The natural wonders of Tufi’s fantastic fjords

By STEVEN WINDUO
TUFI had a sense of enchantment to it. I loved the early morning walks I made for the three days I was there. The undisturbed natural eco-system with the calmness of the fjords is a well-kept secret that is also steeped in history as I began to learn from the information provided to me.
When the Merrie England first sailed into Tufi Harbour in late 1899, a silent warrior was watching from the cliff where the Tufi Resort is now built. Chief Jiwu, an elder from the Kotufu clan of the Korafe people, who later played a key role in helping the British set up their administration watched, and learnt, and did not show himself. This historical information revealed to me that there is more to the place than the beauty of the fjords with its bright sheen of water. It was the Lt Governor, Sir G.R. Hunte, who selected the site that would establish the Northern Eastern Division of British Papua, a government post that was later to be occupied by C A W Monckton, the first resident magistrate at Tufi. The Tufi government station was strategically selected with Samarai to the east and Tamata on the Mambare River to the west.
The bright sheen of the water around the wharf area and in other fiords held the magic of the place. Every morning I looked out from the Tufi Resort to get a glimpse of the tranquility and beauty of the fjords below.
I was in Tufi for a programme that is sponsored by the SEAM (Sustain Education Art Melanesia) – a community based learning and literacy programme and the Kokoda Track Foundation (KTF). Drusilla Modjeska, the Australian writer organised the workshop and invited me to participate with my other honoured colleagues. In the company were the legendary writer, Russell Soaba, and the former Director of the National Museum and Arts Gallery (NMAG), Dr. Andrew Moutu, who is also a board member of the KTF and had facilitated a book-making workshop in the National Museum last year.
I should say the visit to Tufi was invigorating to me as it inspired me to start writing again after I had suspended it for some months. The place, the people, the history, and culture, and the way of life of the people in Tufi inspired me to return to writing. I admit it was also the company of world-famous writers like Drusilla Modjeska and Russell Soaba and Andrew Moutu that inspired me to think through my own mental broodings and mental blocks, to come out writing again for the newspaper.
The most powerful inspiration for me was talking to the women and children selling arts and crafts near the Tufi Resort. Two of the women whom I bought a tapa cloth and a tapa hat from were Victoria Popogo, of Natade Village, and Sendra Demesi, of Vagirua Village, at Tufi Station. The art and craft they sell to tourists help them pay for social and cultural obligations, as well as put food on the table. Selling their handicraft and tapa cloth is their real source of income. In a good week, and with a lot of tourist visiting, they are able to make more because they sell more.
Victoria and Sendra were very friendly and made small talk with references to their family members living in Port Moresby. Other women at the art and craft market joined in the conversations. The chitchat gave me the impression that while most of our village folks really struggled to survive and make ends meet, their resilience is their strength to make the best out of a world in total neglect. Tufi government station and the fjords have so much potential waiting to be fully developed. I also spoke with groups of men at the informal market near the wharf area. The conversations centred around the election and the non-existence of major developmental projects in the area. Life in and around Tufi station comes to a standstill on weekends and picks up again during the week.
I am glad for taking up the invitation to escape to Tufi over the weekend to engage with the creative experience of a writer. I savoured the moments, and sights, sounds, and images with such delight.
Though we did not participate directly in the workshop in Tufi, it was truly inspiring to hear about the success of the workshop organised by SEAM and Kokoda Track Foundation. Young Sebanga Ziming, Rashm A Bell, Lala Lee Besh Bala Parina, and Martha Bentley left an indelible mark on the children of Tufi during the week-long workshop. The SEAM and Kokoda Track Foundation teams did much more in a week than what could have taken a lifetime to do.
The contrast between the rural and the modern is felt more in rural communities such as Tufi, but even if there is evidence of decline in government service delivery, the natural wonders of the place and its beautiful people are the heart and sole of PNG’s unique fjord land.
Cosmetic changes and temporary solutions in our rural communities do not create sustainable communities. Transforming our rural communities and people requires strategic interventions in education, health, and economic platforms for people living in our rural communities.
The Tufi fjord experience is worth writing about.