At the eastern tip of PNG, the Owen Stanley mountaqin range plunges into the sea producing 160 named islands and countless islets, atolls and reefs. Some islands such as the Trobriand Islands are fairly flat and others, in contrast, rise out of the sea to heights of over 2400 meters as is the case with Goodenough Island..

During WWII, the battle of the Coral sea took place high above Minle Bay by carrier born aircraft of the Japanese and the Allies. This battle was a turning point in the Pacific war.