New Guinea Highlands

[Kim]

I'm sure if one were to make arrangements in advance, you could safely do some exploring in the highlands of Papua New Guinea.  You would not be able to wander off on your own, and permissions from tribes would have to be arranged in advance, similar to what I've heard about New Caledonia, and escorts obviously required.

Bo and I went to Goroka in the highlands of Papua New Guinea in September 2024 to see 2 days of the Goroka cultural show. Honestly, I don't remember any unusual palms while we were there, but we didn't (and couldn't) wander off anywhere -- to the show grounds, the city center, and back to our Airbnb. Afterward we went to New Britain island and on a guided walk into the hills we were excited to come across some Licuala, some thorny climbing palms, maybe calamus? rattan? and a few big Caryota, impossible to see the whole of the palm. Honestly we saw more African oil palms than anything.

The following year in the Raja Ampats, islands off of West Papua, Indonesia I came across a major infestation of Metroxylon sagu, and was so excited! Then on a break from diving in the Fam Islands I saw some palms that were new to me -- scroll down in this thread: 

It would be thrilling to get beyond the main Papua New Guinea and West New Guinea destinations and into the wilds. I had spent some time in my copy of "Palms of New Guinea" but exploration was quite limited and never saw a Wallaceodoxa. Not a chance. Best corals I've ever seen in my life, though.

[Jonathan]

7 hours ago, bubba said:

A good question...possibly a missionary? I imagine some of them were probably amateur botanists or at least keen gardeners.

[bubba]

Jonathan,

You may not remember but we spoke on the phone while you were on a trip to California perhaps with some of the Ratpackers, who I subsequently met at Montgomery Botanical Gardens. I briefly met Kim and Bo!

This palm is located at Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, directly adjacent to the Intracoastal, in WPB at roughly 26.8 degrees North. It is a real treasure and many palms were acquired at Fairchild or through an airline stewardess, who through international travels acquired many seeds of some exotic palms.

[Jonathan]

50 minutes ago, bubba said:

Jonathan,

You may not remember but we spoke on the phone while you were on a trip to California perhaps with some of the Ratpackers, who I subsequently met at Montgomery Botanical Gardens. I briefly met Kim and Bo!

This palm is located at Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, directly adjacent to the Intracoastal, in WPB at roughly 26.8 degrees North. It is a real treasure and many palms were acquired at Fairchild or through an airline stewardess, who through international travels acquired many seeds of some exotic palms.

I reckon it was that other infamous Taswegian @Tassie_Troy1971 who you spoke to, he did a trip to California, maybe around 2010? I haven't been to Cali since I was a kid in 1979...unfortunately my interest in palms hadn't developed at that stage! 

The good old days of the Ratpack (rip Wal) and airline stewardesses smuggling palm seeds in their make up bags feel like a distant memory! 

Looking  back through this old thread, I feel like we've been particularly lucky with this forum over the last 20 years...so many good people just quietly enjoying their hobby, very little conflict and a lot of community spirit...a rare respite from the madness of today's on-line 'expert' influenza ego-circus!

[bubba]

Jonathan,

You are correct! It was Tassie/Troy! We are very fortunate to have this Forum, allowing all of us internationally to correspond about a mutual interest. We may have not spoken on the phone but we are buds!

[Jonathan]

On 3/31/2026 at 7:14 AM, bubba said:

We may have not spoken on the phone but we are buds!

Too right!

[happypalms]

12 minutes ago, Jonathan said:

Too right!

Not what you know but who you know, when it comes to palms!