Visiting school kids in Papua New Guinea

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For the past three years, one of the highlights of my cruise travels has been visiting the villages and schools of Milne Bay in Papua New Guinea.

Every year I pack a stack of paper, a handful of markers and an endless supply of terrible Dad jokes and head off to spend time with the local school kids.

The drawing lessons are always simple. How to draw a face. How to exaggerate features. How to turn a stick figure into a character. Within minutes the kids are creating cartoons, laughing and proudly showing off their masterpieces.

The Dad jokes are considerably less successful.

"Why don't skeletons fight each other?"

"Because they don't have the guts!"

The groans can probably be heard all the way back to Australia.

What always strikes me is how beautiful Milne Bay is. Crystal-clear water. Palm trees swaying in the breeze. Colourful villages surrounded by some of the most stunning scenery I've seen anywhere in the world.

Life here is not easy. Many families live with very limited resources and conditions that most Australians would find challenging. Yet the children greet visitors with huge smiles, endless curiosity and an infectious enthusiasm for life.

There is a lesson in that.

The kids don't care about the latest phone, fancy cars or social media followers. They're excited by a piece of paper, a marker pen and the chance to learn something new.

Every year Rebecca and I leave Milne Bay feeling like we received far more than we gave.

A few drawings.
A few laughs.
A few terrible Dad jokes.

And a powerful reminder that happiness often comes from the simplest things.

We can't wait to visit again.

#PapuaNewGuinea #MilneBay #Travel #Cartoonist #CruiseLife #Drawing #ArtEducation #TravelStories #Happiness #BrettBower