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Have just spoken to both Samantha and Luke and read out your messages. They were both happy to hear from home. I asked how it was going and Luke replied,
HARD but HAVING FUN!
This is good news for us, as we know its going to be tough, but we also want to hear that they are all enjoying themselves!
Photograph:
Pic 1: Aerial Pic of Efogi
Pic 2: Group of Efogi children
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Efogi_Village_Children_2__Small_.jpgHi Gareth,
We've been following your progress and looking at the photo's. They are amazing! We can't wait to hear from you and all the others about what it's like, don't think any of us back here have any real idea! Hope everything OK with you and the rest of the Kokoda Kids. People asking if we have heard from you….. They don't realize what the Kokoda Track is like!!
Rachel says that all at her work are asking after you, wanting to know what's happening.From the Clan
Hey Dudes & Dudettes,
Man by the looks of those photos, you guys are having an awesome adventure and really kicking on well. Just keep moving forward and kick those hills in the butt!!
A couple of quick footnotes;
Gareth; How many stumbles have you had?
Anna; Did you remember the sarong? Had Red Rooster the other. Bad news!!
Joe; Have you managed to find a Mcdonalds quarter pounder with cheese on the side of the track yet?
Brooke; If you happen to spot a Starbucks on the trail, can you order me a skinny muggachino with 2 sugars to go!!
Gav; The All Blacks won by a 100 against Portugal but can you believe it, Portugal actually scored a try!!
Liz & Carissa; How are your knees holding up on the trail?
Luke; What's the smell rating on those toilets buddy? Maybe wise to use nature?
Max; How's the plastic cutlery set going? Do you need me to airfreight over some more plastic knife/spoon/folks?
Taj&Blake; I'm fresh out of classic lines guys so just lap it up and have a ball.Gaz, Sam and anyone I've missed I hope the rest of the trip is amazing for you. C u back in Oz with a 1000 photos in tow to view!!
Cheers Ears
Alex
To Sam,
Really enjoying following your adventure. Make sure you leave any demons out on the trail. Have the time of your life, go you good thing, lots of love Traci, Bec and Mum. All the best to Glenn and the champion Kokoda kids.Hey Sam
It is absolutely fantastic to see the photos of your travels. Everyone at RAQ logs on each morning to see where you are up to (Traci says she checks out your progress each night). Just to let you know all is well back here and looking forward to hearing first hand about your adventures on Monday afternoon! Also, the Run For Your Life magazines have arrived, please let me know if you would like them forwarded to PNG or if you will make alternate arrangements.
Cheers
Shane
PS. Z4, Chocolate Coffee Beans, and the Great Ocean Road are a great tonic!
Brooke and the legendary Kokoda Kids.
Everybody on the Mountain is checking out the web site, the interest in how you all are going is enormous. Middle of the track I am sure you doing it tough but hopefully taking in the whole adventure, Brooka dont forget to call on your old great uncle if the going is tough. Heaps of Love from ya Mum, Dad and Jack, and of course Moochee who misses ya heaps. Enjoy and take it all in guys.
By the way Brooke how ya going to be for Cricket???
Brooke's Dad and Family.
Update 19th Sepember: A lot has happened today! Doug got back in from Kokoda and caught his flight back to OZ.
The Kokoda Kids have all reached the village of NAURO where they will spend the night. The POMIS kids have fallen back a bit but the majority are all carrying their packs so doing it a little tougher than these guys/gals who have our Kokoda Angels as their porters.
Our porters accompanying this group are the fastest on the track. Brendan Buka, Tom Hango, Wayne Urina….the list just goes on and on! Also accompanying them is our first ever female entrant in this years race, Lulu! When I caught sight of her at the Kokoda Airport when they all touched down she was just so excited to be included in the group. Over she came and hugged me so tight! Her first ever pay packet as well! In the photograph below, Lulu is the one at the front, the first down the hill at Owers' Corner. With some 30 people entered in our race Lulu came home in 9th position overall beating most of the males!
So combine Lulu with our Kokoda Challenge competitors on the Gold Coast and the winners and placegetters in our own Kokoda Challenge Race and you will get a bit of an idea of the company walking along with this group.
Doug was telling me today how him and Peter were struggling up the hill to Isurava when Brendan Buka took his backpack and put it on his head. When Doug questioned him, he replied, you looked after me on the Gold Coast now its my turn to look after you. So off went Brendan with one pack on his back and the other one on his head. The photograph below is how Brendan looked when he arrived at Owers' Corner 17 hours 20 minutes after he commenced his race in Kokoda. For anyone who has walked the track, this time is beyond comprehension and just makes us roll our eyes in the back of our head. He is also the record holder for the opposite direction set in 2006 in a time of 17 hours 49 minutes.
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IMGP4587__Medium___Medium___Small_.JPGThe village of Nauro. What struck me about this village when I overnighted there was the drop down to the creek to have my wash. Geez you needed to be a mountain goat to get back up again. I mean the idea of a wash was to get CLEAN, but to get up the hill without slipping over on the first 10 feet from the creek was a real effort. I can honestly say for my own fitness level, if we did not have porters, I would still be down in that creek trying to work out how to get up the wet slippery slope.
The village women have a garden over the other side of the creek and they peer down at us trekkers enjoying our wash. I am sure they must laugh to themselves about who is going to struggle getting back up the hill…haha
If I could grant one wish, it would be to put a water system in Nauro Village! The poor villagers each day have to go down to the creek which is per above, a really STEEP descent…then fill up their containers which are more often than not, large saucepans…then carry it up the first hill to the guesthouse area….then all the way up to the top of the hill to their homes! When I stayed there I witnessed one girl of around 10 years old get three quarters up the hill only to slip and fall….did she give up…no, she retrieved her saucepan and lid….then back down again….refill…then up she came again! You NEVER see MEN doing this kind of work!
Photographs:
Pic 1: Nauro Village Guesthouse
Pic 2: Inside the Guesthouse which has mattresses!
Pic 3: Another guesthouse plus if you look directly at the top you will see two village houses that sit right on the top of the hill
Pic 4: Young children with containers of water on their heads carrying from the creek to the guesthouse area:
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Children___Women_Carrying_W__Small_.jpgPhotographs:
Pic 1: another view of the village guesthouses
Pic 2: the track you see in the background is the one up from the guesthouse area to the village. It does not include the track from the creek up to the guesthouse area
Pic 3: Nauro Village at the top of the hill
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Naoro_Village__Medium___Small_.jpgIf you look closely at these photographs, you will see young children carrying containers of water on their heads!
Pic 1: Nauro Village
Pic 2: Myself in Nauro Village. Just look at all the pots and pans – no wonder they need water -Is there anyone out there who is rich who can afford to put a water supply in this village both for trekkers and for the village itself? When I ran this idea past our porters they answered, why did they build on top of the mountain instead of down next to the creek! Perhaps they liked the view.
Pic 3: Now who is having the most fun, the porters and trekker or the Nauro children. Actually they loved the balloons and child after child kept coming and standing around shyly until we blew up and handed them a balloon.
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DSC01239__Small_.JPGUpdate 20th September: Guess What? they didn't make it to Nauro it seems and spent the night camping out in the bush next to a creek! Today they passed through Nauro and our guide called in by two way radio when they were at Maguli Range which is at 1350 feet.
The plan today was to head down to Ioribaiwa Village.
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Day_2_View_from_Ioribaiwa_village___Imita_Ridge_in_foreg__1___Medium_.jpgI would like Carissa to know "we love her" and Jacksons waiting for her at the door. Keep on trekking!
Editors Note: Have read out your message so definitely passed on.
Update 3:30pm 20th September: Message just received in off the trek from Sam:
Thanks very much for all the messages received as they were very much appreciated however they resulted in lots of tears all round or as Sam puts it…'Happy Tears' !!!
Sam added that they are all doing amazingly well and are really inspiring and making her and Gary feel really proud of each and everyone of the Kokoda Kids.
Hi Blake
We are all thinking of you and the rest of the Kokoda Kids and glad to hear you're all doing well. Wer'e very proud of you all. Can't wait to see you. Tell Taj & Gavin that Miami High have posted "Happy Treking to the kokoda Kids" on the Highway notice board. You're all becoming legends!
see you on monday, love from us all.
P.S. You won 4 rounds of golf at Port Stevens from that competition at the golf expo. The director said you must be a mathematical genius for guessing the exact number of golf balls.
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