Vabukori Village

Motu village 15 minutes southeast of Moresby.

One of Vabukori's three coves. (looking north towards Port Moresby town)

Karo Obaha, walking a narrow path up to the top of Manuabada Island, land where his forefathers of the Kwabira Laurina Keia Sere Besena clan used to make gardens. A small number of villagers live on the island, which is swarmed by village fishermen during the week and attracts outside visitors for picnics on the weekend.

Vavia George frying bahu (leftovers), maniota and meat on a fire in the kitchen of his stilt house.

Vavia's wife and their three kids in the living area. The smallest child is rocked to sleep in the bilum (stringbag).

The Lavi family having a rest on their front porch while their animals play around the house.

Ganiga Dabu, one of the oldest women in Vabukori. She became known as Vabu Kivio when her husband Kivio Gima passed away. This is the norm in Motuan custom, whereby a widow is addressed by the name of their late husband. Vabu Kivio has witnessed rapid changes in the village and often yearns for the days of old, when life was simple and the village was less crowded.

Gulf woman, Claire Mape, collecting shells on the beach. The shells will be cooked inside an oven to make lime, then bottled and sold in Moresby.

Baruni dump

Bunker homes on Paga Hill

Paga lookout point.

Aside from its great view of Port Moresby town and the coral sea, Paga hill also has a short history of army defense. Concrete bunkers, two six-inch gun batteries , and access tunnels are scattered on paga’s top and southwest end.

The first plans for Port Moresby’s gun batteries were made in the end of the nineteenth century when many south pacific nations were in fear of the Russians raiding or invading their countries. Many coastal guns in New Zealand and Australia were installed but none of the planned guns in PNG went through. When WW2 broke out in Europe in 1939, the old plans for the guns were used and the cement was poured. The Paga point was chosen to hold the Australian Army Gunners during WW2 due to its elevated view over Basilisk Passage; the narrow passage through the coral reef which would be the enemy ships only way in. The guns on Paga Hill were only one of five gun batteries installed to protect Port Moresby from a marine invasion. In its short history none of the coastal guns in Port Moresby were fired off for war time use and the guns on Paga Hill were de-commissioned by 1946.

Most of the 70 year old cement structures on the hill today have been dug out, cleaned and turned into houses overlooking the coral sea. Anthony Joseph, a local living in one of the bunkers calls his area “Hollywood Hills."

Peter Siwa with his son Weslie, 6, showing off his found machine gun and army helmet in his home. Peter has been living here for thirteen years.

Peter inside one of the WW2 tunnels. All the tunnels are now sealed.

14 yr old Nicholas Philiip, youngest of five kids, standing in his family’s front doorway while Meke Ina, the resident of the right side of the supplies bunker pulls dry laundry.

David Mosan, age 13, watching the home, the right room, while his parents are at work and his siblings are in school. The round track around the empty pit was used for a 360 degree six-inch machine gun. As of now there are three families that live inside the three room cement structure.

Andy, age 13, leading Weslie over old gun deck.

View down to beach. Kids coming in from fishing.

John Paul, 44, in front of his bunker home with his kids and neighbors. John installed a toilet with running water along with electricity and cable TV.

Ana Philip with one of her three daughters in front of a two room ammunition storage bunker. Ana is the first wife. The second wife of the family, Mary, lives in the second room to the right.

Entrance toWW2 tunnel. Home to Kiap Jip’s family and brother. Kiap started cleaning and mainting the WW2 cement structures on Paga Hill in 1975 and rented them fortnightly to locals. Kiap passed away in 2009.

Two local boys on the south side of Paga Hill looking out over the Basilisk Passage.