being an enthusiastic person to see and explore new places was my motivation but I did not realized that I was accompanying those well-conditioned trekkers from PNG and overseas.
Whilst I could be the first PNG Government Officer to completed the full length of Kapa Kapa Trail, a distance of 2700km approx in 18days of continuous walking until Girua Bridge (Popondetta) and onto Buna.
I'm grateful to my employer PNG Tourism Promotion Authority for the opportunity and support. Also to Getaway Trekking Adventures for the logistics on the trail. Buna Treks & Tours boys from Central and Oro side for your endless support throughout the duration of 18days trekking.
The local trekkers were young fellows who've heard stories of the WWII and the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angles but they have proven to us that; they have the genes of their grandparents who endured all odds on the trek to ensure that their masters were safe. I could imagine the different settings of the environment and trekking gears used those times of the war and today as tourism interest on the trek. We have good rests and there was always someone with refreshment (locally preferred word) consist of fruits and garden food to share with trekkers.
Whilst looking back to the interest of the local trekkers to take care of us in every situations on the trek, there was overwhelming liveliness. The excitements on the trek were fueled by jokes, local songs and music from the solar powered boomboxes which were mounted onto the top of the trekking bags. We could surely feel the tiredness at some stages of the trekking but no boredom could never find us along the trek, there was always a local guide trekker or expat trekker checking on each other.
It could be the knowledge and skills the locals have learned to be into the business of trekking and guiding on the Kapakapa Trek but there the legacy of Fuzzy Wuzzy lives on. The younger generations have opted to live the footsteps of their great grand parents who lived to the name during the Second World War for Kokoda Campign and Buna Front Campaign by the Allied Forces.
I will hardly forget those countless memories and experiences navigating upstream Kemp Welsh River, pushing boats, hiking uphill and downhill descending continuously for the average of 6 hours each day has become part of the Kapakapa Trek for me. The canopy walk without the exposure of the sun, the bush camps with bush fires all-around, the near to freezing point streams, the brush turkey eggs for lunch and dinner. Cooking the local foods in different ways, collecting galip nuts, getting to taste a lot of fruits, nuts and food along the treks forms a part of never to forget memory of me on Kapakapa Trek.
The Ghost Mountain at the elevation of 2000+ meters above sea levels was a challenging climb on the trek with couple of adventures. At one stage, we lost the GPS trekking signal and arrived at the abandoned Suaru village. The heavy rainfall welcomed us back into the abandoned village and our tents were setup under the rain. Sadly, two of our guide trekkers (porters) who were carrying the group canvas or tent for the guides went off-trek and met up with a waiting group on the other-side of the hill separated by terrains and rivers.
It was fun onsite, we gradually made a big fireplace from the logs and dry woods at the site and collected rainwater from the canvas that was providing shelter for us. Those rainwater were used when there was no water for tea.
Despite the slippery tracks, the fast flowing creeks and off the beaten tracks that could not pickup GPS and satellites signals, we all had fun with our endless songs and new war cry "Fire Wara" and what the Uda Boroma are you ?
The nights in the campsites were totally different from the villages, there were big fireplaces on each of the four corners of the campsite whilst candles lights were placed at separate areas to cast light over the camping area. It was us (trekkers) under the trees in the area used to be home to birds and other animals.
However, the nights in the overnight villages feels like someone is welcoming you whole night. The exotic Rigo inland dialect songs voiced by children and elders over the acoustic guitar gave us the well deserved lullaby into rest.
Depends on the elevation levels, some places were warm and hot whilst some were so cold that we have to unpack our sleeping bags and wrap ourselves until 5.30am call for packing and breakfast before setting off on the journey.
The rivers and creeks were so cold to the near freezing point and the good part of the reconditioning therapy for trekkers is the naturally cold creeks. To explain how cold the creeks where is unreal but if anyone has to be under the water for more than a minute loses the consciousnesses. The cold water therapy us outdoing all the pains I had from the 5-7hours work each day to reach the next camp.
Im also grateful with Buddy Walbino's boys from Central side and the Buna Treks and Tours boys under the leadership of Peter Bonga.
Not forgetting our host villages from Sirimu to Buna. You all have a tradition that is blended well into your cultures and that's where the force of attraction is on Tourism for Kapa Kapa Trail.
Thanks to Kevin, Joe & Julie, Stephan, Donna, James, Rachael, Peter Gamgee for the team efforts.
#KapaKapaTrail #KokondaTrack #BunaTreksTours #GetawayTrekking #pngtourism #pngtravel #pngjourneys #ghostmountainboys #raonraonpng
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| Talking to the community at Itokam Village in Oro Province |
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| Group Photo at New Suwai Village |
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| At the top of Ghost Mountain. Photo by: Donna |
