The controversy is because there are current moves by RSL members to get the name Trail officially changed to Track. Emails have been rife and it has caused some heated debate within the veteran fraternity.. My father, as well as the majority of the 39th veteran's would only ever call it a Track.. Trail being an American word.. Soc has explained…[Read more]

Hi Kim,We stayed at the Holiday Inn, it was very nice. Make sure you check, check & double check your booking, just because you may have booked in advance & paid for it dosn't mean that your room will be there!! Make sure that they email or fax you a CONFIRMED booking form with your payment recorded and a receipt. This is PNG and you leave NOTHING…[Read more]

Hi Fluppy,Not long to go now..! My pack for the porter ended up weighing 14kg, but we didn't take a tent, that was supplied and carried by the porter. Like you I packed, unpacked and repacked that many times, I almost knew by heart where everything was. Like so many others, I too took too much first aid stuff, but you never know and you just can't…[Read more]

Re walking poles, Usually the porters just cut them from a tree beside the track, one of them usually has a bush knife handy. If you are going from Kokoda, the walk to Hoi is fairly flat so there is plenty of time to get them to cut you one. Nettie

On the subject of poles, ask your porter to cut you one, they work just as well.

In one word, Brilliant! I only wish Dad was still alive to read it, he would have loved it.Nettie

Think you have hit on a winner with the 2nd hand clothes, we had a big business with that in Goroka, they used to call it Pat's Boutique and not only the natives shopped there.. suit coats were the big hit with the old boys, what a sight, nothing on but arse grass, bone through the nose, bilas on the head and a 'Boss' stripped suitcoat. Wool to…[Read more]

they would have removed that truck in some ingenious way that only the locals would think of, with much shouting & gusto. I can just imagine!

Had to laugh at the photo of the truck… only in PNG…..Editor's Note: Annette, it turned out that some locals were on the road waving arms trying to stop the vehicle from crossing. However, the driver thought they were trying to hold him up and steal the vehicle so he sped up instead!There was a bulldozer or the likes on the road with a tow…[Read more]

Poroman,Klock bilong mi, emi krai out long you nau line bilong youKingsley, yu yet, yu man emi no savi pret, nau klock bilong yu tripela tru, nau, you raun wantaim God papaSpirit bilong yu nau emi raun wantaim all spirit bilong brave soldier emi stap long KokodaYu yet, yu luk outim all man, meri nu pikinini wantaim all trekker emi raun long…[Read more]

Hi Gail,I am so terribly sorry, please pass on my condolences to Russell and his family.All are in my thoughts and prayers todayNettie

Hi Jan,I can understand exactly where you are coming from, I too was raised in Lae & Goroka, living most of my earlier years up there and being very aware of the dangers, especially to females, I was also very nervous even though I was with a big group. However Kokoda is nothing like Moresby or Lae, it was like stepping back 40 years or so, the…[Read more]

Hi Fluppy,If you are getting sore on the tops of your toes, you might want to try what worked for me, have the laces comfortably loose along the top of your foot, then pull them fairly tight around the two hooks around the ankle, and then do them up to the top of the boot, i was told this stops your foot from moving forward especially going down…[Read more]