Lest we forget!anzac200.jpg

Lt Col Honner DSO MC, who commanded the gallant 39th in the campaign, later wrote of these men in the foreword to Peter Brune's book 'Those Rugged Bloody Heroes': "They have joined the immortals." Of those that did not survive, he wrote: "Wherever their bones may lie, the courage of heroes is consecrated in the hearts and engraved in the history…[Read more]

Australian shelling smashed Japanese defences and aggressive patrols inflicted severe losses. On the morning of September 28th the Australians were closing in and it became evident then the Japanese were withdrawing. The chase, with the Australians the pursuers, was now on.The Japanese, despite sickness and hunger, were still formidable and…[Read more]

However, the remnants of "Maroubra Force", exhausted by a month's constant fighting, were unable to achieve this. Valiant though their effort was, even recapturing the plateau after being driven out, the Japanese need was of equal importance. They needed a forward base at Kokoda for their drive over the ranges along the "Kokoda Trail" to Port…[Read more]

But the famous Battle of the Coral Sea from May 5 to 8 averted a Japanese sea-borne invasion of Port Moresby.The American success at the Battle of Midway in June not only destroyed Japan's capacity for undertaking long range offensives but also provided the Americans with the opportunity to move from the defensive to the offensive. The Japanese,…[Read more]

On January 23, 1942, the Japanese landed at Kavieng on New Ireland and at Rabaul on New Britain where they quickly overcame the Australian defenders. On 8 March, the Japanese established themselves firmly at Lae and Salamaua in Morobe.Salamaua BeachBeach500at_Salamaua.jpg

In 1942, a seldom-used track climbed from the small village of Buna on the north coast of Papua, over the Owen Stanley Ranges and on to Port Moresby. The track was fairly easy up the slopes through Gorari and Oivi to the village of Kokoda, which stood on a small plateau 400 metres above sea level, flanked by mountains rising to over 2000 metres.…[Read more]

July 23 — Remembrance Day — marks the 60th anniversary of the first engagement between the opposing troops on July 23, 1942, and from that engagement, as the Australian force was progressively outnumbered, began the long fighting withdrawal over the Owen Stanley Range.The 21st Brigade, commanded by Brigadier Potts DSO MC, was rushed to New…[Read more]

Professional to the end, Russel Eroro saying goodbye to some of his porters as they head back home to Kokoda. Photograph taken Sunday 13th July 2003 : Boarding_Aircraft.jpg

Russel Eroro with some of his porters at Jackson's Airport Sunday 13th July 2003. Russel stayed back as he has a trek from Ower's Corner to Naoro Village this coming Tuesday and then back again for a father and son who want a feel of the trek so they know how to prepare for the full 9 days at a later stage.Porters_in_Carpark.jpg

Russel Eroro back row in black shirt, seen here with trekkers, guides, food porters and personal porters after their completion of the Kokoda Trek on Thursday 10th July 2003 :Nationals – Arnold, Ernst, Cyprian, John, Jefferd, Russel, , Silas, Salavador and Eric Group_Pic_1_Talair_Village.jpg

Malum Nalu and Russel Eroro at the Royal Papua Yacht Club on Thursday night 10th July, 2003 Malum___Russel.jpg

Russel Eroro seen here with the Swede Backpacker Ola Nilsson on the verandah of the Royal Papua New Guinea Yacht Club, Port Moresby.Russel___Ola.jpg

Russel Eroro – (General Manager and Senior Guide – PNG Trekking Ltd), Nathan Thomas (Griffith University Student – Gold Coast) & Malum Nalu (Tourism Promotion Authority) on the verandah of the Royal Papua Yacht Club, Port Moresby the night after the trekkers arrived back safely from the 2nd July 2003 trek. Russel__Nathan___Malum.jpg

Check out these strong legs belonging to Russel Eroro seen here on the Kokoda Trail with another group of trekkers that headed out on the 2nd July 2003.t3_Russel.jpg

Footnote: My Kokoda trek was made possible by the PNG Tourism & Business Directory http://www.pngbd.com who paid for my travel, food, and porter; my employer the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority for allowing me to travel to help make a lifelong dream of walking the Kokoda Trail come true. Special words of thank you to Bobby and the guides and porters,…[Read more]

Kokoda has made me realise many things.I now better appreciate the rugged and heartbreaking terrain the Australians, the ?Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels?, and the Japanese encountered during those dark days of WW11. The hardships the forgotten Orokaiva and Koiari people who live on the mountains, ridges, and gullies of the Owen Stanley Ranges endure daily…[Read more]

More leaves and traditional medicine from the guides and porters, coupled with powerful painkilling and anti ? inflammatory drugs from the Australian trekkers, and sprinkled with physical and mental reserves I never knew I had saw me make an amazing about turn.I started walking at 4am on Friday, June 6 – for 12 straight hours ? up the…[Read more]

To ask for help from the guides and porters would have been throwing in the towel.It took me five agonising hours to hobble down from the top of Brigade Hill to Menari.The considerate guides and porters rubbed hot leaves on my knees, and with some powerful painkillers from Andrew, a South African who works as an IT specialist in Brisbane, and his…[Read more]

At Efogi, we picked up much ? needed food supplies, which had been dropped off a week earlier by chartered aircraft.Efogi, like the other villages along the trail, do not have regular airline flights like in the past and chartered flights and helicopters only use its airstrip.We had a good rest and lunch before Kevau and I started on the climb up…[Read more]