Trek News
Giving Back Along the Track
Adventure Kokoda has raised the following funds for distribution through the Kokoda Track Foundation to villages along the track during the period 2005-2006:
- Kokoda Memorial Hospital: $15,000 for medical supplies
- Ioribaiwa Village: $500 for medical supplies
- Nauro Village: $1000 for medical supplies, $500 for school supplies and $500 for musical instruments.
- Menari Village: $2500 for their medical clinic, $500 for school supplies and $1000 for musical instruments.
- Efogi Village: $1000 for medical supplies, $500 for school supplies and $1000 for musical instruments.
- Laununumu Village: $500 for school supplies and $500 for medical supplies.
- Kagi Village: $1000 for medical supplies and $500 for school supplies.
- Naduri Village: $1000 for medical supplies and $500 for school supplies.
- Alola Village: $1000 for medical supplies, $1000 for musical instruments and $500 for school supplies.
- Abuari Village: $1,000 for musical instruments and $500 for school supplies.
- Isurava Village: $1000 for medical supplies and $500 for school supplies and
- Kovello Village:$500 for medical supplies, $1000 for musical instruments and $500 for school supplies.
- Kokoda Village: $500 for school supplies and $500 for musical instruments at the Kokoda Kindergarten.
- Kovovo Primary School: $2000 for musical instruments.
The presentations were made possible as the result of donations received from Ms Patreece King (who has just completed her second trek), Mr Nick Campbell on behalf of Johnson and Johnson (Australia), Adventure Kokoda, the RSL and Services Clubs Association, Wagga Wagga RSL Club, Merrylands RSL Club, Cantebury-Hurlestone Park RSL Club, Shoalhaven Ex-Servicemen's Club, Belmore RSL Club, the Leagues Club Association of NSW, Bankstown District Sports Club and the City of Bankstown RSL Club. NSW MP, Mr Tony Stewart was instrumental in raising the funds from the clubs as part of the 2006 Adventure Kokoda Fundraising Trek.
Tiny Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel Survives a Kokoda Ordeal
As we finished our Anzac trek in April 2004 the local people from Hoi Village brought a young boy, Billy Matthew, to our campsite to see if we could help him. Billy had fallen on his machete which sliced clean through his stomach in a freak tree-felling accident.
Billy father, Matthew Etu, carried Billy to the nearest hospital with a doctor - a three day trek to Popondetta on the northern coast. The operation went horribly wrong. The ‘doctor’ used dissolving sultures to treat Billy’s machete wound and left him with a scar 30cm long and 5 cm wide.
Billy returned to his village but his stomach ruptured and he suffered a massivelife-threatening hernia. They couldn't return him to the hospital because the 'doctor' had 'gone bush'.
We decided to put Billy on our charter aircraft and fly him to Port Moresby for urgent treatment. We also had to provide for Billy's father, Matthew and another villager, Dadi Abel, who had also fallen on his machete and suffered a nasty laceration across the side of his face. Our trek group passed the hat around to provide for their accommodation and treatment in Port Moresby.
Charlie Lynn contacted his mate, Bob Howarth, General Manager of the Post Courier, for assistance. Bob arranged his friend, Dr Mann Ponafasio to perform an operation a the Pacific International Private Hospital. The Kokoda Track Foundation agreed to pay all Billy's medical expenses.
The operation was successful. Billy told the Post Courier reporter that now he will be normal, like other village piccaninnies (children) he wants to continue his family's fuzzy wuzzy angel tradition and become a carrier for the increasing numbers of Australian trekkers.
Billy was released from hospital just before the State of Origin clash and was presented with a poster of his team, the Queensland maroons, before flying back to his village.
The Kokoda Track Foundation agreed to provide a scholarship for Billy to commence elementary school in 2005.
Billy's story is all to common in PNG. Health care we take for granted in Australia is simply not available. The Kokoda Track Foundation plans to train at least one nurse in each village across the Trail and to equip an aid post with basic medical supplies on an ongoing basis.
Adventure Kokoda Groups to sponsor Kokoda village students
Adventure Kokoda provides a community school sponsorship valued at $250 with each group that treks across the track. The sponsorship is paid to The Kokoda Track Foundation and cover's the student's school fees, books, school supplies and uniforms. In 2005 these sponsorships amounted to more than $6000. This contribution allowed the Foundation to donate $2000 worth of school supplies to village schools at Nauro, Menari, Efogi, Kovovo, Alola, Kovello and Kokoda in 2005.
This will be our legacy to the grandsons and daughters of the legendary fuzzy-wuzzy angels.
'Kokoda' by Peter Fitzsimons
Peter Fitzsimons book 'Kokoda' reached the top of the bestseller list and is going through its third reprint.
Fitzy developed empathy for the Diggers when he trekked Kokoda with Charlie Lynn in November 2002 as part of his research. He shed more than 20 kg from his giant frame in preparation for the trek - and another 20 after it. He also gave up smoking as part of the process. Fitz has dispensed with the military jargon which makes some of the earlier accounts of the campaign difficult for the layman to understand. Written as a novel but based on the real experiences of our Diggers it is a must read for anybody with an interest in our military heritage. Fitz reminds us that:
At Gallipoli we fought for England and lost.
At Kokoda we fought for Australia and won!
Sydney Swans benefit from the Spirit of Kokoda
A few years ago Charlie Lynn was asked to lead a group of Sydney Swans across the Kokoda Trail as part of their personal development. Brett Kirk and Leo Barry were to be part of the squad. The CEO of the Swans at the time, Kelvin Templeton, a former Brownlow medallist and Colman Medal winner, believed they both had potential but their careers were at the crossroads. Kirky had been dropped from the players list at the end of the season and leaping Leo was in such a bad form slump they couldn't even offer him as a trade.
It was a significant journey for Kirky as he set out to follow the footsteps of his grandfather, Private Wally Moras, a Kokoda veteran.
The experience had a major impact on them. Both fought their way back into the squad and are now two of the key players in the team. Their performance was recognised at the end of the 2004 season when they were both selected in the all-Australian team - the only two Swans to make it. A real tribute to the spirit of Kokoda.
Sydney Swans who trekked Kokoda with Charlie Lynn include Brett Kirk, Leo Barry, Adam Goodes, Andrew Schauble, Ryan O'Keefe, Aamon Buchanan and Jason Saddington.
Yahoo Serious about Kokoda
Gallipoli was a defining moment in the establishment of our Australian identity. Some have said it was our baptism as a nation. We were only 14 years old at the time.
But for generations the Gallipoli campaign was a rather dry subject often described in complex military terms. We knew of it but didn't really know about it.
Then Peter Weir produced the epic film 'Gallipoli' featuring a dashing young Mel Gibson. Weir achieved more in one night at the theatre than our educators had over several decades.
As a result of the film's success the Gallipoli peninsula now has a sacred place in Australia's consciousness. Books have been written, documentaries produced and curricula developed. It has become an essential destination for young Australian backpackers as part of their journey of self-discovery.
The same is about to happen to Kokoda.
The remote and rugged mountain trail through some of the most inhospitable terrain on the planet has been described by those who fought on it as 'the devil's own design'. The enemy our Diggers faced were regarded as the most brutal and fanatical warriors of their time. They were superior in both numbers and firepower. Successive victories against the American, British and Dutch forces in Asia and the South West Pacific area gave them an air of invincibility - until they met a small band of young Australian bravehearts at Kokoda!
Kokoda - like Gallipoli - was ignored by successive governments for generations. But, like Gallipoli, young Australian adventurers are beginning to discover another piece of ground sacred to our heritage.
And in the footsteps of Peter Weir another gifted Australian film producer is about to create an epic. Yahoo Serious is dinkum about this one. Yahoo has trekked Kokoda with Charlie Lynn three times as part of his research for the film over the past three years. He is also a Director on the Kokoda Track Foundation.
Governor General delivers 2004 Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Honner Leadership Oration
Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Honner OBE MC was the commander of the 39th Militia Battalion at the epic Battle of Isurava. Professor David Horner wrote in the forward to his biography 'We Band of Brothers" by Peter Brune:
"Few battalion commanders in Australian history have fought a more important battle than that conducted by this mild-mannered lawyer and part-time soldier on the Kokoda Trail. His battalion defended Isurava until reinforced by the more experienced 2/14th Battalion. Both battalions then held Isurava against great odds for a priceless period of several days. It set the tone for the series of bitter defensive battles that denied the Japanese the chance of reaching Port Moresby.
Honner was not just a capable commander: he was a man of integrity, honour and faith. He needed to be, as he led his men through events of such stress that they were to dominate the memories of the survivors for the next half-century.
After the war Honner had a distinguised career as a public servant and diplomat. He was also General-Secretary of the NSW Liberal Party. Peter Brune wrote:
"His political philosophy embodied the belief that courage, hope, fortitude and endurance are all nurtured by conviction. The strong and united community is supported by a continuity of a great tradition. He believed that it is not wealth and power and organisation that holds a society together but its Christian faith.
His Excellency Major General Michael Jeffery AO DSC MC, was invited to speak on the subject of leadership. He related his own experiences as a decorated Vietnam Veteran and related them to the values espoused by Ralph Honner.
Special guests for the evening include Captain Stan Bissett MC, one of the heroes of Kokoda and the oldest surviving Wallaby. Ovoru Indike, village chief and fuzzy wuzzy angel also came down from PNG for the function. More that 260 guests, most of them recent trekkers, attended the function.
PNG Huli's Visit NSW Parliament
Stadium Australia hosted a Kokoda Memorial match on the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Isurava in August 
2002. The PNG Tourism authority brought five teams of cultural dancers to Sydney to perform at the game between the Sydney Swans and Richmond Tigers. As part of their visit to Sydney The Hon Charlie Lynn MLC hosted a visit to the NSW Paraliament which was in session at the time. The Parliament had not seen a group of visitors quite like this before. The Huli's put on an impromptu dance performanc in the forecourt to the Parliament and brought the traffic in Macquarie Street to a standstill. They were asked by security to leave their spears at the door when they entered. It was quite a show.
Ovoru Indiki - Village Chief and former Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel visits Sydney
Ovoru Indiki is the Chief of Naduri Village which is about halfway along the Kokoda Trail. He is reputedly 98 years of age however it is difficult to substantiate because of the lack of records in PNG at the time of his birth. Ovoru was appointed Village Constable under Australia's colonial regime until independence was granted to PNG in 1975.
When war came to PNG with the bombings of Port Moresby in 1942 Ovoru fled back to his village from the city. It was a long trek and he recalls that he was very frightened at the time because they didn't understand what it was all about. Some time later he was asked if he would help carry supplies forward for the Australian forces fighting on the Trail. He agreed to help and on the return journey he invariably came across wounded Australian's who could struggle no further. Ovoru and his friends would always stop and build a stretcher then carry the Digger back to the medics at Ower's Corner. It was a slow and tortuous journey and Ovoru is proud that he was able to help in this way.
He was awarded an Independence Day medal from the new PNG Government in 1975 but has never received one from the Australian government even though he saved many Australian lives. He feels very disappointed about this. Every trekker who meets him in his village shares this disappointment.
Ovoru, along with Australia's oldest Wallaby, Stan Bisset of the 2/14th Battalion, were guests of honour at the 2004 Ralph Honner Leadership Oration. The Governor-General, a former Commander of the Pacific Islands Regiment in Papua New Guinea was able to converse with Ovoru in Tok Pisin - a remarkable exchange that humbled the entire 260 guests.
But the piece de resistance for the evening was Stan Bisset, an accomplished baritone singer, came to the microphone and sang the Battalion song.
It was a night that will never be forgotten.
Cathy Nitua recovers from hole-in-the-heart operation
Cathy Nitua, the daughter of the Chief of Isurava village, Ivan Nitua, has suffered from a debilitating hole-in-the-heart condition since she was born 11 years ago.
Rotary International recently sponsored Cathy for her long awaited operation at Westmead Childrens Hospital. Her father Ivan was provided with financial assistance by The Kokoda Track Foundation to accompany her and to allow her to travel between her village at Isurava and Port Moresby for ongoing check-ups.
During our last visit Cathy was back at Isurava and, for the first time in her life, is able to join her friends in the village in play. Her family is very grateful for the life-saving support she has been provided by Rotary International, The Kokoda Track Foundation and the families who billeted them during their stay in Sydney.
Ford Trimotor Aircraft Recovered from Lake Myola
In 1979 Major Charlie Lynn (2nd from right on top of aircraft) was tasked to lead a rigging team to PNG to recover a World War 11 transport aircraft, a Ford Tri Motor from Lake Myola. The objective was to use a chinook helicopter to lift it back to Port Moresby for restortation. The aircraft had landed at Myola to deliver urgent supplies for our troops however it was unable to take off becuase of the marshy conditions on the lake bed. Because of the scarcity of transport aircraft during this critical phase of the operation no others were permitted to land. Supplies were then delivered by 'biscuit bombers' - Dakota's flying low over the area and throwing supplies out the door. This was new techniqe and took of the supplies were either damaged or lost.
When Charlie first trekked across the Trail in 1991 he inquired about the plane. The local landowner told him that 'long time ago mixmaster come from Jesus and took it away!'
Charlie has since located the plane at the back of the war museum in Port Moresby - no restoration work has been commenced in the 25 years it has been there. Maybe one day we can undertake a project to have it restored and relocated back to Myola.
