A judge in Papua New Guinea has allowed several media organisations to join him on a visit to the Manus Island detention centre.

It will be the first time representatives of the media will enter the detention centre since it was reopened in November 2012.

In recent times the media has been prevented from taking pictures of the centre's exterior and even from entering the naval base in which it is situated.

Justice David Cannings has approved, in principle, applications by five media organisations, including the ABC, to join him when he visits the centre later today.

It will be his second visit to the centre as part of his inquiry into the living conditions there and whether asylum seekers' human rights are being denied.

After his first visit on Tuesday he described the atmosphere as "very tense".

Eleven asylum seekers have appeared before the inquiry so far and all of them have likened life in the centre to living in a prison.

Lawyers for the PNG government did not oppose the applications by the media organisations, but they asked for the identities of asylum seekers to be protected.

Journalists have been ordered not to identify the asylum seekers or record inside the centre.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott is currently in Port Moresby for talks with PNG prime minister Peter O'Neill.

He says he wants PNG to speed up the processing of asylum seekers at the Manus Island detention centre.