Lorentz National Park

Lorentz covers a vast block of Papua and is one of the few protected areas anywhere that runs unbroken from permanent ice to the sea. At the top are the glaciers of the central range, the only tropical ice in this part of the world and shrinking fast; below them lie alpine grassland, moss forest, lowland rainforest and, on the south coast, mangrove and tidal swamp. The wildlife includes tree kangaroos, echidnas and birds of paradise, most of it rarely seen. Practically speaking this is not a place you visit on a whim: access means permits, charter flights and a proper expedition, and most of the park has no infrastructure at all.

What you actually see

• The glaciers - the last tropical ice on the central range, retreating year by year.
• The altitude range - vegetation shifting from alpine grassland to lowland rainforest to mangrove.
• Birds of paradise - several species in the mid-altitude forest, seen with a local guide.
• The southern swamps - vast tidal mangrove and sago country along the Arafura coast.

When to go

The drier months, roughly May to September, are the practical window for trekking at altitude, though the highlands make their own weather and rain is normal at any time. Everything depends on permits, guides and charter aircraft, all of which take weeks to arrange. Plan a week or more; short visits are not realistic.

Honest expectations

This is the hardest place to visit in the country. Costs are high, logistics are slow, permits take time and flights are weather dependent and often cancelled. Trekking is at altitude, in mud, with heavy rain and river crossings, and rescue is not a realistic option. Very little of the park is set up for visitors, and wildlife sightings are scarce even for people who spend weeks.

Nearby

The Baliem valley around Wamena is the usual staging point for the highlands.