“Imagine an area of approximately 100 miles long, crumple and fold this into a series of ridges, each rising higher and higher until 7,000 feet is reached, then declining again to 3,000feet. Cover this thickly with jungle, short trees and tall trees tangled with great entwining savage vines; then through the oppression of this density cut a little native track two to three feet wide, up the ridges, over the spurs, around gorges and down across swiftly flowing happy mountain streams.
Where the track clambers up the mountainsides, cut steps – big steps, little steps, steep steps or clear the soil from the tree roots. Every few miles bring the track through a small patch of sunlit kunai grass, or an old deserted native garden, and every seven or ten miles build a group of dilapidated grass huts as staging shelters, generally set in a foul offensive clearing. Every now and then leave beside the track dumps of discarded putrefying food, and occasional dead bodies. In the morning flicker the sunlight through the tall trees, flutter green and blue and purple and white butterflies lazily through the air, and hide birds of deep-throated song or harsh cockatoos in the foliage.
Where the track clambers up the mountainsides, cut steps – big steps, little steps, steep steps or clear the soil from the tree roots. Every few miles bring the track through a small patch of sunlit kunai grass, or an old deserted native garden, and every seven or ten miles build a group of dilapidated grass huts as staging shelters, generally set in a foul offensive clearing. Every now and then leave beside the track dumps of discarded putrefying food, and occasional dead bodies. In the morning flicker the sunlight through the tall trees, flutter green and blue and purple and white butterflies lazily through the air, and hide birds of deep-throated song or harsh cockatoos in the foliage.
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About midday and through the night, pour water over the forest, so that the steps become broken and a continual yellow stream flows downwards, and the few level areas become pools and puddles of putrid mud. In the high ridges about Myola, drip this water day and night softly over the track through a fetid forest grotesque with moss and growing phosphorescent fungi.”
About midday and through the night, pour water over the forest, so that the steps become broken and a continual yellow stream flows downwards, and the few level areas become pools and puddles of putrid mud. In the high ridges about Myola, drip this water day and night softly over the track through a fetid forest grotesque with moss and growing phosphorescent fungi.”
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This is the Kokoda Track, where in June 1942 young, ill-equipped, Australian militia where propelled in front of a numerically superior, vastly more experienced, fanatical and well-disciplined Japanese army. It was a place where the pain of effort, the biting sweat, the hunger, the cheerless, shivering nights were made dim by exhaustion’s merciful embrace. Surely no war was ever fought under worse conditions than these. Surely no war has ever demanded more of a man in fortitude.
This is the Kokoda Track, where in June 1942 young, ill-equipped, Australian militia where propelled in front of a numerically superior, vastly more experienced, fanatical and well-disciplined Japanese army. It was a place where the pain of effort, the biting sweat, the hunger, the cheerless, shivering nights were made dim by exhaustion’s merciful embrace. Surely no war was ever fought under worse conditions than these. Surely no war has ever demanded more of a man in fortitude.
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But although this terrain would gain infamy as 'A Bastard of a Place', you would be wrong to think harshly of it. For though Kokoda Track claimed some of Australia's finest sons, it is the crucible that forged the spirit of a nation in peril and a witness to “Courage”, “Sacrifice”, “Mateship” and “Endurance” that against all odds led to the first defeat of Japanese land forces in the Pacific War.
But although this terrain would gain infamy as 'A Bastard of a Place', you would be wrong to think harshly of it. For though Kokoda Track claimed some of Australia's finest sons, it is the crucible that forged the spirit of a nation in peril and a witness to “Courage”, “Sacrifice”, “Mateship” and “Endurance” that against all odds led to the first defeat of Japanese land forces in the Pacific War.
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So this was the setting for a trek by three longtime friends across PNG, where they at least hoped to experience “Mateship” and a little of the “Endurance” on display 67 years before. And they also set themselves four simple goals:-
· To complete the trek
· To take nothing but photographs and leave nothing but footprints
· To ensure not one utterance of complaint passed their lips
· To ensure what was said on the track, stayed on the track!
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So this was the setting for a trek by three longtime friends across PNG, where they at least hoped to experience “Mateship” and a little of the “Endurance” on display 67 years before. And they also set themselves four simple goals:-
· To complete the trek
· To take nothing but photographs and leave nothing but footprints
· To ensure not one utterance of complaint passed their lips
· To ensure what was said on the track, stayed on the track!
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And so on 05-May-09 Darren & I travelled together from Singapore to Port Moresby, arriving following morning, with Simon joining us later that day via Brisbane. This first day was spent checking kit lists, buying food supplements for the trek ahead and touring the suburbs following a delicious lunch stop.
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