Tradewinds Coffee Expedition - Sydney Harbour to Goroka Papua New Guinea

SET SAIL 24th of July 2026 - 7 spots only · 16 days at sea · 4 days on land · Not a tour — an expedition.

Step aboard the legendary Coral Trekker and set your course across the vast Pacific. This is not a cruise. This is a rare adventure on a working tall ship, wind in the sails, ocean at your feet, and the raw beauty of Papua New Guinea’s Eastern Highlands awaiting your arrival.

For 16 days you’ll live by the rhythm of the sea. You’ll take turns on deck, learn the ropes of traditional sailing, and feel the surge of open water as we chart our course north. Some days will be filled with action — fishing off the stern, hauling sails, steering under starlit skies. Others will dissolve into stillness — the deep blue expanse stretching endless, a quietness that humbles and expands.

This is the essence of an expedition: unpredictable, elemental, and unforgettable. You won’t be a passenger. You’ll be an explorer & storyteller.

At journey’s end, we’ll anchor in the Port of Lae, Papua New Guinea, gateway to the rugged, breathtaking Eastern Highlands to explore the coffee region.

4-Day Coffee Expedition: Lae to Goroka

Step off the beaten track and into the heart of Papua New Guinea’s coffee country. Over four days, journey from Lae to the Eastern Highlands, tracing the path from coastal gateway to the rugged mountains where some of the world’s most distinctive coffees are grown.

An expedition into the culture, land, and spirit of PNG coffee.

What’s Included

• Coffee farm visits: Meet local growers and walk among the trees where coffee begins.

• Hands-on experience: Learn about picking, processing, and roasting with traditional methods.

• Cultural connection: Share stories, food, and music with communities who live by coffee.

• Guided travel: From bustling Lae to the highlands of Goroka, you’ll be led by people who know the land and its rhythms.

• All meals, accommodation, and ground transport during the 20 days.

• A 5kg pail of coffee and choice merch: A pail of coffee will be brought back to Australia for you on the Coral Trekker. We look forward to your picking it up on the voyage's return. Expedition T-shirt, cups and hats will be sent to you well before the voyage and of course, some more coffee.

What’s Not Included

• Flights from Goroka (departure) or a continued voyage on the Coral Trekker with us back to Australia.

• Personal extras and optional activities.

Why Join This Expedition?

• Immersive: More than a coffee tour, bilum market tour and cultural insights, you’ll experience PNG life firsthand.

• Intimate: Small group, authentic encounters, no crowds.

• Transformative: Understand coffee not as a commodity, but as a way of life.

For coffee lovers, adventurers, and cultural explorers, this journey is an unforgettable passage into the highlands.

Secure your place today — limited spaces available.

Why join this voyage?

• Adventure, not tourism: This is about discovery, not a packaged tour.

• Sailing tradition: Experience life aboard an iconic tall ship.

• Ocean abundance: Fish as we sail, feast on what the sea provides.

• Expanse and stillness: Days of horizon-to-horizon ocean — timeless, grounding, humbling.

• Rare and limited: Only 7 spots available.

Expedition Investment

• Early Bird Special: $5,900 total (till end of October 2025)

• Book before end of 2025: $6,800 total

• From 2026 onwards: $7,600 total

DATES MAY CHANGE DUE TO WEATHER WINDOWS AND FORECASTS ALLOW A BIT OF FLEXIBILITY ON EITHER END. 

WE MAY TAKE THE SOREN LARSEN IF THERE IS STRONG DEMAND FROM A BOOTLEG BANDS, POETS AND VAGABONDS.

Disclaimer: An expedition is very different from a tour. A tour is structured, predictable, and designed for comfort, where you are a passenger following an itinerary. An expedition, on the other hand, is immersive and participatory; you are part of the journey and story, not simply observing it. On the Tradewinds Expedition, you’ll stand watch, be able to help sail the ship, fish from the ocean, and adapt to the changing rhythm of wind and weather. Once ashore, you’ll walk the land, meet growers, and experience coffee at its source. This is about discovery, challenge, and connection, not packaged sightseeing.