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The previous afternoon saw us blowing up heaps of balloons to hand out to the children living there.
They returned that night and sang to us which was one of the highlights of the trek. These people have so little but yet they gave so much. Thank you to the children of Nauro, it was a nice gesture and one that Bev and I will never forget.
The children of Nauro happily playing with their balloons…did I say the children, check out the big kids including Bev…who is having the most FUN?:
Guides_Porters_Bev_Nauro_Village__Small_.jpgWe walked into Nauro Village and the scene blew me away, it was absolutely beautiful. I dare say the people living there with their hardships may say otherwise but for an outsider like ourselves, WOW!
Syprian and myself as we head down into the village of Nauro:
DSC01242__Small_.JPGI fell in love with the kids and couldnt resist having a photograph taken with them before departing from the village.
Just look at their happy smiles….so little yet so much!
Nauro Village – this is a woman's kitchen where the pic was taken:
DSC01244__Small___2_.JPGBefore heading out of the village I had all our party stop to have our picture taken…this is the end result…now do we look like trekkers or what?
DSC01245__Small_.JPGDay 5 – Nauro to Menari:
Today saw us heading out of Naoro towards Menari where we would overnight. We were advised that today we would be walking through a swampy area and to wear our gaitors. By this time my gaitors had started giving me problems with rashes so I decided not to wear them but to put on my long trousers instead.
When we were walking along Russell informed me that in times of rain, this area is quite muddy but for our trek it was mushy but we were certainly not walking in mud up to our knees.
We then came to one of the biggest rivers which was quite good by comparison to other river crossings in so much that there were no steep drops either side that you either had to climb down and or up on the other side. Russell had hoped the crossing still had the trees they cut down earlier this year for us to cross over. When we arrived, there on the other side was Bev and the group walking with her waiting for us to catch up or that was what I thought at the time but it turned out during a storm the previous night some trees had fallen down blocking the track. Some of our blokes were working like a road maintenance gang trying to make a clearing so we could pass.
Here I am seen here at the Nauro River crossing:
DSC01248__Small_.JPGWe continued to trek through thick bush for what seemed like ages and ages but perhaps I was just tired as the previous night in Nauro the guesthouse had some small puppies locked in a small room adjoining the guesthouse and they were carrying on all night long and as a result I had a restless night.
This photograph will give you an idea of the terrain in this area of the trail:
DSC01251__Small_.JPGWe finally arrived at another creek crossing and Russell & Chris informed us we were close to Menari. They asked if we wanted to have a swim and I replied not now, maybe later. Later was not to be as by the time we arrived in Menari, the last thing I wanted to do was to return to the river for a swim.
The plan was to overnight in the village guesthouse in Menari and to get up bright and early and head off to Brigade Hill. When we arrived the villagers brought out fresh bananas and other fruit and cans of coke. Once inside the guesthouse I just wanted to die as I was so exhausted that day. Bev was out and about walking around the village even checking on a sick patient that asked for help but for me I never moved from the guesthouse. One of our guys had already set up a shower each for Bev & myself in the guesthouse (a hot one at that), so we were able to wash and relax until dinner later that evening.
All the guys were sitting around in an adjacent building playing their uke'ule's, telling stories and preparing the evening meal. We sat down later that evening, ate and went straight to bed. This was the first time for me that my body felt awful like I could have just volunteered to stay in Menari and not move on.
The next morning however, I woke up and felt good and quickly got ready for another day ahead.
Menari Village:
DSC01254__Small_.JPGOnce again we woke at the crack of dawn and in the dark with head torches proceeded to pack our backpacks before heading down for breakfast which was in the process of being prepared.
As it was Russell Eroro's 40th birthday, the boys sang with their uke'ule's HAPPY BIRTHDAY and we gave him a present. On opening his gift he found it was a book on Kokoda written by Peter Fitzsimmons which he has heard from previous trekkers is a must read.
Russell Eroro on the morning of the 18th November, 2004 at Brigade Hill celebrating his 40th birthday! Actually a lesson for guys who only bring one pair of shorts with them. Russell did exactly that (must have taken a look at my pack) and on Day 2 he split them. He was then forced to wear them until some days later when Kingsley offered him a pair of trousers he had carried as a spare…saved the day for him! :
DSC01261__Small_.JPGDay 6 – Menari to Efogi:
Not long after the previous photograph was taken, we left Menari Village and headed off to our next overnight at Efogi. However, today was no ordinary day, it was Russell's birthday and he had said all along he wanted to stop at Brigade Hill as it is his special place on the trail where he just wanders off in the bush and catches up with trekkers, guides & porters later on.
Well on the 18th he wandered off with his mates our guides and came back when the billy was boiled and it was time to blow out his candles and get stuck into his cake for morning tea.
Bev laid down while all this was going and and had a good rest as she looked rather tired and besides it was so hot up there with not much shade. The guys had put up a tarpaulin over the table that is erected there so this area had shade. However, the only other place close by was one tree which Bev managed to find and took time out to cool down.
When Russell and the others returned, he blew out the candles for his 40th birthday and we all finished off the cake and other sweets which Eric Uwea had carried all the way from Port Moresby together with the book mentioned above as his present.
Russell went onto comment that it was the first birthday ever in his whole life that he received a present or had a cake to it ended up very special for him. I guess when you are one out of 14 children birthday parties become a luxury most people simply could not afford. These days with couples having less children and our western ways being copied by them, children now are starting to celebrate their birthdays.
Photograph: Chris Suma, Russell Eroro & Syprian Haera. Chris and Syprian sang once again on their uke'ule's and not long after we set off for Efogi.
Rusty__s_Brigade_Hill_pic26.jpgBefore departing Brigade Hill our guys decide to take a photograph of me near a guest house with magnificent views in the background. It is really a sad place as there are many sticks in the ground representing our diggers who I believe were buried there.
The Kokoda Trail is an adventure, for us younger Australians but for the diggers who faced action in World War II and who had to fight there, it is quite hard to comprehend how they did it. I mean to just walk it is quite a feat in itself but to be facing the enemy at every corner and win against all odds is quite unbelievable.
My mother had two brother's who fought here in PNG, one of which did not make it home and died in Aitape and was buried in the Lae War Cemetery. He enlisted in 1942 and died three months before the war ended. The other brother might well have died as well as they tied him to a tree to stop him taking off to reach the brother who was injured but who died a couple of days later from his wounds. For years after the brother who lived to return to Australia, suffered tremendous heart wrenching nightmares coz he didnt bring his baby brother back home and felt he let the family down.
Photograph: myself seen here near a guest house at Brigade Hill:
DSC01258.JPGNot long after we left Menari we came across yet another creek crossing and I found Syprian waiting for me to give me a helping hand to cross over Menari Creek.
Syprian Haera and myself Gail Thomas being helped across the Menari Creek crossing:
DSC01256.JPGAfter leaving Brigade Hill we started to decend down some steep slopes where the track is quite narrow and the drops rather frightening. Russell told me to keep my balance towards the hill in case I slipped…..believe me in this area I was really concentrating on every step.
Sometime later we came to a bend with a large rock which we had to step down to turn right. Russell had told me previously of a girl had died at this point due to slipping off the rock. He also added that before it did not have any steps but on one of his treks he stayed behind for some 3 hours making steps in the rocks so it would never happen again to any other trekker.
So very carefully I stepped onto his steps made in the rock and managed to successfully grab onto his outstretched hand as he led me to safety.
Take a look at the width of the track at this point:
DSC01267.JPGNot too far away from the above area was an abundance of red plants everywhere and I said Russell please take a photograph here as its so pretty.
Check it out what do you think?
DSC01269.JPGThe terrain changed somewhat and we came across a steep decent into the village of Efogi. I found the walk down into Efogi quite slippery as it had been raining and the ground was quite damp.
Check out the view from the top of the hill overlooking the village:
Gail_View_from_Efogi_pic27.jpgEfogi is where we have been sending all our half way food to throughout 2004 so it was with delight that I was introduced to Landy Noel and his wife on arrival at their guesthouse.
Now this guesthouse was different from all the others whereby it was a weatherboard house with an outside shower in a corrugated iron tank. A doorway had been cut in the side of the tank and our guys quickly tied a tarpaulin to this area to give privacy for washing. There was four dwellings at Efogi. One was a win haus for cooking purposes, one for the guys to sleep in. One for eating and the other a three bedroom home and verandah were we could sit and relax.
Bev was first in the shower and relaxing on the verandah talking to our guides when I went to have my shower in the rain. We were even spoilt as there was an outside toilet with a box seat rather than pit toilets used along other areas on the trail whereby you squatt rather than sit.
Later in the afternoon, Bev and I decided to walk up into the village and look at a war museum. We managed to talk some of the guys into going with us and we soon set off. During our time in the village I was introduced to the village chief. Shortly afterwards he started laughing at me…..shocked, I asked in my best pidgin, yu laf lon wanem samting (what so funny?)….he then replied that he was laughing as he never thought he would ever see my face in the village.
I asked why, to which he replied that a couple of Australian Guides who had frequented the village told him that the lady who helps Russell doesnt walk, she only sits in an office in Port Moresby…..seems he was quite happy to see that I too have walked the Kokoda Trail and that he had the pleasure of meeting me.
We also had pillows which were sent out by myself during the year for use by our trekkers…..now it was my turn to sleep on my own pillow!!! how small luxuries seem so grand when you have not had them for a few days.
There is also a dwelling which is used as a dining room where we ate the evening meal with our guides before turning in for the night.
Unfortunately we ran out of film at this point and could not take a photograph but I have found another pic on our website from another trek which shows the tank in the background and a tap:
Efogi_Guesthouse.jpg
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