Sights in Oro Province
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Buna and Gona
The villages of Buna and Gona became Japanese bases during WWII and were the scene of some of the most desperate fighting of the war. At Giropa Plantation, on the Buna Rd, a Japanese plaque commemorates the country's dead.
Most of what remains of the bases is covered with overgrowth and a guide is necessary to work out what went on where. Basil Tindeba, from Buna, knows his way around the area pretty well; ask for him at the Oro Guesthouse and try to give a few days' notice. Another recommended guide is Maclaren Hiari MBE, who runs the Kokoda Buna Historical Foundation (tel: 329 7627). He lives two doors east of the Oro Guesthouse. These guys charge for their guiding and …
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Mt Lamington
The 1585m peak of Mt Lamington is clearly visible from Popondetta. The mountain still shakes and puffs a little and local residents paid no attention to a slight increase in activity in 1951. However when the mountainside suddenly blew out and a cloud of super-heated gases rushed down, about 3000 people died and 8000 were left homeless. It is estimated the temperature stood near 200°C for about 90 seconds, and the gas cloud rolled down at over 300km/h.
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