A new day, a new country. Budi Budi Atoll was quite idyllic, but a sudden & fierce NW squall brought our visit to an abrupt end. The atoll wasn't well protected from the west, so it was up anchor and away. A pity, because it was very lovely, and our hosts, Tao & Elsie and sons Dansi, Tony & Cedar quite delightful. As it turned out, the squall died out and it was so calm the next day that we had to motor half the way to Ghizo. But it was the right decision at the time. Interesting to see in their visitors' book that 3 of the last dozen or so boats came from Lyttelon. Digger & family, and a lady Sue from Brenchley Farm, were here a couple of years ago. Quite impressive considering there are only 3000 of us. Salt water runs in our veins. Another Lyttelton boat, with a couple called Phil & Astrid, has been round these parts too. 'Nalukai' & others have bumped into them. The wind started up again at midnight last night (there's been a large cyclone E of here) and we scooted here at 7+kts, even with 2nd reef in main, and wee gib mostly furled. Gizo is a lovely sheltered anchorage. Just as well, as the wind's been howling. Our whistlestop tour (14 days) of Trobriands/Marshall Bennetts/Budi Budi wasn't exactly restful. But it was interesting! We saw things & met people quite different from elsewhere. And although our stays at Trobriands & Budi Budi were rudely truncated, still very glad we went there.

Well, have been in Gizo 5 days now. And the sun's come out again. Yay! Very awful weather we've had the past wee while. But very grateful to be nicely tucked up here!
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Tau and son Danci were quite delightful. Sure, they were hoping that we might have things to trade. But it was no one way street. 6 crays for lunch, and various family members frequently appearing with offerings from the garden.

... or else you get dunked. (Ask Jack!)

beside the Kula canoe, ready for departure.

Steep climb up coral/limestone to get to this very pretty village.

This report is dedicated to Geoffrey Marshall Bennett, Esquire, of the Alpine View Residential Village, Marshlands Road, Chch: Scholar, Gentleman & much loved & revered leader and patriarch of the Marshall Bennett Clan in New Zealand. Another goal of our journey has been fulfilled with our recent visit to these islands, which lie east of the Trobriands and north of Milne Bay. Our first stop was Kitava, only 20 miles SE of Kaibola, Trobriands. As we approached the small harbour, between a small white sand island and the larger island, large dolphins wallowed languidly in the turquoise water. Very lovely. The quintessential South Pacific fantasy. Which is why, as at Kaibola, the P&O cruise line has built a long concrete pier, leading to various thatched archways and shelters for the tourists they bring here one day a month for 6 months of the year. So, we were very demonstrably not the first to discover the Marshall Bennetts! Such was our disappointment, that we didn't even step foot on the place, but took advantage of the clear, shallow water to wipe clean the underside of the boat. However, the men we met seemed very pleasant - bearded, noble looking fellows and in the way of PNG quite different to the ones we'd left 20 miles behind. Later we entertained two of them on board, who had brought us a clutch of small fish. In the way of the men in these parts, they made a continuous tut-tutting noise with their tongues - partly admiration I think, but also scepticism, as in 'Well, you're a couple of prize lunatics!' They told us about the Kula ring, a yearly cycle of ritual gift giving, which - in contrast to what the Lonely Planet guide implies - is still very active and alive here. What happens is that each year the men set off with their treasures, and exchange them with their Kula partners on other islands here in the SE of PNG. The red shell necklaces, the 'bagi', go clockwise and the white shell armlets, or 'mwali' anti-clockwise. And although the rituals are very elaborate, I couldn't help but think of the toy libraries, which our grandsons frequent with much enthusiasm, because eventually all the valuables return to where they came from. But they clearly have a lot of fun doing it. All the men folk head out en masse, and much feasting and ceremony occurs. I suggested to our two friends that perhaps they had girl friends on these other islands, and it was amusing how instantly and emphatically they concurred on this point. An overnight journey west to Kwaiawata and Gawa Islands brought us to much remoter territory. Sort of. The first man we met on Gawa Island was the small, sparrow-like Mr Paul Begram - a retired school teacher with excellent English. Curiously, he claimed to be a great mate of the Australian electronics magnate Dick Smith, who is forever climbing aboard his luxury yacht or private jet to make visits to him. These Marshall Bennetts, like other islands in the area, are stunningly attractive. Big hunks of limestone, heavily forested. From the sea they look quite untouched, but their villages are up on the plateaus on top. Paul arranged a guide for us, and we scrambled for much further than we anticipated on a steep track thru the forest. Up the top we met Robin and his 6 brothers, who seemed men of influence. They sat us down and interrogated us, and their grim unsmiling faces put me in mind of an anecdote from Tim Flannery's 'Throw'em Way Leg' where he chances to overhear his highland hosts discussing his murder that evening, so he sneaks away to the next village and purchases the largest pig he can find. I started to look around for pigs to purchase. When Robin said that the track we'd come on is on their land, and that he and his brothers maintain the track, Jack and I thought 'Here we go again', and I had to wonder whether they'd be satisfied with the marbles I was carrying. However Robin, though unsmiling, proved a very kind and attentive host. First he took us to the school, which was a memorable event. There were about 5 classrooms, two close and two across the field, and as soon as they saw us all the hundred or so students leapt from the windows and streamed from the doors, until we were quite mobbed. For lack of other ideas, I soon had them shouting out a tramping chant, which they did very enthusiastically. Then Robin took us back to his village and showed us the Kula ring treasures, and the day ended with a coffee party aboard the boat for him and his fierce but hospitable brothers. And that was our experience of the Marshall Bennetts. Although our next stop, Alcester Island, was almost identical in many respects. Our host John took me up the cliff on a vertical ladder, and he took me to his sister's thatched village. When I commented to him that she was an attractive young woman - which she certainly was - John proposed that he find a wife for me, perhaps 12 or 14 years old, who I could take back to Australia with me. An interesting idea. Back at the beach village, he showed me his Kula treasures, I took pictures of an old chap who was avowedly 200 years old, and I gave some gifts to his father - the Chief - which he accepted without any expression of of pleasure gratitude. Jack was back on the boat being stared at through all ingresses & port holes. A wild ride thru the night, and here we are at the gorgeous Budi Budi lagoon. More on that next time.

Pics: left - Robin holding Kula treasures right - boat shed holds large & ornate Kula canoe

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