Henry Minol Ndrawii: A relative's first overseas trip to Perth

By Kanau Sion



 It is every child's dream to travel overseas for the first time and this became a reality for one of our young relatives in the form of Henry Minol Ndrawii. Being a new kid on the block in this part of the world he was eager to get in touch with us. However, my phone number which Pwapei Minol (another relative working in Perth on a fly in fly out arrangement from PNG) supplied him was lost so he had to remain content until Pwapei arrived about a week later from Port Moresby.

Henry: Perth CBD from Kings Park

Pwapei managed to eventually get in touch with him upon his arrival in Perth and we finally caught up with each other one evening in Victoria Park Shopping Mall after which time, we got home to enjoy a delicious dinner prepared by my lovely wife (Joanne).

Henry, Pwapei & PNG friends having dinner with us

Henry and his workmates were accommodated in the suburb of Munster, so far away on the southern fringe of Perth but convenient to their training centre in Kulbellup.
Some of Henry's PNG friends left a week early while he spent another week to complete his training. He also managed to find time out of his busy schedule to have dinner with us in Kenwick on a couple of occasions. He also seized on the opportunity of being in Perth to go on a small shopping spree as if there was no tommorrow. That's understood Henry.
On his final day, I drove to Munster to pick him up, took him around to visit Perth's land marks and popular places for a "last minute" site see and to take some memorable photos for him to take home as testament to his first visit to Australia. Two major hiccups during the site seeing though were first, our two still cameras refused to work because we had forgottent to charge the batteries so I had to resort to my mobile phone camera to take pictures and vidoes instead; and second, we got caught up in the traffic Jam in the 2 kilometer Graham farmer Tunnel which runs under the Eastern side of Perth City thanks to a car accident. I am sure these will contribute to Henry's good memories of Perth for a long time.

At the Fremantle War Memorial

A visit to the Fremantle Colonial Convicts Prison

 After dinner at home in Kenwick my wife (Joanne) and I drove him to Perth Airport for his long flight back home to PNG via Sydney and Brisbane.It's good to see young guys like Henry travel overseas as they take away many positves from such trips. Despite his long journey home through two different but famous city ports of OZ we believe it has been a good introduction for Henry. It was our pleasure hosting him during his brief stay in Perth and we are sure he absolutely loved it.