KOKODA TRIBUTE
I meet the group for the first of this year’s Kokoda
Treks in early February. A warm morning in Melbourne’s Dandenong Ranges is the start of a journey that will take 6 months to complete. After
friendly handshakes and introductions we start our
first ascent. These training walks that I host are an
essential, and enjoyable part of preparing to walk
through the formidable Owen Stanley Range of
Papua New Guinea, from one side to the other.
The closer we get to the trek, the length and intensity of the training increases, as does the fitness and
morale of the group. By the middle of July when we
meet for the last session, the improvement in everyone’s well being is visible, friendships made,and I
leave them to head for PNG confident in their ability to complete one of the most arduous walking
treks in the world. Everyone is ready to go.
Upon leaving Jackson’s airport in Port Moresby,we
can all feel the change in conditions. Heat and humidity are mixed with the smells and sounds of a
vibrant country. Arms wave and faces smile as we
drive past, and the warmth of the people already
outweighs the temperature. After a brief tour of the
city, the real journey begins.
Entering the Bomana War Cemetery the headstones of hundreds of Australian, Papuan and Allied
forces from WWII appear, surrounded by pristine
lawns and foliage. The experience is emotional,
confronting, extremely humbling and a big part of
the reason we are here. The Kokoda Track is about
far more than the challenge of walking it. It has a
life of its own. History and culture, mountains and
rainforest, and some of the friendliest and generous
people on the planet.
Our first night is spent at the Sogeri Lodge which is
located up on the Sogeri Plateau some 40 km north
of Port Moresby. Here we prepare for setting off
to begin the trek the next morning, and meet the
modern day Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels who will accompany, and support us for the entire trek. A 45 minute drive brings us to Owers Corner, and the start
of the trek. In the early morning light, the mist rising
from the valley floor below can still hide the ranges
beyond, and as it burns off, the task ahead comes
into view. Lines of steep jungle clad ridges appear
and the Track disappears through the Kunai grass
as the first descent begins. Slipping and sliding, trying to maintain control can be a tough introduction
to what lies ahead, but with the care of a local and
concentration, we melt into the jungle and experience the magic of the track for the first time.
Early in the afternoon we have climbed our first
ridge, and stand in the saddle of Imita Ridge, where
in 1942 the Diggers were ordered to withdraw no
further, and fight to the last if necessary. It is here I
believe the gravity of the situation, and the task the
Diggers had before them, comes into the conciousness of all of us there. l am asked how the wounded
got to safety: Papuan Carriers with immeasurable
care, compassion and strength did the job, immortalised by their actions, and the poem, The Fuzzy
Wuzzy Angels by Sapper Bert Berros.
Another steep descent takes us into the picturesque
Ua-Ule Creek where the relatively flat ground is a
welcome respite. Our first campsite by the creek,
and a refreshing waterhole complete our first taste
of the Track. As light begins at 6am, and darkness at
6pm, its early to bed and early to rise. The kettle is
already boiled by our wonderful cook, and the carriers help to get all the trekkers organised for day 2.