It was easy to make the decision to return to Adelaide after this incident. If we wanted to have children, it just made sense. I can’t for one moment say I had no regrets about leaving Bougainville Island. We’d made some great friends, life was relatively comfortable, and we were…

They trudged in the darkness of night, to sell to us at 5am. And we complained about getting up early! — One of the biggest shocks I had when we first arrived on Bougainville Island was the paucity of food in the supermarket. I could see nothing to buy. Not joking! I was told not to worry, that the boats came in every three weeks or so, and we could buy…

Because sometimes we can just be overthinking things…like hygiene, hands on food, origin and the likes — If you’re looking for flies on food, it just means you are full. I have just read an article by Aarti Tailor. You can read it right here. Sorry Aarti, but I am writing this while chuckling, because sometimes the best time to respond, in my humble opinion, is when…

You have to remind yourself that you are the alien in the situation — I read recently about a passport being an essential item in human existence, to support a wonky chair leg or the likes. But all joking apart, being able to use them as freely as we once did, would be heaven indeed. There’s something bracing about those first few tentative steps…

Finding her was something else… — This little story simply highlights the goodness of the islander people who allowed us to share their home with them. That my shy, self-effacing daughter is the spirit behind it, is quite amazing. It was a quiet Sunday morning, punctuated by the chat of locals passing by. We tended not…

The clear evidence of extinction of particular species scared us to death. Nobody seemed concerned or aware. This was an ecosystem in crisis. — Yes, we returned to Bougainville some nine years after we left, this time with our daughter. There were people there who had become a big part of our lives, and we wanted them to be in her life too. Besides, we had so many things to teach her about this…

The only doctor on the island was about to go sailing. He rang at 10pm just to check. Too late. — It was never our plan to have a baby on the island, but pregnancy did take place, and it would be difficult to blame anyone other than ourselves, for that. It was shortly after our marathon run that I felt sure I was pregnant, confirmed a week or so later…

leaves you to have to deal with the ensuing problems… — My first few days on Bougainville Island were quite frankly, a culture shock. We arrived on Friday morning, were met by one couple who took us to our new home, (provided by the company), showed us our survival kit, four of everything in terms of crockery and cutlery, plus a…

It’s about struggle, and effort, and determination, and never, ever, ever giving up. In the end it’s about crossing that bloody fine line — This morning I read a post by Helen Cassidy Page where she had committed to writing one article a day for the whole of this month, her theory being that if she could set her mind to walking a marathon, and completing it, writing a daily article should be a…

And walking in their shoes proves burdensome… — I haven’t written much on Medium over the last few days, my thoughts ever straying to the situation in Afghanistan. I struggle to cope with the knowledge that things seem to go from bad to worse for these people. That we in the First World are able to observe their…

Two very different people, two different ways of looking at the same situation… — In the last two days, whilst editing articles on Medium, I came across two very impressive stories told by people in the Afghanistan trenches. I deliberately read each of them several times, because both of the writers, in their own indomitable way, wrote of the Afghan people, of their spirit…

Women of Afghanistan need your help, now more than ever. — Dear World, This is a letter we write whilst ever we can. How worrying the last few months of our lives have been, here in Afghanistan. How terrifying the actual takeover was! We know you were shocked when you watched the chaos that rocked our country in the last few…

Whilst any women are captives of the Taliban, none of us ever can be, or should feel, free. — If there is anything that women in our western society should treasure most, it is the personal freedom we enjoy. Personal freedom…what can I say? That it is much more precious than gold or diamonds, goes without saying, for the alternative is bleak. Freedom is a gift that we enjoy…