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Today we met up with our group of trekkers who will spend the morning of the 25th April at Isurava Monument area for Anzac Day. Trekkers included:
Robyn Coffey; Rebecca Trethowan; Alison Wright; Andy Miller (return Anzac Day trekker); his mate Reg Johnson and Carey Edwards – refer photograph taken today at Bomana War Cemetery.
We opted for a 9am start due to the wet weather we have been experiencing of late and the road condition from Sogeri to Owers' Corner.
Two trekkers were picked up from the Crowne Plaza and driven out to Bomana while others were picked up from the Gateway and later joined the other trekkers along with our team of guides and porters.
Photographs taken at Bomana War Cemetery 18th April, 2008:
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DSCN0740__Small_.JPGApproximately an hour later trekkers were on the move up towards Sogeri on what is commonly referred to as 'Snake Road'. Our truck stopped off at the lookout so trekkers could stretch their legs take photographs of the scenery and so on – refer pics below:
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DSCN0748__Small_.JPGBefore we headed out to Owers' Corner we stopped off at the Sogeri Monument area – refer pics below:
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DSCN0759__Small_.JPGDue to our truck not being a 4 wheel drive vehicle, it was decided to transfer from the truck to our troopcarrier and bus for the journey out to Owers' Corner. Turned out we had amongst us, Andy who drives 4 wheel drive vehicles around for a living running his own tour company and a young guy from North Queensland, a country lad who were both dying to get behind the wheel of our vehicles.
So out we went, me with Andy along with packs and a group of KTL staff and the other remaining trekkers and porters in the Troopcarrier. We were going along ok until we came across three buses who were really struggling with trekkers and porters helping to push their vehicles along the slippery surfaces of the muddy road that leads to Owers' Corner.
What a great decision we made as clearly our truck would have struggled as well due to the conditions of the road. Progress was very slow as we waited time and time again for another company to get their buses moving along as there is no way to pass.
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DSCN0764__Small_.JPGSo we drove, we waited, we drove, waited some more – helped wherever we could and tried ourselves to stay on the slippery road. As for our new drivers, they were quite excited with huge smiles on their faces!
Take a look at Alison, is she enjoying her new adventure or what?
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DSCN0768__Small_.JPGChildren lined the roads to watch us try and navigate the muddy road and perhaps they thought we were crazy, who knows but if you take the time to look at their faces, they all looked quite happy to pass the day away watching trekkers and porters push vehicles.
Our troopcarrier has a winch and in the pic below it is helping to pull out a bus that had slipped off the road into the kunai grass lining the road.
Finally the buses decided to call it quits and turned round and offloaded their trekkers to walk from Vesulogo.
Then it was our turn to slip and slide all the way to the top!
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DSCN0777__Small_.JPGAt Vesulogo we decided to try and go further so off we went. With the troopcarrier it did not surprise me but my little 7 seater bus, I was most impressed as it took off in pursuit of the troopy and held its own as we continued our journey towards Owers' Corner.
At the last village before Owers' Corner we decided to offload. Trekkers were very happy that we saved them a lot of walking in the mud!
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DSCN0785__Small_.JPGNot long after our driver decided to go even further as close as he could get the trekkers so all aboard again only this time round I stayed at the village and waved goodbye, turned my bus around and headed back towards Sogeri.
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DSCN0789__Small_.JPGHey there, thanks so much for posting this update on the trek progress!
My hubby is part of this particular group of people (Carey Edwards) so it's great that I can keep up with how he is going.
I'm betting he was one of the "new drivers" you recruited LOL
Thanks again and I look forward to the next updates. Tell him I send my love when you next speak to the group
Di
Update 20th April: Just heard from the track that they had now reached Naoro and were heading down to Agulogo campsite where they would spend the night. All are doing great it seems with no worries whatsoever.
Di you are so RIGHT, it was Carey who was so pumped up as he took to the wheel of the troopy! We were behind them and watched as they slid their way up the slippery hills. Andy mentioned, just look at the grin on Carey, he is really enjoying this. Andy said in Australia they have to go searching for such roads which it seems are getting harder to find. He wondered if we should start advertising 4wheel drive tours instead of trekking…haha
Photographs:
Photographs: Naoro Village
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Naoro_Village_3__Small_.jpgQUOTE(Boss Meri @ 20 Apr 2008, 01:40 PM) [snapback]6492[/snapback]Update 20th April:
Di you are so RIGHT, it was Carey who was so pumped up as he took to the wheel of the troopy! We were behind them and watched as they slid their way up the slippery hills. Andy mentioned, just look at the grin on Carey, he is really enjoying this. Andy said in Australia they have to go searching for such roads which it seems are getting harder to find. He wondered if we should start advertising 4wheel drive tours instead of trekking…hahaWhy am I not surprised? LOL
I'm glad he's having fun on his long awaited adventure! I'm also glad all the group seem to be coping ok.
The boys and I miss him very much and are looking forward to him coming home next Sunday. (the boys being our 4 legged children LOL)
Would love to hear some updates on the group if you have one.
I have a message to pass to Carey also.
Can you please tell him:
"The handover went smoothly this morning, no issues, big relief.
Love you baby!"Update 23rd April: Sorry, its been raining and the radio's have been down. They did manage to get a message out that they had reached Alola and were on target for Isurava Monument area tomorrow so all is still going according to plan.
Photographs:
Pic 1: Some of the terrain they would have walked over the past day or so.
Pic 2: Alola Village
Pic 3: Aerial View of Isurava Monument area
Pic 4 and 5: Isurava Monument
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DSC02745__Small_.jpgUpdate 26th April: Sorry no updates until today as I have just been too busy attending to all the trekkers coming and going back and forth which has kept me away from the computer.
Tonight we met up with this group of trekkers who flew into Port Moresby around 10:00am this morning. They were absolutely wrapped with their Kokoda experience and it was a joy to sit and listen to them talk about their trek and our KTL staff who walked with them.
Thank you trek 408 for choosing to walk with us. We look forward to meeting some of you again should you decide to trek again. Andy, thanks for trekking for the second time with KTL and for bringing along a mate.
As you will see by the group pic below, they all look pretty good having all been in the jungle of PNG for the past 9 days!
Click on Page (2) below left hand side to move to the next page.
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