Kokoda Trek Report - April 2018 - Kate Johnson
Wow, what can I say… what an amazing experience and adventure and a fantastic group to share it with!! Our group consisted of mother and son, Sabrina and Zac from Melbourne, Paige from Newcastle and Kate as Australian guide.
We flew out of Port Moresby on Monday morning over the vast and expansive Owen Stanley Ranges and then visited the Museum and Memorials at Kokoda where we learnt of the heroism, heartache and history of both the Australian and the Japanese perspectives of The Kokoda Track Campaign during World War II. With much excitement we then set off to our first night’s campsite, Deniki, through the heat, humidity and up that first tough hill - the hill where trekkers often ask themselves what have they got themselves into!!!
We flew out of Port Moresby on Monday morning over the vast and expansive Owen Stanley Ranges and then visited the Museum and Memorials at Kokoda where we learnt of the heroism, heartache and history of both the Australian and the Japanese perspectives of The Kokoda Track Campaign during World War II. With much excitement we then set off to our first night’s campsite, Deniki, through the heat, humidity and up that first tough hill - the hill where trekkers often ask themselves what have they got themselves into!!!
Over the next 8 days we had so many memorable experiences - ones that will be with us for a lifetime:
We found it hard to imagine having to walk that far with an injury so, on the way back to our hotel, we stopped off at a chemist and bought containers and as many wound care items we could to make up 4 wound care management kits for the remote communities of some of our porters: Maraba, Efogi 2, Daoi and Seregina.
We presented these kits to our porters on the last night and they were so very appreciative. It was good to give such needed items to these men to take back to their remote communities knowing that it would mean that injured people would have access to basic wound care in their own village.
After all that they have done for us both during the war and on all the treks since, it is but a small token of our utmost respect and appreciation of them.
Kate Johnson
Expedition Guide
No Roads Expedition
[email protected]
- Learning the war history of this area during WWII;
- holding remembrance ceremonies at Isurava and Brigade Hill and being so saddened by the bravery, sickness and the losses of both sides;
- the beautiful smiling villagers we met along the track, welcoming us each day;
- the amazing camp meals prepared by our Masterchef, Baseh;
- the genuine care and support from our porter team led by Robert and Lester;
- the interesting cultural talks that we had each night with the porters covering topics such as Bride Price, marriage, religion, The Sabbath, medicinal plants, death and burial;
- he trudging through the mud and the swamp and the beautiful Moss Forest;
- the pythons in the toilet;
- the chewed bottle offering at our door one morning from a very well fed dog who had dined on one of our Snack Packs the previous day;
- the nightly thunderstorms and heavy rain on the tin roofs of our huts;
- trekking in the rain and down greasy clay tracks;
- climbing never ending hills time and time again;
- bedtimes at the unthinkable early times of 6:30 or 7:00pm;
- attending church in Menari and feeling humbled by the request that everyone - all 110 people in the church - wanted to shake our hands on leaving;
- trekking with a beautiful and brave 5 year old with a badly broken arm who needed medical attention in Moresby - her courage, strength and amazing smile melted our hearts;
- the gifts of fruit and vegetables given so selflessly to us from the people of Menari welcoming us to their community;
- ah the exciting river crossings over vine-lashed bridges and logs - some partially washed away in the deluges of the wet season;
- swimming in the beautiful and sometimes very cold rivers;
- finally walking under the arches and realising we had finished -- it was all over.
We found it hard to imagine having to walk that far with an injury so, on the way back to our hotel, we stopped off at a chemist and bought containers and as many wound care items we could to make up 4 wound care management kits for the remote communities of some of our porters: Maraba, Efogi 2, Daoi and Seregina.
We presented these kits to our porters on the last night and they were so very appreciative. It was good to give such needed items to these men to take back to their remote communities knowing that it would mean that injured people would have access to basic wound care in their own village.
After all that they have done for us both during the war and on all the treks since, it is but a small token of our utmost respect and appreciation of them.
Kate Johnson
Expedition Guide
No Roads Expedition
[email protected]
