NUIGINI ------- BUNA ... KOKODA TRAIL ... GOROKA SHOW

[Deleted member 29185]

My father was in that fight for Isurava with the 2/16. This is giving me a good idea of what he faced - and he was 38 when he did it.

This trek instilled in me, the greatest of admiration and also the greatest of sympathy and sadness for the men who fought in these conditions. At Bomana War Cemetery, whilst walking amongst the rows of headstones, I was deeply affected by the ages of the fallen, carved into the stone for eternity ... 18, 21, 23, 19, 26, 24 etc ... A terrible toll for young men cut down and never to live their lives to the full. We all owe these people a great debt that we can never repay. At 38, your father would have been one of the old timers of the battalions!

Well we have one thing in common-I am also absolutely no good uphill but still can run downhill.Some passing me on the uphills make snide remarks as they pass.they get double back on the downhills.
But this TR made me remember my Dad's old books printed by the War Museum during the war.These are the 42 and 43 editions that cover Kokoda including men's own stories.

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Hard not to have a tear in the eye with some of the stories especially those involving the Papuans.On reaching a village often the elderly were bayonetted,the young men who had not run into the bush press ganged as porters and young women taken off.The porters often got their own back when the Japanese were running out of food pointing out the poisonous berries and leaves as good food supplies.
Really enjoying this TR.

I was never really into war books or stories. I certainly appreciated the hardships and the sacrifices endured (or at least I thought I did), but after this, I'm more interested in doing a bit more reading on the subject. I think many of us have been made somewhat ambivalent to war stories by Hollywood, with the earlier war flicks often downplaying the horror or even romanticising the "adventure" and then later the movies seem to be trying to outdo each other with graphic gore, made possible with advanced CGI and special effects and over the top swearing being their modus operandi, which IMHO detracts from the story. True, genuine accounts from those present seem to be the better option in gaining an understanding of the truth of these historical events. I said above that we owe an enormous debt that we cannot repay ... I guess that is not entirely true. We can remember the sacrifices made and learn from them so that the deaths and the ongoing torment for the survivors was not in vain. Perhaps we need to organise a trek for Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump...

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Another 6am start saw us pushing on past Wase campsite and up and over Kokoda Gap.



Another spot to try to capture the steepness. The person on the track below me (in the above pic) is one of our group, over the other side of the river that is directly below me (taking the pic). the track down to the river, drops directly beneath me and over another of these fabulous bridges. They're actually fairly sturdy and I love the rustic look!







After our previous couple of big (and hard days), this one was a casual 6 hours. Our destination was 1900 campsite to which we arrived in at lunchtime and that allowed all afternoon to wash clothes, dry clothes (more important than washing them, actually) and generally just relax! 1900 is an attractive spot right on a creek and I must say, I think I preferred the campsites to the villages as most villages are up off the watercourses some way (read up a big hill).



Washing day at 1900!


The two nurses in our group ran clinic that afternoon and treated mainly the porters who thought all their Christmases had come at once! Bandaids were applied by the dozen and even a rather large boil was treated (which cleared up exceptionally well by trek end).



Clinics in!


The Buna lads were in a particularly jovial mood that day and set up some traditional dances ... just for us! I found out later the two dances were about love and scabies! Some combination!!



The music was complements of John Wain (wearing blue malo with his back to us) on guitar and Stanlos (white t-shirt) who was simply magic on the pan flutes (he used to play in a church choir).



Some Uno was played and we all generally had a great rest afternoon!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Moving on from 1900, we set our early morning sights to Naduri for smoko and then on to Efogi for a late lunch and to call it a day there. We were certainly greeted this morning, with some truly sweeping views of the Owen Stanley range and made us all glad we continued with the 6am start even though today was to be another short(ish) trek.




The cloud shrouded ranges peeling out in front of us.




Greg, Alisha and of course John Wain wih his ever present guitar, contemplating the next downhill!





View across to the morning mist rising off Kagi Village.

The thick wooded jungle of Mt Bellamy had now given way to open woodlands and we see signs of the famous PNG gardening. PNG is thought to be one of the worlds oldest civilisations to farm the land and they do it exceptionally well.



Our famous track cook, Sam ... checking out the market garden! The fence is built to keep the wild pigs out. The gardens here are on some huge slopes ... no John Deere is going to cut it on these paddocks!



In comparison to previous days, today seemed to represent a casual stroll in the park!



Arriving into Naduri for morning tea provided us a great view of where we had just walked over the past 3 or so hours ... The cloud covered Mt Bellamy rising up behind us.

 

[kermatu]

Incredible stuff so far. Thank you. Thoroughly enjoying the journey.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

After a rest and a bite to eat, I found out I had to eat my words about a casual stroll in the park! The track out of Naduri was a massive downhill. I was happy, sure beats going up again, and my spirits were hugely boosted by .... an Adventure Kokoda trekking party coming in the opposite direction. Included in this party is the Kokoda Trail famous trekker Charlie Lynn, the owner of Adventure Kokoda and probably the single biggest advocate for the Kokoda trail and the people connected with it, and with a host of treks under his belt! That group, including Charlie, looked absolutely stuffed and all I could think was "Yea! I'm going downhill". (Sorry Charlie)



Of course my elation (not really the right choice of word there) was short lived and before we got to Efogi, we did have to tackle more uphills and the sight of Efogi Village was very welcome, I can tell you !



If you look at the pic above, this is very representative of so many parts of the track. You can see just a bit of sky and a ridge line and you think "great, it's just up there and we'll have a flat section". Sadly, more often than not, you finally get there, absolutely worn out, only to find it's a false peak and a few metre further and you start yet another uphill!






Efogi Village is perfectly presented and manicured and the villagers are no doubt justly proud. We even had a private shower here! The walk for today was a similar time as yesterday, about 6 hours, so we had time to charge our electronics, buy fruit and even had an impromptu game of rugby with the Buna Boys (for the first time, the dinner took second place ... rugby slotted in No.1). For those that asked before the trek, I can now confirm that charging stations are available on the track, however it is only USB charging, no power points, and the stations are only in villages, not campgrounds.



Efogi charging station, which is representative of all the village charging stations. The roof houses two solar panels and the USB chargers are 5V, 3.1A varieties x 10 and the charging stations also have a long range USB radio which are supposedly monitored 24/7 and on the reverse is a notice board and a track map with a red arrow to show where you are!

Efogi was a bit different as it also included tree houses, which were unusual (I hadn't seen them until Efogi). I know further east in PNG, tree houses are often used as it is believed the spirits of the dead come out at night and inhabit the ground levels. Here in Efogi, I'm not entirely sure if that is the same. I have the feeling these tree houses are the "bachelor pads" of the associated family. Once married, the new couple move into the "bikpela haus", but up until then, the boys bunk up together and I think this is more the case here.





Papua New Guineans love sport and league is right up there at the top (and of course, the vast majority, when not supporting the PNG Hunters, are Maroon fans ... yes! Scroll back and check out the flag on our Buna - Kokoda truck ). Any opportunity to have a game is eagerly taken up and this one sprung up right on dusk, right in the middle of the Owen Stanley Ranges! How good it that!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Another 6am start to day and upon leaving Efogi, we had yet another climb, however this time, it was heading up to Brigade hill, so I wasn't quite so grumpy about it. I was however stuffed (as usual) and nearly headbutted Kiplin's pack when he came to an abrupt stop! "Did you hear that" he whispered? All I could hear was my pounding heart pushing copious quantities of blood around my ear drums, but as I strained to listen, I did hear it ... "Dogs?" I replied. "Yes" was the simple reply and on walked. Up a hill and around a bend the group had come to a stop and David proudly displayed a bandicoot he had rescued from the dogs. For a fleeting moment I thought it a great humanitarian thing he had done, until I realised it was dead and his look of delight meant one thing ... fresh meat for dinner!



Suddenly the guys seemed quite excited and from way up the hill even I heard it ... dogs and a pig squeal. The boys had the packs down and were off into the heavy undergrowth in a heartbeat. Looking up this impossible gradient that they had just disappeared into, I had no doubt that hunt would all be in vain and the so the rest of us continued on toward brigade hill.

Willie (the track lead) had stopped and was showing us a tree with a cave like area under where a Japanese soldier had taken refuge (cover that proved to save his life) when in the distance, we heard the unmistakable strumming of John Wain's guitar and some happy sounding singing. Before long, our intrepid team came strolling down the hill as happy as Larry, with a wild pig slung between them! Looks like the bandicoot had company on the dinner table tonight and poor old wild dogs lost two meals in quick succession!

Just tried to embed a video, but in case it doesn't work (I'm not entirely convinced) here is the photo...



So with dinner sorted (it was pretty good too!), we continued on to Brigade Hill.



Down off the hill the pig was distributed for weight between the cooks, and off they ran to start cooking dinner in camp!

 

[Steady]

The video worked for me, enjoying your report

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Brigade Hill was another brilliant view, but sad nonetheless, however it was a very welcome smoko stop. After the break we pushed on to Menari Village for lunch. We didn't stay here, which was a bit of a shame, Menari is a very friendly and quant village and it would have been nice to hang about for a while. The track comes into Menari along the side of the runway.



We had a great time giving the kids balloons and stickers as tattoos.



Staying here was not to be however and we had to move on after lunch. Next stop Agulogo Village.



Track lead Willie and Mr Music, John Wain.



Arriving at Agulogo, the first order of the afternoon was a tub!



And like all the track villages, the residents were welcoming, friendly and exceptionally cute! At no time during the whole trek did we ever even feel remotely uneasy and at one point Lisa lost her iPhone, which was promptly returned to her by one of our porters. Stories of somewhat less than salubrious behaviour in PNG is mostly in POM and Lae and the highlands. For the most part, my experiences are that the PNG people are friendly, inquisitive and rich with culture that they are more than happy to share. A paradise in many respects.

The following morning started with a sedate river crossing and then casually eased us into the day with a trail following the river flats. Very pretty and very EASY!!!!



The casual walk led into a wonderful lunch on the river bank, with the guys cooking up a storm (let me see, Mint Lamb and veges and Honey Soy Chicken if I recall ... dehydrated packs are one of those modern miracles!!)



Our champion cooking team ... Sam (sitting), Joe (green shirt), Chris (red shirt), Marjin (All black) and Peter (chopping wood behind).



18YO Peter. What a machine. He was kitchen hand, wood chopper, porter and runner. The runner moves as quickly as they can to the next camp ground to reserve the best spot for the tents or (as in our case) reserve the gest haus! Oh to be young and fit again!

 

[love_the_life]

Not sure about that last river crossing? Is that on a thin log only??

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I'm actually proud of myself. I managed to post the last bit without mentioning the bloody great up hill that near killed me! Between the river flats and the lunch time river break was in fact a monumental hill (Maguli Range) an almost 2000feet (600m) vertical climb for the morning. It wrecked me of course, but why I'm so blasé about it was that there was an equally huge downhill into our Ofi Creek lunch stop and I beat the rest by a good 1/2 hour

Also, there was only 3 big uphills left (yes, I was counting them down). The downside was though, the afternoon had in store for us the next biggy ... not huge, just horrendously steep, but I'd then have my favoured downhill into Ioribaiwa Village, to which I was quite looking forward, being that was the closest the Japanese got to Port Moresby.



Ioribaiwa didn't disappoint and we ended the day with a magical sunset over Port Moresby.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Last full day of trekking. Ioribaiwa to Good water camp. I guess I really don't have to mention the uphill to kick the day off, do I?

And what an uphill it was, Imita Ridge (left in the sunset pic above) ... on and on and on and on! But I won't go on!

Let's move on to Good Water. A nice campground, but we'd seen plenty better water than good water.



Lisa and willie at Good Water campground.



The totals in the end were 4 Papuan black snakes (pic of one above), 2 sightings of Birds of Paradise, 1 leech (on me) not to mention 1 Bandicoot and 1 wild pig. I had no mozzie bites but some of the others complained about a few bites from time to time.

Then it was just a crossing of the Goldie River and the last climb up to Owers Corner and it was over! Talk about conflicting emotions!



The Buna lads put on a sing-sing for us as we crossed the finish line!




Finished, alive and no injuries!



Where did that spurt of energy come from??



Sangas and champers for brunch!



Go for it John Wain!!

 

[drron]

What a brilliant trip report.My favourite.I would so like to have been beside you but the chances of a hill really killing me were a little too much

 

[Dr Bob]

What a fantastic read. Thanks. I had to take this of my bucket list a few years back but reading this has inspired me to work hard & try & get it back on.

 

[OZDUCK]

Thank you very much for this report. You must have really worked hard in preparation for the trek. The photos were excellent and showed how tough the terrain is. Well done for the photos, your interesting observations and for completing your hard slog through the jungle.

 

[romney]

Fantastic trip report! I have wanted to do this for a few years now - I think I had better get onto it soon before I am unable to do it! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Not sure about that last river crossing? Is that on a thin log only??

Yes it was, however that pic was a little bit of photographic license! Roy and some of the boys walked it without the safety net ... for the rest of us, they strung a rope out for us to balance off! Mind you, I got across without touching the rope, but I think the rope definitely gave the "mental" confidence!

What a fantastic read. Thanks. I had to take this of my bucket list a few years back but reading this has inspired me to work hard & try & get it back on.

Well worth it, I can assure you. Already the memories seem to be dropping off the pain and torture of those bloody uphills!

Thank you very much for this report. You must have really worked hard in preparation for the trek. The photos were excellent and showed how tough the terrain is. Well done for the photos, your interesting observations and for completing your hard slog through the jungle.

Thanks for the complements (everyone in fact). I thought I did a lot of prep work, but as it turned out ... not enough!

Fantastic trip report! I have wanted to do this for a few years now - I think I had better get onto it soon before I am unable to do it! Thanks for sharing.

If anyone does want to contemplate this trek, Roy is progressing well with his new company. He does not yet have a web presence (that will be resolved in coming months) but I can say we had not just one or two, but many comments coming from other trekking party members that we passed on the track of the like "I wish we knew of your group ... you seem to have so much fun!" and I can say, we did! Our team is a genuine family company. All the porters were related and all were from Buna. The camaraderie was great and genuine. This was like trekking with old friends.

If anyone wants to take it further, PM me and I'll get your details through to Roy. He is actively planning next years treks.

 

[amaroo]

Great adventure, report, and photos - thanks for posting!

Now to show No1 son.....

 

[QF WP]

Yes we did, I believe! The image is fairly blurred, but some of those look like the group which was walking the same direction (Kokoda to Owers Cnr) and our paths crossed from time to time. Let them know we were the group with the guitar playing porters that did the war cry each morning and see if it was them! If my memory serves me, we both stayed at Templetons Crossing No.1 camp (on Thurs 7/9) and I have the feeling we may have met them again at the end (at Owers Cnr on the morning of the 13/9).

If it is them, I wouldn't mind getting in contact with them, as the group I'm thinking of were a fun group as well!

Checking with one of them now

Her reply:

We walked Owers to Kokoda so opposite direction. I think we did cross paths with this group. If they all wore red shirts at Templetons then yes we did.

 

[QF WP]

Papua New Guineans love sport and league is right up there at the top (and of course, the vast majority, when not supporting the PNG Hunters, are Maroon fans ... yes! Scroll back and check out the flag on our Buna - Kokoda truck ). Any opportunity to have a game is eagerly taken up and this one sprung up right on dusk, right in the middle of the Owen Stanley Ranges! How good it that!

They'd be beside themselves yesterday afternoon then - in the second half of the Q-Cup, the Hunters came from 10-0 down to beat the Sunshine Coast team 12-10.

 

[QF WP]

Another 6am start to day and upon leaving Efogi, we had yet another climb, however this time, it was heading up to Brigade hill, so I wasn't quite so grumpy about it. I was however stuffed (as usual) and nearly headbutted Kiplin's pack when he came to an abrupt stop! "Did you hear that" he whispered? All I could hear was my pounding heart pushing copious quantities of blood around my ear drums, but as I strained to listen, I did hear it ... "Dogs?" I replied. "Yes" was the simple reply and on walked. Up a hill and around a bend the group had come to a stop and David proudly displayed a bandicoot he had rescued from the dogs. For a fleeting moment I thought it a great humanitarian thing he had done, until I realised it was dead and his look of delight meant one thing ... fresh meat for dinner!

Suddenly the guys seemed quite excited and from way up the hill even I heard it ... dogs and a pig squeal. The boys had the packs down and were off into the heavy undergrowth in a heartbeat. Looking up this impossible gradient that they had just disappeared into, I had no doubt that hunt would all be in vain and the so the rest of us continued on toward brigade hill.

Willie (the track lead) had stopped and was showing us a tree with a cave like area under where a Japanese soldier had taken refuge (cover that proved to save his life) when in the distance, we heard the unmistakable strumming of John Wain's guitar and some happy sounding singing. Before long, our intrepid team came strolling down the hill as happy as Larry, with a wild pig slung between them! Looks like the bandicoot had company on the dinner table tonight and poor old wild dogs lost two meals in quick succession!

So with dinner sorted (it was pretty good too!), we continued on to Brigade Hill.

Down off the hill the pig was distributed for weight between the cooks, and off they ran to start cooking dinner in camp!

Video showing some pretty happy lads with fresh kill trussed and slung on the branch. I'd take wild pig over bandicoot, but I hope they were both well cooked