Journey into jungle!

Hello hello! I'm writing glad to have survived my recent journey to Kairiru Island - I'm told 20 nautical miles off the coast of Wewak, and a very long and bumpy 2.5hr boat ride away. Decided at the last moment to ditch surgery for the rest of the week (as i can still do as a student! HA Dr Johnson!) and have been there from Tues through to Sun.
What can i say by it was loads of fun! Bit odd the thought of staying with the Catholic Mission.. hmm.. but ended up actually going to Church to cleanse my soul (not that my soul needs cleansing!) the last night there.. all in Pidgeon.. meant nothing to me!
But anyway.. our 5 day adventure started with the first morning heading over this saddle like mountain from the mission to Victoria Bay.. cruisy journey.. not much to walking right? WRONG! The trip there took about 2 hrs i'd say and in the beginning as every chick i would say does.. tried to keep clean.. not get the shoes too wet or muddy - yeah that changed about 1/2 hr into trip where i realised the track was a whole lot of mud.. wet, slippery.. very muddy mud. Oh yeah.. there was a lot of falling over and sliding down muddy embankments, holding on to nearby shrubs & trees for dear life and by the time we reached the hot springs.. our destination.. i looked like i'd been turned into sepia! Brown was definitely the new black! Hot springs were nice tho.. good to get cleaned up in toasty water, only to get dirty again on the journey home! Springs there get above boiling.. and we were made to take some eggs along with us to boil as is the tradition! Was very cool i must say! Even got my hands on a couple of coconuts to wash everything down with! No major injuries suffered.. a few bumps and bruises from flying logs in the sea etc.. but survived to tell the tale! Following a day of recovery, a day of swimming off the wharf unfortunately too muddy to see much of the coral reef.. (and possibly the slight fear of crocodiles!) we spent our last day climbing the infamous Kairiru mountain.. about 700m.. not exactly everest but for my first trek up a mountain i'd say i did pretty damn good! Now steep is the word i tell ya! That trek was a nightmare! Leaves the stairmaster for dead. By the time we reached the top it was raining, i was again covered in mud and 'jungle-ness' and had just enough energy left to view the volcanic lake that signified the top of the mountain... pretty cool hey! A few snakes and a whole lot of slips & slides later .. and 7 hours later i was back at the mission and could barely make it to the shower. I'm still recovering right now. Speed boat ride home this morning on calm clear seas finished off the journey quite spectacularly! Was loads of fun, loads of aches & pains, and i recommend the journey to anyone! Plus.. there were 4 tv stations with clear reception! WOOHOO! By by the end of the trip we were down to 2.. with them both playing the same thing.. go PNG! Till next time.. love Cath.

• Me in the hot springs... the not so boiling parts..
• Me with the moo cows on St Johns Mission farm Kairiru island.. that's right.. go for the bait little ones... get nice and fat so we can eat u..


• me on the top of Mt Kairiru lookout.. u can barely see me let alone the scenery.



• Me with my lovely bunch of coconuts at Victoria Bay hot springs




• Me with hot springs in background




• Me at the base of Mt Kairiru.. after we'd survived the 7hrs of trekking! I may not look all that muddy and grubby.. but take my word for it.. I am.




• Me on the trek to the hot springs... looking rather red and sweaty... nice.