PNG overland bus land travel; Bougainville-Solomons sea link

Has anybody recently travelled by PMV along the Highlands highway from Lae? I note that embassies warn against road travel and others have also cautioned me about it, but Lonely Planet in its 2005 edition says "PMV's travel from the coast as far as Goroka and Mt. Hagen is safe, easy and cheap." I would welcome any information available on this, including frequency of the PMV links between Lae, Goroka, Kundiawa (Mt. Wilhelm) and Mt. Hagen. Has anybody any information of further road travel beyond Mt. Hagen to Mendi and Tari, which Lonely Planet describes as prone to ambushes and robberies?

Secondly has anybody done the Bougainville sea crossing to the Shortland Islands in the Solomons? Lonely Planet makes it sound like a feasible adventure, but I'd like an on-the-spot account. If one leaves on the Thursday or Saturday (market day motorised canoe) is onward travel (sea or air?) to Gizo available, or is one likely to be stranded for some time? Also is there any easy sea connection from Bougainville to Choiseul?

Finally, does anybody know an easy way to book hotels in PNG, for instance in Mt Hagen at festival time, other than going through expensive foreign travel agencies? The e-mail addresses given in LP and on the PNG tourism site come back unrecognised.

Cheers all!

I went there after the LP was "researched" (their author has never ventured beyond Hagen and Goroka anyway) and found it safe to go all the way to Tari by PMV.
For the very latest info, the obvious thing to do is to ask PMV drivers in Hagen and Mendi though.

Several posters here have done the crossing to the Solomons.
I have described it here, though note that others boarded the boats in Arawa, or indeed went straight to Choiseul.
NONE of the connections in that region are "easy", and do note that the crossing is semi-illegal.
Four foreigners have recently been arrested officially merely for entering the country that way, though it seems that was not the main reason.
Choiseul has more flights to Gizo than the Shortlands do.

Check out this thread http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1527446&tstart=0
and this thread
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1519581&tstart=45

regarding the sea crossing from Bougainville to Shortlands.
The first one may go some way to explaining the arrest.

Hi Laszlo and OssieGiraffe. Many thanks for excellent info. I think I'll probably try the PMVs from Lae or Madang to Mt Hagen and see about onward travel to Tari from there. Are the PMVs daily between the Highland towns? Also do you need to carry your passport with you all the time in PNG or could you leave it in safe-keeping say in Port Moresby and travel with photocopies as insurance against theft? Still not sure how to book hotel from here (New York) in Mt Hagen for festival with e-mails being unrecognised and faxes not responding. I'm not totally committed to budget at every stop and could move up to mid-range here and there.

From Lae to Goroka and on to Hagen there are several PMVs daily.
Ditto from Hagen to Mendi. From Mendi to Tari it tends to be mornings only.
I always carried my passport with me, though it was hardly ever checked.

If you can't book then don't!
PNG is that kind of country, you can't expect Swiss efficiency there.
That said, upmarket hotels like the Bird of Paradise in Goroka should take/answer bookings.

Many thanks Laszlo, that helps a lot. So full speed ahead (so to speak) along the Highlands highway.

I have been to the Goroka Show the last two years. I stayed at the Goroka Lodge. It is a mid range hotel, but clean with friendly and helpful staff. You can contact them on telephone 732 2411, fax 732 2307 or email gkalodge@global.net.pg.

This year I caught a PMV from Goroka to Kundiawa and then another from Kundiawa to Kegsugl (Mt Wilhelm) and back. I had no problems, but did have a local guy with me. His name is Herman and you could contact him through the Goroka Lodge if you wanted him to come with you. I paid him K50 per day, plus PMV fare and food. PMVs leave every morning from the market in Goroka.

There have been many recent reports in the papers of hold ups between Tari and Mendi. I would be cautious taking that route. You should ask at Mendi if it is safe to go to Tari by PMV. I have heard that PMVs are travelling in convoys to give some extra security.

I have been in PNG for 19 months and never carried my passport with me and have never been asked for it. The only time I think you might need it is if you want to get a cash adavance from your credit card inside a bank. You would need it then for ID.

PNG is great fun - you will enjoy it.

Thanks northmelbournedn for very helpful info. Do you have working phone number for any mid-range or budget hotel in Hagen? Will certainly be careful over Mendi-Tari sector.