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Itinerary
Upon arrival in Port Moresby you are met and transferred to our hotel near the airport. There is a pre-trip briefing this evening to meet your fellow travellers, Tour Leader and local trekking crew. This may be followed by an optional dinner together (at own expense). DAY 2/22ND SEPTEMBER We have an early start this morning with transport from our hotel to the Bomana War Cemetery. A visit to the Bomana War Cemetery can be a decidedly moving experience, and at completion of our walk we will have a slightly greater understanding of the challenges and privations faced by those who fought on the Kokoda Track. Owers’ Corner is perched high up on the Sogeri Plateau and is the point where The Kokoda Track commences. Here there are a series of memorials with a wonderful view over the first line of mountain ranges that we have to cross. We walk down and across the Goldie River before we trek past the pre-war village of Uberi which became the site for an Australian supply base supplying food rations and providing a medical dressing station. We continue onto our first camp site at Goodwater. Meals included: 1 lunch, 1 dinner DAY 3/23RD SEPTEMBER From our overnight campsite we start the day with a steep 850 metre ascent of the infamous ‘Golden Staircase’.It is a steep climb up to Ioribaiwa village - the furthest and closest point of Japanese attack and advancement. We take lunch here with a view back to Imita Ridge. After lunch we venture along a section of the original wartime track that has only been recently discovered. Consequently there are trenches and war wreckage to be viewed. This section is known as Iorabaiwa Ridge, and is the point where the Japanese were ordered to retreat. The retreat order was particularly demoralising as their troops had fought hard to get to this position and were in sight of their goal, Port Moresby. We camp for the night at Ofi Creek campsite, where the refreshing coolness of the creek helps to soothe our aching muscles. Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner DAY 4/24TH SEPTEMBER The harsh reality of today is the steep mountain climb over the Maguli Range via the ‘Japanese ladder’ - a stairway built by the Japanese troops. We trek past former Japanese camp sites and trenches as we ascend to Station 88 (at 1050 metres). There are several false peaks to negotiate before reaching the top of the range at 1320 metres. After a short lunch break we continue on a long downhill over more false peaks to the village of Nauro. Nauro is perched in a spectacular position on a narrow ridgeline with views out over the Owen Stanley Range to Mt. Victoria. We stay in a guesthouse and it is here that we have our first opportunity to sample some of the wonderful fresh fruit and vegetables from village gardens. Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner DAY 5/25TH SEPTEMBER In the early morning mist we meander our way down off the Maguli Range into the Nauro River valley. Here we negotiate several hours of slippery swampland track until we cross the fast flowing Brown River. From here, we follow a swampy flat land to Agulogo camp site where we have lunch. After lunch, we climb a steep slope to the top of Menari Gap, about 1130 meters, with spectacular views to Menari Village, Mt. Tamata and Mt. Victoria. A steep ridgeline takes us up to a mountain pass from which there are views down to Menari Village. From here we descend down to Menari Ridge and onto Menari village. There is a guesthouse here as well as ample space for camping. Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner DAY 6/26TH SEPTEMBER Today we trek past the Menari airstrip and continue down to the Vabiavu river. After a brief stop at a memorial stone by the river, we negotiate the log bridges to cross the river towards the village of Naduri. Our route takes us to a point high above the village on Mission Ridge. Here lie the unmarked graves of at least 50 Australian soldiers who died defending the ridge. From here there is a great vista, with spectacular views across the rugged mountain terrain. If time allows we boil the ‘billy’ and hear recounted stories and memoirs in honour of the young lads who gave their lives. From Brigade Hill, we trek down to Mission Ridge through very narrow and steep pathway and stony track down to Batari and Elome rivers. The track leads down to Efogi, which is one of the largest villages on the track. Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner DAY 7/27TH SEPTEMBER We have an early start today as we walk down a steep small slope to the Kavae river. A steep climb then brings us to Efogi 1. From here we have a clear view of Kgi and Naduri. Another river crossing awaits as we navigate the fogs that lie across the Evoge river. We cross a steep mountain gorge before climbing up to Naduri at 1,400 metres. This village has magnificent views and quite often has a delicious spread of fresh bananas and mandarins for us to sample. It is here that we have the chance to meet Ovuru Ndiki (one of the original Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels). After lunch we continue to trek to propeller junction and turn off to Diggers Camp. We camp the night at Diggers Camp – a supply base for the Australian advance storing food, ammunition and the base for back-up battalions from Port Moresby. This area is also a haven for the famous but rarely seen Regina Bird of Paradise as well as many other bird species. Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner DAY 8/28TH SEPTEMBER Today we have a whole day to relax and enjoy the cool mountain atmosphere, or to participate in an optional excursion to Myola (40 minutes trek from our campsite). Myola is a small village on the edge of a semi-dry lakebed that was once the centre of a volcanic caldera. Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner DAY 9/29TH SEPTEMBER Today the track takes us over the highest part of the Owen Stanley Range, Mt Bellamy, which is situated at just over 2000 metres. The ancient forest of Antarctic Beech trees is festooned with moss and every type of epiphyte imaginable. Giant Pandanus trees tower over us, each supported by a respective mass of striated buttress roots. Our walk takes us through a mysterious summit world until we are greeted by the clouds that waft past the clearing that overlooks the infamous Kokoda Gap located at 2,190 metres. If we are lucky we can get spectacular views down the awesome valley we are about to descend. The steep path takes us down through some rugged and muddly slopes to Eora Creek. There are still many slopes and river crossings to negotiate before we reach our campsite at Templeton’s Crossing (II). Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner DAY 10/30TH SEPTEMBER We start early today to take advantage of the cool temperatures of the morning. Navigating our way on steep, swampy and slippery tracks we eventually reach the highest point of today’s walk at 1,910 metres above sea level. We then descend down some more very steep tracks passing by Australian ambush positions and Japanese fox holes. We continue to Ioba Creek, at 1425 meters above sea level, which was a major Australian Field Hospital and supply base during the Australian advance and the battle of Isurava. A memorial plaque has been laid in memory of the brave diggers who died at the Iora Creek camp site. We follow the track down to Iora Creek itself. It is from here, weather permitting, where we have a clear view of Kokoda and Popendetta in the distance. Alola village is a beautiful mountain top village with many fresh local organically grown fruits - making it an ideal place to stop for lunch. After lunch, we trek on some rough and rugged parts of the track and follow the mountain ranges to the Isurava Battlefield campsite and overnight. Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner DAY 11/1ST OCTOBER This is our last day of walking. Continuing our descent towards Kokoda we pass through gardens of choko before climbing up to Deniki for lunch. We enjoy spectacular views over Kokoda and trek between plantations of vanilla bean, palm oil, cocoa and rubber. Much of the day is taken with the descent onto the Kokoda Plateau. Today we bid farewell to Kokoda and are transported to the airstrip where we board a flight to Port Moresby. It takes us a mere 30 minutes to fly across what we have just taken eight days to walk. Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch DAY 12/2ND OCTOBER The tour ends after breakfast, which is at your own expense. A transfer to the airport can be arranged through the hotel’s reception desk. See the FAQs and download a Kokoda Information Kit (  |
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DAY 1/21ST SEPTEMBER
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