It was a long trip from Papua to Brisbane--nearly two weeks at sea. The trip covered just as much distance as is usually covered in an Atlantic crossing. Our route took us along the north coast of Papua and Papua New Guinea, where we made a brief stop in Madang to refuel. We passed some interesting scenery along the coast, including an active volcano, and the mouth of the Sepik River. We also encountered an incredibly intense storm full of thunder and lightning and extremely heavy rain. I had major concerns that we may be struck by lightning after seeing a large ship, only a few miles away, be struck by two lightning bolts at the same time and become disabled. Madang itself was an interesting place. I only had about an hour or so to
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