Efogi 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…[Read more]

The 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.jpg

Not 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.JPG

After 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…[Read more]

Not 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.JPG

Before 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…[Read more]

Day 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…[Read more]

Once 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…[Read more]

We 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…[Read more]

We 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…[Read more]

Day 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…[Read more]

Before 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_.JPG

I 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_.JPG

We 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_.JPG

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…[Read more]

Day 4 – Ofi Creek to Nauro: The walk down into Nauro was quite slippery and Russell said not far now and we will be at the guesthouse area….famous last words before I slipped over onto my bottom and was once again helped to my feet. Each time this happened – a whole 13 in all, I could feel myself going, going gone! On arrival at the…[Read more]

Day 3 – Ua'Ule Creek to Ofi Creek:Today saw us climbing, climbing and more climbing as we headed to Nauro Village. Bev was once again ahead of the rest of us with Chris and was more than likely sipping tea as I kept putting one foot after another trying to get to the next campsite.I shall never forget Russell saying that we are nearly…[Read more]

Syprian, cooking us some food (kai kai) on the trail. For Bev and I we said despite the stress on our bodies day in, day out, there was absolutely no stress on our lifestyle.All our guides and Paulo our porter spoilt us rotten and would not let us do a thing. They erected our tents, and on many occasions walked down slippery steep hills and…[Read more]

This photograph was taken as we walked into the area where the Ua'ule Guesthouse is situated. The trekkers guesthouse is in the background and the kitchen/boys guesthouse is in the foreground. The food porters were always well ahead of our pace and like you can see in the background the fire was well and truly crackling away and our billy was on…[Read more]

We plodded along and finally we came to a beautiful guesthouse out of nowhere which is known as Ua'Ule Creek. I heard about this guesthouse on a couple of occasions but obviously this was my first experience of sighting it.There is one large guesthouse with one large bedroom and one slightly smaller one. There is also a separate…[Read more]