Goroka


Goroka is the capital of the Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. It is a town of approximately 23,000 people, above sea level. It has an airport and is on the "Highlands Highway", about from Lae in Morobe province and from the nearby town of Kainantu also in the Eastern Highlands. Other nearby towns include Kundiawa in Simbu Province and Mount Hagen in Western Highlands Province. It has a mild climate, known as a "perpetual Spring".
It is the home of several national institutions: CRMF Christian Radio Missionary Fellowship, the PNG Institute of Medical Research, the National Film Institute, the , the Melanesian Institute, the Raun Raun Theatre Company and the University of Goroka. Several NGOs also have presences there, including Oxfam and Save the Children. The town's largest hotel is the Bird of Paradise, owned by the Coral Seas Hotels chain, with several mid-sized motels and numerous smaller accommodation providers also operating.
Coffee is a common cash crop in the area; smaller industries include trout farms, pigs, bee keeping and food gardens. Goroka is also widely known for its bilum market.

Events

In May, Goroka hosts the PNG Coffee Festival. The festival features coffee tastings, barista competitions, and cultural performances.
The Goroka Show event takes place annually around the time of the country's Independence Day. It continues for two or three days. The Goroka Show began in 1957 and is the oldest show in Papua New Guinea.

Climate

Goroka has a subtropical highland climate. Due to altitude Goroka features warm to very warm afternoons and cool to mild mornings year-round, with heavy rainfall most of the year and low rainfall from June to September.

Notable people

Goroka is the birthplace of ex-Premier of Tasmania Lara Giddings