Dining out in Port Moresby

The question I am most often asked by friends and family back home...."what is it really like to live in Port Moresby?". Given that POM was recently ranked last on the places to visit in 2011, I thought I might give you a window in on what it is really like living in POM.

A few weeks ago Claudia was voted by her class mates to the Student Representative Council. She received her badge on assembly/parade and that night we decided to take her out to celebrate

The restaurant of Claudia's choosing for the night was Daikoko's - a Japanese Tappanyaki bar.

I love the feel of the place, all the timber, stainless stell and pottery are so different to the rest of Moresby.

It was looking pretty good at step 1...

Haydn loved the reflection of our chef on the teppan plate

The kids are so good with chopsticks now that they even eat their rice with them.

It seemed a tragedy to see fillet steak cut up into cubes instead of left whole, but the end result was sensational!

Here are Shane's praws about to get a dose of fire...

Of course the flames really got the kids attention.

Our chef...what a star.

So that was our night out in Moresby for Claudia's celebration.

Life here for us is surprisingly normal...mostly.

Happy Easter.

Tufi - Em kam gud stret (Really special place, top stuff)

I really married very well -  my husband on the other hand probably didn't fare so well. He proved his thoughtfulness again last week...I really was run down and not looking forward to a weekend without the kids who are back home on the farm with Mum and Dad. Shane booked us in for a weekend of fishing at Tufi Dive Resort. It is one of my most treasured places so I was really looking forward to the trip. I surprised myself by going 14m under water in my first scuba dive. I can highly recommend Tufi - http://www.tufidive.com.pg/

Shane on his first open water dive @ Cyclone Reef, Tufi PNG

Finally at 38 I have mustered enough bravado to enter the under water world. Why did I wait so long??

We met a very special bird at Tufi - Coco, a hornbill. She was the cheekiest, show off I have met in a long time. So playful and always, always hungry. A typical 9 month old.

Tufi Fjord - paradise on Earth....words are impossible to describe the peacefulness she spreads.

Saturday morning saw a jostling for "parking spaces" in the fjord as the locals came to do their weekly shop.

Not a sign of outrigger rage in sight though.

On arriving I was offered a drink, I opted for a Pina Colada. Susie said it might take a few minutes as the boys would need to get a coconut and shell it for her so she could get fresh coconut milk for my special brew...and it was sooooo good.

Made in China

Last week I was "branded" they call it induction training. Lucky for me the training was held in Beijing, China.

My first impressions were "WOW!!". The place is just amazing. I was met on the airside and escorted through security and immigration in a flash, my bag was first off the carousel and straight into a waiting car. A total time of approximately 10 minutes from the plane to outside. Needless to say, my first impression of China was brilliant.



The view from my hotel room

The Police presence is never far away



Chairman Mao's building at Tiennamen Square