Adventure Kokoda Blog

A post by Sandy Lawson

In 2006, because tourist numbers on the Kokoda Track were rising rapidly, I outlined (on invitation) a proposal to animate community development. Based on local agriculture, it recognised that for tourism to be sustainable and welcome, it must engage the interest of the villagers along the historic trail. It must give them power as custodians of their land to explore new ways of using their land by carefully exploiting opportunities offered by a growing tourist industry. They must reap a real benefit. (more…)

On 12 October 1972 the name ‘Kokoda Trail’ was proclaimed in the Government Gazette of Papua New Guinea. This proclamation has never been amended or rescinded so the official name of the track over the Owen Stanley Range between Owers Corner and Kokoda is ‘The Kokoda Trail’.

The custodian of Australia’s Military History, the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, revisited the debate in 2002 after some new-age historians argued it should be referred to as the ‘Kokoda Track’.  The official historian at the War Memorial concluded that the term ‘trail’ was favoured by a majority of veterans and because it appears on the battle honours of units who served in Papua in 1942. He concluded that the official designation for the track is ‘The Kokoda Trail’. (more…)

The Federal Labor Governments announcement of a Guest Worker Scheme from Pacific nations is welcome news for neighbouring countries situated within our international area of responsibility. It is also good news for the horticultural industry that estimates up to $700 million worth of fresh produce is left to rot for the lack of reliable workers. This is almost double the value of our annual aid budget to PNG!The Rudd Government is to be congratulated for its re-engagement of the islands in the Pacific – particularly PNG – through the Pacific Partnership for Development and Security initiative. The Hon Duncan Kerr was a wise choice for the appointment of Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs in view of his previous experience as Dean at the Faculty of Law at the University of Papua New Guinea.

Kerr has given an assurance that the scheme will have legislative safeguards to protect guest workers from exploitation. (more…)

Our experience with Kokoda has provided an interesting insight into our relationship with Melanesia in general – and Papua New Guinea in particular.

At the beginning of our journey in 1991 we quickly realised that Papua New Guinea was not on our collective radar. Our general views were conditioned by negative media reports that registered the country as a ‘no-go zone’ in our national subconscious. (more…)

Diggers descriptions of the climb up the ‘Golden Staircase’ towards Imita Ridge never seemed to gel with the actual climb on today’s trek route.

Last November I met up with a team of our PNG trek leaders, Patrick, Wahu Womara, Joe Adoa, Elijah Billy, Robin Guia, Auda Gudoi, Stanley Elodo, Joe Wea. Leonard and Joe Wuena and we went in search of the original route over Imita Ridge.

Our readings took us to the east of a knoll and parallel to the Goldie River for awhile. We eventually picked up the the spur at the base of Imita Ridge which led us up a narrow ridge to the north-east. Even with my GPS and all of the boys cutting with their machetes we we still finished up in re-entrants a couple of times. We will never fully understand the desperation our diggers faced in this environment when they were forced off the track and cut-off for weeks on end. (more…)

The 2008 Victory in the Pacific (VP Day) Service was conducted at the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway at Concord on 15 August 2008.

The keynote speaker for the commemorative service was the Chief of the Army, Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie AO DSC CSM. 

It is an honour to be here with you today as we pause to reflect on the very real sacrifices and fabulous achievements of the Australian people in their contribution to the Allies’ Victory in the Pacific in the Second World War.

On August 15, 1945, Prime Minister Chiefly announced to the nation that the Japanese had agreed to unconditionally surrender, and as a consequence, the Second World War was over.  Australians reacted to the surrender in a tremendous mood of joy, with spontaneous celebrations breaking out all over the nation.   For a jubilant Australia wildly celebrating on 15 August one thought was paramount.  The war was over.  (more…)

Education is the only chance Papua New Guineans have of breaking the shackles of international aid donors and taking ownership of their own destiny.

Unfortunately the system does not have the resources to meet the most basic demands. According to PNG Department of Education supply and demand projections for 2006 there will be 1,707,677 students seeking enrolment this year but only 908,096 places available – a shortfall of 799,581 or 46.8 per cent! (more…)

The Adventure Kokoda ‘Bring-a-Book’ campaign for the Port Moresby Grammar School has delivered more 1,000 books in 2008.

Adventure Kokoda trekkers are encouraged to each ‘bring a book’ which we consolidate and present to the school on arrival in Port Moresby.

Deputy-Principal, Michael Luff, has advised that Port Moresby Grammar has been able to employ a second librarian because of the response to the program. (more…)

The opening of the Isurava Memorial on the 60th anniversary of the Kokoda campaign was a proud moment for all who fought in the campaign and for those who are determined that their legacy will never be forgotten. The journey began with the desire of a trekker, Graham Scott, to bring some of the veterans from the 39th Militia and 2/14th AIF Battalions who fought at the battle for Isurava, back to Kokoda for a ‘last parade’. We were then requested to find an appropriate site for helicopters to land as close to the battlesite as possible and begin the necessary planning to make it happen. As part of our research we obtained copies of Army Topographical Maps which had been printed from data collected in 1942; some wartime sketch maps from the Australian War Memorial; a portable Global Positioning System (GPS); and as much information as we could glean from the books we had read. (more…)

After more than 60 years years the gallant 39th Battalion has been placed back on the Australian Order of Battle. Nobody has ever been able to adequately explain why the 39th was ever removed from the Order of Battle at the end of the WW11. (more…)