By Matt Martin
The journey doesn’t begin the day you step onto the Kokoda Track, it begins when you make your decision to go. Trekking the Kokoda Trail is no small feat and looking around at my fellow trekkers on our first training run, I honestly thought that not all of us would be finishing the trek in three months time. Actually, the state some of us were in on the early Sunday morning, I didn’t think some of the group would finish today’s trek. But this group of eight men proved that just about anybody, with good preparation, can complete the Kokoda Track.
When it came to the decision of choosing a trekking company, we decided that we wanted to use a local one, so that the money we spent on our trek would stay in Papua New Guinea, and go towards the village communities who very much need it. So we decided to go with Fuzzy Wuzzy Expeditions. They’re a leading local company who over the nine days proved themselves to be the best. The guides were also a wealth of knowledge and very passionate about the Kokoda legend.
The months of training had shaped our crew into a keen and prepared group ready to take on the challenges of the track. Training together had given us a chance to know the limitations and strengths of each other and morale was good.
When we landed in Port Moresby we immediately felt the sting of the tropical heat. Defol, the owner of Fuzzy Wuzzy Expeditions, met us and manoeuvred us straight to our hotel where we were briefed on the days ahead. It was reassuring to meet someone who lived and breathed the track, and spent time on it on an almost daily basis.
When doing the track you can either start from Kokoda and make your way back to Owers Corner, or go the opposite direction. We decided on the first option, since this is the way the battle had been fought. The trek itself was basically what we had expected, steep and muddy. However, throughout the nine days we had mostly favourable weather conditions on our side, with only a few big down pours of rain turning the muddy track into what looked like a fast flowing chocolate stream. Thankfully our guides had made us up some walking sticks, which were a huge help and saved us from slipping over backwards. At night the guides would carve into the sticks, and by the end of the trek they had become works of art, and something to take home with us.
The trek passed through several traditional villages where the people always showed great enthusiasm for tired visitors. We appreciated the opportunity to meet local folks, experience a little of their culture and buy fresh food to snack on along the way.
Each day this narrow, rain soaked trail unveiled a new experience, sensation or revelatory personal moment. It could be the shroud of the rainforest, the wildness of the rivers, the companionship at night or the hand of a trek guide as he helped you to safety. Always laughing. Later we found that everyone has a different highlight from the trek and it was difficult to chose just one. For me though, the most memorable moment will always be when we arrived at Isurava. It is a sight you are not expecting in the middle of a Papua New Guinean jungle. The memorial of four stones with Courage, Sacrifice, Endurance and Mateship engraved into them, with the Australian and PNG flags flying as you look down the valley towards the village of Kokoda, silenced us. Adding to solemnity is that it marks where the post humously awarded Victoria Cross recipient, Private Bruce Kingsbury, was killed. A young man who volunteered to charge into Japanese fire with a Bren gun against all odds of surviving. He didn’t, but our nation did. The silence was unexpectedly but reverently heightened as one of our fellow trekkers played the last post on his trumpet.
“Each day this narrow, rain soaked trail unveiled a new experience, sensation or revelatory personal moment.”
This was not the only time the trumpet was played. At six every morning Reveille was played to wake us, however, as the trumpet player didn’t have a watch, it was anywhere between five and seven. We found it funny the first few times, but loosing out on valuable sleep soon started to dissolve our patience, so a watch was kindly donated to our trumpeter.
The whole trek had the overtones of a jungle musical. The porters would sing us songs as we all trudged along the track, my favourite being their own version of John Denver’s Country Roads. I wondered if the irony of that song was calculated or it just a crazy haphazard choice. At night they would gather around and perform ‘sing sings’. We would try join in but piteously possessed none of the musical talent that these young men had.
Our last night at Goldy River started a little subdued, as we were all aware that this had been a life-changing episode for some of us. Defol, the Expedition’s Director, was prepared for this moment and surprised us with his sense of occasion. As it’s only a 45-minute trek to the finish at Ower’s Corner, Defol had organised to meet us here on our last night, and brought us a feast!
He had come with beer, roast pork, chicken and vegetables, all cooked traditionally. We ate until we couldn’t eat any more. We were once again buoyant and stayed up, sitting around the massive bon fire and singing songs. The valley was filled with a fusion of cultures, including some great singing from our very own Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels and some raucous but committed efforts at Australian favourites from us.
The Kokoda Trail has become an important right of passage for many Australians. You walk it as a tribute to the bravery of Australian soldiers and to meet and acknowledge the descendants of the famous Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels. These Papuan heroes guided, nursed and carried Australians along the track, some also fought in the battle to secure it.
The stories of mateship, courage, sacrifice and endurance can move you to tears and give wings to your feet. The soldiers that died there gave their tomorrow for our today and trekking the trail was a commitment to honour them.
For more information about hiking the Kokoda track then visit www.trekkokodatrail.com
