Oro Province Overview… This area of Papua New Guinea really is quite special. It enjoys an almost unique mixture of awe inspiring scenery, dramatic wartime history and strong village culture. Which, when all combined, really makes you want to go deeper in to what the province has to offer.

Oro, or the Northern Province as it is often called, is located to the east of the Owen Stanley mountain range. The formidable barrier that separates the western and eastern parts of the island of New Guinea.

There are simply no roads over those Owen Stanley mountains…

So there are only two options to get to the main locations of Popondetta, Wanigela and Tufi. The first is over the mountains by air from Port Moresby.

Which is quite an awe-inspiring flight as, at their peak, the Owen Stanley’s reach some 4000m in elevation.

Or the alternative is the long way round by sea, via Milne Bay.

Popondetta is the main town in Oro Province. But its sole attraction to visitors is its main road (the only one in the whole province) which goes to Kokoda and then stops… Many trekkers on the Kokoda Trail use Popondetta as their starting point for their trip because of that road.

Wanigela is a small coastal village that has a grass air-strip that dates back to WWII. Which was used as a forward supply base in the defeat of the Japanese forces at Buna.

Tufi on the other hand should be on the itinerary of anybody interested in Papua New Guinea. As it is a real gem of a place with incredible scenery, strong local culture and some excellent diving!

Back To: Papua New Guinea’s Oro Province