Boasting more than 600 indigenous tribes and 800 languages, Papua New Guinea (PNG) is abundant in culture and natural splendor. With 38 species of birds of paradise and 13,000 square kilometers of coral reef, its biodiversity is truly remarkable!
Australia has something to offer for everyone, from the tropical rainforests and Great Barrier Reef of North Queensland to Sydney.
Here's how I enjoyed some of the rich culture and nature of these two neighboring nations.
My 25 day September itinerary:
Day 1 through 3 - fly from Los Angeles (LAX) to Port Moresby (POM), Papua New Guinea
Day 4 & 5 - Port Moresby
Day 6 - fly from Port Moresby to Goroka (GKA)
Day 7 & 8 - Goroka
Day 9 - fly from Goroka to Port Moresby. Shuttle/boat to Loloata Island
Day 10 & 11 - Loloata Island
Day 12 - fly from Port Moresby to Cairns (CNS), Australia. Drive to Mossman Gorge
Day 13 through 16 - Mossman Gorge, Australia
Day 17 - drive/ferry to Magnetic Island
Day 18 & 19 - Magnetic Island
Day 20 - ferry/drive to Tarzali (Atherton Tablelands)
Day 21 & 22 - Atherton Tablelands
Day 23 - drive to Mossman Gorge
Day 24 - drive to Cairns. Fly from Cairns to Sydney (SYD)
Day 25 - Sydney, Australia. Fly from Sydney to Los Angeles
PAPUA NEW GUINEA (PNG)
Port Moresby
I utilized a taxi to get around the capital city of Port Moresby. My hotel, Airways Hotel (which I highly recommend), hailed one for me. I do not recommend driving or walking around Port Moresby. See my Safety tips at the end for more information.
Port Moresby Nature Park, in Papua New Guinea, is a conservancy dedicated to native plants and animals. Here you will find tree kangaroos, cassowaries, birds of paradise, parrots, reptiles, and native flying fox fruit bats resting in the trees.
PNG National Museum & Art Gallery offers glimpses of Papua New Guinea's past history and culture. It was unfortunately closed for repair when I visited Port Moresby. The location of the access road is incorrect on Google Maps. This is where the entrance road is located, adjacent to the Parliament House, on Independence Drive.
The Koki Fish Market in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, is full of fresh local fish daily! I saw tuna, barracuda, parrot fish, red snapper, squid, octopus, eels, and much more! It opens at 6:00 am every morning. I recommend getting there as early as possible, not only to see the greatest amount of fish, but also to arrive before the heat of the day increases the, umm... aroma of the fish as well.
Goroka
From the capital of Port Moresby I flew Air Niugini airlines to the remote mountain town of Goroka.
Note: Air Niugini uses Fokker 100 aircraft, which have a smaller overhead storage area than larger conventional aircraft. So you will likely need to check-in your carry-on luggage.
At an elevation of 5000 feet (1.5 km), and with a population of approximately 25,000 people, Goroka's claim to fame is its annual Sing-Sing tribal festival. Tribe members from all around the country converge from Friday to Sunday during the weekend closest to their national Independence Day (September 16th). They dress in their traditional Papua New Guinean costumes, and sing, chant, and dance traditional songs.
Friday is children's day, otherwise known as the Pikini Festival. I saw and spoke with some of the coolest kids on the planet, and was honored to have them perform for myself and others around me. See my sliding gallery < > below!
Saturday and Sunday are the adult Sing-Sing, even though children may still be present in some tribes. The festivities start at 9:00 am for VIP Pass guests, with general admission being allowed in around noon.
Tip: You can purchase a VIP Pass in the lobby of the Bird of Paradise Hotel in Goroka, located here. The pass costs 200 PGK ($50 USD) and is valid for all three days (Friday through Sunday).
The VIP Pass allows you to enter the field area where the tribes are gathering long before general admission. For example, each day the Sing-Sing celebration begins at 9:00 am. I stayed in the VIP area until noon, and still general admission had not yet been allowed to enter.
General admission is 15 PGK ($3.75 USD) for one adult. Most locals had this access. They amassed, by the thousands, outside of the fenced area where the tribes were located, waiting to be admitted in the afternoon.
The Goroka Sing-Sing festival in Papua New Guinea celebrated its 68th anniversary the year I attended. I believe these gatherings were originally designed to help unite the various tribes and bring peace among them. See my sliding gallery < > below!
Loloata Island
From Goroka I flew back to Port Moresby, where I was picked-up at the airport and taken by van and by boat to the Loloata Island Resort. The nicest place I stayed in all of Papua New Guinea, my goal was to snorkel some of their local reefs!
They have an excellent dive team and dive shop, which can take you wherever you want to go. While they specialize in diving, they will have a dedicated staff member snorkel with you as well.
Note: For underwater videos of the local reefs, please see my Papua New Guinea Instagram reel.
The Loloata Island Resort took me back to Port Moresby airport (POM) where I took a short flight (1.5 hours) to Cairns, Australia.
AUSTRALIA
Before this journey, my husband and I had visited Far North Queensland, Australia. Our initial overseas expedition took us to this area in 2013. The main purpose of our trip was to see the Great Barrier Reef! I have merged our travel blog post from 2013 with this one for your convenience, allowing you to access all the information in a single place.
Mossman Gorge & Port Douglas
This area, in tropical Far North Queensland, is a great launching point for the Daintree rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef! There are a number of lodging options in Port Douglas as well.
Favorite activities include taking the boardwalks and hiking paths through Daintree National Park! Some of the best walks, from South to North, include Jindalba (be sure to stop by Daintree Ice Cream Company afterward on the way North), the mangroves of Marrdja (currently "Madja"on Google Maps), and the fern trees of Dubuji and Myall Beach.
Tip: If you only have time for one boardwalk, do the Southernmost at Jindalba.
Note: To get to the national park, you'll need to take the Daintree River ferry.
The Port Douglas Sunday Market is a great place to find fresh, local food and drink, as well as handcrafted items. It's located (Google Maps) in a shaded park between Macrossan Street, full of shops and restaurants, and Port Douglas Sugar Wharf. I bought lots of cool stuff at the market like sugarcane juice, opals, and fresh, flavored macadamia nuts!
Day & time: Sunday, 8:00 am to 1:30 pm
Location: Anzac Park, Port Douglas QLD 4877, Australia
On the opposite side of Macrossan Street is Four Mile Beach and lookout point. And along Macrossan Street, I recommend stopping by Coffee Works for some outstanding locally grown and processed chocolates!
Also in Port Douglas you'll find the Wildlife Habitat! This is a great place to see and experience some of Australia's native wildlife up close! I caught local wildlife like ibis, koala, and kangaroos, where I could comfortably record them in photographs and video. I made some new feathery and furry friends as well.
Daintree River Wildlife & Crocodile Cruise, aboard an intimate solar-powered vessel, is a great way to spot salties (salt water crocodiles) and other native wildlife in their natural surroundings! The company is located (Google Maps) approximately 500 meters to the South of the Daintree River ferry.
Tip: I recommend cruising at low tide, when the crocodiles are out of the water and sunning themselves along the banks of the river.
The guided dreamtime walk at Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre is a very educational cultural rainforest walk with local indigenous people. During the walk, you'll learn about the native relationship with the forest, their foods and shelter, and their ceremonies.
An absolute must do while you're in Far North Queensland is explore the Great Barrier Reef, the largest reef system in the world! I recommend taking a day trip to the pristine outer reef from Port Douglas with Calypso Reef Cruises. The outer reef, or green zone, has the most species of corals and fishes, and usually has the best water visibility. See my sliding gallery < > below!
Kuranda Village
Kuranda Village lies approximately 70 kilometers to the South of Port Douglas, or 30 kilometers North of Cairns.
There are many cool things to do here, like taking the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway between Cairns and Kuranda Village. The rainforest stops along the cableway were amazing! Lush green cloud rainforest and large Barron Falls, which we stopped at on a train ride back to our starting point.
One of the highlights of Kuranda was the Kuranda Koala Gardens, where we had the opportunity to feed and pet kangaroos! We also enjoyed Birdworld, where my husband made many fine feathered friends, and the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, where we spotted the beautiful indigenous birdwing butterfly. And for the best native artworks, go to Doongal.
Magnetic Island
Magnetic Island, Australia, is a wildlife wonderland! I spotted wild koalas, rock wallabies, agile wallabies, sulfur crested cockatoos, Galah (rose breasted cockatoos), rainbow lorikeets, bush stone curlew, flying foxes, kookaburra, and bird wing butterflies, among other species! It is truly a great place to spot wildlife. 78% of the island belongs to Magnetic Island National Park.
You can use Magnetic Island Ferries from Townsville on the mainland to get to the island.
The best rock wallaby experience (and a local secret) is at the three palm trees just past Magnetic Island Heli-Pad. Just park in the parking lot right before the helicopter pad, and bring your wallaby food. Wallabies prefer a grain mix, but will eat cut apples and carrots as well.
A beautiful hike with a scenic lookout over the island is Hawkings Point Lookout.
This relatively short but steep hike starts at Hawkings Point walking track at the end of Picnic Street.
Another great scenic hike with a lookout, and the best place to spot wild koalas, is along the Forts Walking Track. Park in the parking lot to the left. This 2.2 mile (3.5 km) hike is mainly flat until the end, when you climb up some stone stairs to reach the view point. It's best to go in the late afternoon, around 4:30 pm or so. I also spotted sulfur crested cockatoos and rainbow lorikeets along this path.
There is a large, grass field behind the Magnetic Island Skatepark. In the late afternoons, and especially in the evenings, you will find dozens of agile wallabies grazing here! You may even spot some in the neighbors yard adjacent to the skate park.
Every Wednesday night at 8:00 pm, Arcadia Village Hotel holds a cane toad race! It takes place in the courtyard just outside of the hotel.
For the best walks along the beach, I highly recommend Horseshoe Bay! I suggest parking along Horseshoe Bay Road, just before it ends at the bay. There are a few restaurants along the bay at Pacific Drive. One I kept patronizing was Horseshoe Bay Fish and Chips, which had some surprisingly good burgers! And Cafe Nourish had the best healthy drinks.
Atherton Tablelands
The Canopy Treehouses @canopytreehouses in the Atherton Tablelands of Australia is awesome! The Canopy Treehouses sit among approximately 235 acres of original rainforest. Most of the surrounding land has been stripped of rainforest and turned into grazing land for cattle.
This small but mighty rainforest provides over 4 times the amount of fruit than nearby forests, creating a very high density of wildlife! In the rainforest I saw platypus, tree kangaroos, bird of paradise, possums, butterflies, terrapins (turtles), pademelons, and all other manner of bird life! I traversed all of their trails, and although I didn't spot the elusive cassowary, its scat was found throughout the forest. See my sliding gallery < > below!
I spotted platypus twice on the Boulders Trail at Ithica River, about half an hour after sunrise. Most other wildlife I spotted from the veranda of my cabin, the Pademelon riverfront treehouse.
Malanda, 12 kilometers away, is the nearest town. They have grocery stores, gasoline stations, and restaurants.
There is only wifi at the main reception house. And there is no mobile phone signal in the rainforest or at any of the cabins.
While in the tablelands, I also viewed Millaa Millaa waterfall, and attended the Yungaburra Saturday Market as well. The market is held on the Fourth Saturday of each month, from 7:30 am through 12:30 pm.
Sydney
Thanks to a flight cancellation by Qantas Airlines, my 3 hour layover in Sydney turned into a 30 hour layover! So I got to spend a day in Sydney, Australia! I took the advice of some locals and chose the Ibis Sydney Darling Harbor for my hotel lodging, given our options from Qantas. Everywhere I went was within walking distance of the hotel.
Downtown Sydney, or the CBD (Central Business District) is similar to New York City. But Sydney is much cleaner and safer. So it's like London. Sydney is like London. But with much better weather. There is still a strong British influence in Sydney, especially at the bars, restaurants, department stores, and while driving.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Australian National Maritime Museum. One of my favorite exhibits was the First Nations area. They also have a cafe and shop at the museum.
The Manly Fast Ferry offers great water views of the Sydney Opera House! This ferry takes you on a 20 minute ride, each way, to Manly Beach, a Northern beach in Sydney. Your Visa tap card can be used to pay for the ferry at the gate.
The Sydney Tower Eye first opened in 1981. At 1014 feet (309 m), it offers a birds eye view of Sydney! I only perused the observation deck, but you can also go on an outdoor skywalk as well.
The Sydney Sea Life aquarium allows you to view dugongs, ray, sharks, and penguins! It is adjacent to the Wild Life zoo, and Madame Tussauds wax museum. Seeing a live dugong, a cross between a manatee and dolphin for me, was reason enough to attend the aquarium!
Visiting the Goroka Sing-Sing in Papua New Guinea, exploring the rainforests and coral reefs of North Queensland, and experiencing the city of Sydney created an unforgettable trip! To create your own unforgettable memories, I recommend following my journey and making your own adventures come to life.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Visas
For Australia, you can apply for a tourist visa online using their Immigration and citizenship website. There is a fee, and you need to apply and receive your visa outside of Australia.
For Papua New Guinea, you can also apply for a tourist visa online using their Immigration and citizenship authority website. There is an online fee, and you need to provide a photo of your passport.
For both online visa applications, I also recommend having hotel and flight information handy. You can apply up to six months in advance, and the visas are usually good for at least 30 days. I received both of my electronic visas within 24 hours.
Weather
Papua New Guinea
Any time you are close to the Equator, the Ultra Violet radiation is intense. You can get a sunburn even on a cloudy day. For this reason, it is important to wear sunscreen at all times.
Hydration - it is important to stay hydrated. In the tropics, you will need to drink much more water than you are accustomed to. Three bottles a day was not enough to keep me well hydrated. I had to drink 5 to 6 bottles. And I had to drink consistenly throughout the day.
September, when the Goroka Sing-Sing occurs, is the dry season. While I did receive a downpour one afternoon in the mountains of Goroka, I barely received more than a drizzle around Port Moresby. The weather was usually dry, and either sunny or overcast.
North Queensland
While there was less Ultra Violet radiation, the sun was still fairly intense. In the rainforests, it was hot and humid.
Sydney
Sydney reminded me of Southern California, so I felt right at home. Warm, dry, and sunny. Cool ocean breezes also helped. Nights and mornings were cool, so a jacket (jumper) might be necessary.
Safety
I was told multiple times that the streets of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, were not safe. I was strongly advised not to wander them. Apparently, people will steal your mobile phone or other items if given the opportunity. It's best to simply travel directly to your destination in town, then travel back to your lodging.
By contrast, I walked for miles in Goroka, and waited in long lines at the ATM machines, and felt perfectly safe. Many locals even told me "Good morning" or "Welcome!" And it always helps to look at someone with a smile.
I felt perfectly safe everywhere I went in Australia.
Money
It is important to have Papua New Guinea kina with you when you travel around the country. The easiest way to get this currency is through a local ATM.
In Australia, I never procured any Australian dollars. Everywhere I went they accepted my credit and debit cards. Some vendors at the farmers markets were cash only. I simply chose vendors where I could use my cards.
Comments