My Trip to Adelaide

By Joanne Kanau

Adelaide is one city in Australia I had always wanted to visit. Over the years I have heard family members

My airial shot of Adelaide just before landing

and friends who had visited the city talk pasionately about how beautiful the "City of Churches" was. My chance came this year (April, 2011) when I decided to visit my husband's cousin sister Rachel Pipai. Rachel had earlier visited us in Perth and so I thought this was a visit in reciprocity and a chance also to see for myself this much talked about city. And sure enough I was not disappointed. The city lives to its name.....the City of Churches. There were catherdrals spread out within and also at the peripheries of the city. Hence, one could easily be excused for a feeling of being in a European city in Europe rather than Australian given the building designs and the general surrounds. Rachel lives in an

A city cathedral

Adelaide's outer suburb of Handoff and that was where she hosted me. We visited many interesting sites in Adelaide and I was given a perfect opportunity to see for myself the true spirit of the City of Churches.We also visited Philip Pousai and his family. Philip is a PNGian geologist living and working in Australia and originally hails from the same area of Manus Island where we all come from. He is our wantok and we are all related in some way. The last we saw of Philip was some 7 years ago back in PNG when he accompanied Rachel's eldest brother and visited us in Waigani.

Back to Adelaide - we had spent a good part of the day with the Pousai family and enjoyed a yarn and the dinner. It was a day well spent and I appreciate the Pousais for having us. As the day drew closer to the end we had to make tracks. In a nutshell my visit was a trip of a lifetime and I assure people that the City of Churches is a must see destination.....you'd be mad not to visit if you had a chance to. I enjoyed Rachel's

With Rachel Pipai at Glenegg

company and she sacrificed to be my tourist guide all along. I have been blessed by this visit to one of Australia's amazing southern most destination many refer to as the City of Churches. To Rachel, thanks for being the best host and a fantasic tourist guide to me. God bless you.    

With Philip Pousai & family