Kavieng PAPUA NEW GUINEA
22 December 2007
Kavieng PNG
18 December 2007
We arrived here yesterday at 11.30 am after motoring all day and night from Rabaul. First impressions were very favourable and still are. We are anchored outside a resort which caters for mainly surfers. It has a relaxed atmosphere and very beachy ambience not unlike the resorts Linda used frequent in Zanzibar, East Africa, The buildings are all made of local materials - palm thatching, handhewn poles, sand floors, carvings everywhere, crocodile skeletons and tame exotic birds. An Aussie couple Adam and Danielle who charter a catarmaran out to tourists have a gorgeous 2 storey thatched beach house. I have asked Bill to renovate our house in the same style when we get back! Perhaps we can bring back a house girl and garden boy to assist.
Danielle and Adam have been really welcoming and extremely helpful. They joined us at the restaurant and bar at the resort next door. This is where we exchanged information, drank pina coladas with fresh coconut milk and played with the horn bill. We have a mudmap of town, more local cruising info etc which Adam and Danielle kindly gave us. We also have a 2 week old Australian newspaper that someone form Lihir mine gave them which we will enjoy later.
Apparently many yachts come here but again we have missed them and are the only cruising boat here. Jesse Martin ("Lionheart - youngest to sail around the world) has sold his catarmaran and now has an Indonesian built schooner which is huge - 70ft. This is the other boat anchored here. (with just a local boy on it at the moment bailing it while Jesse is away)
Fruit ripens very quickly here especially when next to bananas so sadly had to throw out a beautiful huge avocado this morning. As usual we are eating well and enjoyed a delicious buffet at the resort including fresh local crab. I gave a huge pile of smelly washing (since Australia) to Danielle and Adam's house mary who will do it for us for a few kina.
So as you can see life is very hard here. We are pleased the optus phone works so we had a nice chat to Vashti. Our grandson Joe is being kind to his mother and allowing her to sleep for 4 hours stretches. Last night we finally received photos of this most handsome baby with his proud big sister and now they are plastered all over the boat .
It is hot and we still have to go into town. I will try and update the website.
Love to all
Linda and the captain (he now has a big bushy beard which he says he will shave off when we cross the equator)