46 MON. 16 MAR. 1953 PORT MORESBY TO SAMARAI - 300 MILES BY FLYING BOAT. UP EARLY. BREAKFAST AT 7:45. TO AIR OFFICE TO WEIGH LUGGAGE - THEN TO LAUNCH TO SHIP. OFF AT 9: CIRCLED PT. M. (TOOK PICTURE) + THEN OFF ALONG COAST. COULD SEE AIRPORT INLAND + S. ENDS OF SERIES OF SCARPS, RONA FALLS UP ONE OF THESE VALLEYS. DAY FAIR WITH SCATTERED CLOUD COVER. BECOMES WETTER (MORE RAIN FOREST AS WE GO EAST). MT. SUCKLING IN SIGHT FOR 1/2 HOUR, THEN DAYMAN (WHERE WE ARE HEADING) - EXTENSIVE UPLAND, THEN MT. SIMPSON + NUMBER OF LESSER PEAKS TO WEST. ALL CLOTHED WITH FOREST ON S. SLOPES. JOHN ASKED CAPT. TO FLY OVER HER FATHER'S PLANTATION (CACAO, COCONUTS, RUBBER), MANY LARGE PLANTATIONS ALONG COAST. PATTERN OF TREES AS SEEN FROM AIR VERY DISTINCT. GLIMPSE OF MILNE BAY TO N. 4000' CLOUDY MT'S NEAR E. END OF ISLAND, THEN WE WERE OVER SAMARAI - A TINY DOT OF AN ISLAND SET ABOUT WITH MANY LARGER ISLANDS - ALL IN A BLUE SEA. LEN MET US ON WHARF, ALSO TEN WYNN (TRANSPORT MAN); AND GEORGE MILLER (A.H. BUNTING). WENT UP TO ROBERT BUNTINGS HOME (NEAR CENTER) - HE IS IN ENGLAND - FOR A COLD DRINK. DAY VERY HOT. THEN UP TO MILLER'S HOME, WHERE I AM TO STAY, FOR LUNCH WITH "DUSTY" + HIS FIANCÉE. BEAUTIFUL BREEZE SWEPT (ON 100' HILL) LOCATION LOOKING N. THRU CHINA STRaits. WHOLE HOUSE OPEN AIR. WORKED ON BOXES IN P.M. MET MANY PEOPLE. TO CLUB FOR GINGER BEER. DINNER AT HOME AND AN EVENING OF GOOD TALK. GIRL LEN DRINKING AT BUNTING'S, AFTER AILSA WENT HOME DUSTY + I COLLECTED GECKOS FROM CEILING OF HOUSE, GEOFF NOT INTERESTED. WROTE LETTERS TO TRAY+ DORY. SLEEP UNDER NETS. VERY FEW INSECTS. NO SCREENS.