Bushwalking in PNG: surroundings of March Girls resort
Easy and short walk through the hills surrounding March Girls Resort, stunning views from the top of the ridge with brightly-coloured blue sea, picturesque local houses and palm trees, and relaxing time on black sand beach.
Bushwalking around Port Moresby
It’s now very hot in Port Moresby, and walking under the scorching sun isn’t the best perspective for Sunday morning. When the Bushwalking Gang announced the walk around March Girls Resort, it sounded perfect. This walk, going through the hills surrounding March Girls Resort to the black sand beach, is rather easy and short, about 1.5 hours.
We start our walk at the March Girls, a small local resort located right on the beach, about 40 min of a pleasant drive from Port Moresby.
It didn’t rain for a while, and the surrounding hills turned from bright green to brownish, yellow and red.
Going up and down the hills in this heat and without any shade isn’t easy and makes us gasp for breath. But the views from the top of the ridge are beautiful – brightly-coloured blue sea, small and picturesque local houses and palm trees.
Even if it’s still morning time, after a lot of sweating we celebrate our arrival to March Girls Resort with a cold beer. Some go for a swim or stroll on the beach, sometimes called “Black Beach” because of black colour of the sand.
Sitting in the shade at March Girls Resort’s restaurant with a cold beer is a nice ending to the walk. The resort is a good place to spend an afternoon with friends around a beer or two and fish and chips lunch. There is a restaurant, BBQ facilities and several rooms to stay overnight. The resort is also popular for weddings and conferences.
Many people are wondering about the resort’s name. The story behind is simple. The owner’s three daughters were all born in March, and when it came to choosing the name for the resort, the choice was quickly made.
Practical Information
How to organise the walk: The walk starts at March Girls Resort located along the Magi Highway near Gaire village and past Loloata, about 30-40 min drive from Port Moresby.
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 7km taking about 2h to complete.
Difficulty: Walk is rated “from easy to medium”, if the weather is cool and rated “medium”, if the weather is hot and sunny.
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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