One day plus in Port Moresby - what to do?

Ok - due to probs with flight scheduling, have one plus day in Port M. Have done plenty of reading so I know that there is not a great deal to see.

Can anyone give some advice on what you would do if you are first time visitor (and were already planning on going to Tufi, Wewak, Sepik etc) but had a 1.5 days to spare in Port M?

Should we do a bit of walking on Kokoda or something else?

Thanks heaps in advance!

After you see the Mosbi sights you'll still have a day remaining - the Island Bar at The Airways Hotel helps. You can justify "the tour" as the bar has a great view across Jackson's toward Kokoda! Their bus will take you up from the airport - just tell the driver you're going to the bar.

Yes, you could do the last section of the Kokoda Track from Owen's Corner to Imita Ridge in one day. It will take about 3 hours to go from Owen's Corner to Imita, and about 2 and a half hours to come back. It is a good walk, quite hard, and would give you a good taste of the Track. You will have to cross the Goldie River twice, which is always fun. It is also a nice drive out to Owen's Corner.

You would have to arrange the logistics though, as you will need transport out to Owen's Corner (takes about an hour and half from Moresby) and a guide for walking on the track. You will need a 4 wheel drive. Your hotel should be able to arrange this or maybe one of the tour companies. Let me know if you need a recommendation. The walk to Imita would be a great way to fill up a day.

Alternatively, you could drive out the same way through the village of Sogeri to Crystal Rapids, have a swim and then go to Variratta National Park. There is a good walk there from the picnic ground to the lookout. Again, you would need a four wheel drive plus a guide. This would be a whole day trip. You could have a picnic lunch at Crystal Rapids as there is a nice picnic ground there.

I am sure that you would enjoy either of these two day trips.

If you want to get out for a day, I'd certainly recommend hiring a car and driver, or taking a taxi (negotiate price first) to Varirata National Park. There are some short, relatively easy hikes, one of which provides a great view of Port Morseby far below. I saw Raggiana bird-of-paradise there. Also some leeches (wear boots or sneakers).

Alternatively, you could go out to Loloata Island for some beautiful snorkeling or diving, and the beach there is very nice. In town, a visit to the National Museum is very much worth-while and can be concluded in an hour. The botanic gardens are quite pretty.

Partner and I booked for a 1/2 day tour of Port Moresby which takes you to Koki Village and Markets (worth taking some small kina and a shopping bag with you for fruit), Hanuabada Village, various lookouts, Parliament House, Museums, etc. There is far more to see in POM than you think

Unfortunately I can't find the tour company's name but they are located in foyer of the Holiday Inn. Our driver Jack was fantastic and we really enjoyed the tour.

There is also a small market area to browse in opposite the Holiday Inn and our lunch meal there was great - we brought 1 burger to share as they were huge and the staff were cool with that.

Highly recommended

[quote="sarahbj"]
Should we do a bit of walking on Kokoda or something else?[/quote]

One day's not enough to walk Kokoda, and I'm not really sure whether part of a day's enough to see Kokoda as it interests others. I'd probably save walking Kokoda for sometime when you have more time to walk, and check out other sights of PNG for now.