new bar looks good…a good cold beer is the first thing on your mind after completing a trek…and to start a discussion how about this ?……on the current affairs program with Brian Freeman finding the lost battle site at Eora Creek. Which I presume is on the northern side of Eora Crrek and looks down from the high ground to the village and…[Read more]

Im not sure I understand the controversy…Trail is American Track is Australian….THAT SAID IT WAS CALLED BOTH AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE CALLED BOTH……what is important is the history…pre and post war…..at the end of the day…it is ones experience of the track that matters and thats what continues the history…

do your training on hills or stairs…the steeper the better….aclimatise as best you can…..enjoy the trip it will be rewarding in many ways……good luck

In regards to Backpacks it needs to be fitted to suit your body / frame size…everyone is different….but a more important point is…how its packed and the weight of it….reduce the weight as much as possible….going up the hills you wish you had…..I agree with others however… your feet are the most important….no blisters good fitting…[Read more]

Hi Wokabaut Merithanks …yes it was a good trip….the gods were kind to us as it rained the first day and night and 1 hr after we had finished at cockle creek the biggest downpour / thunderstorm occurred for at least 4 hrs…we had planned to camp at cockle creek but decided it was too wet…we headed back to Hobart…it was still raining in…[Read more]

yes…the internet is a good thing it is easy to check out images of all places here and OS….I have heard the John Muir Trail is great……any snow?….bears would be a new component as well

PeterI agree, time is always critical….a lot of people have the luxury of time and can spend 8-10 days doing a 80-90 klm trek….I cant afford the time away from my business so I plan faster trips…sure it is a bit harder but I find that by being organised and having early starts and reducing pack weights I can always find time to take photos…[Read more]

Hi Peteryes there is bog on that trek as well…in fact most of the South West Coast treks including the Port Davey Track have bog….the south coast track has lots of bog as well, although on our 5 day walk we had minimal rain and the bog patches were only thigh deep in parts….I haven't done the frenchmans peak walk yet….most of the walks in…[Read more]

Wow….just back from Tassie….completed the South Coast Track….yes Gail you are right the Ironbound range is great training for Kokoda…in fact the west side approach is quite clear and the track is visible from the bottom to the top…it is quite steep but the views are fantastic….the eastern side was very Kokoda like…dense vegetation /…[Read more]

Merry Xmas to you too Brian and everyone else on the forum…..I have given myself a Xmas present this year that I am looking forward to….A walk on the South Coast Track in Tassie just after Xmas….famous quote from "The Castle"……………."ahhhh the Serenity"so Merry Xmas everyone….take my tip…shout yourself a Xmas present this…

Its horses for courses….best to experiment and see what you prefer best…Ive done hootchies (army) bivi bags (army) and tents lightweight…… heavyweight…….. I've slept in snow, water, mud sides of hills, leech infested swamps…hot tropical jungle…and after decades of bushwalking i have found the comforts and weatherproofnesss of a…[Read more]

Brian and Geoffyou both raise very good points. I have discussed the issue of group size in this forum before and the main reason behind Charlie Lynn's group size is that the intention is for a platoon size group(traditionally 30 plus )…what is the obvious benefit of this…..none that is apparent to other trekking groups. However Charlie is…[Read more]

Fluppythe book was written by Geoffrey Scott, 1944 its a softcover and 138 pages. Its rare and hard to come across. If you cant find it let me know and I will post it to you so you can read it…another good book is called "Retreat from Kokoda" written by Raymond Paull 1958also another good book is the story about the 39th Battalion "To Kokoda and…[Read more]

Thanks for the link…what a great read…very interesting….I have read all of the mentioned books…a good book that was written shortly after the war is also another book written by soldiers giving a detailed story of their experiences….it is called "The Knights of Kokoda" I suppose there will always be debate about the significance of the…[Read more]

It is an amazing feat…Im sure we will hear about this amazing effort…….the walk is tough enough on two legs…..The history of the Kokoda campaign tells a story about Corporal John Metson who after being shot in both ankles refused to be carried by his mates…He crawled in the jungle for 3 weeks to escape capture by the Japanese…[Read more]

Travel Insurance is like an excess on a hire car….most people dont think it is necessary ….until its needed…but as its name suggests….Its "Travel Insurance" and for peace of mind it should be mandatory and not an option….A friend of mine was injured in a surfing accident in Indonesia…and didnt have travel insurance…he is now a…[Read more]

maybe a peg could suffice……clothes by night…toilet visit by day……

Wayneif you worried about doing it alone, you would feel more at ease if you could organise a training walk with other trekkers before you go, this will allow you to "break the ice" I'm sure if you contacted your trekking company they could pass your details on or provide contact information of the other trekkers in your group…. a couple of…[Read more]

Hi Robgood stuff and very interesting thesis topic, I responded to Simone from UTS (mentioned previously) she had a survey she wanted answers from trekkers that had walked Kokoda. I walked the track and will continue to walk the track for several reasons…1. The Military History (ex regular army)2. To experience the local culture and…[Read more]

Hijust adding my thoughts on the Toilet pits….or "Long Drops"….Its par for the course and quite necessary…it would be quite dangerous to quickly duck off into the bush and dig a hole to do your business….my only concern with the pit toilets is that they need to be located away from water courses. I have photo of a pit toilet at Eora…[Read more]