26/10/2024
Ida Dela Cruz at Yabam Island, Milne Bay. She was cleaning the DOMOGEI, that her son Francis caught while paddling over from the East Cape on the mainland..
Yabam Island is 8 miles off East Cape, the most Easterly Tip of mainland PNG.
A canoe is essential to the Island.. their diet and income in many cases depends on having one, or borrowing one.. most men on the island go out fishing and they will go out to catch the change of the current, and hopefully they catch the fish. Men on Yabam are fisherman and shaking hands with these men is another experience.
Life's tough, but so are their hands.. they are calloused, and tough and gnarled from the daily paddling that they do just to survive.
Lots of the canoes have a small triangular sail on a jury rigged mast and sail downwind when they can. I have seen many canoes using a dry coconut frond held up to catch the assistance of the wind.
The dinghy fare from Yabam to East Cape is K12.
I have taken parties from Cruise Ships to Yabam to swim, snorkel and simply slow down the pace. Visitors from outside the Province can take a snapshot of the lifestyle of the Island Communities.
