Lae

Lae sits at the head of the Huon Gulf where the Markham river reaches the sea, and it is the industrial and shipping centre of Papua New Guinea: the main port, the head of the Highlands Highway carrying goods up to the interior, and the country's manufacturing base, which gives it a working character rather than a scenic one. The Lae Botanic Gardens, laid out over around fifty hectares in the centre, hold orchids, palms, rainforest trees and a collection of PNG flora, and are the reason most visitors stop; the Rainforest Habitat at the university is another. Amelia Earhart left from the airstrip here in 1937 on the leg from which she disappeared.

What you actually see

• The Botanic Gardens - the orchid and rainforest collections in the centre.
• The Rainforest Habitat - the enclosed forest exhibit at the university.
• The port - the shipping and container operation on the gulf.
• The Earhart connection - the airfield she left from in 1937.

When to go

May to October for the drier weather; Lae is one of the wettest cities in the country and rain falls in any month. The Morobe Show falls in October. Mornings are best for the gardens.

Honest expectations

Lae is an industrial port city with limited visitor provision. Rainfall is high year round. Movement is by arranged transport. The gardens have been through periods of neglect.

Nearby

Salamaua lies south across the gulf; the Highlands Highway runs northwest.