Bendigo Senior SC Inaugural Kokoda Trek June 26-July 7 2014
“We think of them with sorrow and with pride but there should be a third feeling stronger than grief, greater than pride. A sense of fullness and of achievement. To us, their lives may seem to have been severely shortened, yet in truth they were full lives. It is not how many years a man lives that matters but what he does with the years-many or few-that are granted to him. And those who sleep here did much with theirs”. Lt Col Phil Roden, OC 2/14th Battalion AIF.
These words were shared at Bomana War Cemetery after the haunting sounds of The Last Post, Reveille and Amazing Grace. Lt Col Roden’s message would be the theme of our trip: a narrative constructed to highlight that the 623 Australians who paid the supreme sacrifice along the track were in fact individual men with a collective purpose. They were someone’s son, brother, sweetheart, husband. Each had their own story to tell. They were ordinary men who did extraordinary deeds. Some died quietly in their brother’s arms, others horrifically in the arms of their mates, yet others alone in the jungle, whispering the names of their children or wife. My challenge to the BSSC students and staff was a simple one: having walked in their footsteps, stood where they stood, heard their narrative, each of us now have an obligation, a responsibility, to go home to our families and share their story, because in doing so the 623 fallen in fact live on through our life, and did not die in vain. Kokoda changes you forevermore……
Students Paige, Shoshanna-Lee, Samantha, Ella, Mason, Zachary, James and Nathaniel were joined by staff Daniel and Jannah. All had worked hard in preparing for their trip, and enthusiastically staggered from the plane in Moresby excited about the looming adventure. 10 degrees in Melbourne, 32 in Moresby! Arriving in Kokoda is always a highlight, meeting the porters and getting an initial taste for the terrain on the short sharp climb to Deniki. Of course Isurava was a highlight, made all the more special in Alola that same night as the students found themselves immersed in a village touch rugby game and sing-sing. What an emotional day!
Day 3 is always a challenge, and for Samantha it would represent an entirely new set of adventures as she battled an injury. Once again our magnificent porter team arose to save the day, with a horizontal stretcher ride in the night amidst pouring rain and the ever-present muddy slopes followed by a thrilling helicopter ride. My first helicopter ride, accompanied by teacher Jannah, to Efogi meant that we were able to rejoin the group just before the taxing climb up to Mission Ridge and Brigade Hill. Never a dull moment on the track!
A feature of our schools program is the two day stopover in Kagi, where the students were engaged in traditional village activities (“this is not Sovereign Hill, its real”) including gathering wood, working on the farms and the ever-present nightly singing ritual. It was heartening for me to see the bond that had so readily developed between the students and people of Kagi. “We love you” echoed amongst the hills as the students walked out of Kagi for the final time.
A beauty salon was temporarily opened by Jannah in Nauro, featuring sugar exfoliation, cucumber eye care and avocado facials. Kokoda does strange things to most people!
An emotional finish at Owers concluded an amazing adventure. Pre-trek I had thanked each student’s parents for their investment in their child’s future, promising that their child would return from their Kokoda experience changed. Observing their emotion at Owers as they contemplated their amazing achievement, I’m confident that Kokoda has changed them forever. I know it has me……..
Andrew Flanagan
Expedition Guide
No Roads Expeditions
andrewf@noroads.com.au
“We think of them with sorrow and with pride but there should be a third feeling stronger than grief, greater than pride. A sense of fullness and of achievement. To us, their lives may seem to have been severely shortened, yet in truth they were full lives. It is not how many years a man lives that matters but what he does with the years-many or few-that are granted to him. And those who sleep here did much with theirs”. Lt Col Phil Roden, OC 2/14th Battalion AIF.
These words were shared at Bomana War Cemetery after the haunting sounds of The Last Post, Reveille and Amazing Grace. Lt Col Roden’s message would be the theme of our trip: a narrative constructed to highlight that the 623 Australians who paid the supreme sacrifice along the track were in fact individual men with a collective purpose. They were someone’s son, brother, sweetheart, husband. Each had their own story to tell. They were ordinary men who did extraordinary deeds. Some died quietly in their brother’s arms, others horrifically in the arms of their mates, yet others alone in the jungle, whispering the names of their children or wife. My challenge to the BSSC students and staff was a simple one: having walked in their footsteps, stood where they stood, heard their narrative, each of us now have an obligation, a responsibility, to go home to our families and share their story, because in doing so the 623 fallen in fact live on through our life, and did not die in vain. Kokoda changes you forevermore……
Students Paige, Shoshanna-Lee, Samantha, Ella, Mason, Zachary, James and Nathaniel were joined by staff Daniel and Jannah. All had worked hard in preparing for their trip, and enthusiastically staggered from the plane in Moresby excited about the looming adventure. 10 degrees in Melbourne, 32 in Moresby! Arriving in Kokoda is always a highlight, meeting the porters and getting an initial taste for the terrain on the short sharp climb to Deniki. Of course Isurava was a highlight, made all the more special in Alola that same night as the students found themselves immersed in a village touch rugby game and sing-sing. What an emotional day!
Day 3 is always a challenge, and for Samantha it would represent an entirely new set of adventures as she battled an injury. Once again our magnificent porter team arose to save the day, with a horizontal stretcher ride in the night amidst pouring rain and the ever-present muddy slopes followed by a thrilling helicopter ride. My first helicopter ride, accompanied by teacher Jannah, to Efogi meant that we were able to rejoin the group just before the taxing climb up to Mission Ridge and Brigade Hill. Never a dull moment on the track!
A feature of our schools program is the two day stopover in Kagi, where the students were engaged in traditional village activities (“this is not Sovereign Hill, its real”) including gathering wood, working on the farms and the ever-present nightly singing ritual. It was heartening for me to see the bond that had so readily developed between the students and people of Kagi. “We love you” echoed amongst the hills as the students walked out of Kagi for the final time.
A beauty salon was temporarily opened by Jannah in Nauro, featuring sugar exfoliation, cucumber eye care and avocado facials. Kokoda does strange things to most people!
An emotional finish at Owers concluded an amazing adventure. Pre-trek I had thanked each student’s parents for their investment in their child’s future, promising that their child would return from their Kokoda experience changed. Observing their emotion at Owers as they contemplated their amazing achievement, I’m confident that Kokoda has changed them forever. I know it has me……..
Andrew Flanagan
Expedition Guide
No Roads Expeditions
andrewf@noroads.com.au
