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The People of New Ireland, Papua New Guinea

5 – 24 June 2010

It is now 15 months that we have been non-stop on the road from Asia to the Pacific.  The diving has been spectacular but its the people we have met along the way that made our journey so much richer. The honest and open faces of people in the deep unvisited parts of the Coral Triangle were a joy to photograph. The molasses brown Melanesian faces with their insanely long curly eye lashes made great portraits and this entry is dedicated to these beautiful people of New Ireland.

Heartstrings are tugged when a baby smiles

Heartstrings are tugged when a baby smiles

These boys sitting around ready for their photos of be taken

Carefree boys sitting around ready for their photos of be taken

A natural leafy shade against the morning sun

A natural leafy shade against the morning sun

A teacher's daughter, this young girl knew how to smile for the camera

A teacher’s daughter, this young girl knew how to smile for the camera

Young boy Lapan holds a pet green turtle

Young boy Lapan holds a pet green turtle

The Lissenung Island girls who made sure we were all well fed and cared for

The Lissenung Island girls who made sure we were all well fed and cared for

One sunny morning, I gave a Coral Triangle slideshow from my hardworking laptop to the children and parents of Enuk Village. There was a lot of laughing as I tried my best to tell our stories and the conservation message. "Is it good to take turtle eggs from their nests?" I asked. They shouted "Yes!" I shouted back "Nooooooo! No good!""

One sunny morning, I gave a WWF Coral Triangle slideshow from my hardworking laptop to the children and parents of Enuk Village. There was a lot of laughing as I tried my best to tell our photo stories and the conservation message. “Is it good to take turtle eggs from their nests?” I asked. They shouted “Yes!” I shouted back “Nooooooo! No good!””

While I clowned around, Yogi sneakily took the photographs of the laughing kids of Enuk

While I clowned around, Yogi sneakily took the photographs of the laughing kids of Enuk

And they listened and watched intently as I told the stories of fishing, of animals, of turtles. We met their teacher a few days later and she made these kids draw what they saw during our slideshow! And they drew fish, and turtles and mantas!

And they listened and watched intently as I told them the stories of fishing, of animals, of turtles. We met their teacher a few days later and she made these kids draw what they saw during our slideshow! And they drew fish, and turtles and mantas!

A lovely group photo of our well travelled WWF flag with the students of Enuk village and some parents with the Freunds, the Amons and Katrin of ExtraTours Germany

A lovely group photo of our well travelled WWF flag with the students of Enuk village, some parents and elders with the Freunds and the Amons

The kids looked like they had so much fun doing this so I just had to have my turn. Glad I didn't break the rope!

The kids looked like they had so much fun doing this so I just had to have my turn. Glad I didn’t break the rope!

Charming Enuk Village is made up of two long islands facing each other and this is how the kids went to school and back home

Charming Enuk Village is made up of two long islands facing each other with a narrow channel between them. This is how the kids went to school and back home

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About the Author:

Stella was born in Manila, Philippines in 1965. She studied anthropology but ended up in advertising, producing radio and TV commercials for 7 years. After quitting advertising, she ventured into the freelance world in Manila producing video documentaries for a publishing house, government agencies, non govenmental organisations, and the academe. She moved on to producing books and had a stint at working with foreign production companies visiting Manila. Stella, now based in Cairns, produces photo stories with her husband Jürgen Freund.