As excitement builds for the 50th anniversary of Papua New Guinea’s independence on September 16, Paradise presents an early preview of the celebrations that are to come.

A host of visiting dignitaries and heads of state (even King Charles III has been invited) are expected in the country for the golden jubilee, which will include parades, music festivals, cultural performances, fireworks and more.

Port Moresby will be the epicentre of celebrations, but provincial governments across the country are also stepping up to arrange their own events.

The Prime Minister, James Marape, has provided a special anniversary message for Paradise readers in this issue.

“This golden jubilee is a time not only to honour the achievements of our founding fathers, but also to recognise the countless contributions of the men, women and children who have helped shape the people we are today,” he writes in part.

“Our journey has been extraordinary. We remain a young nation, with our greatest days still ahead of us.”

Paradise speaks with former Air Niugini executive Simon Foo who discusses the 50th anniversary of PNG’s independence, the early days of the airline and what both have meant to the country over the past half century.

Elder stateswoman Winnie Kiap reflects on the country’s most significant achievements in the past 50 years, and in a vox pop conducted by Paradise around the country a host of Papua New Guineans from all walks of life tell us what the anniversary means to them.

To put independence into some perspective, we have a timeline of the events over the past 50 years that have been key in building the nation.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Member for Lae, John Rosso, is the subject of the Paradise Q&A.

He speaks about his hopes for PNG’s second-largest city, developments in the town and plans for 50th anniversary celebrations in Lae.

“We’re going to do a huge celebration,” he says. “We’ve got an independence committee that is planning our activities. There will be a grand event at the Lae Showground.”

With so many visitors flying in from around the world to celebrate with PNG in September, we report on four cultural shows around the same time that may also attract their attention, we nominate some of the best hotels for them to stay, as well as a sightseeing guide to Port Moresby.

Our regular columns and departments include food and hotel reviews, wellness, business and gadgets.

Happy reading.

Robert Upe, Editor

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