Itinerary

14 days/13 nights (12 day trek)

Day 1 (9/10) - Arrive Port Moresby –Lae     PX106 1745 POM-LAE 1830

On arrival at Port Moresby International Airport the group will be met by PNG Trekking Adventures representatives and transferred to the domestic terminal. On arrival in Lae the group will be transported from Nadzab Airport to their accommodation Lae.  After booking in there will be a briefing of what is going to happen over the next 12 days.

Day 2 (10/10) – POM, Lae, Salamaua to Kaimutum

Sea Transport Lae – Salamaua

The group will be transported down to the Lae Yacht Club. We have organized a banana boat to transport the group to Salamaua where the trek begins. Here the group will meet up with their guide and porters. It will take approximately 4 hours to walk to Kaimutum Village. Crossing the Francisco River and walking through Mangroves for the majority of the trek. Kaimutum Village is a beautiful camp site with a stream running through it that the group can bathe in. Accommodation Traditional Guest Haus (Meals: LD)

Day 3 (11/10) – Kaimutum Village to Mubo Village

An early start up at 5am and walking by 6:30am. Trekkers will be crossing rivers all the way to Mubo. The walk is up hill all the way to the deserted village of Niu Camp. Today the group will be exposed to the sun as the majority of the walk is through Kunai grass. Along quite steep ridges. From Nui Camp we descend down to a semi dry river (most of the time) which we walk down for 2-3 hours. It is quite hard going walking on the river stones before reaching Mubo Village. A very pretty village, with heaps of WW11 artifacts lying around the perimeter. Mubo is a substantial village with a school and health centre. Hopefully the group will have time to go for a walk up into the surrounding hills and see the array of amazing untouched WW11 artefacts that are still lying in huge ammunition pits. From the village it is 10 minute to the Betoie River where the group can go for a swim and wash. Accommodation traditional Guest Haus (Meals: BLD)

Day 4 (12/10) – Mubo Village to Gaudagasul Village

Another early start, crossing the Betoie River many times. It can be very swift and deep in places and care must be taken when crossing it. After all the river crossing there is a very steep climb up to the village. We are ascending most of the day and again exposed to the sun. Apart from it being a hard day physically the scenery is spectacular. Gaudagasul Village is a lovely little village and the people are extremely hospitable. Accommodation traditional Guest Haus (Meals: BLD)

 Day 5 (13/10) – Gaudagasul Village to Skindiwai Village

The group must leave early again as is a long day to the next village of Skindiwai. The track is a lot harder than yesterday. It is up and down with many exposed roots and logs across it. We follow the contour of the hills all day. This is extremely difficult walking as you are walking on the angle. There are no flat areas to get any relief. Trekkers have to take extreme care in places, as there are share drops off the track. Extremely dangerous if one was to slip. It is normal for us to use ropes to cross a number of narrow river gorges. Apart from it being a hard day physically the scenery is again spectacular. We would not expect the group to arrive in Skindiwai until later this afternoon. This village is very small and often not a lot of people around as they go out panning for gold. It you strike it lucky and the weather is fine you get wonderful views down the valley from the camp site. Accommodation Bush Camp (Meals: BLD)

Day 6 (14/10) – Skindiwai Village to Banis Donki Camp Site

It is again essential that the group is up early and on the track by 6:30am. Very similar walking as yesterday. Up and down with many exposed roots and logs across the track following the contour of the hills all day with more share drops off which require negotiating the track. The site where the group will pitch their tents is very basic. Expect quite an uncomfortable night as there is only a bamboo pipe with water to wash under and there is no flat areas really to pitch the tents and sit around a camp fire. Accommodation Bush Camp (Meals: BLD)  

Day 7 (15/10) – Banis Donki to Wau

The group will start to descend down the valley into Wau today. The difficulty of the track starts to ease off. Walking through rain forest for the first few hours before arriving out onto a savannah of Kunai Grass meandering your way down to the B17 bomber. A great WW11 wreck that is worth the slight detour to see. From here is is a 45 minute to the road where Tim Vincent your host for the next couple of days will pick you up and take you the 1 ½ drive into Wau. Accommodation Guest Haus (Meals: BLD)

Day 8 (16/10) – Wau

Today is a rest day, wash clothes and re pack for the next journey along the Bull Dog Track. Tim will take the group on a site seeing tour of Wau in the afternoon. Accommodation Guest Haus (Meals: BLD) 

Day 9 (17/10) – Wau to Winiam Village to Kudjeru Village

Very early start this morning getting up at 4:15am leaving Tim's at 5:10am. It will take 1 hour 20 minutes to drive to Winima Village. Here the group will pick up their porters and food porters. The trek starts off walking through a small coffee plantation for 15 minutes before arriving at our first river crossing. This is a very slippery sloping bamboo crossing. We suggest that you cross this on your bottom. There is then a very steep ascent up to our first patch of Kunia Grass. From here it is undulating walking, quite steep in places crossing several small creeks along the way. Please make sure that water bottles are filled at the last creek as there is no water again until the village. The last creek for water is at 1850 metres. It was another 1 hour before reaching 2000 metres and coming out at a huge Kunai grass savannah. You can see Winima Village far in the distance from here. It takes another 1 ¼ hours to reach the village. You are very exposed to the elements during this time and it could easily be bitterly cold or extremely hot. We would expect to be in the village by lunch time. We are starting to climb and Kudjeru Village is at 1860 metres The people here are very friendly with a nice camping area. Unfortunately there is no place to wash as the river is right beside the pig pens. They do not get a lot of caucasions visiting. Accommodation Bush Camp (Meals: BLD)

Day 10 (18/10) – Kudjeru Village to Yanina Village

Please make sure you are on the track as early as possible today as it is a long hard slog. Try and be walking by 6am. The first part of today is gradually uphill through the Kunai grass before reaching the most amazing Pandanus Forrest. Walking through this for 2 hours. The climbing now commences and it is constant for 2 hours. There are some very tricky areas on the way up arriving at the highest point along the track around mid morning at 2500 metres. It can be very cold and inhospitable. We now trek for two hours along ridges ascending and descending the whole time. Crossing slippery logs, the track is not easy to walk along being all roots and moss. Treacherous in places. We arrive at what the locals call dry bed creek around noon. The track is now over river bed stones. We spend 1 ½ hours trekking up this before arriving at a large ravine and our dry bed creek is now a wet bed creek, walking in water for approximately ½ an hour before back out onto the ridge lines walking up and down until around 2pm. The last couple of hours is extremely hard going. We arrived at the top of the final ridge and can see the very small outline of the Yanina Village by the Eloa River far below. This is a most difficult descent for 2 hours. The track is almost nonexistent it will more than likely be raining as its getting onto late afternoon and can become extremely slippery. Reaching the bottom around 4pm. There is a river here and suggest that trekkers sit down here and spend ½ an hour washing all the muck off. It takes another 10 minutes to walk up to Yanina Village heights where you will camp the night. I doubt trekkers will have the energy to walk back to the river for a wash this is why we suggest you spend some time there cleaning up before walking up to the village. Today is a hard 10 hour day with no stops. Just short breaks to refuel and then pressing on. Walking down to 1230 metres. The people of the village are very friendly and there is a good flat camping area. Again this village has seen few Europeans. Accommodation Bush Camp (Meals: BLD)

Day 11 (19/10) – Yanina Village - Tekadu Village

Be walking by 6:30am. Today starts walking around the side of a hill. Quite steep in places with some tricky little log crossings. For the majority of the day we follow the Eloa River. A very dramatic and beautiful river. We cross a very interesting bridge prior to walking into the small settlement of Anandea. The bridge is bamboo with wire and strips of bark strung around the bamboo and tied to the trees above securing the bridge. From here the architecture of the bush houses started to change they are more coastal in structure. We start a gentle ascent for about 30 minutes walking through large fields of choko's. This is easy walking along side Eloa River, we are now walking on the actual Bull Dog road. You will see hand made drill holes in the rock where they drilled and blasted. Plus will cross several culverts. At around 11:30 we cross the river, it is a challenging crossing and care needs to be taken if there has been rain. We start climbing again for a short while before walking down into Tekadu village getting in around 3pm. It is a good 8 hour walk today with no stops. The body is till still very tired from the previous 10 hour day which makes this normally fairly easy day of walking seem quite hard. It is now a lot warmer as we are getting closer to the coast. The group will make camp for the night within 5 minutes walk to the river. Trekkers can have their first decent swim here at 550 metres. Accommodation Bush Camp (Meals: BLD)

Day 12 (20/10) – Tekadu Village to Nukeva Village

Once again make sure the group is walking by 6:30am or earlier if possible. It will take approximately 35 minutes to walk to the Tekadu Airstrip which is at 440 metres. From here is reasonably easy walking cris-crossing small creeks. At 12 noon we arrived at the first big river Eloa which is reasonably easy to cross. Again this river could be a problem if it has been wet. Arrive at the junction of two rivers the Eloa & Avivi which is the border of the Gulf and Morobe Provinces. Following the Avivi River for 30 minutes before having to cross. It is wide and swift and must be roped. It is quite an exhausting crossing and care must be taken. A river definitely not to be attempted crossing if high. The group should all be across by 1:30pm. From here it is a long trek through swamp land until around 3:30pm. It is difficult walking, the only good thing being is it is flat. Nukeva is a lovely village situated on the banks of the wide soft flowing Lakukamu River. A great to place to swim and wash. The weather is warm at 440 metres. This is a decent 8-9 hour trek with no stops. Accommodation Bush Camp (BLD)

Day 13 (21/10) – Nukeva Village to Tarapo Settlement - Port Moresby

Up early again and walk 30 minutes down to the river where the group meets their water transport (traditional banana boat) Winding down the river for approximately 45 minutes before the boat pulls into a village to refuel. After this has been completed it is another 5 hours down the river to Tarapo. This area is known for its betel nut trade. There is a constant stream of boats bringing bags of betel nut down to Tarapo to be transported into Port Moresby for sale. On arrival at Tarapo you will be met by your 4WD back to Port Moresby. This drive will take approximately 4 hours. The group should be back in Moresby by 3pm in the afternoon. Hotel Accommodation (Meals: BL)

 Day 14 (22/10) - Depart Port Moresby

Today the group will be transferred to the International Airport to commence their journey home

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