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One of our trekkers sprained her ankle at Eora Creek when she went down for a wash. Bravely she pushed through to Naduri arriving late around 10pm
Our guide Davidson Eroro stayed with her all the way along with her personal porter Victor who co-incidently is our driver wanting to add another trek to his belt. When they arrived in Naduri our guide contacted us by two way radio and said Lisa was still strong but her ankle was giving her problems especially on the downhills.
We explained that we wanted them to sit with her and to inform Lisa of what lay ahead and the various options available.
We offered a medevac out all the way back to Port Moresby. Another option was to spend two days there and come back in tomorrow on the flight back in from Kokoda and so on.
Lisa's husband Ross must know his wife pretty well as he guessed she would want to keep trying and be flown to catch up with the rest of her fellow trekkers and friend Andrea also from Sydney.
Today saw Lisa picked up by helicopter with her porter at Naduri and dropped off at Nauro Village where she was to rest and tomorrow will start walking again towards Va'Ule Creek.
It will be tough for her as the pilot informed me she limped out to the chopper and knowing the terrain ahead of her, it will be a big ask.
As Lisa has chosen this path, all of us here at Kokoda Trekking will be pulling for her. We have informed our guide that others can come out ahead at Ower's Corner and if necessary we will wait for as long as it takes in another vehicle until she comes up at Ower's Corner. I know our food porters will also offer to load their packs onto our truck and head back down the track to help her home.
I think you will all join with me in hoping Lisa carries out her wish and is able to reach Ower's Corner.
Come on Lisa, come on!
Photograph:Myself at Nauro Village with some of the children who sang to us the night before with their school teacher. I am sitting here wondering if they too sang to our group of trekkers tonight as it was one of the highlights of my own trek last November.
Gail___Children_at_Nauro.jpgFor anyone reading this, feel sorry for the children and women who live in this village. Everytime you turn on a tap in your home think how you would like to have to climb up and down a very steep embankment just to obtain water to cook with.
My friend Bev a nursing sister from Brisbane, looked on in horror as a girl of around 10, slipped and fell with large containers of water on her head as she tried to reach the top of a hill. She fell some 10 metres, then had to retrieve her pots and walk all the way back down the hill to fetch more water.
To top this off, after the children master this hill, they then have to walk up another steep hill of approximately 100 metres to where the village is situated….yes, all of us living in western countries must truly appreciate our living standards and spare a moment for the children of Nauro and others like them who risk their lives daily just to fetch water!
I have asked anyone who will listen to please do something about the water situation in Naoro Village. If I was a plumber I would go and do something myself!
Sadly I am not, so I must continue to plead for help until this problem has been fixed and they like some of the other villages on the kokoda trail simply turn on a tap.
I have also been informed there are a few villages in Kokoda whose wells have dried up and they cannot afford to have someone go in and find water for them again. As a result some women of Kokoda walk at least a km daily just to fetch water when a tank, pump and some pipes from a nearby river I would imagine could do the trick. Any plumbers out there who would like to help people less fortunate than themselves?
Photograph: By co-incidence I just so happened to have my camera taking a photograph of the girls carrying water when a few seconds later one of the two in the background slipped and fell:
Tip also from some recent trekkers: Do not drink water from taps in villages but get your water from streams as they noticed some broken pipes and 3 out of 4 got sick from the water they filled up on that day from the tap.
pic20.jpgYear 4 Clifton State School pulling for Lisa all the way!
I have a look at your website at least once a day. The site is great. It's a way people can live a real life adventure from the comfort of home, office or in my case, classroom. (I'm a teacher) The story of Lisa is just one of those struggles of human endeavour that would capture an imagination.
Tell Lisa, if you have the chance, that when the kids in Year 4 at Clifton State School hear that she's walked out with her group at Ower's Corner they will be very impressed. I will be too.
Regards,
Chris
PS Lisa's insurance company also phoned today asking after her so she has a lot of support.
Some of the terrain that Lisa will start experiencing from tomorrow onwards. She will however be heading in the opposite direct to myself so where Bev in this picture with her personal porter Chris is heading down, Lisa will be pushing up. However the majority will be downhill until she heads for home at Ower's Corner where she will encounter a steep climb before reaching Ower's Corner:
DSC01216.jpgThe finishing line for Lisa will be Ower's Corner Monument area. All trekkers if on schedule should reach Ower's Corner Monday around midday.
Our 81 year old war veteran who walked the Kokoda Trail in April this year making him the oldest person to do so.
What an achievement!
Photograph: Walter Kelly seen here playing the uke'ule with our guides and porters on the 17th April, 2005:
Walter_Kelly_at_Ower__s_Corn.jpgSome trekkers ask if they really need a personal porter. With regards to Lisa now, I am 100% certain she will come out praising her personal porter who has not left her side.
As she continues on her journey to Ower's Corner you can bet Victor will be their to lend her encouragement and comfort from the minute they take off tomorrow morning which is expected to be a couple of hours ahead of the others in their trek.
If you can afford to hire a porter, it not only gives you piece of mind but in the case of a problem like Lisa's you have immediate assistance.
Tom who acted as Walter Kelly's personal porter. Walter was so taken back by his services that he paid for him to come back in from Kokoda and allowed him to stay with him at the Gateway Hotel until he left for Australia. Tom accompanied him all over town.
Tom very proudly is now walking around in Walter Kelly's boots and is just so proud that he helped this very tough war veteran make his dream come true at 81 to walk the Kokoda Trail:
Walter___Tom_Hut.jpgUpdate Sunday – 15th May: Lisa and her porter Victor got away to an early start this morning at 5am and a radio call just now puts her at Ofi Creek.
According to Victor so far so good she is coping ok
The rest of the trekkers left at 6am and are presently at playing catch up approximately an hour behind Lisa and Victor.
MONDAY MAY 16th Update
For those of you following this trek, it seems our determined Liza is ready to walk and end this trek in victory at Ower's Corner. She has taken up the challenge!
As you already know, Liza is now pushing ahead of everyone with her personal porter Victor on hand to support her through her trek. They have left Ofi Creek yesterday. This morning they are currently heading down towards Goldie River – approximately an hour ahead of the rest of the trekkers.
At 10:35 this morning Davidson the guide leading the group called and confirmed their current location was at Imita Ridge. They are all heading down towards Goldie River…and should reach here at 1pm.
Davidson said they planned to have lunch at Goldie River and let everyone cool off here before a steep climb up to Ower's Corner.
As for Liza, eveyone will meet up with this amazingly strong woman at Goldie before walking towards their victoric end.
At the moment she is keeping up the fighting spirit, taking her last steps one at a time despite her condition. It seems she now has only one thing in mind – to finish the trek at Ower's Corner.
The weather at their end is a little unfriendly today, but everyone including Liza is pushing through despite the heavy rainfall. It might as well be, as we have had black clouds hovering above our heads all weekend. And rain, we did get that too.
Right now our pick up truck KTL2 is on its way to Ower's Corner to pick them up. Will be interesting to know how Liza is by the end of the trek.
We'll keep you posted!
Update 17th May, 2005;
The group finally made it out of Owers? Corner in one peace; everyone did extremely well, including one of our bravest leading ladies Lisa who did incredibly great. She was the last person to make it out, but she was very, very proud of herself and happy at the same time. She couldn?t resist the Ox & Palm sandwich; she said it just made her day at the end. Thanks Lisa coz I prepared it for everyone.
Lisa whom we all find to be one strong and brave lady is also known as one celebrity in Australia. All throughout Lisa?s walk on the trail, and constant updates on our website of her whereabouts, people in Australia were also following up and wishing her all the best and giving their support with emails of encouragement.
After meeting with Lisa and her fellow trek mates at Gateway Hotel last night, she was overwhelmed by the news that she had created headlines in Australia. She was very pleased and grateful that everyone was on her side and giving ther support. She said when she gets home, there?ll be lots to talk about and it?s going to be one of her greatest and memorable tails to tell.
The group had a great time out on the trail and said they wouldn?t have done it without the porters and guide. The porters and guide did a terrific job, and the trekkers thanked each and everyone of them for their support and help.
Congratulations To All You Trekkers, & Welcome Back
Update 17/05/05 – I just got a phone call from Lisa. Unfortunately, to all you Lisa?s fans out there. Lisa has just informed me that she went to see the doctor this morning, and found out that she has broken a small bone in her foot. She wont be able to go anywhere for now. The doctor said that, she has to rest her swollen ankle before she fly?s out of Port Moresby which is on Friday, the 20th.
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