'Goroka' is the capital of the
Eastern Highlands province of
Papua New Guinea. It is a town of approx 25,000 people, 1600m above sea level. It has an airport (in the centre of town) and is on the "
Highlands Highway", about 285km from
Lae in
Morobe province and 90km from 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 Missionay Fellowship, the
PNG Institute of Medical Research, the National Film Institute, 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 single largest hotel is the Bird of Paradise, owned by the Coral Seas Hotels chain. Goroka is also the home of the
Asaro Mudmen.
Coffee is a common cash crop in the area; smaller industries include trout farms, pigs, bee keeping and food gardens (broccoli, kau kau or sweet potato, carrots, ginger and peanuts are examples of produce that grow well here; nearby Bena Bena is known for its pineapples).
Events

The Goroka Market
In May Goroka hosts the
PNG Coffee Festival.
The renowned
Goroka Show sing-sing is held every year for three days close to independence day (September 16th).
External links
★
Melanesian Institute
★
CRMF Christian Radio Missionary Fellowship