Kokoda – Excruciatingly Beautiful! By Alison Anis, Kokoda Trail Options

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HUNDREDS of dug-out pits, carefully patterned and positioned on the sides of the almost four-feet wide trail, bits and pieces of wrecks, evident bullet holes on the sides of trees, the dangerously steep ridges, monuments along the rugged, steep and arduous 94 kilometer Kokoda Trail - they are all, a stark reminder of World War II, 1942's bloody battle along Kokoda.

Words: Alison Anis, Pictures: Ross Eason

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The severe reminders illustrate the bravery and the exceptional strength of many who have had to go through the horrendous battle. The Australian (supposedly) inexperienced and young soldiers led by their courageous fellow battalion leaders and with the support of the natives of Papua, popularly known as the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels, who helped fight against the Japanese troops, have had to face many days of tentative battle along the infamous track.

Photograph: Mural painted by our KTL staff.

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In stark contrast, the beauty and the ultimate feeling of being drawn or being one with this almost-unkempt wilderness, the alluring strength emanating from the gigantic trees, the huge boulders and the virile mountains is just so much to bear for one who has never been this far - so very captivating. Yes, all this accompanied by the undying sounds of sometimes fast-flowing, and also swift flowing gentle creeks. The jungle is blessed with wild colorful flowers, intriguing plants, the differing sounds of wild animals, birds, cuscus, etc and intricately designed with the numbered species of beautifully colored butterflies.

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To walk this war-time path is, as according to Clive Baker's trekking guide book - 'Walking the Kokoda Trail'"one of life's great experiences - it is to walkers what running a marathon is to joggers".

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However, as a first timer on the track on September 28th to 5th of October it was to me like experiencing distress and delight at the same time. There were times on the way that I had to go through painful and sweaty moments but these were soon forgotten when I was up there taking in the delightful views below and of the mountain tops. And descending was almost as painful and tiresome but I had to stop by the nearest creek for a cool and refreshing bath in the clean clear water.

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While I was struggling up and down some very steep and cruel ascends and descends, as was the case in most parts, all the time experiencing tiredness or sometimes pain on my knee all of these was more likely short lived by the unusual beauty of this disheveled wilderness.

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Walking the Kokoda is to some people is like reliving the lives of many who have fought and died during the WWII, though this applies only to those who have a connection to the history of the trail. For others it is a personal challenge and an old time route which offers some of the best views and unique floras and fauna there is for the eye to behold.

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And beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder!..I was completely enchanted by the colorful wild flowers and having never seen them before I started picking each different color from what Geoff Campbell identified as wild illusions and carefully stuck each of them in line on the front of my hair while I was on my way towards our next campsite at Eora Creek. And what a smile of approval I got when I reached the next stop - the Templeton's Crossing. The boys smiled and said I looked okay with the flowers in my hair. As if that was not enough I started collecting beautiful ferns as well and decorated my hair with it.

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Kokoda could only prove hard if you are too preoccupied or fail to notice the beautiful and colorful surroundings. Apart from this the trail also offers some of the most beautiful and exotic lookout there is for curious and enthusiastic passer- bys.

The 'Myola lookout' which is only 30 minutes away from the junction leading to Naduli is a heavenly sight. I was struck by the dumb and unusual beauty of this place. Of course, nothing prepared me for the shocking entrance nor was the open grassland covered with small creeks snaking in from different directions. Here I had to agree silently with the four trekkers from Australia, that this view was totally out of place. I felt like entering a new territory, a totally different and foreign place not expected of the usual thick jungle surroundings of the all too familiar trail. It is a wide area of 'Scottish Moors' and you would half expect to see sheep or cattle grazing lazily by the river banks.

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From here we could see clearly the Myola guest house located a few miles away. We stayed for some time slowly taking in the new surroundings despite the heat of the sun. It occurred to me that this was a wartime dropping zone for supplies as described in Clive Baker's book.

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The first, second and third day is not much of a hassle if you decide to fly in to Kokoda from Port Moresby, but you will probably feel the pinch of the climbs and falls on the next six days until you reach Owers Corner - where your journey would seemingly end. That really was not the case for me as a first timer - I started feeling the pain on my knee on the second last day and only after we had struggled up and down some very steep hills.

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The vast choko fields are evident at Deniki and towards Isurava. There is a wide clearing where Deniki villagers were supposedly located some year back but these people are said to have moved from this location to what is now known as Hoi village located directly at the foot of the mountains.

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The walk gets extremely challenging each day when you decide to fly in from Port Moresby. However, it also gets exciting for those who enjoy outdoor adventure.

While it can be extremely difficult you are sure to enjoy spectacular views and get some time to read about the history as you come across monuments.

Ovuru Ndiki - one of the last surviving fuzzy wuzzy angels. Ovuru Ndiki loves having his photograph taken with trekkers but be prepared his son charges last I heard K10.00 per photograph.

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Such are the experiences along this mighty war-time route - where you are sure to feel distress and at times delight! Yes it is surely one of life's great experiences - and that is why Kokoda is simply, excruciatingly beautiful!

Ends//

Alison Anis is a journalist with www.pngbd.com and our Kokoda website. Seen here taking notes on the Kokoda Trail during her trek. Alison walked in the place of Richard Thompson whose dream it was to walk Kokoda. Sadly he was not able to accompany his brother and friends on this trek as his cancer returned and he died a few weeks after they arrived back in Australia. Richard raised quite a lot of money for the 'Bloomhill Cancer Care Clinic' as a result of this trek. Alison wrote a journal of the trek and it was sent to Richard before he passed away. Rest in peace Richard.

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A proud moment...Ovuru Ndiki meets Australian Defence Chief General Peter Cosgrove and his PNG counterpart Brigadie.

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