“James Finkle Trek”
Mike, our South African friend upon arrival at Kokoda kept referring to a ‘James Finkle’……who is this James bloke I thought? After awhile (probably about 10 minutes or more) the penny finally dropped! James Finkle….tinkle…. the man needs to go to the toilet!
And so, our journey had begun in what was for the next nine days would be an absolute laugh a minute and most memorable 96km trek from Kokoda to Owers’ Corner.
Our trekking group was small but what it lacked in size, it certainly had in heart! It consisted of our previously mentioned South African friend (he is also an Aussie/Canadian/South African and most likely Zulu) who brought along together his mate Matt G who was a very keen military history buff. The remaining three were husband & wife Glenn & Sharon S who brought along one of the most twisted (perhaps deranged??) trekkers I have ever had the privilege of guiding over the Kokoda Track (I mean this in the best possible sense) Mick B.
Most groups take 2-3 days to really gell together but it was to me evident straight away was that this group were out of the box…right from the pre-trek briefing at the Holiday Inn, Springbok Mike, Mick & Matt (the triple M’s), Glenn (sponsored by Mars) and the rose amongst the thorns Sharon all interacted like long lost mates of over 30 years. Age was no barrier here with our youngest being 23 years old and the oldest being….well….put it this way..in this year, Bell labs announced the 1st solar battery made from silicon which had about 6% efficiency…..much like myself climbing up to Brigade Hill in the full sun!
After our bumpy ride to Kokoda with a stop at the Kumusi River to have a rest and ‘James Finkle’, we arrived at Kokoda and quickly set about our business of setting up of packs, getting our water bottles filled and a quick tour of the Kokoda plateau/museum. Off we set, everyone amped with anticipation of what the next 9 days will bring….we heard that plenty of rain had fallen previously and we prepared for mud, mud and more mud. Our pace was solid with Mike the Springbok bouncing out of the gates like a gazelle being chased by a lion! Moderate that pace I kept saying yet it’s so hard when you are excited and nervous at the same time. We reached Hoi is good time and decided to push up to our 1st nights objective being Deniki…reaching it in about 45 minutes with Springbok Mike pretty tired but none the less made it in good health!
After an amazing dinner, we drifted off to sleep to the sound of thunder….wait…that may have been me snoring!!
Day 2 started well with the wake up call being at 0500hrs and after breakfast, we started walking to our daily objective being Alola (via the Isurava Battlefield). Glenn was struggling a bit today but cracked on none the less and we made it to the junction of the Japanese Plane Wreck, high up on the Eastern Ridge Line between current Isurava Village and Isurava Battlefield. It’s a tough climb at best with an average time of 45 minutes up and then a very slippery 20 minutes down so sometimes we don’t have time to do this but in this case, we decided to go for it. In 2010 I last visited this wreck as a trekker with No Roads and upon reaching the top was glad to see most of the wreckage still intact and in place! For any aviation enthusiasts, its an absolute must as I can’t think of too many places in the world where you can still see a Japanese Plane wreck largely untouched with the Rising Sun still visible on parts of the wing/fuselage after 74+ years! After spending a little time at the crash site, we returned down to the track and made our way to the hallowed ground of the Isurava Battlefield where we had a nice rest & some lunch. It was here between the 13th & 30th August 1942, that the 39th & 2/14th Battalions (C Coy of the 2/14th arriving late in the evening of the 26th August) were dug in and made a fierce, bloody & courageous stand against the might of the Japanese Empire from the north. It truly is a spiritual place with the four black granite pillars inscribed with the words of Courage, Endurance, Mateship and Sacrifice standing silently, guarding the ground so heavily stained with the blood of Australia’s finest sons & fathers. It was here many Japanese soldiers also lost their lives, fanatically throwing themselves against well sited gun pits occupied initially by the Chocos of the 39th but then at a time when the 39th were strained to almost breaking, reinforced by the magnificent 2/14th battalion.
Springbok Mike was a soldier himself and is a very active member of the Waverley RSL so it was an easy decision for me to ask him to have the honor of reading a poem followed by the Ode. Matt read his poem first which started the tears flowing…a very special & emotional service followed and I’m sure all present won’t forget it and I’d like to think the boys who were there in spirit would have approved.
After the service, we continued along the ‘undulating’ track, stopping at Cons Rock for a talk about Con Vapp, Captain Ben Buckler and the 41 men under his command who spent 6 weeks trying to survive in the jungle, Cpl John Metson and lesser known Cpl (then promoted to Sgt at Isurava) Raymond Knights of the 39th battalion. We then pushed onto the village of Alola for the night and it was here that something special happened which shapes the rest of our journey. After a brief period of rest and setting up camp, Sharon wandered down to the centre of the village with her polaroid camera and took some pictures of the Alola children. In order to stop the kids from putting their fingers directly on the developing picture, she told them they have to shake the photo until the picture appeared of which the kids obligingly did however it was approx. 2 hours later, those same children were still shaking the photos! We decreed this new dance move name is ‘Sharon’s Shake’.
Sleep came easily again with rain falling overnight despite Mike’s ‘Naughty 1’ entering the hut looking for an opportunistic meal!
Day 3 broke with all enjoying a nice breakfast and at 0630hrs, we broke camp and moved out of the village, down to La La Creek and then the steep (undulating) climb out to Eora Creek where we had morning tea. We were all pretty tired with Glenn starting to walk like a cowboy but he continued to crack on, despite the pain of some chaffing in an area I didn’t want to think about. Not once did he complain….such is the stoic nature of this man. We made Templeton’s Crossing for another brief rest and fueled up on some nice tucker before pushing that last hour between Templeton’s & Dump 1. During September 1942, this section of the track was described by the diggers as an ‘abomination’ however we were very lucky with no rain and the track being ‘reasonable’! We all arrived tired & disheveled at Dump 1 however a quick chilly wash in Eora Creek perked us up and we capped it off with a dash of courage in a can! That evening we sat around the camp fire in amongst our hanging shirts, shorts & socks and reflected on a great day, thinking about what tomorrow will bring on our journey to our porters home village of Kagi.
Day 4 started quite chilly down by Eora Creek with our wake up being at 0500hrs and after another hearty breakfast made by our amazing Master Chef Raks, we departed at 0630hrs. Steve Euki our Local Leader started a bromance between Mike and himself – ‘On On’ he would say quickly followed by a flashing smile. The climb out of Dump 1 woke all of us up and we made it to the top of the track in good time being at a height of around 2200m. This section of the track is ‘undulating’ and we descended down to 1900 camp for a brief rest before continuing to Bombers Camp to look at a crashed B-25 Mitchell bomber. A short walk out to Myola 1 where we found some shrapnel from exploded Australian 2 Inch mortar rounds and a modern smoke grenade. The view was amazing after being surrounded by jungle for the last 3 days, the vast expanse of open grassland was a pleasant sight and we talked about the significance of this location being a dropping area for the Allied ‘Biscuit’ bombers (DC3 & C47’s) in 1942 and specifically a mortar fire base during this period. After this brief rest, we continued on towards our destination being the village of Kagi and whilst approaching the outskirts of Kagi, we came across some of our porters trying to fix a broken water pipe which was gushing water. Springbok Mike initially observed their attempts to fix a small hole in the pipe (about the size of a 5c piece) and it wasn’t long before Mike was down in the trench, digging and thinking of ways to restore water to the village. With limited supplies, we came up with the idea of using a plastic coke bottle of Dudley’s (this was Dudley’s drink bottle), some ankle tape, zip ties and brute force to make a sleeve and plug the hole. It was a fantastic bonding moment…PNG & Aussies (well South African, Canadian & Aussie) working together for the greater good of the village. With great satisfaction and an obligatory ‘Victory’ photo taken, we continued on for approx. 100m only to find another section of the pipe ‘blocked’!! Defeated…we trudged up the hill to Kagi and stayed at Henry’s Place. It was found that Henry’s still had some water in the pipes so we all briefly had a quick shower to freshen up…except for Glenn who probably had three showers due to some bad advice from yours truly to use some 3B cream on his chaffing! It reminded me of the Johnny Cash song ‘Ring of Fire’….i’ll leave it at that!
Mike, our South African friend upon arrival at Kokoda kept referring to a ‘James Finkle’……who is this James bloke I thought? After awhile (probably about 10 minutes or more) the penny finally dropped! James Finkle….tinkle…. the man needs to go to the toilet!
And so, our journey had begun in what was for the next nine days would be an absolute laugh a minute and most memorable 96km trek from Kokoda to Owers’ Corner.
Our trekking group was small but what it lacked in size, it certainly had in heart! It consisted of our previously mentioned South African friend (he is also an Aussie/Canadian/South African and most likely Zulu) who brought along together his mate Matt G who was a very keen military history buff. The remaining three were husband & wife Glenn & Sharon S who brought along one of the most twisted (perhaps deranged??) trekkers I have ever had the privilege of guiding over the Kokoda Track (I mean this in the best possible sense) Mick B.
Most groups take 2-3 days to really gell together but it was to me evident straight away was that this group were out of the box…right from the pre-trek briefing at the Holiday Inn, Springbok Mike, Mick & Matt (the triple M’s), Glenn (sponsored by Mars) and the rose amongst the thorns Sharon all interacted like long lost mates of over 30 years. Age was no barrier here with our youngest being 23 years old and the oldest being….well….put it this way..in this year, Bell labs announced the 1st solar battery made from silicon which had about 6% efficiency…..much like myself climbing up to Brigade Hill in the full sun!
After our bumpy ride to Kokoda with a stop at the Kumusi River to have a rest and ‘James Finkle’, we arrived at Kokoda and quickly set about our business of setting up of packs, getting our water bottles filled and a quick tour of the Kokoda plateau/museum. Off we set, everyone amped with anticipation of what the next 9 days will bring….we heard that plenty of rain had fallen previously and we prepared for mud, mud and more mud. Our pace was solid with Mike the Springbok bouncing out of the gates like a gazelle being chased by a lion! Moderate that pace I kept saying yet it’s so hard when you are excited and nervous at the same time. We reached Hoi is good time and decided to push up to our 1st nights objective being Deniki…reaching it in about 45 minutes with Springbok Mike pretty tired but none the less made it in good health!
After an amazing dinner, we drifted off to sleep to the sound of thunder….wait…that may have been me snoring!!
Day 2 started well with the wake up call being at 0500hrs and after breakfast, we started walking to our daily objective being Alola (via the Isurava Battlefield). Glenn was struggling a bit today but cracked on none the less and we made it to the junction of the Japanese Plane Wreck, high up on the Eastern Ridge Line between current Isurava Village and Isurava Battlefield. It’s a tough climb at best with an average time of 45 minutes up and then a very slippery 20 minutes down so sometimes we don’t have time to do this but in this case, we decided to go for it. In 2010 I last visited this wreck as a trekker with No Roads and upon reaching the top was glad to see most of the wreckage still intact and in place! For any aviation enthusiasts, its an absolute must as I can’t think of too many places in the world where you can still see a Japanese Plane wreck largely untouched with the Rising Sun still visible on parts of the wing/fuselage after 74+ years! After spending a little time at the crash site, we returned down to the track and made our way to the hallowed ground of the Isurava Battlefield where we had a nice rest & some lunch. It was here between the 13th & 30th August 1942, that the 39th & 2/14th Battalions (C Coy of the 2/14th arriving late in the evening of the 26th August) were dug in and made a fierce, bloody & courageous stand against the might of the Japanese Empire from the north. It truly is a spiritual place with the four black granite pillars inscribed with the words of Courage, Endurance, Mateship and Sacrifice standing silently, guarding the ground so heavily stained with the blood of Australia’s finest sons & fathers. It was here many Japanese soldiers also lost their lives, fanatically throwing themselves against well sited gun pits occupied initially by the Chocos of the 39th but then at a time when the 39th were strained to almost breaking, reinforced by the magnificent 2/14th battalion.
Springbok Mike was a soldier himself and is a very active member of the Waverley RSL so it was an easy decision for me to ask him to have the honor of reading a poem followed by the Ode. Matt read his poem first which started the tears flowing…a very special & emotional service followed and I’m sure all present won’t forget it and I’d like to think the boys who were there in spirit would have approved.
After the service, we continued along the ‘undulating’ track, stopping at Cons Rock for a talk about Con Vapp, Captain Ben Buckler and the 41 men under his command who spent 6 weeks trying to survive in the jungle, Cpl John Metson and lesser known Cpl (then promoted to Sgt at Isurava) Raymond Knights of the 39th battalion. We then pushed onto the village of Alola for the night and it was here that something special happened which shapes the rest of our journey. After a brief period of rest and setting up camp, Sharon wandered down to the centre of the village with her polaroid camera and took some pictures of the Alola children. In order to stop the kids from putting their fingers directly on the developing picture, she told them they have to shake the photo until the picture appeared of which the kids obligingly did however it was approx. 2 hours later, those same children were still shaking the photos! We decreed this new dance move name is ‘Sharon’s Shake’.
Sleep came easily again with rain falling overnight despite Mike’s ‘Naughty 1’ entering the hut looking for an opportunistic meal!
Day 3 broke with all enjoying a nice breakfast and at 0630hrs, we broke camp and moved out of the village, down to La La Creek and then the steep (undulating) climb out to Eora Creek where we had morning tea. We were all pretty tired with Glenn starting to walk like a cowboy but he continued to crack on, despite the pain of some chaffing in an area I didn’t want to think about. Not once did he complain….such is the stoic nature of this man. We made Templeton’s Crossing for another brief rest and fueled up on some nice tucker before pushing that last hour between Templeton’s & Dump 1. During September 1942, this section of the track was described by the diggers as an ‘abomination’ however we were very lucky with no rain and the track being ‘reasonable’! We all arrived tired & disheveled at Dump 1 however a quick chilly wash in Eora Creek perked us up and we capped it off with a dash of courage in a can! That evening we sat around the camp fire in amongst our hanging shirts, shorts & socks and reflected on a great day, thinking about what tomorrow will bring on our journey to our porters home village of Kagi.
Day 4 started quite chilly down by Eora Creek with our wake up being at 0500hrs and after another hearty breakfast made by our amazing Master Chef Raks, we departed at 0630hrs. Steve Euki our Local Leader started a bromance between Mike and himself – ‘On On’ he would say quickly followed by a flashing smile. The climb out of Dump 1 woke all of us up and we made it to the top of the track in good time being at a height of around 2200m. This section of the track is ‘undulating’ and we descended down to 1900 camp for a brief rest before continuing to Bombers Camp to look at a crashed B-25 Mitchell bomber. A short walk out to Myola 1 where we found some shrapnel from exploded Australian 2 Inch mortar rounds and a modern smoke grenade. The view was amazing after being surrounded by jungle for the last 3 days, the vast expanse of open grassland was a pleasant sight and we talked about the significance of this location being a dropping area for the Allied ‘Biscuit’ bombers (DC3 & C47’s) in 1942 and specifically a mortar fire base during this period. After this brief rest, we continued on towards our destination being the village of Kagi and whilst approaching the outskirts of Kagi, we came across some of our porters trying to fix a broken water pipe which was gushing water. Springbok Mike initially observed their attempts to fix a small hole in the pipe (about the size of a 5c piece) and it wasn’t long before Mike was down in the trench, digging and thinking of ways to restore water to the village. With limited supplies, we came up with the idea of using a plastic coke bottle of Dudley’s (this was Dudley’s drink bottle), some ankle tape, zip ties and brute force to make a sleeve and plug the hole. It was a fantastic bonding moment…PNG & Aussies (well South African, Canadian & Aussie) working together for the greater good of the village. With great satisfaction and an obligatory ‘Victory’ photo taken, we continued on for approx. 100m only to find another section of the pipe ‘blocked’!! Defeated…we trudged up the hill to Kagi and stayed at Henry’s Place. It was found that Henry’s still had some water in the pipes so we all briefly had a quick shower to freshen up…except for Glenn who probably had three showers due to some bad advice from yours truly to use some 3B cream on his chaffing! It reminded me of the Johnny Cash song ‘Ring of Fire’….i’ll leave it at that!
Day 5 was going to be a big day with our goal being Menari Village via Brigade Hill battlefield. We were up early as usual and managed to start walking at 0600hrs after another awesome breakfast of egg fritters, cereal, tea/coffee/milo. ‘On On’ Steve would say..again with a cheeky smile! The descent down past the airfield was very slippery with Glenn trudging along (now wearing shorts) and we made it up to Lananamu Village and then down to Efogi 1 (one of the larger villages on the track). After a brief stop for some photos and Sharon purchasing some bling, we continued on towards Mission Ridge/Brigade Hill junction which if the sun is out, can be absolute torture!
Thankfully, we had some cloud and after briefly stopping at the Mission Ridge junction to talk about the 2/27th battalion from South Australia (not Africa Mike), we pushed up past Devils Elbow and made Brigade Hill for lunch. It was here that on the 6th – 9th September 1942, Brigadier Arnold Potts, commander of Maroubra Force was ordered to stand and fight the advancing Japanese. Potts had finally at his disposal his three battalions of the 21st brigade being the 2/14th (Victoria), 2/16th (Western Australia) and the ‘fresh’ 2/27th (South Australia) however the 2/14th & 2/16th battalions were weary from combat since Isurava. Brigade Hill and Mission Ridge battles cost the lives of 101 Australian men and Sharon & Glenn completed a beautiful service in amongst the tears that flowed.
After some lunch we pushed down the hill towards Menari and upon reaching the lookout position, we rested for a little while whilst watch Dan & Robyn’s plane take off from the Menari Strip. Some within our ranks were envious that they will be back in Port Moresby within 7 minutes…it was even suggested we pool our Kina and buy a ticket!
We reached Menari and stayed at the Airfield Camp – tomorrow would be Sabbath therefore a rest day for the trekkers. Springbok Mike quickly found ‘Naughty 2’ and a new friend called ‘Twisties’ (if you stay in a hut, you have to close the door!!), we settled into camp life eating Pizza & Prawn Crackers for dinner. After dinner, a few retired early at 1900hrs and we would look to go to church tomorrow morning at 0830hrs.
Day 6 was again great weather and along with church, I would be AFL grand final day (Collingwood versus West Coast Eagles). Having two die hard Collingwood supporters within our ranks, we trudged off to church with Matt wearing his Collingwood Guernsey, perhaps asking for divine intervention whilst at mass. After mass, we returned to camp with the rest of the day for rest & recuperation…..Matt, Mick & myself deciding to walk down to the local swimming hole. It also seems that ‘Sharon’s Wave’ was very popular here too with many local children seen waving their photos for hours & hours afterwards!
Regular football scores were obtained with early indications that Collingwood were playing well however as the day wore on, West Coast managed to peg back the lead and with great sadness, beat Collingwood within the last 1 ½ minutes! Our Collingwood supporters being greatly saddened however there is always the Melbourne Storm tomorrow was the call!
Day 7 called for us to get back on the track and our objective being the small village of New Nauro. It is only a relatively short day however we were up at 0450hrs with everyone pretty much having the routine sorted. The climb out of Menari was tiring but upon reaching the top of the ridge, we ran into our first opposition trekking group. Pleasantries were exchanged inclusive of well wishes/track reports/suggestions on equipment & Springbok Mike’s warning of Twisties ability to open the hut door! The walk down ‘The Wall’ w, as tiring on the knees however upon reaching the bottom, we had great conditions for the ‘Swamp’ being nice and dry therefore a quick walking pace. We had a quick swim in the Brown river and made New Nauro in record time (1030hrs). This allowed plenty of time to rest, have a nice shower and for Springbok Mike to find ‘Naughty 3’. Today being NRL Grand Final day, we were excited to try and listen to Melbourne Storm versus the Sydney Roosters on Neino’s mobile phone so the afternoon was spent trying to locate a suitable antennae and obtain some sort of reception on ABC grand stand. After scouring the village, we located some copper wire, attached it to the biggest stick we could find and sitting the phone in a metal bowl, we managed to get just enough reception to listen! It was one of those special moments on Kokoda that we all sat around this metal bowl, in the middle of Papua New Guinea listening to a NRL grand final! It’s just a pity that Melbourne Storm played like crap and our Collingwood supporters from yesterday slipped that little bit more into a sporting depression.
Day 8 again gave us great weather conditions and with our morning routine sorted, we got away early for what is a big day’s walk to Ua-Ule Creek being approx 15km. The walk out of the camp and up the Nine False Peaks certainly woke up for those who were a bit sleepy. It was hot & steamy but at least the track was pretty dry! All of us were pretty tired but we kept on a steady pace and after about an hour, we reached the top of the ridge and enjoyed a brief rest. We came across another trekking group on the way down to Ofi Creek (these ones much more fresher than us!) and the usual words of encouragement – you will be sorry..etc etc were exchanged.
We reached Ioribaiwa Village where there was a large school group camped and after having some lunch and another chat, we moved off down the hill towards the creek system to get to our nightly camp of Ua-Ule Creek. The creek was pretty low so most of us were able to keep our boots reasonably dry except for one crossing where Springbok Mike managed to slip on a rock and fall backwards into the water. Mike’s porter Philip Aoda (aka Rambo) quickly sprung into action and what was like the water scene out of Dirty Dancing (it’s the only bit of the movie I saw!) held Mike up with such care and got him to the other side….wet but safe!. We made it to Ua-Ule Creek and enjoyed a nice swim in the creek as some light rain began to fall. Sleep came easily this night and the thought of our last day evoked mixed emotions from the group….joy of the possibility of finishing tomorrow and also sadness of bringing to an end of what was an amazing trek.
Day 9 we woke at 0500 hours and after a quick breakfast, ‘On On’ was said by Steve and off we all set through the remainder of the creek system towards the finish of our journey….Owers’ Corner. Again, the weather gods were kind however even if it was pelting rain, it wouldn’t have mattered much…we made a pact that if something should happen today, we would all finish…no matter what! Every step we had to focus on as the mind started to wander and we made it to Goodwater for a brief rest….Springbok Mike looking around for another ‘Naughty’ and Mick continuing with his twisted sense of humour…just the tonic that everyone needs!
Packs on, we continued down to the Goldie River…our last water crossing so no need to keep your boots dry, we ploughed on through and had a very nice swim with our porters. On..on Steve would say and we started the last uphill to Owers’ Corner…some say the hardest section of the track…perhaps not physically but mentally very challenging for sure!!
The group bunched together within reach of the arches, most no doubt with mixed emotions of joy & sadness running through your minds. At 1147 hours , this fantastic group passed under the arches at Owers’ Corner, honoring the Australian & Papuan Men and women who fought in the campaign, some who came home,,,,many did not.
We celebrated our amazing achievement but walking Kokoda would not be complete without paying our respects at Bomana War Cemetery…the resting place of 3778 men & 1 woman who paid the ultimate sacrifice. As we walked amongst the head stones, names such as John Metson, Bruce Kingsbury VC, Bob Sword and Charlie McCallum appear, these men all heroes but I asked the group to introduce themselves to ‘Known unto God’…I know I shed a lot of tears….it’s pretty hard not too surrounded by some many heroes!
Shane Chisholm
Expedition Guide
No Roads Expeditions
[email protected]
Thankfully, we had some cloud and after briefly stopping at the Mission Ridge junction to talk about the 2/27th battalion from South Australia (not Africa Mike), we pushed up past Devils Elbow and made Brigade Hill for lunch. It was here that on the 6th – 9th September 1942, Brigadier Arnold Potts, commander of Maroubra Force was ordered to stand and fight the advancing Japanese. Potts had finally at his disposal his three battalions of the 21st brigade being the 2/14th (Victoria), 2/16th (Western Australia) and the ‘fresh’ 2/27th (South Australia) however the 2/14th & 2/16th battalions were weary from combat since Isurava. Brigade Hill and Mission Ridge battles cost the lives of 101 Australian men and Sharon & Glenn completed a beautiful service in amongst the tears that flowed.
After some lunch we pushed down the hill towards Menari and upon reaching the lookout position, we rested for a little while whilst watch Dan & Robyn’s plane take off from the Menari Strip. Some within our ranks were envious that they will be back in Port Moresby within 7 minutes…it was even suggested we pool our Kina and buy a ticket!
We reached Menari and stayed at the Airfield Camp – tomorrow would be Sabbath therefore a rest day for the trekkers. Springbok Mike quickly found ‘Naughty 2’ and a new friend called ‘Twisties’ (if you stay in a hut, you have to close the door!!), we settled into camp life eating Pizza & Prawn Crackers for dinner. After dinner, a few retired early at 1900hrs and we would look to go to church tomorrow morning at 0830hrs.
Day 6 was again great weather and along with church, I would be AFL grand final day (Collingwood versus West Coast Eagles). Having two die hard Collingwood supporters within our ranks, we trudged off to church with Matt wearing his Collingwood Guernsey, perhaps asking for divine intervention whilst at mass. After mass, we returned to camp with the rest of the day for rest & recuperation…..Matt, Mick & myself deciding to walk down to the local swimming hole. It also seems that ‘Sharon’s Wave’ was very popular here too with many local children seen waving their photos for hours & hours afterwards!
Regular football scores were obtained with early indications that Collingwood were playing well however as the day wore on, West Coast managed to peg back the lead and with great sadness, beat Collingwood within the last 1 ½ minutes! Our Collingwood supporters being greatly saddened however there is always the Melbourne Storm tomorrow was the call!
Day 7 called for us to get back on the track and our objective being the small village of New Nauro. It is only a relatively short day however we were up at 0450hrs with everyone pretty much having the routine sorted. The climb out of Menari was tiring but upon reaching the top of the ridge, we ran into our first opposition trekking group. Pleasantries were exchanged inclusive of well wishes/track reports/suggestions on equipment & Springbok Mike’s warning of Twisties ability to open the hut door! The walk down ‘The Wall’ w, as tiring on the knees however upon reaching the bottom, we had great conditions for the ‘Swamp’ being nice and dry therefore a quick walking pace. We had a quick swim in the Brown river and made New Nauro in record time (1030hrs). This allowed plenty of time to rest, have a nice shower and for Springbok Mike to find ‘Naughty 3’. Today being NRL Grand Final day, we were excited to try and listen to Melbourne Storm versus the Sydney Roosters on Neino’s mobile phone so the afternoon was spent trying to locate a suitable antennae and obtain some sort of reception on ABC grand stand. After scouring the village, we located some copper wire, attached it to the biggest stick we could find and sitting the phone in a metal bowl, we managed to get just enough reception to listen! It was one of those special moments on Kokoda that we all sat around this metal bowl, in the middle of Papua New Guinea listening to a NRL grand final! It’s just a pity that Melbourne Storm played like crap and our Collingwood supporters from yesterday slipped that little bit more into a sporting depression.
Day 8 again gave us great weather conditions and with our morning routine sorted, we got away early for what is a big day’s walk to Ua-Ule Creek being approx 15km. The walk out of the camp and up the Nine False Peaks certainly woke up for those who were a bit sleepy. It was hot & steamy but at least the track was pretty dry! All of us were pretty tired but we kept on a steady pace and after about an hour, we reached the top of the ridge and enjoyed a brief rest. We came across another trekking group on the way down to Ofi Creek (these ones much more fresher than us!) and the usual words of encouragement – you will be sorry..etc etc were exchanged.
We reached Ioribaiwa Village where there was a large school group camped and after having some lunch and another chat, we moved off down the hill towards the creek system to get to our nightly camp of Ua-Ule Creek. The creek was pretty low so most of us were able to keep our boots reasonably dry except for one crossing where Springbok Mike managed to slip on a rock and fall backwards into the water. Mike’s porter Philip Aoda (aka Rambo) quickly sprung into action and what was like the water scene out of Dirty Dancing (it’s the only bit of the movie I saw!) held Mike up with such care and got him to the other side….wet but safe!. We made it to Ua-Ule Creek and enjoyed a nice swim in the creek as some light rain began to fall. Sleep came easily this night and the thought of our last day evoked mixed emotions from the group….joy of the possibility of finishing tomorrow and also sadness of bringing to an end of what was an amazing trek.
Day 9 we woke at 0500 hours and after a quick breakfast, ‘On On’ was said by Steve and off we all set through the remainder of the creek system towards the finish of our journey….Owers’ Corner. Again, the weather gods were kind however even if it was pelting rain, it wouldn’t have mattered much…we made a pact that if something should happen today, we would all finish…no matter what! Every step we had to focus on as the mind started to wander and we made it to Goodwater for a brief rest….Springbok Mike looking around for another ‘Naughty’ and Mick continuing with his twisted sense of humour…just the tonic that everyone needs!
Packs on, we continued down to the Goldie River…our last water crossing so no need to keep your boots dry, we ploughed on through and had a very nice swim with our porters. On..on Steve would say and we started the last uphill to Owers’ Corner…some say the hardest section of the track…perhaps not physically but mentally very challenging for sure!!
The group bunched together within reach of the arches, most no doubt with mixed emotions of joy & sadness running through your minds. At 1147 hours , this fantastic group passed under the arches at Owers’ Corner, honoring the Australian & Papuan Men and women who fought in the campaign, some who came home,,,,many did not.
We celebrated our amazing achievement but walking Kokoda would not be complete without paying our respects at Bomana War Cemetery…the resting place of 3778 men & 1 woman who paid the ultimate sacrifice. As we walked amongst the head stones, names such as John Metson, Bruce Kingsbury VC, Bob Sword and Charlie McCallum appear, these men all heroes but I asked the group to introduce themselves to ‘Known unto God’…I know I shed a lot of tears….it’s pretty hard not too surrounded by some many heroes!
Shane Chisholm
Expedition Guide
No Roads Expeditions
[email protected]