"Goroka - in the Eastern High ..." a Goroka Travel Page by Bwana_Brown

Goroka is the capital and administrative center of the Eastern Highlands province of Papua New Guinea. Growing from a small station situated in this remote area in 1950, the population of this busy commercial center has now reached about 25,000 people. It is the first and largest of the cities you will encounter when travelling from the coast into this mountainous area of PNG. Located at an elevation of 1600-m (5200-ft), the climate of Goroka is quite pleasantly cool and not as humid as in the coastal regions of the country. Please see my 'General Tips' for a map showing the location of Goroka.

Surrounded by cultivated lands in the meadows and mountain slopes, agriculture plays a big part in the local economy, especially growing coffee. There are numerous tribes located in and around the city, and their presence has enabled Goroka to develop as a tourist magnet. Tens of thousands of warriors dressed in their finest put on quite a display at the annual Goroka Show.

Business drew me here a few times during my 3-years in PNG, sometimes by road from Lae and sometimes directly by air from Port Moresby. It was always something to do with keeping the lights on, so there was not much time for 'tourist' activities!

Here, outside the Bird of Paradise Hotel, one of the locals is posing with his regalia. It includes a cuscus fur band on his head, kina seashell and bone in his nose, beads and a folded piece of fabric known as a 'lap-lap' down his front, held in place by a bamboo belt tied around his waist (and, out of sight, usually long sheafs of grass also tucked into the belt to cover his a**).