Trek Notes

Kokoda Trek Guidebook and Diary

A comprehensive guidebook has been written by Charlie Lynn for Advenutre Kokoda trekkers. The book contains details of the cultural history of the Koiari people, descriptions of the battles fought along the trek during the Kokoda campaign, detailed trek notes and timings and a diary section to record your experience.

Following are examples of chapters in the guidebook:

"Cultural History – The Bush Koiari

"The 'fuzzy-wuzzy angels' who assisted out diggers during the campaign were mainly Koiari people.

"Koiari country extends from the immediate hinterland of Port Moresby and the neighbouring Motu villages to the main Owen Stanley Range and beyond. The Koiari people sometimes divide themselves according to their environment into the Grasslanders or Isu-bia; the Forest-men or Idutu-bia; and the Mountaineers or Movota.

"The Grasslanders occupy the rolling plains near the coast, where savannah alternates with wide stretches of lalang grass. The name Koiari properly belongs to one of the local groups of the Grasslanders but is now applied loosely to all those who speak similar dialects up to and beyond the Owen Stanley Range.

"The Forest-men occupy the Sogeri area in the foothills between the coast and the mountainous rainforest of the Owen Stanley’s. Sogeri is the name of a local group but has now extended to the general area known as the Sogeri Plateau. The Forest-men of this area were also known as the Hill-men.

"The Moutaineers, known today as Mountain-Koiari occupy the higher the reaches of the Owen Stanley Range and beyond to the Templeton’s Crossing area – the current boundary between Central (Koiari) and Northern (Orokaiva) Province. . . . .

Military History:

"Colonel Ralph Honner who was appointed as their new commander after the death of Owen. Honner was an intelligent, confident, courageous and well respected leader. He had great faith in his men and they never gave him reason to doubt his judgement. He had been ordered to hold the line at Isurava whilst the brass back in Australia belatedly decided the situation was now urgent enough to get our regular troops to the front line.

"So Ralph Honner drew his line in the mud of Isurava just as Colonel Travis drew his line in the sand at the Alamo 106 years earlier. Unfortunately for Honner the odds his 39th Battalion faced at Isurava were about the same as the odds faced by the Texans at the Alamo!

"The Japanese had amassed a force of 6000 combat infantry troops to attack the Australians who were located on either side of the valley – the 53rd Militia Battalion on the eastern ridge and the 39th Militia Battalion astride the Kokoda Trail on the western ridge.

"On 26 August 1942 the Japanese unleashed their South Seas Force on a two-pronged strategic attack as a precursor to capturing Port Moresby – a seaborne invasion against the Australian and American positions at Milne Bay and a land assault against the 39th and 53rd Battalions on the Kokoda Trail.

"The men of the 39th were destined to take the brunt of the attack. They were told that reinforcements from the battle-hardened 21st Brigade were on the way and that they were to hold the Japanese until they arrived. They were aware of the gravity of the situation and there was a preparedness amongst them to fight to the finish to hold their position.

"The battle raged for four days between the 26th and 30 August 1942 as the heroic defenders of the 39th Battalion repelled attack after attack. Honner wrote:

"Through the widening breach poured another flood of the attackers . . . met with Bren gun and Tommy gun, with bayonet and grenade, but still they came, to close with the buffet of fist and boot and rifle-butt, the steel of crashing helmets and of straining, strangling fingers. In this vicious fighting, man-to-man and hand-to-hand. Merrit’s men were in imminent peril of annihilation.’

"The men of the 39th were on their last legs, Physically exhausted after weeks of continuous patrolling and fighting, low on ammunition, starved and suffering from malaria and dysentery Honner believed they could only hold on for a few more hours when out of the jungle came the men of the 2/14th Battalion. These were battled hardened young blokes who had fought with distinction in the Middle East, Greece and Crete. When they looked down at the emaciated warriors of the 39th they thought they were looking at living skeletons. When the men of the 39th saw these tough, confident young men of the 2/14th they thought they were Australian gods who had come to save them.

"History was in the making as the men of the 2/14th took their positions beside the men of the 39th – it was the first time our regular and militia forces had fought side by side on Australian territory in defence of our homeland.

"As the battle raged there were so many acts of courage and self-sacrifice that it is impossible to acknowledge them all. Even so the battle was to yield more Allied decorations than in any other single battle in the Pacific:

‘These were not blind heroics; they were calculated initiatives by Australian privates, corporals and platoon commanders determined to hold off the enemy as their units withdrew. Thus Private Wakefield, a Sydney wool worker, held up a Japanese charge as his section fell back; he won the Military Medal. Thus Captain Maurice Treacy, a shop assistant, ‘parried every thrust levelled at him’ . He got a Military Cross. Though wounded in the hand and foot, Corporal ‘Teddy’ Bear, a die-cast operator from Moonee Ponds, killed a reported’15 Japanese with his Bren gun at point blank range’; he was later awarded the Military Medal and the DCM. Lieutenant Mason, a draughtsman, led his platoon in four counterattacks that afternoon; as did Lieutenant Butch Bissett, a jackeroo, whose platoon fought off fourteen Japanese charges.’ . . . . . "

Trek Notes:

"The track continues along a relatively easy route for about 45 minutes before reaching the base of Imita Ridge and the area known as the 'Golden Staircase'. Here the diggers faced an upward climb of almost a kilometre in less than four kilometres. More than three thousand steps were cut into the side of the ridge by the army engineers. W.B Russell of the 2/14th Battalion:

The golden stairs consisted of steps varying from ten to eighteen inches in height. The front edge of the step was a small log held by stakes. Behind the log was a puddle of mud and water. Some of the stakes had worked loose, leaving the logs slightly tilted. Anyone who stood on one of these skidded and fell with a whack in the mud, probably banging his head against a tree or being hit on the head with his own rifle. Those who had no sticks soon acquired them, not only to prevent falls, but allow the arms to help the legs, especially with the higher steps. After the first half dozen steps, it became a matter of sheer determination forcing the body to achieve the impossible. It was probably the weight more than the climb, though the climb would have been enough to tire even a lightly loaded man. The rear companies, where the going is always hardest, took twelve hours to complete nine miles (about 14 kilometers).

"Today's track no longer follows the original route of the infamous 'Golden Staircase' but now proceeds up a more gentle spur to the east through Imita Gap.

"On the northern side of Imita Gap the track descends to Ua Ule Creek (formerly know as Munikahila Creek) where it meanders back and forth across the creek for about half-an-hour before it reaches a new guesthouse recently built for trekkers by landowners from Ower's Corner.

"A further half-hour along the track leads to a creek junction at the base of Ioribaiwa Ridge. A fairly steep climb follows for a bit over an hour to the top of the ridge. This is as far as the Japanese advanced in their quest to capture Port Moresby.

"The one hour climb to the top of Ioribaiwa Ridge is quite steep without much relief. Glimpses back across Imita Ridge on the way up give the trekker a good feel for the awesome nature of the terrain. Weapon pits can still be found on the southern slopes. A sharp 30 minute descent leads down to Ofi Creek.

"The diggers then faced a gruelling three hour climb over the Maguli Range before reaching Mogolonumu (the top of the ridge). The Maguli had its own staircase 'Jap's Ladder' of close to 3,000 steps. These steps would have been needed for the steep climb out of Ofi Creek - something that takes almost an hour for today's trekkers. An inspection of the area at the top of 'Jap's Ladder' reveals a series of weapon pits connected by crawl trenches - a haunting reminder of the desperate battles in this area.

"The next two hours provides some relief as glimpses of the top of the ridge turn out to be false peaks. Despite the frustration of the climb trekkers are rewarded with spectacular views across the ranges to the East and South from these peaks.

"The new village of Nauro (formerly known as Wamai) has been established on a spur at 1000 metres. It was previously located on the flat swampland in the valley to the North. The Nauro airfield is located in this valley. The new village boasts a well-constructed guesthouse and extensive garden areas. A VHF radio is located in the village.

Nauro Village

"Today, the population of the new village is approximately 80. The Clan Leader and chief of the village is Samuel Dabave.

"The old village of Nauro also has a population of about 80 whilst the neighbouring villages of Madlogo has about 100 and Ebologo has about 60.

Brown River

"The new track descends down a spur to the NNW to the swamp-plains adjacent to the Brown River

"On 24 August, while fording the new river, “Peter Brown, an original ‘Colonist’ man, heedless of advice, tried to swim the river” … “Alas”, as one of his comrades reported, “he went to the long home from which the explorer can never return. Two days later we found his body floating in the water. In sadness and sorrow we buried him on the bank of that lonely stream which will forever bear his name . . . . "