The Russells, the couple who were the Dorelo hostel parents before Amie and Charlie, invited us to join them at the village of Rempi, where a Wycliffe member who has been in-country for 20+ years “owns” a cabin on the beach. Foreigners are not allowed to own property in PNG, so I don’t know the technicalities of this ownership. They are apparently allowed to own buildings, but not the land on them, so it’s possible that he has leased the land from Rempi villagers, and owns the cabin on it.
After breakfast Charlie, Amie, a couple of the kids and I made a quick trip into Madang to inflate inner tubes (“gummies”) to try to find a chemist (pharmacy) for some antihistamine for Kate’s sea lice bites. We didn’t find the chemist, but stopped at a tyre shop where a fellow was airing up some tyres, and when we returned we quickly gathered our beach gear and followed the lead van out of Jais Aben. After a short stop by the side of the road while the Russells returned to get the keys to the Leach’s cabin at Rempi village – they also returned with some antihistamine for Kate – we turned right on the North Coast Road – heading away from Madang – for the approximately 20km drive to Rempi.
The lead van turned in to one driveway, and then stopped, apparently in the wrong driveway. A fellow from the village walked over and spoke to Charlie in Tok Pisin, the PNG lingua franca in a country with nearly 800 languages, telling him he could turn around between some trees. He did so, and we made our way back to the highway, turning right, and pulling off the road to wait for the other van. I took the opportunity to photograph some “flying foxes” while we waited. We had previously only seen these in downtown Madang. The Russells headed back the other way, toward Madang, so Charlie quickly turned around to pull in behind them, but they only went a very short way and then turned toward the beach again. Apparently right village, wrong track.
As we made our way away from the road on the barely discernible track, the lead van stopped again, and we pulled in behind, right next to a family home. A boy came out to see us, and Charlie asked if this was Rempi. The boy nodded. I held my camera up for the boy, with a look asking if I could photograph him. He smiled and stood there while I took the picture, and I gave him a thumbs-up afterwards; he responded in kind with a big smile.
The boy disappeared into the courtyard among the buildings, and shortly a couple of men showed up and asked Charlie something. Charlie asked again if this was Rempi; an affirmative nod from the man and he asked “Haus bilong?” Charlie responded “Haus bilong Leach.” The man nodded and pointed ahead. There were two or three beach ‘houses’ up ahead, and the man walked toward them up to the lead van. They figured out the correct house, and we pulled on up to park. Charlie took a spot, and then moved when he realized he was under a coconut tree. A falling coconut could break a windshield.
The Leach’s house was padlocked, but the padlock was rusted shut. The other crew managed to get the house open somehow, and we put our stuff inside the rudimentary building. There are three bedrooms, a kitchen, and a living/dining area with two picnic benches. 
While the house was very basic (but quite adequate, depending on your expectations,) the lagoon in front was beautiful. There was an island about 150 yards out, and the ocean broke over a coral reef that extended from the island to the left (west) around to the shore, making a more or less circular lagoon. The lagoon was probably around 20’ deep at the deepest spot, sandy-bottomed except for the occasional outcropping of coral.
While the house was very basic (but quite adequate, depending on your expectations,) the lagoon in front was beautiful. There was an island about 150 yards out, and the ocean broke over a coral reef that extended from the island to the left (west) around to the shore, making a more or less circular lagoon. The lagoon was probably around 20’ deep at the deepest spot, sandy-bottomed except for the occasional outcropping of coral.
Amie and Krista headed out almost immediately, and I followed shortly, after getting into my lycra dive suit 
and donning my mask and fins. We made our way about halfway across the lagoon to a round reef which was about 8-10’ deep at the top. Beautiful coral and tropicals. Amie saw a lionfish, which disappeared into the reef before Krista and I saw it. After several minutes there, with a couple of dives down to the reef by each of us, we headed over toward the breakers, which indicated another reef. No disappointment there – it was even better than the last, and went on for a hundred yards or more as it headed around toward shore. There was a slight current coming across the reef, against us, but it wasn’t enough to really even notice unless you were still. If you were coming in the other direction, it would have made for a nice, leisurely drift dive.
and donning my mask and fins. We made our way about halfway across the lagoon to a round reef which was about 8-10’ deep at the top. Beautiful coral and tropicals. Amie saw a lionfish, which disappeared into the reef before Krista and I saw it. After several minutes there, with a couple of dives down to the reef by each of us, we headed over toward the breakers, which indicated another reef. No disappointment there – it was even better than the last, and went on for a hundred yards or more as it headed around toward shore. There was a slight current coming across the reef, against us, but it wasn’t enough to really even notice unless you were still. If you were coming in the other direction, it would have made for a nice, leisurely drift dive.
After a bit I went in and got Cindy. She had been photographing Jeff and Philip playing with the village children, who had come down to join us. 
They had built a small pool into which they put some coral, a couple of small green fish (almost corydoras-shaped), a crab, and a tiny sea cucumber. Amie and Krista had come in by the time Cindy got her gear, so Krista got a tube and joined Cindy and I as we headed out. I made the circle in the opposite direction this time. As we swam across the lagoon, a small school of fairly large fish swam by in front of us. At one point along the reef I spotted a lionfish. Cindy couldn’t see it when I pointed to it, so I dove down near it and pointed. When I did, it spread its fins in a beautiful show, and Cindy got to see that. As we were completing our loop near the round coral in the middle of the lagoon Amie, Krista, and I initially visited, the school of larger fish swam by us again, a fitting farewell to our snorkeling at Rempi.
They had built a small pool into which they put some coral, a couple of small green fish (almost corydoras-shaped), a crab, and a tiny sea cucumber. Amie and Krista had come in by the time Cindy got her gear, so Krista got a tube and joined Cindy and I as we headed out. I made the circle in the opposite direction this time. As we swam across the lagoon, a small school of fairly large fish swam by in front of us. At one point along the reef I spotted a lionfish. Cindy couldn’t see it when I pointed to it, so I dove down near it and pointed. When I did, it spread its fins in a beautiful show, and Cindy got to see that. As we were completing our loop near the round coral in the middle of the lagoon Amie, Krista, and I initially visited, the school of larger fish swam by us again, a fitting farewell to our snorkeling at Rempi.