The Tawai Track in the Eastern Highlands Province is taking shape with the construction phase underway.
This eco-tourism project is an initiative of Vincent Kumura, the Digicel PNG Foundation Men of Honour and the Managing Director of the Snow Pass Eco-Lodge in Bundi.
This 15 km track offers an alternative for tourists who would like to track to Madang Province from EHP.
In hiking from Madang to Eastern Highlands Province, the track starts at Pomie Village, Upper Bundi and ends at first Kongi, Asaro.
The track passes through some of the most breathtaking lookouts and views of the Ramu Valley, Mt Wilhelm, Madang, Ramu Sugar, and Goroka townships and many other notable sites.
There are multiple bird watching sites for the famous high altitude Bird of Paradise species and tree marsupials.
A 32 men team from Kongi in Asaro and Bononi in Bundi are involved in the construction work.
It will take about four months to fully build a well-constructed track meeting all safety standards.
The fourth step is the track beautification program, which would also be an ongoing process from the start where transplanting rare orchid species alongside the track will take place.
The team will then focus on methods of waste management and finally environmental conservation and track maintenance and sustainability.
The track will be fully completed by the end of the year and ready for the official launching at Kongi, Asaro in 2017.
SPEL will also develop the tracking management policy guidelines regarding environmental conservation, waste management, maintenance, fines, track fees and charges, security, mappings, transit cabins and first aid posts.
Kumura said he hopes to see the development of a well-established, managed and sustainable Bismarck Track similar to the Kokoda Track.