Kokoda: what an absolute adventure!!
Our group of 6 trekkers included:
Setting off from Popondetta on Remembrance Day, 23 July meant that we were fortunate to see the many celebrations along the way. At Awala, the locals, dressed in their tribal gear and with a solid 10 hours of events planned for the day, welcomed us warmly into their gatherings with their dancing. Mutual respect between Australia and PNG is so evident throughout the war affected areas.
Our group of 6 trekkers included:
- Sisters from Sydney: Steph aged 20, our strongest meri, who carried her own pack and her sister Tiff, aged 15, who showed a maturity well beyond her age.
- Two friends from Perth, Bel and Nat, both nurses. Nat had done a No Roads Health expedition in PNG several years ago and loved it so much that she had The Kokoda Track high on her bucket list. And her friend Bel, always up for a new adventure, wasn’t going to miss out.
- Long time friends Karin and Ulinda from Melbourne had gone on several holidays together but decided it was time to have a different experience, this time in the unique and amazing PNG!
Setting off from Popondetta on Remembrance Day, 23 July meant that we were fortunate to see the many celebrations along the way. At Awala, the locals, dressed in their tribal gear and with a solid 10 hours of events planned for the day, welcomed us warmly into their gatherings with their dancing. Mutual respect between Australia and PNG is so evident throughout the war affected areas.
Tears were shed at the memorial services conducted at Isurava and Brigade Hill when we relived the battles and the heroic actions of our men. We gave thanks to the many men who had lost their lives or whose lives had changed forever and of course to their families: mums and dads, children, wives, girlfriends, brothers, sisters who had lost their loved ones.
As we trekked along the muddy track in silence, walking in the footsteps of these men who fought so bravely to protect their homeland, it was unimaginable how they could have coped with this arduous route in their physical and psychological state: malaria, dysentery, dengue fever, bullet wounds, fear, helplessness, grief, isolation, a feeling of abandonment. We wept for them and felt such a feeling of pride, respect and absolute awe for them ‘giving us their tomorrows so that we could have our todays’.
Our local guide team was amazing as usual, helping us along the track, up huge inclines, down slippery hillsides, across bridges and rivers, through the mud. They were always there for us, keeping us safe, making us laugh, cooking incredible meals and helping us in any way they could. Their chants of girlpower and strong pelar meri helped us up many a steep climb.
The cultural nights provided an insight into this unique culture, so very different from our lives. We learnt about marriage and bride price, family life, caring for the elderly, community structure, politics, education, health, bush medicine and many other areas. Their lives are so different to ours. We wished we had more of their happiness and sense of community in our lives back home. Listening to their passionate singing in church on The Sabbath was an absolute experience.
Being on The Kokoda Track in person has made the history books we’ve read and the documentaries we’ve watched come alive so that we now have a greater appreciation of these people and places in this amazing time of history.
This experience has bonded our group of 7 together. We laughed, we trekked, we cried, we talked, sometimes we sat or walked in silence reflecting on our journey. Our memories of these 11 amazing days will stay with us forever.
A simple plan to trek Kokoda:
· Decide you’re ready for a huge adventure
· Grab a girlfriend or sister
· Book with No Roads Expeditions
· Train really hard
· Trek The Kokoda Track
· Create lifetime memories!!
As we trekked along the muddy track in silence, walking in the footsteps of these men who fought so bravely to protect their homeland, it was unimaginable how they could have coped with this arduous route in their physical and psychological state: malaria, dysentery, dengue fever, bullet wounds, fear, helplessness, grief, isolation, a feeling of abandonment. We wept for them and felt such a feeling of pride, respect and absolute awe for them ‘giving us their tomorrows so that we could have our todays’.
Our local guide team was amazing as usual, helping us along the track, up huge inclines, down slippery hillsides, across bridges and rivers, through the mud. They were always there for us, keeping us safe, making us laugh, cooking incredible meals and helping us in any way they could. Their chants of girlpower and strong pelar meri helped us up many a steep climb.
The cultural nights provided an insight into this unique culture, so very different from our lives. We learnt about marriage and bride price, family life, caring for the elderly, community structure, politics, education, health, bush medicine and many other areas. Their lives are so different to ours. We wished we had more of their happiness and sense of community in our lives back home. Listening to their passionate singing in church on The Sabbath was an absolute experience.
Being on The Kokoda Track in person has made the history books we’ve read and the documentaries we’ve watched come alive so that we now have a greater appreciation of these people and places in this amazing time of history.
This experience has bonded our group of 7 together. We laughed, we trekked, we cried, we talked, sometimes we sat or walked in silence reflecting on our journey. Our memories of these 11 amazing days will stay with us forever.
A simple plan to trek Kokoda:
· Decide you’re ready for a huge adventure
· Grab a girlfriend or sister
· Book with No Roads Expeditions
· Train really hard
· Trek The Kokoda Track
· Create lifetime memories!!
