- This topic has 6,058 voices and 4 replies.
- Posts
Russell Eroro, from Gona in the Northern (Oro) Province, is a hardened veteran of the Kokoda Trail, having trekked it over 139 times since 1992.
That in itself must be some kind of record, as according to Mr Eroro himself, he knows of no-one who has walked more times on the rugged and grueling World War II trail.
I met him when I walked the trail with eight Australians earlier this month, got to know him very well, and his lively conversation kept me going as I struggled over the Owen Stanley Ranges.
A trained fitter machinist, Mr Eroro was enjoying a well paid job with Bouganville Copper Limited until 1988, when the crisis erupted.
He returned home, and once bitten by the Kokoda Trail bug in 1992, he has never looked back.
Photographs:
1. Russell Eroro with a trekker on England on the Kokoda Track
2. Enjoying a drink with Nathan Thomas and Malum Nalu at the Royal Papua Yacht Club following their successful trek:
Al___Russell__Small_.jpg
Copy__2__of_Russell__Nathan___Malum_2003__Small_.jpg'I started walking across the trail in 1992,' he said.
'I started off with a company called New Guinea Tours'.
From New Guinea Tours, I went to a group from Australia known as 'Rope, Pack & Paddle', with whom I worked as a guide.
It was while with Rope, Pack & Paddle that Mr Eroro worked with Australian Clive Baker, whose book – Walking The Kokoda Trail has been like a Bible for trekkers over the last 10 years.
He recalled: While with Rope, Pack & Paddle, there was a person from the war history library in Canberra, Clive Baker, who came up here.
He used me a couple of times along the trail to locate war relics and war dumps, and also taught me about the history of the trail as well as jungle survival.
We also found never before discovered war dumps at Myola."
Clive Baker left after that, and has since then never came back, while I continued with Rope, Pack & Paddle.
Copy__2__of_Russell_at_Naoro_crossing__Small_.jpgUnfortunately, this mutual agreement came to an abrupt end, when Rope, Pack & Paddle folded up because of financial problems.
Mr Eroro has since been working as a freelance guide and porter.
He has had many memorable experiences along the trail, but one that sticks in his mind was at Myola in 1998, when porters unknowingly built the cooking fire over an ammunition dump.
He recalls, with a laugh, how both porters and visiting trekkers fled in all directions when the ammunition started exploding.
All our saucepans were blown up, Mr Eroro said.
Now one of the most – experienced and sought – after guides of the Kokoda Trail, he has strong views about this WWII icon.
'Tourism is bringing positive benefits to the people,' Mr Eroro said.
At our end, our local Kokoda leaders should put their heads together and do something about the trail.
Locals should be engaged in cleaning monuments.
There should be proper camping sites.
Tourists spend a lot of money to come into PNG and walk the Kokoda Trail, so the government should put something back into the trail.
The other major thing I would like to see is proper training courses for guides and porters, for example, there should be trained cooks to cater for trekkers.
Copy__2__of_Russell___the_Pilots__Small_.jpgAnd what of the future? 'I'm thinking of taking a break from all this walking,' Mr Eroro said.
I have a son whom I will train and he can continue on from where I've left.
No doubt, Russell Eroro has left a lasting legacy along the Kokoda Trail in these post – war years.
Copy__2__of_Russell__Siprian__Small_.jpg
Copy__2__of_Davidson___Russell__Small_.jpgRussell is second on the left in this photograph taken on a night out on the town at RH Trading's restaurant where we celebrated the guys from Kokoda winning the fastest team home in the PricewaterhouseCoopers Walk for Life Corporate Challenge. The guy on the left, Saprian (one of our guides) came home in 10th position overall against guys who run on a regular basis).
RH04_270803.jpg
Copy__2__of_Russell___Shane__Small_.jpg
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.