25th was Utmei Secondary College. The day dawned cool and clear following heavy rain in the night. Always welcome as it clears the air. The driver from Utmei arrived promptly to pick me up in his large school truck. Utmei is about 90 + mins from Kokopo. The driver had left at 6am to come and collect me. In total he was up for 4 journeys across largely rough, very rough roading but he was cheerful and keen to point out areas of interest. Heartened by the road safety stickers on the window I dragged the seatbelt across me only to find there was no connection. I asked where the connection was but long gone – the driver suggested I tuck it under my bum – not sure how that would go with NZ Road Safety regulations.
Driving through the lush tropical vegetation I soon forgot about the seatbelt and was able to ignore the large crack across the windscreen as we rattled along roads fringed with magnificent frangipani, hibiscus, trees crowned with vibrant red and orange blossom – banana palms and pawpaw were in abundance. Smiling children all attired in school uniforms straddled the roadside together with mothers with babies strapped to their backs and the occasional young lads heading into the undergrowth foraging for kai.
We passed through Keravat where Nadine and Kevin lived for 3+ years. Passing through Keravat my driver pointed out CIS? Where “people who make trouble stay up there”. It reminded me of when we were at the Nonga Hospital and Johannes pointed out some lads in a particular uniform – prisoners who are let out to go and get lunch and then they head back to the jail! Good plan, saves Government funds! I wonder how many would come back in NZ!
Next day was Maltech in Rabaul. It’s a lovely school nestled in the shadow of the volcano which caused such destruction when it erupted in 1994. They have very few boarders due to the evacuation procedures which are necessary in case of another eruption. Rabaul is only beginning to recover from the terrible disaster which covered what was the main centre of ENBP.
25th our group of NZ volunteers attended a very moving ceremony at the Rabaul Cenotaph. As we drove to the cenotaph the road each side of the road was lit with flaming tapers. As the morning star faded we sang the NZ National Anthem in both Maori and English. National Anthems were also sung by the Papua New Guineans and the Australians who were out in full force. Following the ceremony we all breakfasted at the local Yacht Club.
