Bedamuni Bibles

Recently I had the privilege of flying two plane-loads of a new Bible translation from our Kiunga base to the bush airstrip at Mougulu - 110 boxes, weighing over 1500 kg! There had been some logistical issues and communication breakdowns along the way, so the delivery was a few months later than expected, but at least we are now making progress...

Boxes of Bibles

Loading the plane in Kiunga

Walter is happy to play his part in securing the load

People in Mougulu help collect the boxes from the plane

Kumul lodge

Last weekend there was a group trip organised to Kumul Lodge, about an hour's drive west of Mt Hagen and known for bird watching. Despite having only arrived back in Hagen the day before, I decided to go. Although there were about 30 of us, the birds near the lodge didn't seem to mind, which was good!

I don't know the names of any of the birds so have just given them my own descriptions :)

Stunning scenery en route

This bird's red face...

...turns yellow after it's eaten

These green parrots were hard to spot until they came to eat

The iridescent colours of this bird reminded me of a tui

Long tail feathers

Even longer tail feathers!

It was fascinating to watch these birds eat with their long, curved beaks.
They would pull off a piece of fruit, toss it in the air and swallow it.

Not a bird...

After our bird watching we enjoyed breakfast at the lodge

Family holiday in Dunedin

As part of my mum's 70th birthday celebrations, we had a family holiday in Dunedin. The last time we'd been there was in the mid-90s, so it had been a while...

Playing games at the holiday house

 

Day 1

Since it was the last Friday of term before the school holidays, we opted to go to the museum as it would likely be less crowded than from the Saturday onwards. We also weren't sure what the weather was going to do - as it turned out, we needn't have worried!

The 'torque table' in the science museum

The obligatory walk up and down Baldwin St

Day 2

A road trip to Oamaru and back, with various stops on the way...

Coastline walk at Karitane

Moeraki boulders

Fur seal

Day 3

Being a Sunday, I asked if I could be dropped off at a church (since options in PNG have been pretty limited). It was good to be able to be anonymous.

In the afternoon, we went to the albatross colony at Taiaroa head.

View of Port Chalmers from Mt Cargill

Shags on their nests at Taiaroa head

Fully grown albatross chick, yet to take its first flight

Albatross chick practising

Day 4

Larnach's castle, then a maze and mini golf at Wal's Plant Land in Mosgiel before flying back home.

Larnach's castle and gardens

Staircase inside

A surprise visit

I couldn't write anything about this earlier, for obvious reasons!

At the end of September I took my first international flight since arriving in PNG on a one-way ticket in January 2022 (while NZ still had compulsory hotel isolation requirements for everyone entering the country). I arrived in Wellington at midnight on Friday and laid low at a friend's house on Saturday.

Sunday was the big day - my mum was turning 70, and she had no idea that I was going to be there. My brother picked me up and we went to the restaurant that had been planned for lunch. The look on her face was priceless!

About 5 seconds after the surprise was sprung

After lunch we went to my brother's house for games and cake.

The celebrations weren't over - Mum had arranged for the whole family (minus me, but with inside knowledge I had bought a ticket on the same flight) to go to Dunedin for a few days.

Prior to the trip, my friend and I went for an easy overnight hike to Rangiwahia hut.

The hut sits just above the bush line

Sunrise colours on Mt Ruapehu

Hiking across tussock hills

Another view of Ruapehu