Kokoda Adventure 20th April to 1st May 2012

A year on and still the most amazing, incredible, unforgettable and rewarding journey I've had yet.
 

20th April 2012 - Sydney to Port Moresby

A freezing 1am start from Newcastle did nothing to help overcome the varying degrees of excitement and terror pumping through my system, nor silence the questions racing through my mind. Was I really doing this? What if I didn't make it? Had I packed too little? Had I packed too much? Did I have the right gear? Had I trained enough?... Then somewhere between Brisbane and Papua New Guinea, a blanket of calm came over me and as I stepped off the plane into the sticky, dusty, humid heat of Port Moresby, I was ready for the real adventure to begin.

At the hotel I met up with Tori, Brad and Micky (who were in effect total strangers but I'd signed up for the trek with them through a friend) and after dinner and meeting in a small cosy hotel room, the rest of the 2A group came together (and what an amazing group we would become) to discuss the history of Kokoda, our reasons for being there and what we could expect over the next 9 days. Adrenalin and last minute packing cancelled out any thoughts of an early night...

21st April 2012 - Port Moresby to Owers Corner to Ua Ule Camp

The first in a succession of early mornings.

Dressed in fresh and clean hiking gear and chattering with eager but nervous anticipation, we enjoyed the buffet breakfast, loaded our packs and boarded the bus. With a nice winding drive out of the city into the mountains, we were en route to Owers Corner to begin our northwards trek to Kokoda.
 

At Owers Corner we met our crew and personal porters. Our partner group 2B (who would be our shadow the entire way and share our campsite each night) did the same. My porter was to be Max, the dreadlocked, Bob Marley loving grandson of Fuzzy Wuzzy Ndeki Ovaru. After some waiting in the sunshine and photo's under the arcs, crew leader Terry yelled out our first countdown and we were finally, officially, putting feet in mud and on our way! And what better way to start than with a slippery descent through the forest to our first river crossing. 

Todays lunch of me-goreng two minute noodles and saladas with spam, cheese, jam or Vegemite and washed down with tea, coffee or milo with powdered milk and sugar was to become our daily midday menu. While there were sometimes other tasty additions to this menu (mainly fresh fruit) and the energy from these foods was useful, it will still be some time before I willingly eat two minute noodles again.

  

Tonights camp at Ua Ule was a pretty little riverside location where we soaked our tired bodies in a chilly river and relaxed with fresh salty popcorn before a carb loaded dinner. Most nights at camp had the same routine - refill water, wash if possible, put on full length clothes and mozzie repellent, nibble on popcorn, wash down dinner with a hot drink and head off to bed to recharge.

22nd April 2012 - Ua Ule to Ioribaiwa Village

The rooster (aka Group Leader Gareth) crowed at 5am for another sunny, humid day of walking with lots of mud and river crossings but then to our surprise we were done by 9am. It was thought there would be another group at our intended small destination so to avoid crowding we pulled up stumps at the lovely locale of Ioribaiwa instead. It was so lovely to sit back and chat with the group while soaking up the sunshine although I ended up getting sunburnt thanks to my anti malaria medication effecting my skins sensitivity to sunlight (haha - makes me sounds like an albino vampire!)

23rd April 2012 - Ioribaiwa Village to Agololo

This was a very long and demanding day, walking from 6am to 5pm to regain some time and distance lost yesterday, tackling the Maguli Range, getting drenched in the swamp lands and a big 'get ya ass in the water' river crossing. In the swamps, however agile you are, if it's pouring rain there's no point leaping from point to point to avoid the mud. Just accept the fact you're gonna get wet, acknowledge your shoes aren't gonna get dry again til ya get home and relax - you might actually enjoy the experience! 

The rain stopped shortly after we got into camp and once again we soaked away our aches and pains in the river. Tonight was our first experience of the wonderful harmonies of the crew singing. Truly beautiful and restoring to our tired souls.

24th April 2012 - Agololo to Brigade Hill

Another big day and a bit of a struggle today after yesterdays efforts adding on very little sleep and a tummy bug to boot. What a relief to stagger into camp and stand under the shower for a few moments, even if it was a wee trickle.
Tonight is the gathering of our two groups going north and the two groups going south to join together for the ANZAC Day ceremonies tomorrow. Brigade Hill was a significant battle sight during the Kokoda Campaign and to have this location to ourselves for ANZAC Day will make for an unforgettable experience. Tonight I go to sleep listening to the soul lifting singing of the villagers and can't imagine a more fitting way to end the day.

On another note, en route to Brigade Hill we passed the location of the plaque dedicated by the Parer family to war photographer Damien Parer. A lot of the old photos you might see in relation to Kokoda were captured by Damien. Some of his relatives live in Newcastle today and no doubt they are so very proud.

 

25th April 2012 - ANZAC Day - Brigade Hill to Naduri
Five years ago I stood in Anzac Cove, Gallipoli with thousands of Aussies, Kiwis and Turks and thought the emotion and atmosphere could never be beaten. I was very, very wrong. A much smaller gathering of Aussies and PNG villagers in a very different landscape such as Brigade Hill still gives me goosebumps to remember.

Starting at 5.30am in the pre dawn dark, we gathered together with the villagers and remembered those who fought and or gave their lives for our freedom. The PNG crew sang their lovely anthem and we, shamefully, followed suit. I say shamefully not because I dislike our Anthem but because of the miserable way we sing (mumble) it. It will never hold a candle to the humbling harmonies of these villagers and crew, using their hearts as much as their voices when they sing. We should take note in the pride they feel.

 

Following the planned service, former Wallaby player Joe Roff stood and gave a heart breaking rendition of Eric Bogle's 'And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda'. The photo below was taken by him while we wandered around after the ceremonies wrapped up.

Crew Leader Terry called out his countdown at 7am and we were on our way to Naduri - my porter Max's home village and home of his grand father, Fuzzy Wuzzy Ndiki Ovaru. As per the norm we had lots of hills and creek crossings and with my shoes still wet, my feet were starting to smell a right treat. Our journey today took us through Efogi which is pretty much the half way point of the trail and I was absolutely stoked to get two of my favourite foods - bananas and tomatos - to nibble on for a snack. Never have either tasted so fantastic! We also stopped in at the Efogi War Museum - a tiny hut packed with goodies.

Camping at Naduri was another one of those once in a lifetime kind of evenings. After being treated to a meeting with one of the last Fuzzy Wuzzys , we were spoilt with a home cooked dinner with taro, sweet potato and choko leaves followed by an evening of singing by the local church ladies and children. They were so charming, giving us all leis and flowers and honouring us with their singing but unless you were there, its almost impossible to describe the spine tingling, goosebumpy kinda feeling we all got when the men had quietly gathered around the outside of the hut and surprised us by joined in by raising their voices with their families. Early on in the trek Gareth had said these villagers should record their music and tonight I understood why - even if it is only to enrich the memories of us trekkers. At this moment I didn't care that my stinky shoes were still wet, that my sunburnt face was peeling or my filthy clothes had a manky creeky smoky smell - right here was about as close to heaven a living soul could get.

26 April 2012 - Naduri to Templetons Crossing #1

Back to the daily grind again with a 5am wake up but the hiking today was quite bearable. Not sure if this was due to such an amazing day yesterday and a lift in spirits or just kinder conditions in a long slow incline followed by a steep descent into camp. Today we passed the highest peak in our trek at 2240 metres and took in the magnificent views.

The crew had a great giggle at our expense today. Several of the lads had gone up ahead and disguised themselves with charcoal and bushes, ready to ambush us as we approached. I think they managed to frighten our shadow group a little better than ours but it was fun to watch these guys playing practical jokes on us and enjoying themselves so much.

 

27 April 2012 - Templetons Crossing #1 to Alolo
Today is our second last day on the trek and by god are my knees feeling it! Normally I would be stoked that its pretty much all downhill from here out but the descents are very steep and there's still a lot of mud out to trudge through. But what a glorious day. And no rain!! Most days we've been getting a light to medium shower in the afternoon but nothing as heavy or constant as the day we were in the mudflats and certainly nothing to worry us more than slipping the waterproofing covers over our packs. Happy to say my biggest complaint tonight is how disgusting my clothes and shoes smell. They'll be in for a good wash when I get home (if they don't get confiscated through Customs as dangerous goods...). And believe it or not, I'm actually starting to dread the end of this adventure - I'm not sure if I'm ready to go home yet - especially when the crew keep singing us to sleep!

Todays highlight of old Jap hats and bomb shells pictures above. This was located near a heap of smaller ammunition and a big weapons pit.

28 April 2012 - Alolo to Kokoda 
Last day of hiking today and quite fittingly it's a beautifully sunny, humid and bright day for the last 20kms. Our first stop this morning is the stunning Isurava. Most people who come to PNG for ANZAC Day will go to Bomana War Cemetery or come here to this significant battle site. The four plinths stand for Courage, Endurance, Mateship and Sacrifice - a fitting tribute.

I'm in alot of pain with my knees today. The flat, open, grassed and viney sections are truly heaven amongst the steep and slippery slopes. I've been abusing my body here for over a week so admiring the picturesque scenery and enjoying the company of my fellow trekkers is keeping my sanity in check - just. And then we staggered into Hoi, our last stop before Kokoda.

Hoi. What a Godsend! Coming into this little campsite there's a little stand selling softdrinks and twisties before a little creek crossing and then a hut by the creek where our lunch was to be served. Somehow, I didn't get a photo of this heavenly locale - it may have had something to do with my crawling straight into the creek to soak and refresh my poor tired body before tucking into some awesome fresh fruit and some other stuff concocted with left over 2 minute noodles.

A brief rest with butterflies and a sunshower and we're on our way again, this time for the last leg of the trek into Kokoda. The path is now mostly flat and meanders out from the jungle into thick vine covered fields and eventually we start seeing signs of civilisation again. And finally as we walk in single file into Kokoda, 96 km's from our beginning at Owers Corner, we see the welcoming arches of the end of our trail!



As we came into camp, we set up a guard of honour for our awesome, friendly, funny and helpful porters. It was truly a joy having them along on our journey. Not just for helping us carry our packs but their strong help with gentle hands, setting up and dismantling tents, transporting and preparing our food, the beautiful singing into the evenings, an adorable sense of humour and mostly an admirable humility we could all learn so much from.


After settling into camp, we took a wander around Kokoda, mostly a quick group photo and a visit to the museum - which I didn't get any photo's from as my camera died - again.

Tonight we have a little party joined with group B to revel in our achievements and take the time to kick back and relax knowing the trekking part of our journey was complete.

29 April 2012 - Kokoda to Popondetta to Port Moresby
Our last early morning but no more hiking. Todays adventure is our two groups travelling in the back of a truck from Kokoda to Popondetta Airport - a bumpy couple hours on bench seats with bumpy dirt roads and creek crossings.  

 

Stretching our legs in Popondetta, we stocked up with lunch to consume at the airport and visited the local Memorial.

 

 



Finally in the searing heat and humidity we get to the airport, only to find out our plane is delayed due to a cracked windscreen which needs to be repaired and other travellers who arrived many hours before us are still waiting so naturally we wont fly out until after them. Fortunately after over a week in PNG, we're all well practiced in the art of waiting patiently so we find a few scarce patches of shade on the grass and amuse ourselves with sleep, playing cards and dreaming of where we'll get our next big steak feast. The picture below was our waiting area with roadside markets outside the fence we weren't supposed to go out.  

 

Several hours later, sunburnt (again) and a little stir crazy, we boarded our sunset flight back to Port Moresby and our rooms at the Holiday Inn Hotel. Back to civilization. A bittersweet mixture of city smells, traffic, hawkers, security guards at the hotel, air conditioning, hot showers, clean sheets and washing machines. After luxuriating (by which I mean scrubbing mud off my body and washing my matty hair) in the hot showers and scraping the last chunks of mud off our boots, our two groups met in the dining room for our last dinner together and a presentation of certificates to confirm what to me is my greatest accomplishment to date.

 

 

 

The rest of the evening is spent chatting over a few scotches, swapping stories and email addresses, washing filthy stinking clothes and repacking in preparation for flying home tomorrow. Home. Sweeeet :) But a little part of me will miss all this :(

   

30 April 2012 - Port Moresby to Home
So nice to wake up without "Gareth the Rooster" crowing outside our tents. So nice not to be waking up in a tent.

Time is on our side today and we have a few hours spare before our flights leave so we're off to Bomana War Cemetery. Unfortunately some of our fellow trekkers had to fly back early this morning and it's a shame for them to miss this opportunity given our past weeks activities but after our huge delay at the Popondetta airport yesterday we had no choice but to cop it on the chin. As such, there was only a handful of us here but perhaps our small group made visiting this special site made it all the more personal.

We wandered around the rows of rows of headstones and found the sites of many well known soldiers and heroes in this meticulously kept, lush cemetery. The visitors book on display in a small building at the end of the rows displayed the names of Australian dignitaries, such as current Minister of Defence Stephen Smith, from during the ANZAC Day ceremonies and as luck would have it, we arrived about 10 minutes before the wreaths from the days before were removed.

The rest of the day was spent with goodbyes and airports. Happiness to be returning to our homes, sadness for the end of this journey. Appreciation for the lives we have, longing for the simple life we don't.

Some of the people I've met on this adventure and the memories I've gained will be forever held in my heart. We are so lucky to have the freedom to be able to take this journey and should be so full of pride, admiration, sorrow and gratitude for the Australian and Papua New Guinean people who put their lives on the line in order for us to do so.

More photo's can be found HERE.

More information on the Kokoda Campaign and Track can be found HERE

Bali

At last - something to write about! :o)

Last week I jetted off to Indonesia to hang out in Bali with two great mates from Perth and after about 18 hours of trains, planes and bumming around in airports (thank god for wi-fi and shops) I landed at Denpasar airport ready to begin my latest adventure.

It crossed my mind pre departure that getting into Kuta on the 9th anniversary of the 2002 Bali Bombings might not be the smartest thing but as it turned out there was no cause for concern. Not for a moment during my stay did I feel my safety was in danger in any way. Of course, this may have been due to my travel buddies - a.k.a my bodyguards.

Day One of sitting round the pool with Bintang saw us through a 6.8 earthquake. At first I thought a big fat truck was bumping down the alley behind me until the rolling rumble of the ground beneath me crossed the pool area to the building, shaking the three story building like jelly. Paul and I watched in slow motion fascination as the elevator shaft shook like a Jenga tower, cracks started to appear in the walls and the staff started to pour out of the building. Not one to miss out on the action, Adam was up in his room during the excitement but I think he was more than happy to grab a Bintang when he emerged :o)

That afternoon we trundled into Kuta for a wander round and ended up at Billys Bar. A regular here got us off the Bintang and onto a lovely concoction called Frog Juice. Although already fairly well charged, the frog juice was just too good to say no. So we didnt. Many, many times...

The following day was expectedly very slow until mid afternoon when we ventured back into town again and ended up at a cute little bar with swings in the trees, after checking out the start of the Kuta Carnivale procession which was lining up on the beach. This bar was a great find so was sat and chilled for the evening and watched a beautiful sunset.

And I got to drink from a coconut!!

The next few days were much of the same with the boys heading out til 7am one night while I sat curled up foetel with Bali Belly and battling with a mozzie I was too weak to swat!

We hit the markets on our last day and haggled for a few choice finds. Even the proper shops like Sketchers and Guess were chocked up with incredible bargains that only a good deal of will power stopped me from buying crap I didnt really need.

It was truly wonderful to catch up with genuine mates like Adam and Paul. These guys are like brothers to me and I couldnt imagine better people to have experienced Bali for the first time with.

Now, I'm the first to admit I've never considered Bali as a destination of choice. While never completely written off, I dont think its ever been high on my "must see list", despite the hoards of Australian and International tourists who venture to this destination every year. I now see this was a very closed minded opinion on my behalf.

The sometimes unfortunate reputation this beautiful country can get is mostly not due to the behaviour of its inhabitants but instead its visitors. They abuse a beautiful culture and disrespect its laws and beliefs and the media will play up any one sided story to stoke their desire for higher ratings.

Yes, its a third world destination so dont go expecting the Ritz and gold paved streets. Personally I would rather return to this fascinating corner of the world than revisit some of the more forward thinking, advanced societies I have taken the time to experience. And yes, there are bad people out there and bad things can happen but I think you'd be hard pressed to show me a place where there arent bad people and bad things dont happen. Its happens everyday in our own backyards.

And as for those who make stupid decisions while abroad and return home to blame it on the country they were just in... well... it just comes down to common sense doesnt it? I've said it before and I'll say it again - Common sense is an amazingly simple survival tool.

seven months on...

Wow - how time flies! Once again I've been too lazy to write up any updates but since I'm at a loose end (some would say procrastinating from building an ikea inspired tv unit...) I ended up here reminiscing :o)

Not too much to report about the past seven months. No wild adventures spring to mind. No major life changing events. Oooh - hang on. I'm now an Aunty to the gorgeous Noah - congrats to Az and Kyles and I'm soon to have a little niece thanks to Sam and Bobbi.

I survived the 10km run the day after I returned to Oz and was actually pretty chuffed with my efforts considering my virtually non existant training regime. I'm getting back into training and the gym again now and have even signed up to Dry July this year. Check out my link and feel free to sponsor if you wish!

https://www.dryjuly.com/profiles/katinkasmith

Oamaru to Lake Tekapo

First thing I went back out to the Elephant Rocks with much more success with batteries this time. Apparently this area was used in the Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

The rest of the drive was through Omarama and Twizel on to Lake Tekapo. As usual, the scenery was stunning with the snow capped mountain ranges of Mount Cook dominating the entire way.

Even now as I look out from the back of my little mobile home, I can see huge pine trees, a blue lake and mountains covered in snow. Picture perfect.

Tomorrow I’m heading in to Chrictchurch which marks the beginning of the end. Lucida gets handed back on Thursday morning and I’m back in Sydney on Saturday for a 10km fun run on Sunday. Nooooooo….. I wonder if Monica will mind that I’ve forgotten how to run?.... Might be more of a 10km waddle :o)

Portobello to Oamaru

Nice sleep in and leisurely drive today. I left the windy peninsula in search of the boulders of Moeraki and stumbled on a lovely cheese factory on the way. The boulders were pretty interesting and I had an old german couple telling me how they’d been there 20 years ago and could see the difference as some of the boulders had cracked apart.

On to Oamaru after this with a quick detour to the Elephant Rocks just out of town. I’d been looking forward to this one all day and then after traipsing out into the field my camera batteries died. Just as well I’m coming this way again tomorrow huh?
Tonight me and a zillion other tourists were at Bushy Beach in the hopes of spotting some yellow eyed penguins which are apparently very rare. Finally about 90 long minutes later two little fellows came waddling out of the water up to the protection on the cliff base. Soooo very cute but we were all too far away to get a decent picture :o(

Queenstown to Portobello

Some georgous driving scenery again from pisturesque Queenstown to the windy Otago Peninsula town of Portobello. Stopped off at the other AJ Hackett bungy site along the way. This is the one I could have gone to but was too chicken...





On the peninsula I drove around looking for somewhere to spot a penguin and ended up at Lanarch Castle. Nothing like the awesome ones in Scotland but it was a nice walk around the grounds anyways.

Queenstown

What an unforgettable, incredible, panoramic and adrenalin packed day.

We start with the picturesque flight to the Milford Sound and subsequent cruise and flight home. The flight was pretty bumpy - (silly pilot - for those who know my previous quotes about pilots and bumps you'll understand) - but otherwise the views were enough to distract the white knuckle gripping of anything available (and thats a good thing considering I was in the front on the way back...).
The cruise was breathtaking and we even saw a few penquins and seals. Given the amount of rainfall they get in the Milford Sound, we were very lucky to have a reasonably sunny day.
Upon my return and a light lunch, I gondolla'd up the hill, soaked up the view and somehow managed to point my feet in the direction of the AJ HAckett platform for my bungy jump and swing...

Let me just say - skydiving was a zillion times easier!

For the bungy once I was strapped into the harness I had to run and jump... The fall was only approx 40 metres but I tell you what - those few seconds were very, very long!!!

The bungy was then followed immediately by the swing which is much the same as the bungy cept its a swing and you have to pull a pin to make it release... I found this much harder than the run and jump method but survived it all the same.

Needless to say once I gondolla'd back down the mountain, I made my way straight to a pub and partook in a few bevvies before locating Hells Pizza and discovering the best flavour pizza in the world - chicken, camembert and cranberry!!
Anyways, I need to start having a look at some maps now to find out where I'm going tomorrow. I'm thinking south again but there's a couple other interesting options popping up which I need to investigate.

Franz Josef to Queenstown

Another day of jawdropping scenery and landscapes again on my drive southwards. Today I meandered through forests and hills with alpine streams and more one lane bridges you can poke a stick at.

Now I am in Queenstown psyching myself up for some adrenalin pumping fun tomorrow. I start with a nice tame flight over to Milford Sound with a wee cruise before the return flight and then I'll be off to AJ Hackett land for a gondola ride, a freefall swing and finally a bungee jump and more than likely a few celebratory beers!

Should be good fun....................

Franz Josef Glacier

Another beautiful day in an awesome landscape.
Today I went for a little wander up Franz Josef Glacier and it was spectacular!
The tour company gave us overpants, jackets and crampons and off we went. The walk to the base of the glacier from the car park took almost an hour and then we went up a wee little goat track on some shale for another 20 minutes but then we clamped on our crampons and were walking on solid ice!

We crawled through a worm hole and squeezed through a cave and finally got to our target black barrel about two hours later. Our guide was doing track maintanence as we went which slowed us down a little but given the ice moves about 1-2 metres a day, it was understandable that he had to ensure our path was clear and secure. Great fun - definitely worth the time!

Tomorrow I'm heading towards Wanaka but could end up in Mount Cook or Queenstown. To be decided on the way I guess...

Westport to Franz Josef

Feeling much better today thanks to a night in a cabin, some good tummy bug drugs and plenty of sleep and kicked the day off with a wander down to check out the locals at the Westport Seal Colony – all three of them… Mustn’t be seal season I guess – or maybe it is... :o)
Anyways, I continued on through Greymouth and cruised around Punakaiki and the Pancake Rocks before some shopping and a very late lunch at Hokitika and finally rolling in to Franz Josef late this arvo.
Its amazing the amount of campervans you see parked up at sites and parks yet the roads have been pleasingly empty when it comes to traffic. Its also fantastic to see (and partake in) the culture of slower traffic (trucks etc) simply pulling over for you to overtake and the grateful beep-beep you hear afterwards from the passing party. Considering the amount of windy roads and blind corners here, it is definitely a smart way to drive. This just isn’t done in Australia – everyone is in such a rush!
Tomorrow I will be slepingin in (woohoo!!!) before clambering up Franz Josef and playing on the glacier. Fingers crossed I have regained enough energy as I wasl still feeling pretty weak today after my tummy troubles yesterday…