Christmas 2009 would not be my first Christmas away from Sydney. But it would be my first away from family and friends. A few months out people had started planning and talking what they were doing for Christmas. Some went home to family, others holidaying in country and others getting together with other missionary families. One thing I knew I didn’t want to spend Christmas in Mt Hagen. I could of possibly return to Sydney, but due to saving leave and travelling back later in the year for furlough it wasn’t an option. I knew I wanted to get out of the highlands and get to the coast. Timon was heading overseas to visit his parents for Christmas, so that left Brandon and I. Wewak was not an option, but Madang was. I took five days without pay and would get twelve days off over Christmas and New Year. Seven nights would be spent in Madang.
1. Rempe a great place for snorkelling, Karkar island in the background
We planned to leave Hagen on the 23rd of December, but due to bad weather around PNG our flight was cancelled. Which was sort of good as it meant Brandon could get what he needed done at work and I could go to the carols night with the other MAF families in Hagen that night. Which leading up to then didn’t seem like Christmas. But spending the night together and celebrating together and focusing on it made it feel like Christmas. We left Hagen Christmas Eve afternoon and made it safely to Madang.
We ended up staying in three different places during our six nights in Madang. A Pioneers Bible Translation house, Jais Aben and the Madang resort. We were able to rent the MAF vehicle over Christmas and another mission’s vehicle later on. Besides just chilling out by the water, swimming and eating out, we went snorkelling on some coral reefs, went back to Maloo beach (black sand beach), kayaking around Krangket Island, caught up with some friends from SIL who were on holidays.
2. The track through the airfield
One of my highlights of the trip was finally getting to do something that I had wanted to do ever since POC. That was to find an old WW2 Japanese airfield and an old bomber. I had heard about it from some people and then read about it in lonely planet book I just recently got. I got directions from different locals and in the end finally worked out what road to take off the highway. The previous day I had not succeeded, so Sunday morning I took the MAF hilux out by myself to find this old bomber. I first drove to an old catholic mission that was close to the turn off to make sure I had the right directions and how far up the track. Once leaving the station I headed back to the highway and then took the dirt track.
3. A bomb crater filled with water, one of many
There were tracks like this all the way along the highway, so it could be any one of them. The grass was quite high and the track was not driven on much. The grass was so high that I could not see beyond it. I continued for a while and after a little while I found an old aircraft engine sitting on the side of the track. No one was around at all, I had a look around and couldn’t see anything. I continued along the track thinking that if I can’t turn around I will have to reverse all the way back along this track, some of it being a bit boggy. As I continued I kept coming across fresh tracks through the grass, so I would get out and follow them in my thongs, but nothing was there. When I stood up on top of the hilux I could see small swamps around which were bomb craters filled with water. I was not sure what to expect if I would find the old bomber or not, how much of it was still remaining and where exactly it was.
I continued to follow the track and kept stopping to check out fresh clearings in the long grass. I got to the end of the over grown airfield where there were now trees. Maybe the bomber was in there. I got to the end of the track where I could not continue in the hilux and was able to turn it around. I found a few tracks and found the freshest one. I followed it into the jungle and keep walking for 30 to 40 m and there through the trees was a clearing with a bomber sitting there. It was quite a shock just to see it there after spending sometime looking for it.
4. Japanese Bomber (believed to be a Nakajima KI-49 Donryu - “Helen”)
After checking it out and taking some photos. I decided to have more of a look around in the jungle, as I had heard the airstrip was destroyed by bombing. So there were plenty of bomb craters around and maybe more aircraft. I headed down another fresh track, but as soon as I got close to a bomb crater I was attacked literally by a swarm of mosquitos. I ran along the muddy track back to the clearing. Grabbed my rid out of my bag and started to bath in it. It kept them at bay, but they all sat on my shirt like flies. I went back down the trial and had a look, but decided to head back as it was close to lunch time. When I got back to the clearing, I headed down what I thought was the track I came in on. But after walking some of it realised it wasn’t taking me where I needed to go. I knew the direction I needed to go, but couldn’t find the tack I came in on. After some searching I found it and got out of the jungle. Hopped in the Hilux and drove back to the highway and then back to the resort for lunch. There were other things to try and find and see, Like the Japanese WW2 strategic command at Amron and the early missionary cementary. But with the time remaining I wanted to spend the rest of the afternoon by the water as it was our last day at Jais Aben Resort.
5. A bush strip we stopped at to drop off passengers on our return to Mt Hagen (it’s not a flat strip)
It was a really good time in Madang, my first holiday in PNG. I had gone there to escape things of PNG, but was unsuccessful. Despite the mishaps where we stayed, it was still a good and relaxing time. I didn’t get to do everything I would of liked. Like visiting my wasfamili and other sights, but I am grateful for God’s provision for our time in Madang and celebrating Christmas in PNG for the first time.
January 21st, 2010 at 8:44 am
Good to see you got some time off, that bomber is awesome!
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