Many people have travelled around the world but there comes a time when they want to do take the track less travelled, to have an adventure in a country they’ve heard a bit about that is so very unique with its amazing culture, beautiful scenery and which is the iconic site where the Aussies made a stand for Australia in World War II. That strong desire to trek The Kokoda Track and to discover this part of the world is strong for those who love adventure, history, and an incredible challenge.
Group 39 – what an amazing group – all from Victoria!! 4 Ironman ladies (Julie, Naomi, Lindsay and Sam) decided that Kokoda was their next big challenge. Two of them brought their teenage sons (Luca and Natan). Brent, having already walked the track in 2009, brought his teenage son, Seth, to experience the Track for himself. Linda and Caity both had wanted to do the Track for years and were now getting their chance.
Day 1 saw us up very, very early on the early morning flight to Popondetta. The plane had 4 No Roads Expedition groups on it and so the packs and boxes of food had to be carefully managed with a colour coding system. Arriving in Popondetta we jumped on respective trucks, all beautifully adorned with local flowers, and began the 3 hour trip to Kokoda, being greeted by the friendly locals along the roadside. Arriving in Kokoda, we lunched then visited the Kokoda plateau and the museum and then finally set off at a brisk pace. The group was so happy to begin trekking finally and to get moving, but after walking for about an hour, a radio message advised us that both Deniki and Hoi were full and that we would need to set up camp at Kovelo and so, the tents were erected, a beautiful meal made but the accompanying red wine would be put on hold for another 10 days much to the dismay of one or possibly more of our trekkers!
Day 2 and the group was ready for a full day’s trekking, anxious to test our endurance and strength. We trekked to Isurava to learn of the heroic yet sad tales of our boys at the Battle of Isurava. We then trekked through beautiful choko vine hillsides, visited Con’s Rock and Butch Bisset’s Memorial site then continued to trek and sweat our way to Alola where we camped at Dalo campsite. Some of the local children were excited to receive toothbrushes and toothpaste from the dentist in our group, Naomi. Session 1 of group yoga was held as our very own yoga teacher, Julie, helped us get into positions previously unheard of to stretch our muscles and soothe our minds. A very interesting cultural talk outlining Bride Price, portering, farming, hunting, village life followed dinner and then early to bed. What a wonderful daily routine we were becoming accustomed to already!
Day 3 we awoke to a choral choir of clanging bowls – we had requested an alarm of sorts after oversleeping the first morning. Today had the usual mix of trekking, steep downhill to begin, followed by mostly up, up, up and some serious downs. Lunch at Templetons 2 and after a short trek to Templetons 1 we set up camp and washed excitedly in the icy cold creek, washing the sweat off and numbing our muscles to the hard work they had endured during the day. Finding a smooth rock to sit on in the middle of the creek, several of us sat with our lower bodies in the icy water and chatted – it was a beautiful afternoon, the scenery was amazing and everyone was happy and relaxed!
Group 39 – what an amazing group – all from Victoria!! 4 Ironman ladies (Julie, Naomi, Lindsay and Sam) decided that Kokoda was their next big challenge. Two of them brought their teenage sons (Luca and Natan). Brent, having already walked the track in 2009, brought his teenage son, Seth, to experience the Track for himself. Linda and Caity both had wanted to do the Track for years and were now getting their chance.
Day 1 saw us up very, very early on the early morning flight to Popondetta. The plane had 4 No Roads Expedition groups on it and so the packs and boxes of food had to be carefully managed with a colour coding system. Arriving in Popondetta we jumped on respective trucks, all beautifully adorned with local flowers, and began the 3 hour trip to Kokoda, being greeted by the friendly locals along the roadside. Arriving in Kokoda, we lunched then visited the Kokoda plateau and the museum and then finally set off at a brisk pace. The group was so happy to begin trekking finally and to get moving, but after walking for about an hour, a radio message advised us that both Deniki and Hoi were full and that we would need to set up camp at Kovelo and so, the tents were erected, a beautiful meal made but the accompanying red wine would be put on hold for another 10 days much to the dismay of one or possibly more of our trekkers!
Day 2 and the group was ready for a full day’s trekking, anxious to test our endurance and strength. We trekked to Isurava to learn of the heroic yet sad tales of our boys at the Battle of Isurava. We then trekked through beautiful choko vine hillsides, visited Con’s Rock and Butch Bisset’s Memorial site then continued to trek and sweat our way to Alola where we camped at Dalo campsite. Some of the local children were excited to receive toothbrushes and toothpaste from the dentist in our group, Naomi. Session 1 of group yoga was held as our very own yoga teacher, Julie, helped us get into positions previously unheard of to stretch our muscles and soothe our minds. A very interesting cultural talk outlining Bride Price, portering, farming, hunting, village life followed dinner and then early to bed. What a wonderful daily routine we were becoming accustomed to already!
Day 3 we awoke to a choral choir of clanging bowls – we had requested an alarm of sorts after oversleeping the first morning. Today had the usual mix of trekking, steep downhill to begin, followed by mostly up, up, up and some serious downs. Lunch at Templetons 2 and after a short trek to Templetons 1 we set up camp and washed excitedly in the icy cold creek, washing the sweat off and numbing our muscles to the hard work they had endured during the day. Finding a smooth rock to sit on in the middle of the creek, several of us sat with our lower bodies in the icy water and chatted – it was a beautiful afternoon, the scenery was amazing and everyone was happy and relaxed!
Day 4 we awoke to the coldest morning on the track – this was the highest altitude we would sleep at. Preparing to start trekking we heard not 1, not 2 but 3 No Roads porter teams doing the No Roads chant around 6 am from various parts of the Templetons 2 valley – what a wonderful sound and so inspiring! Walking through The Moss Forest, one of the many highlights of the Track, left us in stunned by its beauty. The Old Man’s Beard hanging from many of the trees adds to the mystique and charm of this place. For our loop out to Myola today we had 5 members of the Benalla group join us and their camaraderie were most welcome. Later that day we walked into Kagi, our home for 2 nights. We were so humbled yet excited to be welcomed by Havala, the last surviving Fuzzy Wuzzy. After chatting with Havala and securing precious photographs with him, we were then welcomed by the Kagi choir of mums and children singing songs of welcome and presenting us with beautifully handcrafted leis.
Day 5 – The Sabbath. After a bit of sleep in, a more leisurely breakfast and a yoga session with amazing views, we joined the locals for their church service. The singing was delightful and the sight of our guides and porters sharing the Sabbath with their families was moving. We then had a leisurely day lounging around our campsite. Luca, Natan and Seth carved their sticks with their pen knives, some of us washed clothes and walked around the village and then we had delicious pizzas for dinner. In the evening outside the church our 3 No Roads groups were sung to by over 40 children and young adults from the local choir. Their songs were so entertaining and we loved to see how much they really enjoyed singing and how this simple joy brought so much fun to their lives. The Student Packs, educational items and gifts were handed out and an unforgettable time was had by everyone!!
Day 6 was the day we actually worked out that the baby crying noise every morning was not an actual baby but was a phone alarm to wake us. Hmmm. The morning saw us starting off on a steep decline out of Kagi as we trekked towards Efogi. At Efogi 1 we visited the museum and were so impressed to see, touch, and lift these war relics and to further imagine the lives of our boys during the war. The Bren gun base was so damn heavy to lift that I can’t imagine running with it and firing!!! We then trekked into Brigade Hill where we held a very moving service with the Benalla Group. The battle history and strategy were explained, poems of hardship and loss were read and then each of us wandered around Butcher’s Hill with its’ poppy topped stakes paying our respects to these courageous men… our hearts aching with sadness and loss. After arriving at our campsite at Menari we had front row seats to the No Roads Porter Team Soccer Challenge – I think our team won but not sure! A reverse cultural talk tonight drew some interesting questions that made us question our views and thoughts of our society. Tonight, four of the girls chose to sleep in the hut and all seemed to be going well until one very large (I’m told) recalcitrant spider made an appearance. One of the porters acted as exterminator and promised the girls that he’d killed it but then, after it made a reappearance and the angst ie squeals continued the porters kept repeating from their hut next door ‘go to sleep!’ And finally everyone did!
Day 7 we awoke realising we only had two more nights left on the Track and we weren’t ready for this adventure to be over. Our life had become so simple: wake up, pack your gear, eat breakfast, trek – one foot in front of the other, eat morning tea, trek, eat lunch, trek, arrive at campsite, set up gear in the tent/ hut, wash, yoga, dinner, sleep. Our lives had become fairly streamlined and we’d adjusted so well. But on we ventured and lost in our own thoughts whilst trekking through the swamp we came upon some of our boys from the 39th Battalion fully decked out in their WWII uniforms. Some of them unwell and others hungry but they were very happy to see us. After taking some very memorable photos with them we were on our way out of the swamp and to the Brown River where several of us had an exhilarating swim. We have funny memories of our shower at Nauro campsite and the waiting in the shower for the intermittent water flow sometimes clothes, sometimes with mud on our backs.
Day 8 saw us trekking up the Maguli Range deep in our own thoughts of our time on the track and how it was close to finishing. After some hard sweaty trekking we removed our boots and donned our sandals for the many, many creek crossings which everyone lovedWe arrived in the beautiful campsite of Ua-Ule Creek where we swam, splashed and enjoyed our idyllic surroundings and lifestyle. We laughed remembering some of things learnt on the track: for some it was how to make coffee in a coffee plunger for others it was how to cut up vegetables.
Day 9 was a hard morning with our minds trying not to think of the arches that would end our journey. Many steep ups and downs but we were kept entertained by the guides’ and porters’ happiness as they neared the áll-you-can-eat’ buffet. Finally, after a big climb out from the Goldie River, we walked through the arches full of pride, sadness, excitement and accomplishment and were so very aware of the life changing experience we had all experienced!
Kate Johnson
Expedition Guide
No Roads Expeditions
[email protected]
Day 5 – The Sabbath. After a bit of sleep in, a more leisurely breakfast and a yoga session with amazing views, we joined the locals for their church service. The singing was delightful and the sight of our guides and porters sharing the Sabbath with their families was moving. We then had a leisurely day lounging around our campsite. Luca, Natan and Seth carved their sticks with their pen knives, some of us washed clothes and walked around the village and then we had delicious pizzas for dinner. In the evening outside the church our 3 No Roads groups were sung to by over 40 children and young adults from the local choir. Their songs were so entertaining and we loved to see how much they really enjoyed singing and how this simple joy brought so much fun to their lives. The Student Packs, educational items and gifts were handed out and an unforgettable time was had by everyone!!
Day 6 was the day we actually worked out that the baby crying noise every morning was not an actual baby but was a phone alarm to wake us. Hmmm. The morning saw us starting off on a steep decline out of Kagi as we trekked towards Efogi. At Efogi 1 we visited the museum and were so impressed to see, touch, and lift these war relics and to further imagine the lives of our boys during the war. The Bren gun base was so damn heavy to lift that I can’t imagine running with it and firing!!! We then trekked into Brigade Hill where we held a very moving service with the Benalla Group. The battle history and strategy were explained, poems of hardship and loss were read and then each of us wandered around Butcher’s Hill with its’ poppy topped stakes paying our respects to these courageous men… our hearts aching with sadness and loss. After arriving at our campsite at Menari we had front row seats to the No Roads Porter Team Soccer Challenge – I think our team won but not sure! A reverse cultural talk tonight drew some interesting questions that made us question our views and thoughts of our society. Tonight, four of the girls chose to sleep in the hut and all seemed to be going well until one very large (I’m told) recalcitrant spider made an appearance. One of the porters acted as exterminator and promised the girls that he’d killed it but then, after it made a reappearance and the angst ie squeals continued the porters kept repeating from their hut next door ‘go to sleep!’ And finally everyone did!
Day 7 we awoke realising we only had two more nights left on the Track and we weren’t ready for this adventure to be over. Our life had become so simple: wake up, pack your gear, eat breakfast, trek – one foot in front of the other, eat morning tea, trek, eat lunch, trek, arrive at campsite, set up gear in the tent/ hut, wash, yoga, dinner, sleep. Our lives had become fairly streamlined and we’d adjusted so well. But on we ventured and lost in our own thoughts whilst trekking through the swamp we came upon some of our boys from the 39th Battalion fully decked out in their WWII uniforms. Some of them unwell and others hungry but they were very happy to see us. After taking some very memorable photos with them we were on our way out of the swamp and to the Brown River where several of us had an exhilarating swim. We have funny memories of our shower at Nauro campsite and the waiting in the shower for the intermittent water flow sometimes clothes, sometimes with mud on our backs.
Day 8 saw us trekking up the Maguli Range deep in our own thoughts of our time on the track and how it was close to finishing. After some hard sweaty trekking we removed our boots and donned our sandals for the many, many creek crossings which everyone lovedWe arrived in the beautiful campsite of Ua-Ule Creek where we swam, splashed and enjoyed our idyllic surroundings and lifestyle. We laughed remembering some of things learnt on the track: for some it was how to make coffee in a coffee plunger for others it was how to cut up vegetables.
Day 9 was a hard morning with our minds trying not to think of the arches that would end our journey. Many steep ups and downs but we were kept entertained by the guides’ and porters’ happiness as they neared the áll-you-can-eat’ buffet. Finally, after a big climb out from the Goldie River, we walked through the arches full of pride, sadness, excitement and accomplishment and were so very aware of the life changing experience we had all experienced!
Kate Johnson
Expedition Guide
No Roads Expeditions
[email protected]