Adventure Kokoda Blog

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are all well and have a wonderful and safe Christmas and New Year.  Sorry it has taken me a while to make contact, I haven’t stopped travelling really, between work and flying to Melbourne I haven’t been home much.

Thank you for being the most Wonderful Group of People I have ever had the priviledge of travelling with.  Your friendship and encouragement you all showed to me and each and everyone of us along the track will stay with me for the rest of my life.  My holiday was perfect from start to finish.  If you ever organise a trip all together as a group count me in ;-0) ….( Machu Picchu , Great Wall of China ,Camino de Santiago walk etc would be good adventures! ) My knees have finally recovered, I did head straight back to the gym on my return to Perth , mind you I was a bit easier on myself because of my knees , but my personal trainer Bec showed me no mercy..I guess that is what I pay her for ;-0)

As for Adventure Kokoda , WOW !! I haven’t stopped singing your praises, what an Awesome Professional Company!  You did not disappoint! Adventure Kokoda was everything I had hoped for and more.  Adventure Kokoda is the first Company I have ever come across that has not only been everything they advertised to be , but more!

Chad Thank you ! Thank you Thank you ! You made our trip what it was – the most moving, memorable experience of a lifetime .  Because of you and your knowledge of Kokoda , its history , the relationship  you have with us as a group and the people of PNG, your awesome personality, humour and of course the wonderful poetry ( that was truly awesome and what made the experience so special) , and singing of Danny Boy (my favourite song) made the trip something I will remember and talk about forever.  Not a day goes by that I don’t think of my time in PNG , it truly has left a foot print on my heart, especially  the people of PNG what warm, caring, beautiful people.

I have finally worked out how to replay the video camcord (blonde coming out in me) and yayy it did work and I captured a lot of footage, which turned out really well and very clear!  Mind you my filming skill leave a lot to be desired ( I moved too fast at times, it was the first time I had used it , should have practiced hey!) but the most crucial moments , the dawn service , presentation night etc  turned out lovely.  It was wonderful to watch and I got homesick for PNG and of course the choko vines ( they were so yum, the simple things in life are definitely the best!).

I will endeavour to get them copied to disk and have a copy sent to you all in the New Year.

Can you please email me your postal addresses and your surnames too.  Regina I have all your photo to send to you too ;-0)

I really look forward to hearing from you all ;-0)

Kind Regards,

Marg

I enjoyed immensly Rowan Tracey’s essay in the June issue (United Service 61 (2) 24-29,2010).  Tracey strongly supports what I and Brigadier Casrey have been saying for years.  What is more, he presents his material so logically and progressively that it leaves little room to disagree with his conclusions.  Three facts are significant here:

. The Kokoda Trail campaign has never been properly analysed from the viewpoint of  ground and tactics.

. There was never any ill-feeling by Allen towards Blamey.  Blamey’s ADC told me  that Blamey visited Allen in Darwin as soon as he could and they spent until dawn yarning in a convivial way.

.  Rowell was the first of the war’s senior officers to come out to present himself in the best possible light.  Blamey declined to write his memoirs for the noble reason that the war was over and he had no wish to damage any of those who fought.

There are three types of military historians: journalist historians, who show little respect for the facts in order to tell a good story; academic historians, who have the time and facilities to unearth new and valuable information, but mainly at the political and strategic levels; and soldier historians, who are the only ones one can trust at the tactical level, for they have been taught to understand the key factor – ground.  Peter Pedersen of the Australian War Memorial is one I have always admired for the latter quality, and now we have Rowan Tracey, who I hope goes on to write further.

Major-General G. L. Maitland AO OBE FRD ED (Retd)
North Turramurra
2 July 2010

Rowan Tracey’s article can be read at:  http://blog.kokodatreks.com/2010/07/21/conflict-in-command-during-the-kokoda-campaign-of-1942-did-general-blamey-deserve-the-blame-2/