Bushwalking in PNG: Bisianamu Rubber Plantation
Exploring the beautiful surrounding of Port Moresby on foot. A very pleasant and easy walk through Bisianamu rubber plantation towards a refreshing waterfall.
Bushwalking around Port Moresby
Back in Switzerland, we rarely spent a month without hiking on the week-ends. Papua New Guinea isn’t an exception. Almost at the same time as we put our luggage in Port Moresby that we discovered the Port Moresby Bushwalkers Group.
Run by volunteers, calling themselves a “bushwalking gang”, they organise twice a month different walks around Port Moresby, ranging from easy to hard in terms of difficulty.
This time we are going to walk to Bisianamu Rubber Plantation.
After having met other bushwalkers at the Yacht Club at 7am, we drive in a convoy on the road to Sogeri, past the Varirata National Park, towards Bisianamu Rubber Plantation.
The walk starts on savannah grasslands of bright green colour.
Then we continue walking through the rubber plantations providing the cool shade.
Although the rubber trees originally come from the Amazon forest, now they are found over all tropical forest regions, including Papua New Guinea. For those, who haven’t seen how caoutchouc is produced, Bisianamu Rubber Plantation provides an excellent opportunity to see how rubber is harvested. Incisions are made on the tree bark, and a sticky, milky liquid is collected to become the latex after some processing.
Coming out from the rubber plantation, we walk through some gentle hills when a fog appears. Although it makes the views less clear, it creates a wonderful atmosphere. It also blocks the sun, which is always welcome.
But by the time we arrive to the Bisianamu Waterfall, the fog has almost disappeared. The waterfall ends up in a kind of infinity pool. Difficult to resist, some walkers don’t hesitate to go for a swim.
But it’s time to go back, and we go through green grasslands back to the start of our walk.
Practical Information
How to organise the walk: Bisianamu Rubber Plantation is located near Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, on the way to Sogeri past the Varirata National Park towards the Owers’ Corner.
Port Moresby Bushwalkers Group, run by volunteers, organises different walks around Port Moresby every second Sunday. The meeting is at 7.20am (sharp) at the Yacht Club visitors’ car park. There is no membership fee but the PGK20 fee per walk is required to cover the cost of security escort and compensation for landowners.
To find out the planned walking routes, check Port Moresby Bushwalkers Facebook page or become their member and receive their newsletters by writing them an email.
Timing: The walk is 8km taking about 3h to complete.
Difficulty: Although rated as “medium”, the walk is relatively easy, among the easiest walks around Port Moresby.
Important: Even if you are an experienced hiker, given the scorching sun and extreme heat conditions in Port Moresby, some acclimatisation prior to undertaking the walk is definitely a good idea. Bring sunscreen, snacks and a minimum of 2-3L of water (heavy to carry but you will be glad you did).
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