Week 1

 

We arrived in Lae from Port Moresby on Thursday - it's a 2 hour ordeal going through security, organising luggage and waiting patiently for a 35 minute flight!  The domestic terminal in Port Moresby is far more chaotic than international but the Nadzab Airport in Lae is very relaxed.  All our luggage has safely made its way from Hamilton to our home in HBS Village - nothing lost or misplaced over 12 transfers between planes, buses and taxis.    

We are settling in to our accommodation.  It is mostly for workers in the mining industry and a lot is short stay studio apartments.  We have one of the two bedroom apartments in a triplex.  It is two storey though we probably won't use the storeroom and office downstairs.  It has a large television connected to a cable network and we have so many channels to choose from including the ABC.  Channel 7 allows the ABC to show (low res)  AFL football matches so we have watched Essendon lose and maybe today we'll see Melbourne win.

The HBS Village has a pool, gym and mess/wet bar where beer is relatively cheap.  We haven't eaten there yet.  I have swum - had the pool to myself - but the bikes and treadmill at the gym can wait until we work out our routine. 

We are lucky to have such comfortable accommodation. We have air-conditioning and fans, reliable electricity, a large refrigerator and 3 toilets!  We also have a 'hausmeri' who comes daily to do our washing and clean our house.  The garden is alive with wildlife and some comes inside. 

We have been stocking the fridge and pantry with food - we hope to shop just weekly in town for meat and fish and use the local market at 9 Mile for fruit and veg.  Here is a pic of today's haul.

There are of course things we cannot get.  Yoghurt is unobtainable - I might yet make my own - and we're sorry we didn't get Vegemite in Port Moresby where it was abundant (see below) as there is none here.  Twisties - cheese flavour - are available in Lae you'll be relieved to know.

We had a visit to the Consulate-General's office in Lae and the C-G told us there are around 1000 Australians living in Lae.  So far we haven't spotted any others. They must keep a low profile, or they hang out in places we haven't been, like the members only Lae Yacht Club.  We did see an old white bloke with a MAGA cap at the Lae Golf Club - surely not Australian!

I've been thinking about the similarities and differences between Arusha and Lae.  The roads are just as bad in both cities but here in Lae there are no motor bikes or bajajis.  Vehicles are old and battered, public transport buses are not overcrowded and traffic is not as chaotic.  There are no traffic police making things worse!  In Arusha town there are plenty of tourists, here tourism isn't really a thing so 'wazungu' will be workers.  

We had a quick visit to the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) Head Office on Friday but will have a proper Induction starting Monday including meeting the Director General, being issued with stationery and getting a NARI email address.  We are the first Australian Volunteers with NARI and the expectations are high.  All a bit daunting!

Next week's report will be all about NARI.  I need to go and barrack as my dream of seeing Melbourne win is not going well.