Fish sellers

These girls were selling their fish on the side of the road. We thought we were discreetly taking their photo from a distance, but they saw us and turned on such beautiful smiles!!


NOTE: Mum was tickled pink last night when I rang her. She said she is off down to the library every morning to practise her newly found skill. She says she wants to be able to do it by herself without the pieces of paper and the librarian who so kindly helped her. Thanks for all your messages she was quite surprised and delighted by all the good wishes. AAAh the joys of blogging!!!!

A bright new day.

My planned post for today has been postponed until tomorrow so I could welcome a new visitor to the world of blogging - my Mum!!!

She is off to the town library today, in Roma Western Queensland, with a set of instructions on how to use a computer and how to tap into my blogs. How exciting!! She is in her seventies (hope you don't mind everyone knowing Mum) and I have been trying to get her into this for a while.


So today is a bright new day - Rabaul and Roma linked through the wonders of technology which my Mum would never have believed possible in her youth.

Flowers and my version of an Autumn leaf

The frangipani which grows wild up here, is East New Britain’s floral emblem. We get them in other colours too, but this is my favourite.

While photographing the frangipani in my garden yesterday I was suddenly startled to see high up in the tree what looked like to be an "Autumn" leaf. I rubbed my eyes thinking that I had been looking at Dive's blog for too long but no…..an "Autumn" leaf had stuck its little head out into the tropical sunshine.

HWDB said I was longlong from being out in said-tropical-sunshine too long and that it was a dead leaf not a sign of cooler weather. But no I argued, look……

So there Dive, I no longer feel intimidated by all those Autumn leaves being posted on blogs in the Northern Hemisphere. I too can hold my head up high and post my "Autumn" leaf!!!

Hope you can visit my new blog Vietnam – same same but different

Wave on the shore

A quiet peaceful photo for Sunday morning.

This post is for Old Wom Tigley Welcome to Wiggers World- hoping his health improves!!!

I hope you all have a great weekend.

Moon Series

We had a friend for dinner last night and while we were on the veranda the moon popped out from behind the clouds.

I didn't have time for a tri-pod or time exposure or any fancy stuff - I just took a series of photos as it appeared, on automatic, and this was pretty much what it looked like!!! .

Didn't hear any wolves howling.......

Arisen from the ash

This enloader(?) buried in the 1994 eruption has recently surfaced from it's muddy grave.

The volcano is out of picture to the left and across the water.

Around the corner from anywhere

After getting a giggle from David's post, Joker Cola on Dave's Author Blog about the guy who thought he was getting his name tattooed on his chest only to find out 26 years later that he'd been walking around with Coca-Cola emblazoned on it all along, I decided to pay a tribute to the resilience of Coke - on chests and in the ruins of Rabaul.

In 1927 Coke's slogan was "Around the corner from anywhere"

Well this is surely the place; the peeling Coke sign standing in the ruins of Rabaul.

Kokopo's only Hot Rod

He-Who-Doesn’t-Blog was driving back to work after lunch yesterday (well it is the day before now!!) when he came upon this car on fire. Being the good blogger’s assistant that he is, he snapped away and caught all the action.

“Fire, fire”

The fire is put out

The fire brigade goes back to the station 100 metres down the road

The crowd clears.

“Um….....Excuse me!……Hey!……Yoohoo anyone there?? …………

Listen I’m stuck here with this stupid stick!!!!………Hell-o !!"

Last night someone sabotaged some cable in Moresby somewhere, that put the rest of PNG out of phone/fax and internet AGAIN - I managed to get Vietnam blog posted but it fell down before I could get Rabaul done!!!! Send more gin!!!!!

Hope you can visit my new blog Vietnam – same same but different

Planti sing sing

This is another photo a dancer from the sing sing - he is from the same group as the guy on the right of yesterday's photo.

I have some more photos taken on that day which I will show you another time. Too much sing sing can wear you out!!!

Sorry these posts are late but it seems what I thought was my problem all day may be the blog's problem. I got a message eventually telling me they were fixing it - what a relief. Not sure what day it will be when you see these!!!

Sing sing for Bishop

This photo was also taken at the sing sing for the Bishop. My friend Geoff took it and I played with it in photoshop. Yesterday some of you asked me how to do this - instructions are in the comment's page.

Notice her face paint and grass skirt – so thought-provoking isn’t it??

Hope you can visit my new blog Vietnam – same same but different

PS - My phone lines are more hopeless than usual at the moment with consistent drop-outs and slow to nil downloading. I managed to get to some of you today but gave up in disgust. It took two hours to post my blogs yesterday because of the delays. I am going crazy!!!!

Sing sing

This young men were concentrating hard on their dance performance in the sing sing at Vunapope, to celebrate the Catholic Bishop's birthday.

Vietnam - same same but different

My new blog Vietnam - same same but different has been launched. Hope you can pop over and have a look. I'll post everyday - well most days - with a photo from our recent holiday.
Hope you like it.

All forms of gras

Pidgin is such a descriptive language. Gras is the word for grass, fur, feathers and hair – hair and grass - very similar I think.

So head hair is het gras or gras bilong het (head grass/hair),
if you have a beard it is called maus gras (mouth grass/hair),
and eyebrows of course are ai gras (eye grass/hair)
and so it goes.

A haircut is katim gras (cut the grass)

A hairdresser is Man i save* katim gras bilong het (The man who knows how to cut the hair on your head)

(*save -to know/knowledge - is pronounced “savy”. Me no save - means I don’t know)

He-Who-Doesn't-Blog says that gras bilong het is something he doesn't have to worry about anymore!!!!

Bitten ....and tagged

Yesterday I saw some mushrooms in the supermarket. Now if you look at fact number 8 below, you will see I adore mushrooms. Well to see mushrooms in the shop, as apposed to mushrooms growing on my dirty socks, was quite exciting (we hardly EVER get them here) ....until I saw the price - K85 a kg!!

When they stood me upright (after giving me mouth-to-mouth), I grabbed a bag and gently placed 6 of the best ones (you can imagine the worst if these are the best!!) into it, and crept to the check-out; I was prepared at this stage to sell my old car to acquire these delicacies I might add. They cost me slightly more than I would have got for my car, but I just threw the cash at them and left.

We had them last night, thinly sliced on creamy pasta and pretended they were truffles; they cost about the same but didn't taste as good!!!


By the way I have been tagged by Marie at Montpellier Daily Photo. I normally don't do this sort of thing but this is for Marie!!!

Apparently - these are the rules.
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. List eight (8) random facts about yourself.
3. Tag eight people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving them a comment on their blogs

Here's 8 Random (not too sure what RANDOM means) Facts about me:
1. I can’t think of 8 things to say. (Good now I have only 7 to think of)
2. I find animal cruelty extremely distressing. I have hand-raised a number of baby birds, and local kids bring sick and baby birds to me to look after, which is a lot better than what used to happen to them!!
3. I speak Pidgin English and French very poorly
4. I travel as often as possible but am allergic to planes. I can mange 3 hours and then I want to get out – no matter how many feet up we are. I break out in a nervous rash, start twitching, and become unpleasant to people sitting within a radius of 6 rows.
5. I have written a book, loosely based on food, friends, travel and family history.
6. Much to HWDB’s horror I collect baskets, artifacts, elephants, shoes, and jewelry!!
7. I come from a very musical family but it seems to have missed me. I do play music very well on my CD player though!!!
8. I adore mushrooms – see above.

Consider yourself tagged – I’d hate to list 8 people, because the ones I haven’t listed will think I think they couldn’t possibly have 8 interesting facts about them worth noting and then everyone will get upset and……… oh that is another fact about me – I hate it when people cry – it makes me weep too!!!!

Barge Tunnels

In 1942, Rabaul, newly restored after the devastating 1937 volcanic eruption, was invaded by Japanese forces. The Japanese turned Rabaul into their main army and naval base for the planned invasion into the Pacific and eventually down into Australia.

The heavy aerial bombardment of Rabaul by Allied Forces, forced the Japanese to dig in – literally!! Hundreds of prisoners of war, including a division of Indian troops from the Singapore campaign, were used to dig 400 kilometres of tunnels in the hills surrounding the town. These tunnels contained barracks and hospitals, storage for weapons and munitions and even barges, tanks and aircraft.

This is a photo of one of the many barge tunnels on the side of the road near Blue Lagoon on the Rabaul/Kokopo road. The barges were hidden in tunnels like this and they were pulled to and from the beach on tracks by prisoners.

One tunnel at Karavia village still contains the rusting bodies of five Japanese barges. I will show you that one next week.

Phone communications to The Islands (the mainland was ok) were reconnected last night - late - as you can see by the time on the bottom of my post. It has been in-and-out a couple of times today but seems ok now. Still at snail's pace though!!

Fresh is Best!!

These guys were fishing off the beach with their nets

....and a few hours later were selling their catch to the neighbours. The fish were very small though - more bones than flesh by the look. It would be a hard job getting a feed off any of them.

NOTE: The islands region of PNG has been without any mobile, land line or internet service for the last 24 hours due to some major catastrophe in Moresby. This post is just going to scrape in under the title Tuesday!!

Have been unable to visit any of you because of this - maybe tomorrow - it is very late and I'm off to bed!!!!

WELCOME HOME!!!!

Benson's post

Nothin' to do all day but sleep .....where the hell is she???

Denton - more tinned fish mate, and how about a splash of milk!!!

Has M Benaut left a message for me today???

I think I'll just have a late afternoon stroll. Maybe there is a mouse on its way home for the night that I could chase.

Hang on.....what's that noise?

Ze plane, ze plane!!



Aahhhh - back where she belongs.

All's well with the world.

PURRRRRRRR

Home again jiggety - jig

Have arrived home late this afternoon after a wonderful trip - 11 flights, two typhoons, 2 000 photos, a melted credit card and one arm longer than the other (heavy bags) to show for it!!! We had a wonderful time together and are all feeling sad after our goodbyes this morning!!!

Once we sort through all the photos I will put them on a separate blog, but here is one taken in Hoi, the ancient capital of Vietnam.

Hope to start visiting you all again this week once I get the bags unpacked and sort out work commitments.

View from scenic route

This view is as you head into Rabaul from Kokopo. If you turn to the right you have a great view across the Simpson's Harbour to the volcano.

Parking meters

Doesn't it annoy you when people park in your backyard and don't even ask you??

I'm thinking of installing meters!!!

A waswas we will go

The people in the village usually waswas (wash) their clothes on Sundae (Sunday).

I took this photo on the winding road up to Kerevat.

Not another sunset!!

Yes I know – another sunset. This one I took from my verandah.

It is hard to take photos with a gin and tonic in one hand....
.....didn’t spill at drop!!!

I’ll be back in Brisbane tomorrow. Hope to blog from there. I may miss a couple but will be trying. Actually people say I am very trying!!! See you tomorrow!!!

Bouquets to Denton at Greenville Daily for blog-sitting for me while I was in Vietnam. Hope the cat didn't throw up on your slippers!

Nothing worse than a confused coconut

This coconut tree obviously was a little confused for awhile about which way was up!!!


Denton at Greenville Daily Photo is looking after my blog and feeding the cat while I am away. Hope you can keep visiting and say hi.

Rabaul Wharf

It is great to see construction happening in Rabaul. This is part of the new wharf being built by local contractors with aid money. Rabaul has very important strategic importance because of its harbour.

Simpson’s Harbour is the flooded caldera of an ancient volcano which provides deep sheltered anchorage to shipping. All people and goods coming in and out of the province by ship come through Rabaul.

During the war the Americans dropped 20 000 tons of bombs on the Japanese bases around Rabaul. There are over 50 ships were sunk in the harbour.

Denton at Greenville Daily Photo is kindly looking after my blog and feeding the cat while I am away. Hope you can keep visiting and say hi.

Market kaikai

Who needs those horrid plastic take-away kaikai (food) containers when you have banana leaves!!!!

These women have cooked food - including banana, kumu (greens), karkaruk (car-car-ook) chicken, and pis fish, - all wrapped up in cute bio-degradable wrappers to sell at the market.

Denton at Greenville Daily Photo is looking after my blog and feeding the cat while I am away. Hope you can keep visiting and say hi.

Waves rushing to the shore

There is nothing more relaxing then watching waves rushing to the shore.


I hope Denton at Greenville Daily Photo isn't too stressed looking after my blog and feeding the cat while I am away. Hope you can keep visiting and say hi

Our Eiffel Tower

As in Paris with the Eiffel Tower, so it is in Rabaul. The symbol of this town Tavurvur, like the Eiffel Tower, seems to pop up in every photo!!!

This is taken from Blue Lagoon, a popular spot on the Rabaul/Kokopo road, looking across Simpson's Harbour towards Rabaul and the volcanoes.

Denton at Greenville Daily Photo is kindly looking after my blog and feeding the cat while I am away. Hope you can keep visiting and say hi.

Soak up the green

This grove of palms and coconuts is on the Kerevat/Kokopo road and is a typical sight around here. Denton at Greenville Daily Photo is looking after my blog and feeding the cat while I am away. Hope you can keep visiting and say hi.

I won't be swimming in there!!

I found this pond on the Ralum Golf Course and I'm not really sure what is in it. I think they must be aerial roots from a nearby tree. Anyone got any other ideas??

I just hope it isn't The Creature from the Black Swamp!!!

October Theme Day

Does this grave stone in the Indian section of the Bitapaka War Cemetery have a familiar "ring" to it??

I hope you all enjoy October Theme Day - I'm sorry I am missing it. Will catch up on all your blogs when I get back.

Denton at Greenville Daily Photo is kindly posting for me while I am in Vietnam - thanks for feeding the cat!!


Following are links to theme day participants:
St. Louis (MO), USA ~~~ San Diego (CA), USA ~~~ Cleveland (OH), USA ~~~ New York City (NY), USA ~~~ Boston (MA), USA ~~~ Mainz, Germany ~~~ Hyde, UK ~~~ Arlington (VA), USA ~~~ Cape Town, South Africa ~~~ Saint Paul (MN), USA ~~~ Toulouse, France ~~~ Arradon, France ~~~ Menton, France ~~~ Monte Carlo, Monaco ~~~ Montego Bay, Jamaica ~~~ Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia ~~~ Joplin (MO), USA ~~~ Cottage Grove (MN), USA ~~~ Bellefonte (PA), USA ~~~ Mexico (DF), Mexico ~~~ Seattle (WA), USA ~~~ Baziège, France ~~~ Baltimore (MD), USA ~~~ Chandler (AZ), USA ~~~ Sequim (WA), USA ~~~ Stayton (OR), USA ~~~ Stockholm, Sweden ~~~ Austin (TX), USA ~~~ Singapore, Singapore ~~~ Anderson (SC), USA ~~~ Orlando (FL), USA ~~~ Greenville (SC), USA ~~~ Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands ~~~ Nashville (TN), USA ~~~ Tenerife, Spain ~~~ Manila, Philippines ~~~ Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ~~~ Jacksonville (FL), USA ~~~ River Falls (WI), USA ~~~ Chateaubriant, France ~~~ Quincy (MA), USA ~~~ Rabaul, Papua New Guinea ~~~ Buenos Aires, Argentina ~~~ Crystal Lake (IL), USA ~~~ Inverness (IL), usa ~~~ Lubbock (TX), USA ~~~ Phoenix (AZ), USA ~~~ Moscow, Russia ~~~ Norwich (Norfolk), UK ~~~ Crepy-en-Valois, France ~~~ Minneapolis (MN), USA ~~~ New Orleans (LA), USA ~~~ Montréal (QC), Canada ~~~ West Sacramento (CA), USA ~~~ Toruń, Poland ~~~ Philadelphia (PA), USA ~~~ Christchurch, New Zealand ~~~ London, England ~~~ Paderborn, Germany ~~~ The Hague, Netherlands ~~~ Selma (AL), USA ~~~ Sunderland, UK ~~~ Kyoto, Japan ~~~ Tokyo, Japan ~~~ Stavanger, Norway ~~~ Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA ~~~ Weston (FL), USA ~~~ Portland (OR), USA ~~~ Forks (WA), USA ~~~ Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation ~~~ Maple Ridge (BC), Canada ~~~ Boston (MA), USA ~~~ Sydney, Australia ~~~ Wellington, New Zealand ~~~ Montpellier, France ~~~ Jackson (MS), USA ~~~ Wailea (HI), USA ~~~ Petaling Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia ~~~ Evry, France ~~~ Saarbrücken, Germany ~~~ New York City (NY), USA ~~~ Santa Fe (NM), USA ~~~ North Bay (ON), Canada ~~~ Melbourne, Australia ~~~ Port Vila, Vanuatu ~~~ Cypress (TX), USA ~~~ Saint Louis (MO), USA ~~~ Paris, France ~~~ San Diego (CA), USA ~~~ Wichita (Ks), USA ~~~ Haninge, Sweden ~~~ Prague, Czech Republic ~~~ Zurich, Switzerland ~~~ Budapest, Hungary ~~~ Paris, France ~~~ Saigon, Vietnam