Papua New Guinea Travel Forum

Is there any kind of a road (track, 4x4) from Vanimo towards Wewak and afterwards from Wewak towards Madang?
How far is it possible, resp. advisable to drive West from Mount Hagen?
Emil & Liliana Schmid (emil_liliana@hotmail.com / www.weltrekordreise.ch)

I heard from Mt Hagen you can take roads to the ocean and then you will need to head north to Madang ... contact Steve Tendi from New Guinea Expeditions = he will be able to assist you since he operates from Hagen... tell him Lillie send you.

Its been 10 years since I lived in the Sepik region but I don't think the road situation has changed much. There is a track along the beach for a number of kilometers East of Vanimo but not many. The main road might make it 20 kilometers before being blocked by rivers. The idea was to complete a road from Vanimo to Aitape but I think there are still 100 kilometers or so that are not in existance. Once in Aitape you can make it from there to Wewak which is a good 150 kilometers. I have never attempted to drive this road so am only speaking of what I have been told. From Wewak, you can drive to Angoram on the Sepik but that isn't even half way to Madang and the Sepik is difficult obstacle that keeps that road from being completed.
From Madang the roads are decent all the way into the highlands.
I hope that helps and would love to hear from someone with more up-to-date information.

Wewak is basically out on its own... The great Sepik River stops you going too far by vehicle. However there are roads from Lae to Madang - and from Madang you can take a ferry to Wewak. From Lae you can also travel to the highlands to places like Goroka and Mt Hagen...
Just be careful where you stay in Wewak - I had the misfortune of staying at a new motel there - where the owner abused not only the staff - but also the guests. I could not believe that someone like this would be in the hospitality industry - totally unsuited for the position and obviously very racist against the local people - who I found quite charming.

According to my new 2007 atlas of the region, there is a track from Vanimo to Aitape and then a decent road from Atiape to Wewak. From a Wewak, a road goes further east to a town called Angoram, that seems to be the end of the road, there is a big river and then about 60 miles of marsh until the the next towns (Giri or Awar) both of which are on a road which goes down to Madang. I do not know of a way for which the fiver and marsh could be crossed with a vehicle.

Going south of Madang is a road which goes down as far as Wau and Llaura but there is no road connections to the capital, Port Moresby where there are shipping oppertunities. I do not know of any shipping lines that go to Madang, it would be something that would need to be investigated.

Jesse.S.Gordon
UK

Gruezi!

From Goroka you can go on an OK road to Mt Hagen and the further to Mendi and all the way to Tari which is the land of Huli Wigman. A fantastic place if you like nature and culture. Have a look at www.sundstromtravel.com from our travel to Papua New Guinea and Tari.

Contact Alois Mateos (adventurepng@datec.net.pg)in Wewak - he has an answer to your question on roads between Wewak and Madang.

Best regards

EvAnders from Sweden