Advertisement
monument
The Monument at Isurava battle siteDay 9 Apr 25 ANZAC DAY
The dawn service started at 0545. Everyone wanted to get there early so they started milling around the memorial at 0500. Crazy.
Kris and I spent the time packing up all the gear we could. I put a coffee on and added a generous serve of rum. I have been carrying that small bottle with me from the start, I bought it duty free at Brisbane just for the occasion of the dawn service. Gun fire breakfast is an Anzac tradition, it is done on Anzac day at dawn. The original Anzacs did exactly that knowing that they could die as they step foot on the beach so a little rum gives them a bit of dutch courage and helps to settle the nerves.
I put on my old beret and we walked down to join the crowd gathering a few meters from our tent. The service was well done and was a fitting tribute to the sacrifices the soldiers at Kokoda and especially the originals Anzacs at Gallipolli in 1915 exactly 100 years ago to the day. The service was supported by a bugler flown in from Brisbane and a
2 flags
A few of the local girls proudly featuring 2 flags that jointly stopped the Japanese invasion lone piper which really set the mood. After the dawn service many people took advantage of the occasion for group photos and mingled chatting but only briefly.
The memorial site is a story in itself. Up until a few years ago the area was lost to the jungle. A group of original Kokoda veterans visited the area and went searching for the Isurava battle site that claimed so many lives and went down in history as a great Anzac victory. They found the site and were disappointed that no monument had been erected to mark the spot. The Australian Government listened and acted.
The Isurava memorial was built in 2002 on the spot where some of the fiercest fighting of the Kokoda campaign in 1942 and just meters from where the first VC was awarded in PNG to Private Kingsbury. The site is now cared for and maintained by the Australian War Graves Commission. It features 4 very large slabs of black granite. Each of these slabs were cut from a quarry in South Australia then polished and shipped to Morseby and flown into to the battle site by heavy lift helicopter, each slab has a different inscription
Anzac Day
After the dawn service at Isurava depicting the four key qualities required of the Kokoda digger. COURAGE, ENDURANCE, MATESHIP, SACRIFICE. The same four qualities required to do the trek today. The Anzacs did it in much more severe circumstances as the Jap snipers were always a menacing problem the small group of untrained diggers stopped a far superior enemy force even though though they were vastly out numbered. Really this battle was literally the battle that saved Australia, if the Japs had not been stopped here then Australia would surely be a different place today. Such is the special significance of Kokoda.
After the service it was clear that most of the trekkers had the same thing on their mind, to get back on the track, there was still about 16 kilometers to go to the finish but it was mostly down hill and the last 10 km is on flat ground. We hit the track with renewed enthusiasm after we had a full day to rest up and we dumped a bit of unwanted kit at Isurava for the locals to use. We dumped the 2 hike tents that were useless anyway and they would be no further use to us. The walk from
Kris with coconut
Kris buys a Coconut to drink on the trek Isurava to Kokoda is about 7 hours for the fast walking local, we did it in 6 hours with next to no stopping, it was a fast pace all the way and we passed about 3 tour groups that departed the battle site 30 mins before us. The rain started again, the last 10 km was just plain hard. Although it was on flat easy track it was boring compared to the big hills behind us. It was almost like we looked forward to another hill (joking). At Deniki village we stopped to buy coconuts, the milk was sweet as honey and we munched on the white lining of the shell as we walked on for our final leg of the journey. I wondered what a coconut beer would taste like.
Finally we could see that we were entering the village of Kokoda. In the distance we could see the big arches resembling a McDonald's burger joint. It was a massive relief to walk through those arches and to realize the trek was now finished. There was a lot of tours here all getting their group photos done. For us our group just consisted of just the two of
Home straight
The long flat journey into Kokoda us. We then had to find our accommodation as we had booked into the Oro Haven retreat. We asked the locals for directions and continued our walk for another 3 km all in heavy rain we were soaked to the core and looking forward to an ice cold beer at the end.
We arrived at Oro Haven and we were surprised to be escorted into the front gate by a group of PNG traditional dancers that led us into the retreat with jungle drums, dancing and music. Awesome stuff!
Then we got the next surprise. NO BLOODY BEER!!!! On Anzac day of all days there was no bloody beer! I could hardly believe it, all this way and no beer. We were the first to arrive (around 1pm) a couple of hours later a large group of trekkers walked in with the same traditional welcome. It wasn't long before they were all looking for the same thing. A cold beer. So we passed the hat around and some lucky bugger had to walk back into town to the local bottle shop to buy a couple of cases of booze. It was a welcome relief finally to get a
finish line
The Arch at Kokoda to mark the finish of the track well deserved coldy down the neck to mark the occasion. I asked why is that there is no beer? The reason is that a while back some of the trekkers wanted to shout the local porters a drink for their efforts, they over indulged and things got out of hand. They ended up rioting and wrecking the entire place, after smashing all the fridges etc. I could understand the reluctance to have beer but surely on Anzac day of all days they could manage it better than that. Shit happens.
DAY 10 Apr 26
Next morning was a very early start 0300 we loaded everyone into a PMV (Public Motor Vehicle) style truck and it was a 4 hour trip down a bumpy track to Popendetta. The other group had an early flight booked so we had to tag along even though our flight was not until 4 in the afternoon. It meant we were 8 hours early to the airport. There was nothing at the airport, so we got a lift back into town and booked into a hotel room. We enjoyed a meal, cold beers and watched footy on TV in an air
Welcome Dance
A PNG traditional welcome at Kokoda conditioned room, had a shower then got a ride back to the Popendetta airport again
We got our flight back to Moresby booked into the hotel again. We rested the night, packed all our stuff and got ride to the Port Moresby airport next morning. Then the long day of flying to get home. Moresby to Brisbane then Sydney and Perth. The following day I was back home in Bali to start my recovery.
SUMMARY After a lifetime ambition I finally achieved what i set out to do. I am glad that I made the effort to do this trek. It was a very difficult challenge for myself for a variety of reasons. I did not adequately prepare myself physically, I had sickness from day one and I was carrying too much load. However we both achieved it virtually on our own. I want to thank my son Kris who did the entire journey carrying his own back pack and he did it easily (well more easily than myself at least). Kris definitely produced the goods when he needed to. At times he carried some of my stuff up the hills to share the weight.
Mixing with the locals
At kokoda getting the drum We both fell on our arses several times into the slippery muddy track. Sometime tempers were pushed to the limit as we struggled up hills in rain drenched clothing to make deadlines. We risked drowning and injury trying to cross some of those improvised bridges. We encouraged each other to keep going and I know that I could not have achieved this trip without the great assistance of Kris. Thanks mate your a champion and I'm proud of you. You displayed the 4 key qualities of a Kokoda digger. Courage, Endurance, Mateship and Sacrifice. I asked Kris if he would ever do it again. He wasn't too keen. I know he lost 4 kg during the trip while I shed 6 kg (So im not such fat bastard any more.) Maybe one day when Kris is 60 he could do the trip with his son, he may see things in a different way.
The trip will provide memories for the rest of my life. Not many people have ever seen this place, even fewer can say they have walked the track. Only a small handful of people have done the trek on their own without guides or porters. Now
Pet stick
The souvenir sticks carved for us I can understand why but it is something that we are proud of. We are also proud of the tribute that one of the locals did for us. He hand carved a couple of bush sticks with our names on it, he was impressed that we attempted the trip on our own. Just a small memento that will be treasured. Thanks to Guy, great job.
RECOMMENDATIONS/TIPS If you ever get the chance to do this trek do it. Prepare well. You wont regret it. Allow 10 Kina per person per night at each camp site (for guesthouse or tent site) Don't carry a pack over 15Kg
LINK TO VIDEOS & PHOTOS Dropbox files
Advertisement
Tot: 0.089s; Tpl: 0.01s; cc: 5; qc: 51; dbt: 0.0424s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Nieuwy
non-member comment
Awesome read Al
Big Al, Incredible effort, well done. There is nothing much more to say. An achievement you will always be proud of and I am sure a bond with your lad that was deepened for life.