From Daru to Kiunga city upstream of the Fly River, about 700 km away, there was a passenger ship operated by the OK Tedi mining company.
By
Agustinus Wibowo
·6 minutes read
ISTIMEWA
Mama Ruth (far left) with Agustinus Wibowo (center) on their way from Daru to Doumori Village, Papua New Guinea.
The border between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (PNG), at a glance, is in a straight line from north to south at 141° East Longitude. Around the center, there is prominent winding body of water seemingly pointing toward Indonesia. That is the meandering Fly River.
Previously, I tried to reach the Indonesia-PNG border from the southern coast of PNG Island. However, the farthest point that I managed to achieve was Tais village, still around 100 kilometers away from the border. After returning to Daru, I wanted to start another trip to really reach the border, namely by going on the Fly River.
With the length of about 1,000 kilometers, the Fly River is the second-longest river in PNG after the Sepik River. The river was first explored by Francis Blackwood in 1842 with the HMS Fly corvette. The name of the ship was then used as the name of this river.
From Daru to Kiunga city upstream of the Fly River, about 700 km away, there was a passenger ship operated by the OK Tedi mining company. Operating only once a month, there was no definite schedule, and a ticket costs around Rp 2 million (US$136.06).
It was not an interesting journey for me. The ship sailed nonstop along the river, so I could only see life on the edge of the river from the ship’s deck.
I wanted to take a fishing boat. From Daru, I would look for a fishing boat that led to the nearest village in the estuary of the Fly River, then take a fishing boat to the next village. So that was what I wanted to do: going from one boat to the other, from one village to another village, reaching Kiunga.
All the residents said that my plan was crazy.
I myself had almost no information about this trip. Western Province is in the most remote areas of PNG, so there is not a lot of writing about it. At least, I had a detailed map of the Fly River, which I photographed from the wall of an NGO office.
AGUSTINUS WIBOWO
Traveling to Doumori Village, Papua New Guinea.
I also go the valuable advice to always keep my hands inside the boat because the river was full of crocodiles. Some friends reminded me to be very careful as an Indonesian because along the river there were many "West Papua" refugee camps.
However, I believed this was a journey that I had to take in order to see Indonesia from across the border.
***
I went to the dock in Daru to look for a ride. The port area was full of people from various surrounding areas who sold produce, ranging from fish and shrimp to sago and woven bags. These traders gathered based on their village of origin and their language. I found out that people speaking Kiwai, from the estuary of the Fly River, gathered on Daru Beach, which was full of garbage, behind the New Century supermarket.
I only needed to pay for several liters of gasoline to ease the cost of fuel. They came to Daru to sell sago and fish and shopped in Daru before going home.
PNG people, especially those from the kampung or small villages, are known to be friendly. Two days later, I was on a large boat belonging to the family of Mama Ruth, who is from Doumori village, at the mouth of the Fly River. I only needed to pay for several liters of gasoline to ease the cost of fuel. They came to Daru to sell sago and fish and shopped in Daru before going home.
In total, there were 12 people on the boat. Half of the passengers were children and babies. This traditional boat was big and sturdy. On the boat, there was a wooden board as wide as 2 meters and extended about 8 m, which was the place for passengers. This wooden board was located 2 m above sea level, so there was no need for us to worry about getting splashed by the waves. In addition, on the right side of the boat there was also a balancing blade that was 5 m wide, making the speeding boat very stable.
AGUSTINUS WIBOWO
Boiling water and cooking sago on the boat.
The sea was very friendly. Because the estuary of the Fly River was so large, the sea waves to the east of Daru was not as wild as in the southwest. Especially after passing Parama Island and turning to the north, the sea became calm like the river, without any waves at all.
Doumori was only 130 km from Daru, but our trip took up to 12 hours. When it was time to eat, the women took turns boiling water and cooking sago on the boat. This boat was like a house that floated on the ocean.
Dusk broke when we crossed Parama Island.
"Shouldn\'t we stop to stay overnight?" I asked Mama Ruth.
"We can\'t," said a white-toothed 30-year-old woman because she never chewed the areca nuts.
"If we stop, we will never arrive [at the destination]. Now, there is a tide, we can immediately go to Doumori."
The trip in the dark night frightened me, especially as there was the possibility of the boat crashing into a reef. I could only entrust the faith to the local because after all, they knew what was the best.
In the dark night, all passengers were quiet. We laid down and hugged fellow passengers to warm our bodies, which continued to shiver. Only two young men did not sleep because they had to operate the engine and control the direction of the boat.
"Now, we cross the Fly River," whispered Mama Ruth, who slept with me. Doumori was located on the northern edge of the Fly River.
AGUSTINUS WIBOWO
Doumori village as seen from the Fly River.
"Does this mean we will arrive soon?" I asked.
"Not yet. Crossing the river takes two hours," she said. "The Fly River is too big."
***
I was still fast asleep when the boat stopped completely. Mama Ruth\'s hand shook me awake. I rubbed my eyes. What I saw were clean white teeth in the darkness.
”Welcome to paradise!” she said with a smile, looking at her village, which was submerged in the tide.
