"Like An English Village"

When I was back in Madang the other weekend, I took Larissa (volunteer mate from Moresby) and her mum around Kranket island. It turned out to be a great day.

What made it great - besides the snorkelling on the other side of the island where the guesthouse is - is the fact the island is "just like an English village". Larissa's mum said this and I think it is pretty apt in a PNG kind of way.

For starters there are little hedged lined lanes running throughout the island. They are the main thoroughfares. There are no vehicles anywhere - bit like Venice in this regard (without the canals). The houses are all little cottage style - some made from bush materials some made from normal housing materials. And everywhere are flowerbeds.


A hedged lane

It is obvious that the locals take great pride in the island. I can't remember seeing any rubbish. And all the houses where neatly tended and looked after. The place really is a bit of a novelty for PNG, especially when you go to other villages with rubbish lying around.

Another reason that it was a great day was that we didn't get the guided tour like I did last time. Which meant that I had to be the impromptu tour guide for the three of us. My memory is fairly good at the best of times, but I must admit at one point going down the wrong track and coming up to a dead end. This caused no end of scorn of course for me later, but it did enable us to have a little gathering of kids come to our aid and help us head off to the guest house. Something that made it a pleasant and special walk.


Our impromptu entourage

On the way back from the swim and picnic we had another little troupe follow us along, which made us feel like pied pipers. And on the boat back I had the chance to have a chat to an old guy going back to his neighbouring island. He was 71 and I got him reminiscing about the war and being a pikinini during it.

A nice day all round, ohh and the weather was perfect, which is more than I can say about Lae at the moment - Wet Season.