moebius

Part of Melanesia, so it’s very familiar, since our second home is in New Ireland, PNG.

A lovely tropical destination for the tourist. Great diving (accessible wrecks and reefs almost as extraordinary as PNG), a strong and diverse set of indigenous cultures, the world’s most accessible active volcano (on Tanna island), and the intriguing collision of Anglo, French and local cultures in Port Vila.

When I was 13, I was part of one of the very first tour groups allowed into China since the Revolution… in 1977. We were told we were only the second group that had been given access. Most in our group were Australian. We visited Guangzhou, Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Nanking, all heavily chaperoned by local and national guides as well as secret police.

It was an extraordinary experience, a brief glimpse of an amazing country and a remarkable culture in very curious circumstances.

Interesting place – a town of strange contrasts. Dry, hot, rocky desert – yet you can glance up at the mountains above and see snow. Strip malls and casinos. Head out of the valley over to Lake Tahoe for a different world altogether.

I lived in a small village on Lago di Como in northern Lombardia (Lombardy) for a year as a teenager, and went to school there.

Lombardia is very diverse, more “northern” in culture and other aspects than most of Italy, and the mountains and lakes are stunningly beautiful.

New Ireland is our family’s second home… we have a house in the village there. It’s an amazing place, physically, socially, culturally. Virtually zero tourism (like most of PNG).