portrait of a hagan woman - melpa tribe - western highlands- papua new guinea

Melpa Tribal Member
Hagan, Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea
October 2015 - ©trryan

bird of paradise death march - western highlands - papua new guinea

Guests and staff of National Geographic Expedition's Ocean and Islands tour getting good looks at birds of paradise in the Western Highlands of Papua New GuineaOctober 2015
Photo by Chris Thornton

Survivors of the "Bird of Paradise Death March". Four mile of near vertical hiking under the cover of darkness up to 8000 feet in the western New Guinea highlands cloud forest. Our group was rewarded with three BOP species seen and an additional one heard!

King of Saxony - Bird of Paradise

Thanks to local tribal elder Joseph and his keen tracking skills. Not to mention that he summited in flip flops. Joseph's father was about eight years-old when the first white man made contact with the Western Highlands.

Cloud Forest - Papua New Guinea

Princesses of Papua

Lynna and Jenny from Papua New Guinea
Photographed in Port Moresby - January 2013
©trryan

Praying in Papua

 Praying Mantis 
Port Moresby, Papau New Guinea
©trryan January 2013

Be Wary of the Cassowary

Cassowary
Port Moresby Nature Park
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
©trryan 2013

The Earth Laughs in Flowers

If the earth laughs in flowers, as Emerson so nicely penned, then the jungles of Papua New Guinea shriek with mirth.  I could linger the entire day in front of these fleshy, odd-shaped jewels.

Racing the Sun, Moon, Stars

Descending
Port Moresby - Papua New Guinea

It's always a kick to go someplace new, someplace exotic - especially in winter.  And it's even better when a client pays for you to go there!  After almost of five months of staying put and working from the home office - I am finally off again - descending to parts of the world I have never been before.

My travels in January and February will take me to Papua New Guinea, Borneo, Saudia Arabia and Morocco.  Let the adventures begin!  It's been great being home for five months - and I have come to anticipate and relish this time with my family and to enjoy exploring my beautiful state by the weekend's back roads.  But my soul is a gypsy soul and I am meant to be out there - moving across the earth - racing the sun, moon and stars to get to the next place.