Ixixly, Arsend Charlie and Mach, how did you go doing the Huet course, did it change your perceptions?
Super, I used to conduct HUET courses, and from the comments of the participants, they were a lot happier to be in the water WITH the knowledge than without. However, it wouldn't affect their choice between water or wood.
You say a sparsely timbered hilltop. Tops of hills are better, as the trees are smaller, not having to compete in height for the sunlight. Bottoms of valleys have taller trees, much further to fall when your energy gets dissipated in the treetops. And in PNG, you would not want to be in a valley, as the walls are steep (splat, roll, die) and the rivers run deep and fast, many with a bunch of puk-puk ready to chew on you for lunch. Wouldn't want to Gumi down the Busu in the wreckage of a Cessna. Top of hill any day, maybe easier to find.