Chapter 4 Adventure So, again I was going to be paid for fulfilling a long-held dream. The name ‘Sepik’ had always held a fascination for me but my desire to explore that river had increased when I’d seen the monumental carved poles, delicately worked personal belongings, and enormous, almost monstrous images from that district in the national museum of Nuigini. All of my clients for the trip were young female nurses except for a middle-aged couple who seemed very amiable but also excited by the prospect of visiting a place who’s very name conjured up images of mysterious primitive culture. Having disembarked the plane from Australia and ‘changing into something more comfortable’ I took us all down to Ela beach in a coaster bus. Everyone was enjoying their first day in 'paradise', swimming in a bit of a lagoon and relaxing in the shade of the trees that here and there overhung the beach, but to my dismay, and terrible bad luck, a spike of staghorn coral stuck int...