Danish artist Thor Jensen has just proved that the spirit of adventure is well and truly alive. Accompanied by a Papua New Guinean crew of two, he has completed the first recorded circumnavigation of New Guinea in a traditional sailing canoe.
It took 13 months and 21 days to complete the 6300-kilometre journey, during which the crew had to contend with capsizes, crocodiles and treacherous reefs.
The men often duck-dived for their dinner, picking seafood off the reefs, or they caught mud crabs that they would cook over fires on lonely beaches.
Their extraordinary trip is chronicled by writer Richard Andrews in the latest issue of Paradise, accompanied by the photography of Paul Kerrison who flew in to join the crew during various stages of the voyage.
Jensen, named after Thor, the hammer-wielding Norse god, says: “It was scary to sleep in river mouths because of the crocodiles. Sometimes we had to wade through mud and murky water to reach the shore.”
Paradise also features the heroics of the Kumuls in this issue. PNG’s national rugby league team recorded emphatic wins over Wales, Ireland and the US in the Rugby League World Cup before bowing out of the tournament in a quarter-final loss to England.
Some of the world cup matches were played in Port Moresby, where large and enthusiastic crowds came out to watch. We’ve captured all the action in a 10-page special that includes photos of the action, as well as the rapturous crowds.
Being the first issue of 2018, Paradise also features its annual almanac, a guide to the best events in PNG and Asia-Pacific during the next year.
There’s also a good dose of PNG culture, food, wellness and fashion.
Happy flying and reading.
Robert Upe, Editor
Paradise Magazine, January/February 2018