Black Sand and Betel Nut: Childhood Memories of Papua New Guinea

A quirk of fate had bought author Suellen Holland to Papua New Guinea.

It was the second in five years she had moved from one country to another.

In 1956 she and her parents left India to start a new life in Australia and 1960 they packed up again and went to live to Papua New Guinea.

Little did Suellen know this land and its people would change her life dramatically, mold and shape her character and bring her once-in-a-lifetime adventures and experiences beyond belief. As a European child in pre-independent Papua New Guinea, Suellens experiences hold a unique place in history.

From the black volcanic sand her dusted from her feet, to the virgin coral reef she snorkeled over, to the plantations she visited, the World War 11 tunnels she explored and the haus bois and meris who shared her life. Black Sand and Betel Nut is a frank and moving account of Suellens extraordinary childhood.

Her collection of stories recall the halcyon days of her childhood and pays tribute to a place she will always call home.