occurred in 1942, hence the addition of a link to a reliable source.