garradunga's VirtualTourist Home Page

Perhaps this is the place I like to visit the most. It is just a short flight away but a world away from Australia. If your itinerary is fixed to the last detail and you panic when things go wrong then this definitely is not the place for you. To enjoy PNG you must accept the fact that in the end all works out and the experiences you have along away are unforgettable.

Like when our flight to Rabaul was cancelled my wife and I were given vouchers for accommodation and told to wait for a bus outside the terminal, which eventually arrived. It took us to a jetty in the middle of nowhere and transferred us to a small barge that took us to across a bay studded with magnificent islands that jutted out of a sea that was as smooth as glass to an island resort that clung to the coast of the small island it was located on. Before dinner we went for a walk and were rewarded with a magnificent sunset over a nearby island and the rays spread across the ocean welcoming us to PNG. Whilst out exploring the island a group of 22 female missionaries arrived who also had had their flight cancelled. Dinner discussion proved interesting as the role of missionaries in the 21st Century was critically examined. With Dinner over and no clear result from the discussion it was time to watch the Preliminary Rugby League Finals from Sydney, Australia with the locals, who follow the game with such passion. Their enthusiasm was so infectious I found myself cheering for the team I wanted to loose. The next mornig was a 3 am start to continue our journey to Rabaul.

Had the plane left on time we would not have visited Loloata Island, met some wonderful locals and enjoyed the company of wonderfully committed Christian ladies. As I said in the beginning all works at in the end and we arrived in Rabaul where we had the most exhilarating experience of getting up close to an Active Volcano.

More on this later.