10 ADVENTUROUS THINGS TO DO IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA

by Jackson Groves

Papua New Guinea is commonly referred to as the ‘final frontier’ because so much of the country remains untouched and full of natural beauty. With tribal culture and traditions of generations still present throughout the island nation, these are just a few of the reasons so many travellers are drawn to Papua New Guinea.

Papua New Guinea has so much to offer that so few know about. This is what made it such a privilege to explore this island nation. With so many amazing places to see, here are some of the best things to do in Papua New Guinea which I experienced on my threeweek trip throughout the country.

Trek The Kokoda Track

The most popular tourist attraction in Papua New Guinea is most definitely the Kokoda Track. For a once in a lifetime experience that will push you to your limits, I can’t recommend the Kokoda Track enough.

The Kokoda Track is known as one of the toughest multi-day treks in the world. The track has an immense historical significance as it was the epicentre of the Kokoda Battle between the Japanese and the Australian Forces in WWII from 1939-1945. The gruelling battle of war was played out in harsh tropical conditions along the muddy ridges of the Kokoda Track. Today, trekkers come from all over the world to push themselves physically and mentally to complete the onerous journey across the Kokoda Track while experiencing and reflecting on the four pillars of Kokoda; mateship, endurance, sacrifice and courage.

Beginning at Owers’ Corner in Central Province, 50-kilometers east of the capital in Port Moresby, the Kokoda Track is a single-file trail which runs through the Owen Stanley Range in Papua New Guinea and finishes in the village of Kokoda, in the Oro Province. The track makes up a total distance of 96-kilometers, which sounds like a long way but when you break it up over 8 days it becomes a manageable 12-kilometers a day. It is important to note however that it is very slow going due to the muddy and uneven terrain. 12-kilometers on flat terrain walking around the local park may take you 2-3 hours but, on the Kokoda Track, you can expect to go much slower, so 5-8 hours of hiking a day is about the norm.

2. TREK UP TO THE HIGHEST POINT IN P APUA NEW GUINEA & OCEANIA: MOUNT WILHELM

The tallest peak in Oceania at 4,509m, climbing Mount Wilhelm is one of the toughest challenges in Papua New Guinea and not for the faint-hearted. The journey to base camp and then to the summit requires planning, determination and hopefully the weather is on your side!

Part of the Bismarck Range, the peak of Mount Wilhelm is the exact point where three different provinces meet. Generally, most people take 2-3 days to complete the trek. Take the time to acclimatise to the altitude rather than rush.

The total distance of the hike is 11.7km one-way from Betty’s Lodge to Base Camp (where most trekkers stay) to Summit, so a total round-trip distance of 23.4 kilometres is what you’re up against.

The trail is slow going due to the slippery, uneven terrain and the trail consists of a dirt path, muddy terrain, and moderate bouldering. There are no technical sections that require rock-climbing experience or ropes/equipment.

This was definitely one of the toughest experiences I’ve ever had as we battled the cold and altitude to reach the summit and watch the sunrise! Mount Wilhelm makes it to the top of the list as one of the most difficult places to visit in Papua New Guinea.

Island Hopping In Madang

Madang is one of the most pristine coastal regions in Papua New Guinea. Here you will find excellent diving, WWII plane and shipwrecks, as well as land attractions and villages in the jungle to explore. There are hundreds of islands off the coast of Madang and with few other boats in the area, at times it feels like you are on your own private island where you can get back to nature and enjoy the peaceful calls of the birds. There were many highlights while island hopping, but the favourite for me was Pig Island. Covered in palm trees and surrounded by incredible turquoise waters, the jungle seemed to overflow onto the beach and into the water. It was beautifully wild.

SCUBA-DIVING IN MADANG

On one of our days in Madang, we headed out from Madang Resort to discover several wrecks that are remnants of the battles that took place in WWII.

The underwater wrecks are one of the best things to see in Papua New Guinea. It was an incredible experience to witness history but also see how nature slowly takes over with fish and coral covering the wrecks. We dove down to the Henry Lieth shipwreck and the B-25 bomber plane wreck, great spots to dive with hundreds of species calling the wrecks home.

EXPERIENCE THE HAILIKU VILLAGE TOUR, CAVING AND CLIFF JUMP

The Hailiku Village cliff jump in the jungle-cave called ‘Mali Cave’ was a bit of an accidental discovery. We were driving out along a bumpy road through the jungle, passing by lots of small villages and when we arrived some local village kids led us through the jungle towards the caves. When we arrived at the caves, we discovered that they were dark and full of water. We had a great time with the locals jumping off the cliff into the water.

The other adventure at Hailiku Village was a tour of the Itanub Cave. The Itanbu Cave is a deep cave with a small narrow entrance accessed by ladders made from bamboo and opens out into a huge room inside the cave. During the war, it is said that the Japanese used the caves in these regions to hide out.

6. DISCOVER THE TALASEA PLANE WRECKS IN NEW BRITAIN

During World War II the South Pacific Sea was an explosive battleground between Japan and America and there are many planes and shipwrecks scattered throughout the island nation as a result. Many of the plane wrecks are underwater where you can explore them by scuba-diving, but we also visited several plane wrecks on land. For us, the most impressive was the Talasea Plane Wrecks.

The Talasea Plane Wrecks are found west of Kimbe Town in West New Britain, a 30-40 minute drive from Walindi Plantation Resort. The drive to the Talasea Plane Wrecks takes you along the coast from Walindi Plantation Resort and the road is only accessible by 4WD as it is very muddy and rocky. We were sideways at one point but our driver, a local legend named Joseph, was always in control!

The Talasea Plane Wrecks remain in the same position they crashed in. There was a town nearby, however this is no longer there as it has been replaced with a palm-oil plantation and the jungle is slowly overtaking the two bomber wrecks found at the site. The wrecks are on either side of the road and you can explore each with just a 20-yard stroll from the road making it an easy activity after a day of island-hopping or scuba-diving.

Hike To The Top Of Mount Garbuna Volcano

Mount Garbuna (sometimes named Gabuna) is only 20-km from Kimbe in New Britain. Sitting above the lush, forested mountain is one of the largest thermal fields in Papua New Guinea. Here we ventured on the three-hour, 8-kilometer trek through the forest with an abundance of birdlife and hundreds of different plant species. Once you emerge from the forest, the smell of sulphur fills the air as bubbling thermal pots send plumes of smoke flowing into the sky.

The hike begins from the small village at the foot of the mountain where a group of kids met us as we emerged from the Landcruiser. With water and a sandwich packed (and of course our camera gear), we headed off into the jungle. The trek is 8-kilometers up, with the return trip being the same way, so it is a total of 16-kilometers for the entire journey. The incline was about 850m in total (depending on which peaks you climb at the summit).

Once we reached the summit we made our way across the muddy plains, snaking in between the countless dead trees. We climbed our way up the ridge and made it to the base of the sulphur pit where we found a thermal field with bright yellow sulphur creating small chimneys where the plumes of smoke billowed out. With no other tourists or locals around, the entire scene felt very wild and like we were on another planet!

Soak In The Enchanted Hot Garu River

Hidden in the jungle, the Garu Hot River in New Britain is one of the most enchanting places I’ve ever visited. Warmed by the thermal fields of the volcano, the crystal-clear river steams at temperatures close to 40-degrees. It’s a perfect place to soak in the natural spa while taking in the lush jungle surroundings. This Papua New Guinean gem is truly magical and we were so glad we experienced it.

Island Hopping In Kimbe Bay

The island hopping in Kimbe Bay is like nowhere else. I say this because there is literally one tour operator and that’s it. There are no other boats, no other tourists, just you and nature.

We did a full day of island-hopping with Walindi Plantation Resort and it was incredible! We watched birds nesting on the islands as we sat on the boat, swam through underwater caves, snorkelled with colourful fish and coral.

I’ve been to a lot of beautiful tropical destinations and this region is one of the most pristine and stunning I’ve come across. Deep blues, tropical turquoise and a jungle full of green.

10. SNORKELLING AND SCUBA DIVING IN KIMBE BAY

Walindi Plantation Resort is the home base for all the diving in Kimbe Bay where you can go snorkelling, free-diving, and scuba-diving at locations that are in pristine condition. The water clarity is unbelievable in some spots and we could see 40-ft deep with perfect vision just from the deck of the boat. Here you will find thousands of fish, corals, dolphins, sharks, and turtles that call the reefs home.

The sits can often be a little remote to reach but once you are there, settle in for some mind-blowing underwater action. Papua New Guinea is up there as one of the best diving destinations in the world.

Article & Images by Jackson Groves #journeyera