Sepik- Tour to Wagu Lake and Hunstein Range

       from Wewak in Papua Newguinea(PNG)

1. General informations

The  Wagu Lake is  situated  between wetlands ( full of birds ) in the direction to the Sepik river and hills and mountains of the Hunstein range ( birds of paradise ) in the opposite direction - a wonderful untouched region of lakes , wetlands and hills for discovering flowers and birds by hiking ,canoeing and motor boat 

The district of the Hunstein range is suggested by the government of PNG as a protected area for the struggle against climate change

The Wagu lake is connected with the Sepik by the Hunstein River all the year . Additional there is a direct connection between Wagu Lake and Sepik river by a canal, which you cannot pass in the dry time ,when water level is not high enough

Normally all Sepik tours are organized only by driving with a motor boat from the upperSepik to the middle Sepik . As much petrol is necessary for the long distances , so the tours are very expensive

But we have made the experience , if you concentrate your tour ,so you can save much

money - for this is to recommend the Wagu lake with the landscape around .


 

Further information about the countryside you can find in the website www.wagurainforest.com ( no link connection )
 

For travelling around this area you can get support from Mathew Kaka in Wagu at th lake,

he is the owner of the guest house at the Wagu lake and he is a guide with an own motor boat and he is also the guide for hiking and watching birds of paradise ( we have heart and seen them in the morning , it was easy to reach the spot in the forest in the morning – twenty minutes by boat and hiking ))

 

Mathew phone numbers

    1. digicel : ++675 7378 6776 2. b-mobile : ++675 76 22 76 58

(if possible :additional call by call number for lower phone rates )

e-maill : wagulake@googlemail.com

(Mathew has no direct contact to the internet in Wagu , European friends of him open

his e-mail box and have contact to him by MAF post to Ambunti ( see later point ),where

he pick up the post and can answer – this connection is additional to the mobile possibility


 


 2. Tour to Wagu Lake

Starting point is Wewak and there are two possibilities ,to reach Ambuti and farther on to Wagu lake

2.1 by road until Pagwi and then by boat to Ambunti and farther on to Wagu

2.1.1 PMV car in the night from Wewak to Pagwi (starting between 8 and 10 pm

arriving in the morning ) you can make reservation during the day ,the PMV

number 38 is waiting in the main road in Wewak and at departure will pick up you

in your hostel . 40 Kinas in 2010 one way from Wewak to Pagwi at the Sepik.

From there with a PMV boat from Pagwi to Ambunti 

In Ambunti you will meet Mathew with his boat ,driving to Wagu

This price will be included in your full tour program with Mathew


2.1.2 Private car during the day for a 4 hour trip on the same road to Pagwi 

The transport by private car costs 800 kina one way in 2010

If you wish , Mathew will pick up you with his boat in Pagwi ,so you can go directly to Wagu without changing the boat in Ambunti

This prize will be included in your full tour program with Mathew

 

2.2 by plane to Ambunti and by boat to Wagu

MAF( Missionary Aviation Fellowship ) flies from Wewak to Ambunti

in 45 minutes normally at Tuesday and Thursday ( other days ( Mo –Fri )are possible on request ), this is a really comfortable connection with good service and special rates

for travellers- it is to recommend , we have done it

For more informations and for bookings the mail address of MAF:

 

png-bookings@maf.org


3. Possibilities to do around the Wagu lake and in Wagu


     1 Watching birds of paradise early in the morning before breakfast every day


      2 . Hiking along the bank of the lake ,to the lookouts of views and to the waterfalls


     3. Visiting the village with sego making ,traditional fire making and bush working


      4. Hiking through the forest across the hills of the Hunstein range to the Hunstein river

          and back ( only with a guide ) – 3 hours one way –a full day tour

 

      5. boat tour and hiking combined  with the motor boat across the Wagu lake and

          through the lakes of the wetland , then upstream the Hunstein river until the

          point ,where the hiking tour number 3 ends and from there returning by hiking

 

      6 .Hiking through the forest across the hills of the Hunstein range to the caves of the

         batmens

 

      7.Canoeing on the Wagu lake and in the wetlands with a dugout watching animals

         especially birds and fishing

 

     8 boat excursion on the other side of the Sepik to Tongwinjamb in theWashkuk hills

 

     Tours with night stay outside of Wagu

       9 .Sepik upstream to Swagup ( overnight stay ) and the villages along the stream

          and back

     10.Sepik downstream in connection with returning to Wewak

           withthe motor boat from Wagu to Ambunti and then downstream to Pagwi

           and farther on to Korogo , from there a one and a half hour walk to Yamok

          ( night stay ) ,visiting house Tamburan and sing –sing performance is

          possible . From there returning to Pagwi and Wewak

 

4.Tour itineraries ( as examples ) 

Tour type A

(travelling with PMV to Pagwi and with PMV boat to Ambunti ,from there

with the boat of Mathew to Wagu)

 

A1 ( 3 nights in Wagu)

1.day: after arrival in Wagu hiking along the lake and visiting the village

2.day: in the morning : watching bird of Paradise

then the full day : hiking tour in the forest to Hunstein river and back

3.day in the morning : watching bird of Paradise

then the full day : canoeing on the lakes of the wetlands with watching

birds and fishing

4.day early in the morning driving back to Ambunti to reach the public boat to

Pagwi and then with the PMV to Wewak


 

A2 ( 4 nights in Wagu )

the one day more thanA1: hiking through the forest across the hills of the Hunstein

range to the caves of the batmens


 

A3 ( 5 nights in Wagu )

the one day more than A2 : boat excursion on the other side of the Sepik to

Tongwinjambin the Washkuk hills


 

A4 additional 1 night in Yamok

the last day of tour A1 until A 3: the boat tour back with Mathew to Ambunti

goes farther on downstream to Korogo and then

walkingto Yamok ( 2 hours ) with visiting house

Tamburan and sing-sing ( night stay in Yamok )

the following day : walking back from Yamok to Korogo ,then boat tour back to

Pagwi and from there back to Wewak by PMV


 

Tour type B

(travelling with private car to Pagwi and with boat of Mathew via Ambunti )

to Wagu )

B1 until  B4  have the same itineraries as A1 until  A4


 

Tourtype C

 ( flyingwith MAF to Ambunti and from there with boat of Mathew to Wagu )


 

C1 ( from Tuesday to Thursday = 2 nights in Wagu )

Tuesday: flight departure at Wewak in the morning , after arrival in Wagu hiking

along the lake and visiting the village

Wednesday: in the morning : watching birds of paradise

then the full day : boat tour and hiking combined : with the motor boat

across the Wagu lake and through the lakes of the

wetland , then upstream the Hunstein river until the

landing point , from there returning to Wagu through

the hills of the Hunstein Range by hiking ( 3 hours )

Thursday: in the morning : watching birds of paradise 

returning to Ambunti with a stop at another village on

the way back and flight to Wewak in the afternoon

C2 ( from Monday to Thursday or Tuesday to Friday = 3 nights in Wagu)

2 nights are to short ,so it is better to request for other weekdays at MAF

1.day = the same as 1. day of C1

2.day= the same as 2.day of C1

3.day in the morning : watching birds of paradise

then the full day : boat tour on the other side of the Sepik to

Tongwinjambin the Washkuk hills

4.day in the morning canoeing with fishing in the lake

or hikingto the waterfalls

returning to Ambunti with a stop at another village on

the way back and flight to Wewak in the afternoon

C3 ( from Thursday to Tuesday = 4 nights in Wagu and 1 night inYamok)

Thursday = the same as 1.day of C 1

Friday = the same as 2. day of C1

Saturday = the same as 3.day of C2

Sunday : a peaceful day : for example visiting the church in themorning

they are singing very well

walking along the lake or canoeing

Monday : boat tour to Korogo and walking to the village Yamok withvisiting

house Tamburan and sing-sing( night stay in Yamok )

Tuesday : walking back from Yamok to Korogo ,then boat tour back to Ambunti

and flight to Wewak in the afternoon


6. prices for the different itineraries

You can choose your itinerary as you wish and you can also change during your trip

as you get a list of prices for the individual achievments .

So you have the chance to create your tour to the Sepik according to your financial possibilities to spend there more than one day ,what is really more valuable to stay there some days instead speeding up and down the Sepik river by motor boat

Send an e-mail to the e-mail box of Mathew with your wanted itineraries and you will get

a list of prices to see how the single prices make the total price to have the chance to select

to find a tour for your financial possibility

e-maill :wagulake@googlemail.com

Food : you can get local food of the people (you will be informed by Mathew,what they

offer ) or you can bring with you from Wewak or Pagwi

 

Drinking water : water from a source in the hills or to bring with from Pagwi or Wewak

 

6 Wagu guesthouse 

 

TheWagu guesthouse is situated directly situated at the bench of the lake with the

wonderful view of the lake

It is the original big house of Mathew ,he is now living beside in a smaller house

There are 4 rooms with 2 beds with curtains in the doors , but it is possible that more

than 8 persons can sleep there. A western toilet for all is beside the house

Mathew has made great efforts to offer best conditions what possible is in that far away situation



 

 7. request for reservation

 

your name   


e-mail address                                 phone numbers : land

                                                                                    mobil

                                            for phoning in the next days in case of being on tour

-  number of persons ..........

 

-  what date arriving in Wewak and what date departing from Wewak ..........


-  where are staying in Wewak   `:   Airport Lodge or  
BoutiqueHotel


-  in which way travelling to Pagwi /Ambunti

    * by PMV bus to Pagwi and PMV boat to Ambunti and pick up by boat from

                                                                                                      Mathew

    *  by private car to Pagwi and pick up by boat from Mathew

     *  by flight with MAF to Ambunti and pick up by boat from Mathew


your wanted itinerary according to the examples under no 4

      1.day = day of arrival in Wewak

     2.day …...........................

     3.day …...............................

       …..........

      last day = day of returning to Wewak


- special wishes : for example  :
food : served meals in Wagu lodge or

                                                     we bring our food with us to Wagu


impressum .Dieter Goebel Germany digoebel@yahoo.de

                  this webpage is created  as support for the village of Wagu lake

                  and the countryside around


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

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