In 1998 it was possible to travel by rough road from Buka (after negotiating the Passage!!) to Tinputz.
Expat population was 1 - a building type teacher from Adelaide with Ausaid I think. He even had to build his own house when he got there. He enjoyed R & R in Buka!!!
The Australian Army used to pass through there on irregular occasions... you know, just checking up.
The airstrip was brought up to some sort of Twin Otter standard in 1998, but operations were restricted to when the BRA said it was OK to operate.
Bullets were known to fly around - again, at irregular intervals.
Ausaid people visit to see where our money is spent - enough said on that!
For all that the village type people were very happy to see an expat... now I said that was in 1998. Don't know what it's like now.
If you're going there set out with a mindset that you're going to enjoy it otherwise you'll go troppo easily.
p.s. It was an alcohol free province then - except for the stuff smuggled in from Solomon Islands and POM.