Trek the Kokoda Trail Travel Blog

Archive for October, 2011

Back Track has recently added a new service for all our trekkers.  Our Kokoda Track trek Leaders now carry a GPS Navigation device that sends regular positional updates back to our Head office.   You can follow the progress of any friend or family member  who is trekking with us by logging into our website and accessing the link ‘ Trek Traka’ . This will show you their latest position on the Kokoda Track as well as provide you with information about the area in which they are currently trekking.
You no longer need to feel disconnected when your family and friends are travelling with Back Track.

From time to time at Back Track,  we receive emails from past trekkers and I would like to share one with you now.

For all who have completed the Kokoda Track we all experience at least one significant realisation during our trek that  probably was not an expectation before we departed Australia. The sentiment expressed in the following email is typical of so many we receive.

“I was well prepared historically and physically but totally unprepared culturally. These lovely gracious people in what I would call ‘Happy poverty” what an eye opener.  I think the cultural experience became the highlight for many in our group.  The early battlefields where our innocent  “teenage soldiers” gave their all (their last and lasting gift) will always remain the highlight for me.”

PNG receives much bad press for which it does not deserve.  The people of PNG and Australia will always be linked by way of our common historical experiences which include the battles fought by Australian and PNG soldiers on PNG soil during WW2.

WE should never forget our PNG mates and comrades in arms.

If you would like to assist the people of PNG in a meaningful way and in particular those who live along the Track and are the living family of our Fuzzy Wuzzy brothers, you can. Be inspired and be generous. Go to www.kokodatrackfoundation.org.

They fought not for a mystical Holy Grail
Their campaign was one, that must not fail

They fought against odds of eight to one
And with youthful courage made that a better sum

Applied creativity to conquer the foe
If hung on a gallery wall would out do a Van Go

To our dark skinned Angels with the big hair
Our grateful thanks for the loads you were called to bear

Many young lives cut short in battles desperation
May histories page record my sincere appreciation

The results though horrific,, were for us, fine
Those Ragged Bloody Heroes from the Thirty Nine

More hallowed than any MCG,, more sacred than any homeland church
For here dwell the spirits of men,, of greater worth

Let us now bow our heads in contemplation
And never forget their suffering, and sacrifice for our nation

Take now the fruits of their bravery and valour
Go forth in peace and good will
Ensuring always, that evil men
Will never dictate again

©  Bruce Glover,  September 2011

POST SCRIPT   Inspiration and challenge of last verse.

Sergeant Jack Scott A member of 2/16 Western Australia Battalion under Brigadier Arnold Potts. Wounded in the Middle East, Kokoda Track  and also Gona where he saw many of his mates die unnecessarily under orders from General Macarthur to attacked over open swamp land against well prepared Japanese  machine gun positions – something that the previous Great War  had shown should never occur again.

Many years later Sergeant Scott observed quietly.

“I joined the Army in 1940 to fight a mad man – Hitler
I ended up in 1942 serving under one – Macarthur”