Port Moresby – Kokoda and Northern Beaches Tour. Non trekking tour

Arrive into Port Moresby.
Overnight in Port Moresby Stanley Hotel and Suites
5 pm briefing at hotel.

Port Moresby
Visit Bomana War Cemetery.
Drive out to Owers’ Corner stopping at • McDonalds Corner.
Explore Owers’ Corner.
Return to Port Moresby via Soregi Plateau for lunch.
Port Moresby tour.
Visit.
PNG Parliament House
PNG Cultural Centre
PNG War Museum
Gun and artillery placements
Drive by Australian High Commission, New Zealand High Commission & other country embassies/commissions
Drive by PNG Defence Force Naval Base – Port Moresby (where the RAAF Catalina Flying Boats were based)
Drive through PNG Capital – Port Moresby
Overnight in Port Moresby Stanley Hotel and Suites

Depart Port Moresby and fly by Charter plane into Kokoda.
This morning we explore the Kokoda Plateau battlefields and memorials.
We also visit the Kokoda Museum and walk down to the Kokoda Track/Trail arches for a photo opportunity.

After our visit in Kokoda, we continue our tour and visit the battle sites of Gorari and Awala.

Awala was the scene of our first battle with the Japanese.

We stop in Popendetta town to pick up supplies and visit the local military display.

We then continue to Buna, on our way to Buna we will stop at the Girua/Doburdura airstrip, which was the home of the US bombers, we will also stop in and view the airstrip used by the fighter planes. Both these strips can be seen, with some imagination, as they were back in the war years. You will also see the massive horseshoe earth embankments used to park the planes in for protection.

We then walk through the village onto the beach for our short journey to the Buna Guest House.

We are greeted on arrival by traditional dances and refreshments.
Our dinner tonight is a traditional feast.

The Beach House is right on the beach and has fantastic views and great swimming.
Tonight, we feast and enjoy some relaxing drinks.

Overnight in Buna Guest House

After breakfast we take a short outrigger canoe ride across the river to the Buna Museum. We take a walk through the Buna battlefields and view the Japanese bunker systems in the area. The bunkers are made from 44-gallon drums filled with sand and covered with palm trees. We trek through the Japanese bunker system and then down past the old and new Japanese airstrips. You can still see the large bomb craters in the area and the positions of the Japanese anti-aircraft guns. We will see a Japanese anti-aircraft gun in its original position.

Tonight, we feast and enjoy some relaxing drinks.

Overnight Buna Guest House

After breakfast we take our boat ride to Sanananda.

We then set off on our trek to the famous Huggins Corner which was the scene of fierce battles. We discover tank shells, armaments, anti-aircraft gun and a Jeep.

We return to Buna and our afternoon is spent relaxing at our beach front house.

The Beach House is right on the beach and has fantastic views and great swimming.

Tonight, we feast and enjoy some relaxing drinks.

Overnight Buna Guest House

After breakfast we depart for Gona by Banana boat, where we inspect the battle fields of this area. We visit the Gona Mission Station and discover a vehicle riddled with bullets from the war. We get to see the strategic positions of both the Australian and Japanese.

In Afternoon we depart Popendetta for our flight back to Port Moresby.

Tonight, we have a celebration dinner.

Overnight in Port Moresby

Agent to organise accommodation

Monday 07 July

Depart Port Moresby for home port.