After a lunch break it was back into the zodiacs. This time for a cruise (without shore landing) of roughly two hours. We were first passing by the village, to then enter a small side channel, often barely wide enough to fit a zodiac. The channel – with a length of about 1.5km – is actually a short-cut used by the locals, eliminating a 10km journey on the winding and fast-flowing Sepik.

For us it was a good opportunity, to get a first hand experience of the flora of the region – be it by just admiring the green hell – or by being careless and getting hit by a sago palm with its spikes. The trip must have been interesting for the zodiac drivers as well – to navigate the narrow channel with occasional opposing traffic or engine problems.