Frequently Asked Questions

Trekker Numbers (2008)

Numbers on the track this year are huge - with talk of totals reaching 8000 trekkers for the year 2008 - that's just the tourists - add in the porters and you get amazing numbers . I think these figures are inflated, but having seen the traffic jams and huge groups setting off, or coming into Owers recently, it is starting to look like a serious problem.

Some group sizes are getting near to 150 people, and when 2 groups of this size meet in a village it strains resources. There are new tracks being cut to just take the new numbers and new camp sites cut into the jungle for such large groups. Rubbish disposal alone is a problem - in theory it is 'carry in, carry out' but sometimes it is buried and then dug up by dogs. Big lines of trekkers frequently stretch for several kilometres along the track. One wonders how trekkers can get the true 'Kokoda Experience' when group numbers start to resemble a travelling circus.

It would be wise for those contemplating a trekking company to enquire closely about numbers - my preference would be for small groups with total size limited to 30 or so.

In addition, with so many more trekkers , there are more trekking companies operating now, and some of these leave a bit to be desired. The radio system in villages along the track is not reliable, and carrying a satellite phone is a must for any group. There also must be a reliable base, back in civilization. Unfortunately many local companies just do not have the capital or organization to provide that level of security. Great guys, really strong and willing and keen to please, but without much backup. Be careful.

How long will the walk take overall?

You should average between 2 and 2.5 km per hour - so 90 km is between 36 and 45 hrs of actual walking - add on time for breaks, lunch and swims etc - so, say about 6 hours of actual walking per day comes to between 6 and 8 days. If you have been training, you should know how fast you walk through the bush and be able to work it out, but allow for steepness and slipperiness.

What is the best time of year to walk the Trail?

The season kicks off in April and there is a big demand to do the walk in April as part of an Anzac tribute (Anzac Day : 25 April). The weather at this time is problematic as the wet season is tapering off. From May to Early November is a drier time, but there is still a lot of rain along the track. It would be unusual to do the walk and not have some rain at some time. At each end of the season it can rain a lot and the rivers come up.

Does the video cover Buna or the Bomana War Cemetery?

No, just the trail, from Kokoda thru to Owers Corner.

Was the Kokoda Challenge DVD shot on just one trek?

No, it is an amalgam of 3 treks over 2 years with some interviews from other trekkers as well.

Where on the Kokoda Track does the Kokoda Challenge DVD start and finish?

It has footage of travelling in both directions, and commentary on both directions , but the story generally moves from Kokoda towards Owers Corner.

What should I wear when trekking the Kokoda Track?

Take at least two sets of clothes – one ‘wet’ for daytime use and one ‘dry’ for evening wear. Light quick-dry fabric is recommended. I wear bike shorts (cheap ones, without the crotch lining) under my hiking shorts to stop chafing on my thighs. Expect your hiking clothing to be wet a lot, either from sweat or from rain or from a dip in a creek. I’d also recommend maybe a third set of ‘dry’ shorts as I have fallen over in mud in my dry set and wound up without a dry set. A small folding umbrella is very handy once you have changed into ‘dry’, as its often wet at night and a trip to the toilet can leave you soaked.

I’d suggest a sarong for both women and men to wear to showers, or washing places in villages. I suggest women and men wash in your undies. The showers are often not very private.

Wear rubber flip-flops around at night – or similar light easy footwear.

Is it cold?

One camp is cold – Camp 1900, which is as high as the name suggests. It’s a bare area on damp ground beside a creek and it surely does get cold. Now the problem is that it's just one night – unless you are having a rest day in Myola which is also high – and it seems a big effort to take a thick coat for one night. One option is to just tough it with as much sleep as you can get, tossing and turning and wishing the night would end. Another option is to sit around the fire all night chatting with the boys – that’s what they do as they usually don’t have warm gear. Alternatively, take thermals and warm stuff – its up to you. The rest of the camps are usually not cold, maybe mildly cool in July/August.

Drinking water

It's safe to drink from streams that the porters say are ok. You can Puritab the water if you want to, but the taste is ordinary unless you let it stand a good long while. I like Tang (orange or grape flavor) in my water when I use the tablets. If in doubt, use the tablets. Several of the main villages on the Moresby side have piped water which is safe to drink (Naduli, Kagi, Effogi one and two, Brigade Hill and Menari).

Don’t drink too much or too little. It's easy to over-do or under-do the hydration. Carry at least 2 litres with you but not too much more. If desperate you can usually cadge a drink off someone.

Boots

See the DVD for a more detailed discussion on boots. I have had the argument put that the expensive Italian jobbies are worth it because they fit well and last. I guess that’s a point, but they are expensive. I read an article recently and the author made a point about ‘old faithfulls’ falling apart quickly on the trail. I too have had comfy old boots start to go unexpectedly days away from home, so it pays to look over your boots very carefully.

Looking after feet

A tip I really wanted to give the world was that you should expect wet feet for very long periods and this can soak the skin right off the soles of your feet. Ugly and painful. Here is the solution – petroleum jelly (aka Vaselene). Rub plenty in. The sequence of booting up (different meaning, Geeks) is: prepare boots and laces – wring out socks, put on plasters to blisters, put on Vaselene, socks, boots. It takes a good ten minutes to boot up properly, don’t rush it.

Plasters

Yup – take those wide white ones in rolls – or the wide Elastoplast ones. Little bandaids last 2 minutes on a wet slippery foot. Be prepared to really wrap up a heel or several toes.

Food

Here are some points: Vegetarians generally do it tough in PNG. Bad luck. The evening meal usually consists of a lot of rice or pasta and a sauce. Breakfast is usually cereal, milk, tea and ubiquitous large cracker biscuits. Eat breakfast or die. There is often fruit supplied by villagers along the trail, which may be included in your trek fee or may not. Some small change of silver coins and some two kina notes may be handy – don’t expect someone in the bush to crack a big denomination. Sometimes Coke, cigarettes, beer and lollies are sold. Sometimes not. Don’t expect Diet Coke – but its common in Moresby and Popondetta (very flash towns!!)

Resupply points

Trekking companies usually fly supplies into one of the half-way villages by charter and so porters only have to carry enough food for, say, four days. Bad trekking companies don’t organize this well enough and a shortage of food is not unheard of. That’s one of the differences between good and bad companies.

Mining

To me, mining on the Trail is not black and white (so to speak). The people, the traditional owners, must have some say, whether the Track is a special place to Australians or not. And, by and large, your average villager wants some real money and real facilities that a big mine would bring. Despite the fact that the villages along the trail are some of the best and most prosperous rural villages in PNG, they are still very basic. For example, they have Health Centres in some villages, but no staff to run them, or supplies, as the government didn’t, or couldn’t, organize this.

Religion

The main big villages are strongly Seven Day Adventist. Don’t drink openly, don’t play cards openly, and dress and behave modestly. They have a church service in the morning and in the evening. You can listen to the singing if you wish.

First Aid and Evacuation

The trekking company guides are generally pretty good at first aid. Often someone in the group has a medical background as well. That said, if you are really ill they will have to either stretcher you out – which they will do if in striking distance – say a day or so of either end – or get in a fixed wing to one of the main central villages (Naduli, Kagi, Effogi – don’t know if Menari is operational – it needed a mow last time I was there) - or a chopper. The choppers ask for a lot of money per hour usually paid up front. So someone is going to need big pockets if there is a serious mishap. Satellite phones are very common now, and the radio system from the villages is reliable, so communications are not a problem.

Heights and head for heights

There is one very short section on the traverse between Effogi One and Brigade Hill where there is a bit of a cliff. Otherwise nothing to make even the dizziest person nervous, but ... there are a number of log bridges over streams where you might fall say 3m into the drink that can be a bit unnerving. You can see these on the DVD. The guides and porters help a lot with unsure people on these, and you do actually get used to them after a few days.

Hat and sunscreen

Take a hat and sunscreen, but an awful lot of the time you will be under canopy and thus in the shade. I hate the way sunscreen mixes with sweat and runs in your eyes. Use it as you wish!

General temperature

I believe that the warmth and humidity suck more out of unconditioned people than they realize. Many folk train hard in cool climates but are still left gasping when it comes to the real thing. All I can think of is that the humidity gets to them. Not much you can do but be aware of this.

Pack weight

In the war, they limited carrier’s packs to 40 pounds or 18 kg. And that’s a real sensible upper limit. If you are carrying a pack, be sure to weigh it carefully before you go, and get it down to a sensible weight.

Tips and Gratuities

Porters are well paid - by PNG standards really well paid - and they love doing the work. If you pay them even more at the end of a successful trek, you will probably confirm their view that every white man is a walking wallet. Yes, you have lots of money and they have hardly any... that’s the way it is. And keep in mind that PNG is mostly free of people constantly hassling for money. This is a good feature to maintain. Giving money away may encourage a belief in entitlement to ‘always a bit more’. Think carefully. It’s a complicated issue.

Buna after the Floods

Much of Northern Province was badly damaged in the floods from Cyclone Guba in November 2007 and, as at July 2008, things are still not yet back to normal. Guest houses in Buna are not yet fully restored so if your trip was to include Buna be sure to ask of your tour company what the latest situation is.

The large bridge at the Girua River, between Popondetta and Gurney airport has now been reopened, though it is still a temporary Bailey bridge, but traffic is flowing, just a little slowly. So trucks and busses from Popondetta can now can get straight through to the airport - and points north - eg Buna and Oro Bay.

Is there any extra advice for independent trekkers?

The DVD does not have much advice for those doing it 'solo', without a trekking company. It's difficult for several reasons, but here are a few tips: