At the Goroka Show

           Willie comes home all excited one day and declares, ‘I’m going to the Goroka Show’. ‘What’s a Goroka Show?’ I ask. He tells us that every two years up in the highlands, in Goroka they hold this Eastern Highlands Cultural Show which is simply called the Goroka Show and it is held over a weekend. He tells us that there is a charter fight being organized that will fly from Port Moresby to Goroka early on Sunday morning and return late in the afternoon and they have empty seats.

Werner and I agree to go as well. So, come Sunday morning we go to the airport and are guided to an old DC3, also known as a ‘Gooney Bird’. ‘Is this thing safe?’ I ask the pilot, who is ushering us up the stairs into the bowl of this old flyer. ‘Safe as houses’, he smiles, ‘you’ll be right’. Inside the plane there are canvas seats along both walls, and hanging straps mounted from the ceiling for people to stand. At the back of the cabin, there is an old oil drum full of ice, beer and soft drinks. No flight attendants.  The seats are already taken, so we have to hang on to ceiling straps and stand for the two hour flight to Goroka, helping ourselves to cold beer every now and again.

Tribal  Dancers at the 1968 Goroka Show

        When we land, the ice and water in the drum splashes all over the floor of the plane. We disembark and are pointed in the direction to the show-ground, opposite the Main Market, where we can hear the singing and dancing of the various groups. It’s a short walk and when we get there we are fascinated with the sight awaiting us. There are dozens of tribes, all dressed up in their native costumes, doing their dances to entertain the visitors who have come here from all around the world to see this spectacle. Tribes that are normally warring with each other are gathered here for peaceful festivities. 

I have brought my 16mm movie camera and a supply of films and am in my element shooting the event. Of course whenever I film someone, they then hold out their hands and want to be paid, but it is worth every cent. There are no seats for the visitors, everybody just mingles on the ground, visitors and dancers together. Whenever a group is ready to perform, They just get into formation and start up wherever they are and visitors just give them space to perform. So, me and my camera are right in the middle of the performances.

I get plenty of close-ups in my film

I ask one of the organisers of the event about the origin of the show. He tells me that the show started in 1957 and was introduced and organised by Australian Kiaps from each district. Dancers and singers proudly display the cultures of their districts. These days the Goroka Show is partly a tourist event and brings people from all over the globe to see this event. I spot several television crews speaking various languages.

I am so glad, Willie had heard about this event and that we were able to go on this charter flight We spend a wonderful day up in Goroka before boarding our flight back to Port Moresby, tired and excited. We are lucky, we got seats on the way home.