By Bonevasius Kondahon

Bony and Ronda at the Farewell function last year

[Bonevasius (“Bony”) was a participant in a Short Course Award: Sustainable Tourism for Regional Growth implemented by Griffith and the University of the Sunshine Coast with a group of 25 tourism practitioners from Indonesia in 2019. WTA member Professor Noel Scott was one of the leaders of this project, and WTA chair Dr Ronda Green lectured on sustainable wildlife tourism.]

Merauke is an old administratve town located in the Southern part of West Papua near the Arafura coastal line.This place is level land and open woodland forest consisting of homogen plantations. It has two seasons They are the dry season from July till December.and the rainy season from January to June. So, we promote this area just in the dry season, .because the rainy season is flooded by water everywhere.   

The Merauke region has one large National park called Wasur National park, of 413.810 hectares. Wasur NP is a strategic area for waterbirds migrating from Australia, New Zealand and PNG, which call on this region because of the wetlands inside Wasur National park when the dry season comes. Places to find the water birds  are Rawa Biru lake, Dogamit swamp, Savana of Mbalatar, Ndalir Beach, Tomer Beach and outside of Wasur National park in a really unique swamp called INGGUN swamp. In kampung Wayau distrik Animha, we have endemic birds and migrant birds.

Map of National Park

Wasur National park is located in Merauke region.from Merauke to Wasur National park 5 minutes drive.merauke is an old Administratve town at the Southern part of Papua island.It is included eastern Indonesia where limited by border line With PNG( Papua New Guinea) and Indonesia.the habitans occupied more and less 100.000 people. There could be enjoyable luxury sweet bel hotel, corein hotel, and other simple hotels… Wasur National park is the name of Allah village called WASUR,, Wasur in local language means GARDEN. Wasur NP is really low and level land then open woodland forest. It is large – 413.810 hectares. It has two seasons: namely Dry season from July to December and Rainy season from January to June. This weather happens almost each year.so the best time to visit here is August, September and October, or during dry time. Thanks for joining us… Anytime and Anywhere you can visit Wasur National park. Enjoy our dreamland.

I would like to show here a few examples of Papuan birds in the Merauke region, eastern Indonesia.

male Crimson finch
Streak-headed Mannikin/streak headed munia
female Crimson finch
Northern fantail
Yellow-bellied sunbird
Fawn-breasted bowerbird
Bower of the fawn-breasted bowerbird. This is not a nest for eggs but a structure made and decorated by the male to attract the female
Rufous bellied kookaburra

   

Mangrove Kingfisher
Lesser Egret