Week 4 and the Oil Search Pacific Games Relay spent the week in Western Province hosted by platinum Pacific Games sponsor Ok Tedi Mining Ltd. Here are the highlights captured by the relay team member madNESS Photography.
Monday morning our flight direct to Tabubil was diverted to Kiunga due to low cloud – an event that those who live in tabubil know very well.
OTML came to our rescue sending a pair of helicopters to fly us back up to tabubil in time for the day’s relay.
All the community got involved and at the end of the relay the town oval was packed with colourful participants.
Tuesday OTML again flew the team across to some of the remotest parts of the north of the province, including Oksapmin and Nomad. These visits were surprise visits to the communities who did not know we were coming but appreciated the time with the relay.
The relay was then treated to a flyover of the impressive OTML mine pit before visiting the mine as the clouds and fog rolled in making visibility less than 5 metres. Here the baton got to ride on one of the huge mine haul trucks.
Next day, the relay drove down the highway to Kiunga stopping at markets, schools and Ningerum for a short but impressive relay with all the community representatives, including the inmates from Ningerum Correctional facility.
Kiunga town put on a highly popular relay around town with thousands taking part.
The relay was started by former Olympian Aaron Depnai and included all the schools in Kiunga town.
OTML again flew the team down to the Middle Fly and South Fly stretches of the fly River, visiting Aimbak and Suki along the way.
The final stop in Western Province was Daru where the Fly River provincial Government again staged an impressive relay around town.
The Oil Search Pacific Games relay has now travelled over 15,000 kilometres across PNG and over 200,000 people have experienced the relay.
If you would like to share your favourite Relay moment visit raunimPNG 2015 on facebook or twitter and upload your best photo today with hashtag OSL Games relay.
Source: Raunim PNG 2015 Facebook Page & Pacific Games 2015
https://youtube.com/watch?v=ndRwD2vQr2M%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
