There was movement in Australia for the word had passed around That the P.N.G. Safari was away, Brisbane Bill, Niugini Bob, and little Barrie, northward bound, Knew that sixteen planes had gathered to the fray. All the top-gun weekend warriors from states both near and far Had gathered at Horn Island overnight, For some pilots love the challenge where the wild high mountains are And the three ‘B’s’ met the battle with delight.

There were Juergen, Horst and Peter, who all understood the SAR, These German "Round the Worlders" couldn’t wait, They thought it would be fun to find out who these Aussies are And to go to P.N.G. would be just great.

Then Bob Reiss from San Diego came to join us at last light With his big prop-jet Bonanza "beating up", For no strip could ever stop him with his QNH set right, He learnt to fly when he was just a ‘pup’.

To Mt Hagen, dodging cloud, was the first leg of our great flight And just what a stressed out lot on our arrival, But a bus trip, ‘Mud Men’ warriors, tea plantations, a delight, Left us ready to start planning our survival.

Over water to Rabaul, where we viewed the bygone days And we marvelled at the great volcanoes’ action. Baining Fire Dancers leaping, natives fishing diff’rent ways, Gave us all a very positive reaction.

The flying to Madang, o’er volcanoes and the sea, Proved to be a very satisfying day, Malolo and the hornbill, Bismarck Sea, the place to be, They just made us want to dig right in and stay. A quick visit to a village, to see Simon’s family ways, Gave us all some understanding of their life, Then we left to snorkel quietly in the pretty coral bays And an early night which kept us out of strife.

But then Karawari called us and we just could not resist, Coastal route, the Sepik and Timbunkie, There were river highways flowing, some canoes, we made a list As we turned and flew up river just to see.

The Lodge was great, the staff superb, the food good in our tummy, We all ate, we drank and how we did enjoy it. Ambrose’s Band, the village tours, some artifacts for money, With the nightly rain and friends we all did sit.

Then some paddled in the dugouts, and Bos Pella got it right, Elizabeth and John went up, then down, The paddling act of Charles and Di was seen as a great sight, Bruce and Bronwyn paddled slowly with no frown. We trekked across the mountain, past the big fig-strangler tree, Some slid down the other side and some just walked. The schoolhouse gained a visit where they sang, we listened, free, We then sang and we all laughed and then we talked.

Goodbyes were said to all the staff - we gave a tank for water To the village where we’d been to take a look, Then Bos Pella flew to check the clouds, we knew they’d give no quarter, He soon came back, the weather was too crook. We back-tracked up the river, settled in, talked of the trip, The rain poured down, the river rose, we worried, Next morning, ate at six, then down the river to the strip, So when Bob gave us the word, then off we scurried.

VH-MGA climbed slowly, at eleven seven stayed, Through small windows, past great mountains, up the valley, With Bob’s guiding voice to help us Tomba Gap was safely made, At the Tower’s "Clear to land", we did not dally. Cessna 302 was tied down on the grassy G.A. plot And the Mooney which was parked along there too, Made us feel we were a group again, a big Safari lot, As we taxied in with passports - nothing new!

Then the final leg to Cooktown as was planned. It is here we shared our last night, P.N.G Safari style, With much laughter, friends and poems - a happy band. Heartfelt thanks to Bill and Bob, as all your planning did bear fruit, For we saw and did things well beyond our vision, So we hope one day to fly again with weather "fine and beaut", We give thanks above we made the right decision.

Dianne Cowley

10/06/99