Which gap is 9500' Hagen - Porgera?
My thoughts also. Most would be higher than that as tinpis would well know! Possibly the 'road gap' near Karik? Never used that one much as it would close up pretty quickly in weather anyway.
For Joe Bloggs info, there is a lot of flying below a technically 'lowest safe altitude' in PNG by necessity. In order to be above all the terrain in PNG one usually has to be flying quite high and in a pressurised aircraft. A lot of Twin Otter (unpressurised aircraft) work is done at lower levels on shorter routes and down in valleys with weather and terrain around you that is higher. So for this reason the flying environment in PNG is much different to Australia. Every pilot always wants to get home to his family at the end of the day - they are not flying around with death wishes. PNG does have unique challenges and is a much more unforgiving environment. If you are not willing to accept that, then don't go.