Kokoda Track 2012 - PNG

Kokoda Station to Owers Corner (north to south)

This is the 70^th anniversary of the WW2 PNG Kokoda campaign. Eleven bushwalkers from the Townsville Bushwalking Club have been preparing for this Kokoda Track trek for sometime. We have booked an Australian guide led trek of the war time Kokoda Track north to south, Kokoda to Owers Corner.  It is not a cheap trip, cost $3,100 AUD for the trek which includes two nights Port Moresby, flight Port Moresby to Kokoda, tent and grounds sheet, the Australian Guide, and at end of trek a tour of war cemetery and Port Moresby. For extra charge of $150 AUD they supply 75 litre backpacks (or bring your own). Personal porter costs additional $650 AUD – not compulsory but we all book one each.  Then add on flights from Australia to PNG.

96km trekking over 9 days, over the Owen Stanley Range (2,100 metres high on the track). During this trek in total we will ascend 6,000 metres and descend 6,000 metres.  We will be using tents this trip. Thatched guest houses are available along the track but not suitable for large groups, nor provide any insect protection. The porters will stay in thatched huts nearby. Campsites are generally on the outskirts of villages.

22^nd July Sunday

Fly Townsville (6:30 am) to Cairns, 4.5 hour layover, then Cairns to Port Moresby (POM) arriving 2 pm. Very smoky flying in to POM, lot of small fires visible, everyone burns their gardens and rubbish here. No carbon tax or emission worries. On way to hotel, notice all buildings have razor wire compounds or like to provide security protection. Beers at hotel (9 Kina or $4 AUD). 5 pm have briefing with trek guide (Australian), get large backpack. Dinner is pizzas at the hotel lower bar, pretty good, albeit expensive. Port Moresby is expensive, and especially this hotel. Then pack up for tomorrow. We will carry only day packs, and have porters booked to carry the big packs. Big packs we cannot have more than 16kg, and must leave some room for the porters own gear too. Overall carry limit for the porters is 22 kg.

Day 1 - 23^rd July 2012 Monday

8 am flight today. Well, maybe, depends on weather, and this is PNG. Nothing happens on time. Awake 5:15 am, breakfast 6 am (55 Kina or $25 AUD). Still bloated from the large pizza last night, can’t eat much. In the foyer at 7 am, waiting. Bus late, but the plane will not leave on time today so they are holding us at the hotel. Finally get to airport for charter flight. Very basic charter terminal this. Just a tin shed with a bench for pax, the counter, and set of scales. All pax weigh in as weight and balance is critical. We need two aircraft, Cessna 208 Caravans. I am 97.1 kg fully clothed and day pack. That is 14 kg of day gear !

9 am, load up and take off. Thirty minute flight over the Owen Stanley Range to Kokoda Station. Spectacular views flying over the rugged range, through Kokoda Gap between the peaks. Then down the Erora valley with cloud covered mountains above. Kokoda airfield is a rough grass strip. The local villagers just wander across it so much a foot track crosses the runway midway. Very low as we land, almost scraping trees. Both planes land and are surrounded by myriad local villagers. Looks like chaos. Actually, some are our porters, but many just want to catch the planes to POM, but being private charter they can’t. Albeit, Wayne our guide (Kokoda Spirit owner), says if they pay him 100 kina each they can use the planes  – beer money for him.

10 am, we start walking up to the low plateau that sits above Kokoda village. Notice there are a few scattered shops here, they all advertise SP beer. Visit small museum and war monuments. Wayne provides the first battlefield brief. A fierce battle took place here at the start of the campaign. Then we are allocated porters, meet and greet, get big packs sorted. My porter is Steven. Fierce looking bloke. His foot wear is thongs – for 9 nine days and 96 km on rough terrain ! Some porters have cheap runners; some have old boots that are hand-me-downs from previous trekkers, ill fitting and falling to pieces. A few wear thongs only. Then we start the trek, looking ahead to the Owen Stanley Range that we must cross. Looks daunting. Today we aim for Deniki, half way up the first major climb.

After a short while on flat track through palm oil plantation, we arrive at the lunch stop which is also a nice campsite. Good lunch of ham salad rolls. Then move off through rubber plantation, and then start the climb in jungle to Deniki at 860 mr altitude. This is a medium gradient climb. Hot and humid. Mid afternoon pass through a village with a lovely creek, quick swim by some here. Watch the villagers wash their clothes in the creek using the rocks. They come with cans of coke and lemon squash to sell. Also sell coconut juice (in the coconut), very nice –village woman cuts the top off with her machete.  Everyone here carries a machete, even kids as young as three. Climb further up the track, then look down onto Deniki village. Climb down the rough track, pass the wash point which is a bamboo half pipe fed from a stream.  Arrive Deniki camp site 3 pm, nice camp site. Great views down into the Kokoda valley below. Stand by and observe while my porter sets up my tent. Today we passed through some villages, saw local villagers and kids. 5 pm we have a briefing with Wayne on war history and today’s walk, then a brief on what to expect tomorrow. 5:30 dinner, cooked by the porters, mash potatoes, vegies in gravy, broiled chicken leg, all very nice. Have two serves. Cool evening. 6:30 pm we have a group chat about what our highs and lows of the day were. This will be a daily occurrence.  7:30 pm, into my tent, ready for bed, sort the two packs out a bit to make it easier in the morning. Clothes are damp. Dew on tent. Porters now have their dinner, canned corn beef, 2 minute noodles and local vegies - choko vine especially.  Their talking is a constant hum.

Day 2 – 24^th July 2012 Tuesday

Revile / wakeup call from Wayne at 5 am. Dark, misty. Pack up packs promptly, tight schedule to be ready on time for 6:30 departure. Daily schedule. Breakfast 5:45 am, weetbix, hot milk (powdered), tea. Whilst we have breakfast, our porters dismantle and pack our wet tents. At 6:30 am, Buddi the trek leader (No 2 in porter hierarchy) calls ‘GO GO’ – he calls ‘give me a G (we all say G), give me a O (we all say O), give me a G (we all say G), give me a O (we all say O), what does it say ?’ – we chant GO GO, then he says ‘Let’s Go’ – and off we walk. This will be a frequent walk start chant. Buddi as walk leader sets the pace, he is very good. He walks slowly to maintain a steady pace, called the ‘Kokoda shuffle’. Often I find the pace slow and frustrating, but in reality this is good as I will not go too fast and get buggered on steep climbs.

It is all uphill, very humid. And more up. Five minute stop after 1.5 hours climbing at 8 am. Several small creeks to cross. Track is mainly dry with some muddy patches. Lot of tree roots to walk over. In the midst of heavy rainforest jungle, vines  abound, thick high canopy. The trees are very tall. Lot of bird calls abound, but too hard to see in the foliage. One bird call close to the track - ‘hornbill’ says Buddi. Can’t see it though. See some birds at tree top in the distance. 9:30 am get to Isaruva village for smoko break. Nice bananas here. Plus cans of coke and twisties packets for sale – most common item each village sells to trekkers. Smoko is scotch finger biscuits, peanuts, and salted chips (lot of salt in smoko breaks). The girls give clothing and toys to the village mums and kids. Porters sing some songs (sign of what is to come). Then we get the GO GO chant lead from Buddi, we sense that this will be common to participate in. Head down along the track a short distance to the Isaruva memorial site arriving 10:45 am. This is a wonderful memorial site, especially in remote jungle. We wander around the grounds absorbing the history and sadness here. Lot of Australians died here in a ferocious battle. 11:30 am Wayne provides battlefield brief. Noon, we perform a memorial service with readings of eulogy and poems by the place where Private Kingsbury VC, the Victoria Cross recipient, battled and died. Not many dry eyes during this service. Very solemn, very moving. The Australian and PNG flags flew overhead (the porters bring them).

I led the service with Eulogy and prayer. Almost cracked, very moving and emotional. Others did readings too. Wendy had Last Post on her Iphone so played that too. Then the porters sang gospel hymns. Then move up to the pillars monument – four granite pillars, Courage, Endurance, Mateship, Sacrifice. More gospel songs from the porters, great voices.

Lunch – canned corned beef, cheese, baked beans, spaghetti, dry biscuits, bananas, paw paw, and hot drink.

1:30 pm, we get the GO GO calling. More uphill, more creek crossings, rough track, rocks, tree roots, bit of mud, then easy going relatively flat. Pass Surgeon Rock (named as on this flat rock medics had to perform  amputation and first aid here arising from the battles at Isurava), then into to Alola village at 2:30 pm. Camp site crowded with two groups. We are at 1,400 mr altitude, so have climbed 1,100 metres in two days. Today was a 600 mr climb. Icy cold bath in the creek under a shute, I yelped when I tried to get under the water, the porter boys had a great laugh and thought I was funny the way I yelped an danced under the water shute. They had a good laugh. 5:10 pm dinner – village grown corn on cob, pasta bolognaise. Washed down with hot Milo. Visit the local museum, cost 10 kina, this is a thatched hut with a small array of rusty weapons and ammunition from the war. Back at camp, we hear from the village church above, loud lashing sermon delivered to the villagers. All the villages on the track are Seven Day Adventists. Later, had our group High and Low chat with Wayne and briefing about today and tomorrow. Then the porters (the boys) congregated in the thatched hut and sang their songs. They have a guitar and small banjo type thing. This would become a frequent occurrence. They are good. Light rain and mist. Toilet is a hole in the ground ‘squatter’ – very common on the track. The girls are not impressed. Bedtime 8 pm, read, then reflect on a great day.

Day 3 – 25^th July 2012 Wednesday

Light rain (drizzle) intermittently during the night. Temperature was nice, did not use sleeping bag. Awake often during the night, usual camping issue. 4 am, the village church bell rings – what the  ..... ? Then roosters start crowing. Jeeez.  4:45 am, give up,  deflate the mattress, and start getting ready. Clothes have disappeared. Have breakfast. 6 am, Steven, my porter, turns up with my trekking clothes, almost dry – he took them last night and tried to warm them by the fire in the porters hut. He filled my water bottles too. Then he gives me four bananas for the day. Very attentive. He looks mean, but is a nice gentle man. Depart 6:30 am with the Go Go chant led from Buddi again, lot of fun. Jan and Jenny go ahead 15 minutes early – they had problem first two days keeping up, so Wayne sends them off early to do their own pace and see how they go. Start off downhill (thankfully), rough track, steep, to a creek with a log bridge. Porters rush around ( Johnny the Trek Master  installs a safety rope), then position themselves along the bridge. They guide us over one at a time. Only one trekker allowed on bridge at a time (albeit with one or two porters with them, except for me later on). Then uphill the other side, a long steep climb of 300 meters. At top of the ridge, hot and sweaty. Here we inspect a Japanese defensive position, here they had a mountain gun and large machine guns that rained shells down onto the Australians in the valley below. Here there are remnant shells, grenades, helmets, fuzes, mortars, and a tunnel. We look down at the Australian position in the valley below - they were sitting ducks.

Trek downhill, steep rough track, tree roots, and slippery clay, to Erora Creek crossing. Picturesque. On the way down, the personal porters suddenly always appear and place themselves behind their trekker and ‘assist’ on the downhill slippery bits. This is a common occurrence for all downhill steep bits. Log bridge, porters scramble to get into position to guide us over, safety is a key feature of this mob. Up to the clearing that the Australians used when the Japanese fired down onto them. Smoko here, overlooking the creek. Porters get the tents out to dry them, in the sun. GO GO chant led by Buddi, then climb steeply uphill for one hour, passing old Australian defensive pits along the track on a narrow ridgeline, with steep drop off either side. How did they fight in this terrain ? Awesome. At a small creek, stop for lunch at 11:30 am – two minute noodles with vegies plus side serves of cheese, canned corned beef, baked beans, spaghetti, bananas. The general porters always send an advance party ahead to prepare lunch. They also in the afternoon moved forward fast to scout next camp site and claim it before others do. We have 12 personal porters and 14 general porters – with 11 trekkers and the Australian guide, that means we have 36 people in our group.

12:30 pm, start climbing steeply uphill (again), then at crest (1,830 mr altitude), go downhill a long way into Templeton Crossing (Supply Dump No 2) at 1:20 pm. Camp here. Early ! Bath and wash clothes in Erora Creek – very icy water, swift flowing. 1,750 mr altitude. Nice spot. We get our own fire tonight. 2 pm my first camera battery goes flat. That lasted well. Two left.

Very cool night, all clothes on, in sleeping bag too. Starry night. My trekking clothes on the clothes line disappeared again. And my four water bottles mysteriously are full. I never see any of this happen during the whole trek, he must watch and when I am not looking he looks after these. Others have the similar experience. Great service.

Day 4 – 26^th July 2012

Awake 4 am again. Restless night. Start packing up 4:45 am. Breakfast is fresh pancakes, weetbix, and tea. Clothes are returned, dry but smoky. 6:30 am ‘GO GO’ again from Buddi, we are all into the swing of it now, and chanting enthusiastically. Climb up, very steep, very rough, lot of tree roots and wet clay. Long climb, never ending, up to a clearing at Kokoda Gap. Quick break. Steven my porter passes – he wears thongs for footwear. This is his 4^th trek, so still a novice. Has wife and son back in Kokoda. 19 of our porters are from Kokoda village. Kokoda Spirit has nine teams. They recruit teams from each village along the track, so each group will normally be mainly from one or maybe two villages. Good employment and income for the villages. Each team may do about 9 treks per year. But the better they are, the more work they get.

More climbing, never ends today, stop at the top at 2,150 mr altitude, the highest point on the track. Then it is down, down, and down, long way. Very careful walking on massed tree roots and on the wet clay track. Get to Camp 1900 at 10 am for smoko. There are huge pandanus trees here, like long multi-legged aliens. The grass we sit on, Wayne tells us a few years ago the Bone Man (Japan) and he retrieved Japanese bodies from the area we sit on ! Some get up and move to sit elsewhere. At 10:30 am, move on, climb steeply again, then over undulating jungle terrain, through more massive pandanus trees, then Arctic Beech forest, very mossy. More undulating terrain, cross more creek log bridges, they let me cross by myself now, but all the others are ‘guided’ over. Johnny R and Buddi say ‘you are strong, you can go by yourself’. Going downhill steeply, we pass coming the other way the RSL Soldiers Kokoda group – very large group, this is the group of todays Australian soldiers injured in the middle east and Afghanistan with their families that was in the media, doing the trek. Long way down continues, hard on the knees, then along a ridgeline with steep drop offs for an hour, bit more open here, but turning into a long hard slog today. Arrived Naduri village campsite at 1 pm for lunch. Plan is to visit the old Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel here, have lunch, then move on to another camp site further down. W e are all tired. My feet hurt now too, all that downhill is hard on knees and feet. During lunch Wayne suggests that the group vote on whether to stay here (which is the original itinerary anyway), or to push on. He thinks we might be pushing it too much as we need a good hour to visit the Fuzzy Wuzzy fella, and time is now tight to reach the next campsite. We eagerly vote to overnight here. My feet rejoice. We can’t see the old fella until 3 pm anyway. Here the village reconstructed an old treehouse to demonstrate how the villages used to build these to house and protect  the women and kids when the inter-tribal fights used to occur in the old days. We set up camp and rest – well, the porters do all the work, we just watch (normal).

3 pm head into the village, covered in misty cloud. Go to the meeting point for the old fella. He must be asleep, they are getting him up and ready. He claims to be 108 yrs old ! But they think he is in his 80s. Hard to say, nobody up here really knows when anyone is born. It is all guess work. The old man is pushed out in his wheel chair to meet us. He is very old and frail. Seems blind. Great honour to meet a Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel from the war. His son gives a lecture on history of the war on the track and the Fuzzies. Interesting to get their perspective. We pay our money then we take many photos with him. The we leave, return in the mist to our camp. We discuss how we don’t think he will be around much longer. He is the only Fuzzy Wuzzy still living on the track today – there are 4 others alive but they are not on the track. Back at camp, showers, then get served smoko of spaghetti pizza – very nice – nobody is eating the spaghetti (canned) at lunch times, so they made it a pizza topping.

5 pm dinner - pasta and some sort of freshly baked dough thing – very nice.  Very misty and damp. My feet are sore. 6 pm nightly briefing with Wayne on battles in this vicinity and tomorrows walking. 7 pm the Naduri villagers are singing gospel and hymns to another small group at the campsite. Nice voices. Keeps our boys quite for a change (no singing). Light drizzling rain. Into tent 7:30 pm, lay here listening to villagers singing.

Day 5 – 27^th July 2012 Friday

Pretty good sleep, no clock watching all night long like normal. Awake 4:20 am, rooster calling. 4:45 am start pack – into a daily rhythm. Beat Wayne’s 5 am wakeup call again. Breakfast is weetbix, nutrigrain, hot milk, freshly made this morning banana cake. ‘GO GO’ 6:30 am. Long way down this morning. Very steep, slippery after the night drizzle and mist. Cross river on log crossing. Then very steeply up, about 45 minute climb. Village at the top. Perfect lawn at one house, all done with machete as ‘mower’. Young kids are almost blonde haired - this is natural. Here there is a Japanese memorial installed by the ‘Bone Man’. It is the only village on the track that would permit a Japanese memorial. On top of this ridge, we can see Efogi below, the largest village on the track. After a break, climb downhill, another long length, cross another log bridge, into Efogi. We walk through this village, then uphill steeply in open terrain, track bounded by kunai grass, very hot in the blazing sun. I miss the coolness of the rainforest that we normally have had. As we climb get very good views of the valleys and ridges below. The track flattens out, good views down onto Mission Ridge, another scene of battle that 32 Australians died at. Moving on, back into rainforest, nice and cool, slight climb up to open clearing and Brigade Hill. We see many stakes with white tape and red petals, these mark the wartime burial sites of 69 Australian soldiers killed here. There is a plaque overlooking the valley. We move off the peak a bit to shade for smoko. Then onto the hill peak for memorial service readings. Very emotional and powerful, all have wet eyes at least, some have tears. The porters are lined up behind us. The Australian and PNG flags fly high. Rubin, the porter who has best singing voice and guitar player, sings hymn. Very solemn moments. End of the service and we move off the hill. As we move off the hill, the porters broke out into song, singing ’County Road, Take me Home' with great gusto, it really cheered us up. It concluded a memorable moment.

Noon, ‘GO GO ’ chant again, plus now Johnny R starts ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie OiOi Oi’ that we all participate in as well. So now we have two chants each time we start. Lot of fun. Move along the ridgeline; come to Japanese defensive positions and their round one man pits (round so spirits can’t get stuck in corner of pit, unlike the rectangular Australian pits). ‘Bone Man’ dug here too to recover some Japanese bodies. This is the spot well recorded where the Bone Man and an Australian fought one another, both fell exhausted into sleep, in the morning the Australian was dead. The Bone Man moved the Aussie to rest against a stump. Further along the ridgeline, an opening in the jungle looks down onto the village of Minari. Japanese had big guns here shooting down onto the Australians in Minari, sitting ducks again. We start downhill, steeply, slippery in parts, across a creek over another log bridge, then up a short steep climb into Minari at 2:20 pm. Late lunch, we are all hungry. Two minute noodles, canned corned beef and vegies. Plus pastry of some sort, and boiled eggs, all very nice. Amazing what the cooks come up with, as all the food has been carried from Kokoda by the porters. Light drizzle starts. Cup of tea was most refreshing. Go down for a swim the creek, bit suspect about the water, as the village sits above. Back at camp, a villager walks by with a large black wild pig strapped to his back (it is dead). Bizarre sight. Hung trekking clothes that I washed in the creek on the bamboo line. No way they will dry tonight. Later as more drizzle returns move clothes to balcony of a thatched hut nearby. Ah well, will be putting on wet trekking clothes in the morning – bugger.

Having problem with one toe, losing skin underneath. Today was a mental tough day, hard to get motivated at first. But once moving was pretty good. Mosquitoes here, first time seen any.

Day 6 – 28^th July 2012 Saturday

Awake 4 am. Start packing 4:45 am. Check trekking clothes – aarrgh – gone. 5:10 am, Steven arrives, he has my clothes. They are dry, but very smoky. 6:35 am ‘GO GO’ and ‘AUSSIE OIOIOI’ chants. Move up through the village, past the steep airfield runway (one of those that falls off a cliff). Then down a bit, cross a creek over another log bridge, then a 300 mr steep muddy climb over tree roots to the gap at the top.  Overcast, very humid. Lot of sweat. At the summit of the gap, can see the next village we aim for two deep valleys over. Looks hard going, daunting. Go down now, very steep, this is called The Wall – good reason too, is steep. Glad we are going down. Albeit, hard on knees and feet. We are very slow going down here, porters close by and steadying some of the trekkers. If you look like slipping they hold or catch you real quick. Mind you, the general porters ran past us down this with 20 kg packs in old runners or thongs ! They are incredible how they move over the rough terrain. Finally get to the bottom, and then we are on a flat track for two hours – a pleasant walk – at last ! Finally get to Brown River, swift flowing, no bridge, have to wade across. Porters have rigged a safety rope across the river. Boots off, leave them and daypack here. Then wade the river, porters bring boots and daypacks over later. Water flow was strong and swift. Other side, have smoko on the bank, nice spot, some swim here out of the fast current. Tims Tams, plus usual Pringle chips and salted peanuts for smoko.

10:15 am, get moving, along flat track, rainforest and swampy. Lot of mud. Then we confront a steep climb, very hard slog, up into Nauro village, very picturesque on a ridge. Spot a cassowary chick, it is a pet. But, a short lived pet, when it gets to about one or 2 years old, they will eat it. Pass through the village to campsite on village outskirts, 11:30 am. Lunch time, and camp site, short walking day. Fresh warm flavoured donuts are presented, the cooks are wonderful. Then quick shower, wash clothes, they should dry in the afternoon sun. Very hot here. After lunch, find some shade from large banana plants to sit in, some snooze.

3 pm, bored, I say I am going to visit the village, half the mob want to come too. Wait for them to get organised, I feel impatient, then they come along. The village is deserted. Then realise today is Sabbath, so the villagers are probably sleeping. Try to shush the others up. I feel guilty entering the village whilst they sleep. About to leave, three villagers appear, they heard us. I ask ‘did we wake you?’ – ‘yes’ they replied. Had a chat to one called Lester, he seems to be one of the head villagers. Interesting chat about village life. Good interaction. The cassowary chick is brought out for us to look at again. 50 people live in the village, but  no school so the kids have to go several hours walking (on this rough track) to Menari or Nauro No2 villages for school. Simple, but happy life here. None of these villages on the track have electricity. Shopping they must go to Port Moresby, about once every three months. They do not like Port Moresby.  We discuss track politics, support from the trekking companies, fees from the track authority, and support from the track foundation, they thank us for our support to the village they get from the fees that are paid by KTA and KTF through our trek fees. KTF is good, they don’t like KTA though. They have one preacher in the village. Only have a medic two days at week.  The trekking companies got together and have provided each village schoolchild along the track with solar powered portable lights so they can read of a night time.

4 pm back to campsite – freshly made popcorn. 6 pm, clearing sky, nice sunset, enjoy dinner with panoramic scenic views over the valley. Perfect location on the ridge overlooking the village and valleys. There is a giant halo around the moon. Then the Kokoda boys serenade us with five songs again, with great gusto. End of a top day. Gets chilly.

Day 7 – 29^th July 2012

5 am – Wayne’s wakeup call resonates through the camp site. First time I needed waking up. Reduces my pack up and preparation time. Move quickly. But breakfast is late. We are hanging around waiting. Wayne goes off to find out what is going on. Porters slept in. Apologies  from Johnny R the Trek Master (porter team leader). Fresh pancakes, weetbix, nutrigrain, tea. 6:40 am ‘GO GO’ and ‘AUSSIE OIOIOI’ from one of the other porters this time, he enjoys it. Then, move off, steep climb, gets the heart pumping, climb 45 minutes up to a ridgeline. Evidence of more defensive pits on the ridgeline. Then over the top, long way down, start of the Japanese ‘ladders’ – steep climb with myriad slippery tree roots that looks like a long never stopping ladder. More Japanese defensive positions. Then down more to Ofi creek at 10:50 am . This was a famous ambush location (using food supplies as bait) that the Australians caught the starving Japanese at. We are supposed to just have late smoko, but the boys have set-up for lunch and are cooking away. ‘ah well’ Wayne says, ‘these things happen, bit of confusion’. Nice swim, cold and refreshing. Lunch is served, fish pastry wrap (canned tuna), and that doughy round thing (almost solid donut like) that is very nice. Plus the usual canned corn beef, cheese, baked beans, spaghetti, dry biscuits, jam, and vegemite.

12:10 pm, move on, across the creek, then uphill on another Japanese ‘ladder’, then along a narrow ridgeline for sometime to arrive at Ioribaiwa Ridge – this is as far as the Japanese made it. Then downhill  for 38 minutes, into camp at 2 pm at Ioribaiwa. Good campsite, on edge of ridgeline with views west over the valley. Our ‘boys’ played touch footy with great gusto, loud and playful, they are very good. They seem to get more cheerful every day as we near the end. Dinner is pasta and sauce, very nice. The ‘boys’ then have another good sing-along after their dinner.

Day 8 – 30^th July 2012 Monday

Bloody roosters ! 3 am they were crowing. Awake 4 am watching time go by. Start pack 4:45 am. Breakfast is fresh pancakes, weetbix, and tea. 6:30 am the chant cries of ‘AUSSIE OIOIOI’ and GO GO’ are chanted. Downhill trek for 45 minutes. Bird of Paradise calling, but can’t be seen. Lots of other bird calls too. At bottom get to the creek, no bridge. Buddi says ‘boots off’, I say I will leave mine on. This creek we will cross 21 times, and no bridges. Buddi repeats ‘boots off’, I say again ‘ I am okay, leave mine on’, but Buddi then says determinedly ‘boots off’ so I comply. They do not allow rock hopping due to safety, so I must comply. I’m concerned my hopeless water shoes I brought will damage my feet for 21 creek wading crossings. Anyway, start the journey, pretty creek, very green and mossy, rocks, jungle, easy crossings, before long, the 21 crossings are over. That was easy. Boots back on, then climb very steeply up to Imita Ridge – this climbing is easy now after 8 days of it. Good 45 minute workout. Near the crest, the porters had gone ahead, and now brokeout into song to welcome us to the top with ‘Country Road’. Felt great to get to the top, cheering as we got there, the last major hurdle was over.  This was out second last climb of the track, but the last would not be as tough. We all felt great. Imita Ridge is where the Australians had withdrawn to, and were told by High Command no more withdrawals, fight to the death here ! Luckily, the Japanese did not come this far. They were a spent force and retreated themselves. Had smoko here. Then down a long way, this part of the track was known as the ‘Golden Staircase’ and is seen in lot of old war photos – but the ‘staircase’ no longer exists, just a wet steep muddy tree rooted track remains. On the way down we can see Owers Corner (the finish line) in the distance beyond the valley. We pass some villagers carrying galvanised iron sheets up the steep hill, taking it to thier village 3 days walk away. Sturdy people. Then a slight climb for 45 minutes along a ridgeline, then down gently to Goldie River, wade across, and into camp on the other bank at 1:50 pm. Steven my porter fetches my boots and daypack from the other bank. Good bloke.

Swim in the river to freshen up. This is a great spot overlooking the river. The boys construct a massive bonfire set-up for tonight.

We have decided to pool our ‘tip’ money so that not only our personal porters get something but also the general porters and cooks. We put in 100 Kina each, so I collect that and count it. I will present it later. At 4 pm, fresh hot banana cake is served for smoko. Amazing how cooked, I had a look and chat to them about it. Then a commotion, coming into camp are a few of our porters who had disappeared with Wayne earlier, with an esky and fresh rations from Owers Corner. Wayne had ordered fresh rations for our last night delivered by truck to Owers Corner, then portered down to our campsite. And beer ! I protect the esky gamefully, thinking it had the beer – no, Wayne was not back yet and he had the beer. At 5 pm Wayne arrives with Monique (PR girl just here for one night) and the beer. Beer is served. Then we all gather for certificate presentation. Good speech by Wayne to the PNG boys, very proud he is.

Earlier Johnny R (the trek master) told me that when they saw us get off the planes at Kokoda, and they saw the old girls, the porters were very worried it would be a bad trip. But they were surprised by how fit and capable we all were. He said we were very strong and good trekkers.

I then make a speech thanking the PNG boys and present the 1,100 kina ($500 AUD) ‘gratuity’ to Johnny R (he will distribute it to the boys).

Then the certificates are presented to each of us by Wayne. I am the last, and make a speech on behalf of us thanking Wayne and his company Kokoda Spirit.

Dinner was superb chicken drumsticks, sausages and rice. Then to the massive bonfire, songs and more beer. A great day and night.

Day 9 – 31^st July 2012 Tuesday

Awake from 3 am, time watching again. Up 4:45 am. But late start today, supposed to sleep in one hour. Breakfast is scrambled eggs, toast (barely toasted), raw bacon, cereal. We questioned the bacon idea ?  Cooks did not know what the bacon was – thought it was ham. So bacon goes back to them with instructions, returns nicely cooked shortly after.

Monique had high fever at 3 am, still very sick at 7 am. Still in tent.  Her temperature was dangerously high.

7:45 am, waiting for the start chants, we get shortened AUSSIE O IOI OI then LETS GO SHOPPING from the chant porter - what the ? The boys are keen to get to Port Moresby. Wayne says to them ‘so you stayed up all night rehearsing just that ....? (the boys did not sleep during the night; they hung around the big fire all night long). The plan had been they would turn around and walk straight back to Kokoda (3 days walk), but now that are going to spend one night in Port Moresby, this dismays many is our group who fear they will waste their pay and our tip on booze and bad stuff, and their families will get nothing.

Up the final climb now, 45 minutes and it will be over. The climb seems to go on and on. Very humid. Near the crest, the porters stop us and take one hiking pole off the others (not me, I only use one, not two). Then they disappear up the hill. Buddi keeps us here for a while, we sing (badly) Waltzing Matilda. Buddi says ‘lets go’ the we reach the crest at 8:25 and the arched gates of the finish line. The boys had formed a guard of honour with crossed hiking poles arched and palm fronds above, singing as we walked through their guard of honour. It was a great feeling, great end to a superb journey. Then we mill around, sorting gear, gifting gear to our porters. Then all line up and we move along shaking the hands of the porters (not all 26 are here yet, but most are). Lot of smiles and hugs too.  Wayne disappears down the hill. Later he and the remaining porters bring Monique up, they had to carry her most of the way. She is very unwell and will be taken to hospital (eventually). Final pack up, more farewells.

Then we get into the minibus, the boys get into the truck. We the head down the range, superb views of a rugged gorge, onto the dry hot plain to Bomona War Cemetery. We spend some time here. This is the war cemetery where all the Australian dead from the PNG campaigns are buried. Then into Port Moresby and at the hotel at 11:30 am.

We have been extremely lucky to not get any decent rain during the trek. It would have been a lot harder if it had rained.

2:30 pm, the truck returns, we jump in and go for a guided tour of Port Moresby. At the markets we have four of our porters with us as security (pickpockets abound). Then to a supermarket for the bakery and snacks, then drive around the foreshore and city. What a depressing a place. Very third world, and very dirty. Lot of decrepit shanty type houses. Near the harbour luxury apartments are being built, looking out of place. Dry and windy here. Back to the hotel, then beers and dinner (hamburger with cold fries, 31 Kina or $14 AUD).

1^st August 2012 Wednesday

Get the hotel transfer minibus to go to airport. Overloaded. Flat tyre. They get another minis bus. Quick trip to airport, onto the aircraft 9:20 am, back to Cairns, then to Townsville, home by 2:45 pm.

The porters were magnificent and a highlight of the adventure. Battlefield experiences were solemn and sad, but one feels extremely proud of the sacrifices made by our gallant outnumbered troops against a superior and ferocious foe.

Superb trip, great adventure, and wonderful experience.

In the footsteps of Heroes

Courage     Endurance        Mateship   Sacrifice

Lest We Forget