The Kokoda Trail - 10 Essential Facts

The ‘Kokoda Trail’ is the name of the Battle Honour awarded to the Papuan Infantry Battalion by the Commonwealth Battles Nomenclature Committee in 1953 – it is also the official name proclaimed by the PNG Government in 1972 (PNG Government Gazette No. 88 of 12 October 1972, page 1362, column 2. Notice 1972/28 refers).
Prior to World War 11 the Kokoda Trail was a mail route used by villagers to carry documents across the Owen Stanley Ranges on bush tracks connecting remote villagers between Sogeri and Kokoda – mail exchange points were established to allow carriers to swap loads with others coming from the opposite direction and return to their villages.
The Kokoda campaign was fought between the advancing Japanese army and Australian troops across the Kokoda Trail from 29 July – 2 November 1942.
The length of the Kokoda Trail is 138 km with a total climb of 7150 m and a total descent of 7570 from Owers Corner to Kokoda.
The boundary between Central Province and Oro Province is Templeton’s Crossing which is 83 km from Owers Corner and 55 km from Kokoda.
The highest point of the Trail is 2320 m east of Mt Bellamy between Lake Myola and the Kokoda Gap.
The major battles fought during the Kokoda campaign were on Ioribaiwa Ridge, Brigade Hill, Templeton’s Crossing, Eora Creek, Isurava, Deniki and Kokoda.
The memorial at Isurava was officially opened by Prime Ministers’ John Howard and Sir Michael Somare on 26 August 2002, the 60^th anniversary of the battle.
The traditional landowners of the Kokoda Trail are the Koiari people between Owers Corner and Templeton’s Crossing, and the Orokaiva between Templeton’s Crossing and Kokoda.
The Kokoda Trail is now PNGs most popular tourism destination.