Bushwalking in PNG: Koitaki Country Club
Short scenic drive out of Port Moresby, and you will find yourselves walking near Koitaki Country Club surrounded by a peaceful countryside with picturesque green rolling fields, grazing cows and horses.
Bushwalking around Port Moresby
After a scenic drive about half an hour out of Port Moresby, past Sogeri, we arrive at Koitaki Country Club. This is the starting point of our today’s walk.
The walk is so easy that we can hardly call it “bushwalk”. As we are walking on farm roads, it’s all flat but with very little shade.
The scenery is lovely, reminding us of Appenzell in Switzerland, with bright green grassland and red soil, a stunning contrast.
Many come to Koitaki Country Club for horseback riding, and we occasionally encounter some avid riders.
Walking among picturesque green rolling fields around Koitaki is a breath of fresh air and a nice change of scenery from the busy and dusty Port Moresby.
From time to time we come across beautiful giant trees, often found in Papua New Guinea. We cannot resist a short break under the shade of their leafy branches.
This is a working cattle farm, and grazing cows are a common sight.
Now the walk is over, and it’s time for lunch and a few drinks at Koitaki Country Club restaurant. Among usual suspects, such as burgers and sandwiches, the Club is famous its fresh meat directly from the farm.
Some of us discover Koitaki Country Club for the first time, and decide to come back next week-end for a refreshing swim in the Club’s swimming pool and even stay overnight in the Club’s guesthouses or use their camping facilities.
Practical Information
How to organise the walk: The walk starts at Koitaki Country Club (Facebook), located about 30 min drive from Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, past Sogeri.
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: Walk is about 2.5h.
Difficulty: Walk is rated “easy”. It’s a very easy flat walk, probably the easiest walk organised by the Bushwalking Club.
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).
The road to Koitaki Country Club can be quite difficult, when muddy. In this case, 4×4 is advisable.
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