Itinerary

TRANSIT SATURDAY 10 SEPTEMBER Fly Air Niugini - Brisbane to Port Moresby. Meet at Jacksons Airport by Warren Bartlett. Check into Hideaway Hotel in Port Moresby. Briefing by Warren Bartlett from Kokoda Track Authority. Video Documentary - “Kokoda The Bloody Track”. Overnight at Hideaway Hotel in Port Moresby. DAY 1 SUNDAY 11 SEPTEMBER Port Moresby – Kokoda – Kovello Village – Hoi Village. Airlines PNG - Port Moresby to Kokoda. Inspect the site of the first battle on the Kokoda plateau including the memorials and museum. Trek from Kokoda via Kovello to bush campsite at Hoi. (about 1 Hour 30 minutes) Camp at Hoi Village. DAY 2 MONDAY 12 SEPTEMBER Hoi - Deniki - Isurava Village - Isurava Memorial. Trek via the battlesite at the abandoned village of Deniki, where the second battle of the Kokoda campaign was fought. Trek to the Isurava Memorial. Camp at the Isurava Memorial. DAY 3 TUESDAY 13 SEPTEMBER Isurava – Alola Village – Eora Village - Eora Creek - Templetons Crossing No 2. Trek to Alola then onto the abandoned village site of Eora. This was the scene of chaos and tragedy after the fall of Isurava and Abuari as wounded Australians were sent limping and crawling up the track whilst their mates fought a series of desperate delaying defensive battles to give them time. Some were given morphine and left behind to fight to the finish. The area that takes us one day to trek through from Eora Creek to Templetons Crossing No 2 took the Australians 17 days to fight through during the Templetons Crossing campaign. A force of Japanese had been left to fight to the death in this area. They were so desperate they cannibalised both Australian and their own soldiers who had been killed. It was one of the most desperate and gruesome actions during the Kokoda campaign. Camp at Templetons Crossing No 2. DAY 4 WEDNESDAY 14 SEPTEMBER Templetons Crossing - Kokoda Gap - Mt Bellamy - Lake Myola – Lake Myola No 2. Climb up to the Kokoda Gap, which offers spectacular views back down the Yodda Valley to Kokoda. After leaving the gap you enter the moss forest area - mother natures wonderland – birds of paradise, giant pandanus trees, numerous varieties of palm trees, fern colonies, fungi – it is difficult to imagine that this was the scene of such a desperate battle in 1942. Cross Mt Bellamy - the highest point of the track at 2,200 metres – then descend to the 1900 Crossing. Visit the wreckage of a downed American bomber. It was only discovered about 8 years ago when the remains of the crew were recovered back to America for a military funeral. Lake Myola is an extinct volcanic plateau. It was the major logistic base for the Australians during the campaign. Briefing on the critical significance of Myola to the campaign. Follow the original wartime track to Lake Myola No 2. Camp at Lake Myola No 2. DAY 5 THURSDAY 15 SEPTEMBER Lake Myola No 2 - Naduri Village. Continue through the moss forest to the Naduri lookout with spectacular views down the valley, which is the most populated area of the track. Naduri, Kagi and Efogi villages can be seen in the distance with Port Moresby on the horizon. Trek down to Naduri Village – meet the most famous ‘fuzzy wuzzy angel’ on the track – Mr Ovoru Indiki. Ovoru is the chief of the village and a former village constable under Australia’s colonial rule. Camp at Naduri Village. DAY 6 FRIDAY 16 SEPTEMBER Naduri Village - Kovovo School - Kagi Village - Efogi No 2 Village - Efogi No 1 Village – Mission Ridge - Brigade Hill – Menari Village. Trek down to Kovovo School, which has students from Naduri, Kagi and Efogi villages. Climb to Kagi village. The area between Kagi and Efogi No 2 is probably the most rugged on the track however the descent to the river below Kagi is easier to negotiate than the climb. Efogi No 2 is the original wartime village. This is the location where 6,000 Japanese formed up to attack 1,000 Australians dug in on Brigade Hill. The Japanese refer to it as ‘the battle of the Owen Stanley Range’. The Australians call it the battle for Brigade Hill. It was the biggest battle of the Kokoda campaign. Trek down to Efogi No 1. Inspect the small village museum which contains Australian and Japanese mortars, machine guns, rifles, bayonets and bullets – boots with bones still in them. Climb Mission Ridge – the feature defended by the 2/27 Battalion during the battle for Brigade Hill. Continue on to Brigade Hill. Inspect the former gravesite that contains the remains of 72 Australians who were killed in the battle. Descend down the southern spur to a spectacular log crossing then climb to Menari. Camp at Menari Village at Silver’s place. DAY 7 SATURDAY 17 SEPTEMBER Menari Village – Nauro Saddle – Nauro Swamp - Brown River - Nauro Village. Climb up to the Nauro Saddle that has great views back towards the village of Menari. Descent to the Nauro swamp area. Cross the Brown River and climb up to the village of Nauro. Camp at Nauro Village at the local bush guesthouse. DAY 8 SUNDAY 18 SEPTEMBER Naoro Village - Maguli Range - Ofi Creek - Iorabaiwa Ridge – Va’ule Creek. Cross the Maguli Range to the lunch site at Ofi Creek – one of the best jungle swimming holes on the track. Climb Iorabaiwa Ridge – this is as far as the Japanese got in the advance towards Port Moresby. They received direct orders from Tokyo to withdraw from here – they could see the searchlights at Port Moresby from this position. Proceed down the ridge and along Va’ule Creek to bush guesthouse for camp. Camp at Va’ule Village at the local bush guesthouse. DAY 9 MONDAY 19 SEPTEMBER Va’ule Creek - Imita Ridge – Golden Staircase - Goldie River - Owers Corner. Owers Corner – Bomana War Cemetery - Port Moresby. Imita Ridge is the where the Australians were ordered to hold at all costs and fight to the death if necessary as it was the final obstacle between the advancing Japanese and their objective at Port Moresby. Cross the Goldie River and climb to Owers Corner. A 25-pound Artillery gun has been relocated to this site. They were used to fire over the Australian position on Imita Ridge to the Japanese position on Iorabaiwa. Visit the Bomana War Cemetery. Overnight at Hideaway Hotel in Port Moresby. TRANSIT TUESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER Fly Air Niugini - Port Moresby to Brisbane.