Madang Town
Madang

Occupied by the Japanese, there are not many signs of the war around the busy and rapidly expanding town. Today, there are several large grocery stores in town and all the modern amenities that one would expect, surrounded by the public market area and large Causerine Trees full of Flying Foxes roosting in the trees.

At night, they take flight during their nightly migration inland in search of food. These large bat have an intimidating appearance and many have three foot plus wingspans - and look like vampire bats! Not to worry, flying foxes eat only fruit.

The Coastwatchers memorial is a tall pillar visible far out to sea. Plaques around the base pay tribute to Australians who stayed in the area during the Japanese occupation to radio information back down to Allied forces about troop movements and airstrikes. For those that were captured, punishment was torture and death.

Although the remains of war are gone, there are many sunken Japanese transports in the harbor area. There twisted metal wreckage are a silent reminder of when this was a Japanese port, and when Allied bombers and fighters patrolled the sky.

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