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I didn't take a groundsheet Scott, nor did anyone on our trek. We had quite a few nights of rain… but the tents remained dry inside. The porters dig little trenches around your tent in heavy rain, to drain water away. Enjoy your trek …. I'm sure you will.
Hi Joseph,
Peter and Brian Have pretty much summed it up, but I'd just like to add a couple of observations from my trek in June last year:
I didn't see any trekkers attempting the hike without guides.
The only food I found to purchase were bananas, Twisties (a type of snack, like a crisp) and warm soft drinks, such as Coke Cola. Maybe once a day at best, sometimes not even that frequently.
Without guides I would have certainly taken wrong turns in several places.
Personally, I'd hate to be in the predicament of having injured myself – and having no one to provide assistance.
I understand and applaud your adventurous streak, but, believe me… the Kokoda Track is not the place to try it.
Great idea Peter. i'll put one together on my day hydration pack for women…. in the Trek Preparation section.
I too hope your health improves Brian… walking is a wonderful pastime. Also enjoy the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
I'm heading to Peru next year ( Inca trail, Sacred valley etc, Amazon river jungle stay and then to Lake Titicaca). In I'm hopint to trek in Nepal/Tibet and the Everest Base camp, so Wokabaut Meri I'd love to hear a 'trip report' once you're back. Are you using a local company??
And I'd also like to do the Black cat trail in New Guinea. Gail, do KTL trek to this area??
Cheers to you all…
Happy Christmas… and here's wishing you all more laughter, more happiness, more luck and more rain in 2010 ( well, maybe not those of you living in PNG!!). Cheers all, and look forward to catching up early next year.
It's a shangai Gail… illegal in NSW, though the little buggers in Bourke etc carry them…. mainly for hurling missiles at cars and trucks!! Not their intended use at all.
Our porters were constantly trying to fool us with animal sounds too, and yes, even young children carried machettes on the track. My boys at that age carried Tonka toys, though they are certainly into hunting now.
Yep, I put my hand up … this forum is a daily ritual for me too. I would never have thought before trekking Kokoda that the whole experience would have gotten into my system so badly.
In a few years I'd like to trek Shaggy Ridge and the Black Cat trail too. Gail, do KTL do this trip?? It would be the 'icing on the cake' in so far as following the second half of the Aussies campaign in PNG in '42 adn '43.
Wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas. Stay safe… and have fun!!
Rabbits??? – the ONLY animals I saw for my entire trek were chooks and dogs in the villages, cows after Owers Corner… and one tree kangaroo… that shinnied up to my shoulders, drawing blood!! I heard a couple of pigs and of course birds, but didn't actually see them.
It actually surprised me, the lack of wildlife in the jungle. My porter said the local villagers had eaten everything.
Editors Note: Yes, pretty much anything that moves in PNG that resembles protein is killed to be eaten. When you live in the bush you are taught hunting skills very early in life. Thats another reason even small children carry bush knives as its part of their daily living.
Geoff makes a good point, however from my experience they even take their own wheelchairs back before you reach the aircraft. My youngest son was run over by a tractor about 10 years ago, necessitating a lengthy stay in ICU and hospital in Sydney. On our return flight home I booked and was given a wheelchair. HOwever they took it back BEFORE we were asked to walk out onto the tarmac to the aircraft. I was on my own with multiple bits of hand luggage and then was forced to carry a 3 year old with full leg plaster and other injuries as well.
I'm in awe of Kurt's amazing strength ( both mental and physical) and tenacity. Completing the track would have been right up there with any medal he's previously won I'm sure.
I had to have a chuckle on the track. For those of you who've trekked Kokoda recently… remember the hole in the ground covers? A piece of wood roughly shaped the same as said hole in the ground with a wooden pole coming out of the middle of it? The first time I spotted one of these I thought " how nice, the local villagers are giving us somehwere out of the dirt to put down our toilet roll". On mentioning this to one of the other ladies in our group she said she thought it was an aid to help us to our feet again. Then my porter informs me it's actually a cover to put over the hole when you've finished… kinda like putting the seat lid down. It cracked me up.
Disposable loo seats… just a waste of space and something extra to carry. Really – the loos were no big deal.
Yeeee Haaaaaaaaaaaaaa – you did it girl!!! There's no looking back now Fluppy, ever. You know you can do whatever you put your mind to. Well done.
Lorna
I'm so pleased to hear your report on Fluppy. I've been thinking about her most days.. .wondering how she's going. She's had a lot of setbacks in her life but appears to be full of grit and determination. I hope she posts a photo of herself at the finish line!! By the way, which way is she trekking?
Cheers all,
I wonder how they keep the grass so neat Peter? Only place I saw a slasher was Effogi… and it obviously hadn't gone for a very long time!!
Wonder how Fluppy is getting along. She is full of determination – equally as important as the fitness side of things. Good luck to her… I'm sure she'll ace it in.
