American cyclist travels across PNG by bicycle

American traveller Henry Hall is cycling across Papua New Guinea, combining road and boat travel as he explores the country before continuing his journey to Indonesia.

Hall, who is from the United States and previously lived in Ireland, said his interest in Papua New Guinea began as a child after reading about the country and its cultural diversity.

He said PNG had always fascinated him, but the distance and cost of travelling to the country prevented him from visiting for many years.

Hall eventually decided to explore Papua New Guinea by bicycle after developing an interest in bicycle travel.

“I enjoy travelling by bicycle because of the experiences it offers, so I decided I would like to try cycling in Papua New Guinea,” he said.

He brought his bicycle from the United States and assembled it in Kavieng, New Ireland Province, before cycling south along the Buluminski Highway for five days.

From New Ireland, Hall travelled by boat to East New Britain, where he spent time cycling around Kokopo.

He later learned that the MV Karkar was departing Rabaul for Lae. As the vessel operates only about once a month, he quickly arranged his ticket and boarded.

The five-day voyage to Lae allowed Hall to witness traditional welcomes and celebrations at different ports along the way.

After arriving in Lae, he travelled up the highlands for several days, leaving his bicycle with people who kindly looked after it.

He later returned to Lae and resumed his cycling journey towards Madang, completing the trip in three days.

Hall said the journey gave him the opportunity to experience villages, landscapes, and communities along the route.

However, he said the final stretch into Madang was challenging because of the steep and rocky mountain terrain.

“I underestimated those mountains. They are steep and rocky, but I kept pushing,” he said.

Hall has spent several days in Madang resting and also participated in a bicycle race in town on September 12.

He said his next destination is Vanimo, from where he plans to continue his journey into Indonesia.

Hall said travelling through Papua New Guinea by bicycle had allowed him to experience the country and its people in a different way.