Arrived back in Lae safely from Loloata Island Resort (near Port Moresby). The four days we had on the island was organised by Australian Volunteers International (AVI) and payed for by AUSAID. It was tops!!
It was also nice to visit one of the more peaceful and beautiful plcaes around Port Moresby (POM). POM tends to be associated with violence and raskols and the visit to Loloata, about one hour out of POM, was the absolute opposite of what one might expect to find in this trouble prone city.
The food and friendly service were the best and probably one of the highlights of the four days for me was meeting Dame Carol – current PNG Minister for Community Services. Dame Carol is originally from Australia and has lived in PNG for over 40 years. Her talk on the Wednesday evening was relaxed, informal and certainly an eye-opener. Her main message was that the national elections next year are the most important for PNG since Independence. She stressed the need for PNG to move forward combining the best of both worlds, the old and the new. PNG politicians sure have their work cut out for them.
The presentations and information sessions themselves were a little on the boring side although I did manage to network a little and picked up some ideas that might serve me as I get closer to the end of my volunteer assignment. There are plenty of opportunities in PNG and hopefully I will be able to tap into one or two.
I will post the photos from the Loloata experience over the following few days and you will find these in the Loloata photo album.
tingting bilong yu…
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