May 30, 2025 • 30 mins
In this episode, we’re going to take a deeper dive into the terrain, geography, and physical demands of the Kokoda Track—arguably one of the most formidable battlegrounds in Australian military history. For anyone preparing to walk this track today, or simply seeking to understand what our soldiers endured in 1942, this episode will give you a real sense of what they were up against. It’s one thing to read about it, another to stand in the mud yourself. But for now, I want to take you there through story and description.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Apodjay Production. This podcast is proudly brought to you by
Adventure Professionals www dot Adventure Professionals dot com dot au.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
For me, Mission Ridge and Brigade Hill.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
The whole Kakoda campaign more people need to know about it,
or know everyone knows someone who's trek Kakoda, but to
actually understand the stories of what these young guys did,
it's harrowing what they went through.
Speaker 4 (00:33):
They were staunched to the end against odds uncountered and
they fell with their faces to the fore.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Welcome to the Kakoda Track Podcast, hosted by former Soljet
Glen Asa. This is the place to hear stories from
those who've trecked Kakoda and gained tips of knowledge about
what to expect on the track, or to relive your
own amazing experiences. The Kakoda Track Podcast keeping the spirit
of Kakoda alive.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Welcome to the Cocada Track Podcast. I am going to
aise your host and in this episode we're going to
take a deeper dive into the terrain, the geography and
the physical demands of the Kokoda track, which is arguably
one of the most formidable backgrounds in Australian military history. Now,
for anyone preparing to walk this track today or simply
seeking to understand what our soldiers endured in nineteen forty two,
(01:27):
this episode will give you a real sense of what
they're up against. It's one thing to read about it,
it's another to stand in the mudge yourself. For now,
I want to take you there through story and description.
To begin with, let's look at where we are. So
the Cocata Track runs for approximately ninety six kilometers, although
depending on which deed tours you take, it can be
slightly longer. It stretches from Owa's Corner just outside of
(01:50):
Port Moresby in the south, to the village of Kakoda
in the north, and that's straight through the Owen Stanley Range,
towering rugged jungle covered mountains in the heart of Papu
in Ne Guinea. Now, for those who haven't been, I
want you to really picture this. This is not a
well groomed hiking trail. This is raw terrain. Its narrow,
(02:10):
single file in most places, often slippery, and frequently quite vertical.
You're either climbing or descending. It's rarely flat. The track
cuts through dense tropical rain forest, muddy ridge lines, fast
running rivers and mistfield valleys. It is hot, it is humid,
and when it rains, and it rains often, it turns
a path into a slosh of clay and sliding footsteps.
(02:33):
You can lose your footing in an instant. This is
what our soldiers face in nineteen forty two, except when
weren't wearing trail runners or moisture wicking socks that hobbnar boots,
heavy packs, bolt action rifles, and little preparation for the
jungle warfare they were suddenly thrust into. Let's break down
the physical geography in more detail. At its highest point,
(02:57):
near Mount Bellamy, the track climbs to over two two
hundred meters above sea level. That's approximately the height of
Mount Kosiosco. And it's not a gentle gradient. You have
to earn every meter. Climbs like the one into a
Dewy or the infamous ascent to the top of Brigade
Hill and soul crushing for people, long relentless vertical climbs
with unstable footing, and with every elevation gained, you eventually
(03:20):
have to descent steep, slippery drops into the jungle valleys
where you're often crossing creeks and navigating boulders, all while
soaked in sweat or rain. When we talk about terrain,
people often think of the physical challenge, and rightly so,
but what you have to understand is that the train
also shaped tactics, train shaped strategy and train shaped survival.
(03:42):
For the Japanese advancing southward from Burner and Gona with
the goal of taking Port Moresby, the train was there undoing.
They were used to fast, aggressive movements. They underestimated the
puppy in Guinean Jungle. Their supply lines broke down. Food shortages,
disease and exhaustion crip of them just as much as
Australian resistance did. For the Australians, the train was a
(04:03):
double edged sword. It gave them an opportunity to delay
and frustrate a larger, better equipped force, but it also
cost them dearly. Movement was slow, communication between units was difficult, casually,
evacuation was nightmarish. Men who were wounded couldn't just be
driven to safety. They had to be stretched, often for days,
up and down these mountains through mudd and gunfire and rain.
(04:26):
This is why the contribution of the local carriers, the
men that we now know as the Fazzuasi angels were
so critical. Without them, many of our soldiers simply wouldn't
have survived. Then there's the weather. You cannot overstake the
impact of put New Guinea's climate on the campaign. Days
were hot and humid, Nights were often cold and wet.
Rain fell almost daily, sometimes for hours at a time.
(04:48):
Creeks turned to rivers, paths turned to bogs. Everything, your clothes,
your boots, your gear was constantly wet. And what that
meant skin infections, you know, foot right, leeches, an unrelenting discomfort.
And then there was disease, are dingy, fever, dysentery. These
didn't just sap strength. They killed. Some units were fighting
(05:11):
at half strength because the other half were laid up
in first aid stations. All were killed, They died from
these things. Imagine trying to fight a battle or running
a fever, dehydrated, bleeding gums, stomach cramps. That was the
reality for many diggers on the track. And yet they fought,
They climbed those hills, they stood their ground, and eventually
(05:32):
they pushed back. Let me give you a snapshot of
what a single day might look like. You're a private
in the thirty ninth Battalion. It's early August nineteen forty two,
your station near Ishirava. Rain has been falling on and
off all night. You didn't sleep well. The jungles alive
with noise, frogs, insects, the occasional rustle that makes you
(05:53):
one of it's an animal or a patrol. Your clothes
are soaked, your boots have been wet for days. Your
feet ache, your stomach's twisted from a mix of bully, beef, biscuits,
and whatever you can keep down. At first light, you
move a narrow ridge climb, rifle in hand, eyes scanning,
you know the Japanese are close. You're already seen. The
(06:14):
stretch of part is gone the other way. Your mates
are exhausted, gaunt, quiet. No one talks much. You reach
a defensive position. You dig in and your weight. Then
it starts. Machine gun fire cracks through the trees, Mortar
thumps echo. You return fire, barely able to see where
the rounds are coming from. The jungle hides everything and
(06:37):
every noise feels like it could be death. You hold
for hours, maybe for days. Then you're ordered to fall back,
regroup further down the track. You move fast, grabbing whatever
gear you can, ducking branches, slipping in the mud, heart pounding.
You don't know if you'll make it, but you run anyway.
You run because someone else needs time to set up
behind you. And this is how it goes, day after day,
(07:00):
ridge after ridge, battle after battle. This is the jobgraphy
of Kakoda, not just land forms on a map, but
lived experience, a testing ground, a crucible, And this same
geography for those of for those of walking, it now
still teaches us. It teaches us humility, It forces presence,
(07:21):
It demands respect. When you walk the Kokoda Tract today,
that geography is still alive. You're walking the same ridge lines,
you're climbing the same endless hills, you're crossing the same rivers,
and though there are no bullets flying, the intensity of
the landscape remains. It demands your attention. It strips away ego.
(07:41):
It brings out whatever's inside you, your fears, your strengths,
your doubts, and your resolve. I've seen it hundreds of times.
People awrve thinking Kakoda is just another track, a physical challenge,
maybe a bucket list item. But the track is a
way of teaching you. Otherwise it humbles you. It reveals
parts of yourself that you've either buried or never you existed.
(08:03):
And it does that because of the l and itself. So
let's go deeper into some of the key locations and
how they shaped the campaign. Take Ishiava. Now, this is
not just a memorial site. Although the stone pillars of courage, endurance, makeship,
and sacrifice remind us what this place stands for. It
was also the scene of one of the most brutal
(08:24):
and pivotable battles of the Kakota Campaign. Set on a
type plateau ishuebri Is surrounded by dense jungle and steep valleys.
In late August nineteen forty two, it became the front
line between the advancing Japanese and the outnumbered Australian defenders
men of the thirty ninth and later the second fourteenth Battalions.
For four days, they held their ground against wave after
(08:47):
wave of attack. Some of them were teenagers, most were
untested in battle, but the train gave them something they
knew the land. They used the contours the jungle covered
the high ground to their advantage, but the same train
also box them in their retreating routes. Limited supply lines
were cut. They were fighting, quite literally for every meter.
(09:10):
The Battle for Isherabas where Bruce Kingsbury earned his Victoria Cross,
charging forward with a brain gun to turn the tide
of a Japanese assault. He was killed moments later, right there,
in that narrow pocket of land, surrounded by mountains and mist,
A young man gave everything, and that moment is etched
into the story of this place forever. Now think about
(09:30):
Brigade Hill, another ridge line, another battlefield. When the Australians
tried to make a stand there in September of nineteen
forty two, they faced not just a numerical numerically superior enemy,
but a master class in flanking maneuvers. The Japanese came
from below and around, cutting off the Australians from their
supply and communication lines. Again, the train played a central role.
(09:54):
What looked like a defensible position became a trap. And
yet once more, the courage of the defenders. Officers like
Ralphana men of the Second twenty seventh and the Second
fourteenth were extraordinary. They withdrew under intense fire, carrying their wounded.
Some men were left behind, others chose to stay. That's
what this track demanded decisions that no man should have
(10:16):
to make. Who lives, who dies, who can be carried,
and who must be left. These weren't just tacked good decisions.
They were personal, and the landscape forced them on you.
Even the names of places carry weight. You're a creek,
a foggy Temperance crossing. They're not just waypoints on a map.
(10:37):
They are names spoken with reverence by anyone who studied
the campaign or walked the track, because each name holds
a story. Each name marks sacrifice. Temperance Crossing, for example,
is named after Captain Sam Templon of the thirty ninth,
one of the first to face the Japanese on the
track and one of the first of fall. His leadership
(10:59):
set a tone of quiet courage that echoed through the
rest of the campaign. The crossing where his name now
lives is a beautiful stretch of river, serene, even peaceful.
But for those who know the history, there's a gravity
to that place. You stop, you reflect, you feel it.
Let's not forget the role of the villagers and the
(11:21):
puppy on people. The track runs through living communities, places
like Minari, Naduri Khagi. These are not just locations on
a route. They are homes. In nineteen forty two, they
became staging grounds, hospitals, shelters, and the people, many of
whom had never seen war before, rose with incredible grace
(11:42):
and strength. They carried the wounded, sometimes for days. They
shared food they could scarcely afford to give. They comforted
young soldiers dying far from home. The stories of the
Fuzzywazy Angels are not just sentimental, they are real. Without
their many Australians wouldn't have made it back. That is
the truth we carry every time we walk through these
(12:04):
villages today. Today, these same communities welcome trekkers with song,
with laughter, with a sense of pride that connects past
and present. And they're still strong, still giving, still standing.
This episode is about train, but really it's about what
train draws out of people. In war. It throughout leadership
(12:26):
and courage under fire. In trekking, it draws out character.
It teaches patience, humility, and endurance. It forces you to
be present, to listen, to respect the land and its people.
When people ask me why I keep coming back to
Kakoda almost one hundred times now, I say this because
(12:46):
every time I walk it, I learn something new, not
just about history, but about myself and the deeper. I
understand the land, the deeper I understand the men who
fought on it. So let's shift our folkus now to
one of the most underappreciated realities of Kakoda, the logistics.
Because when we talk about training warfare, we often focus
(13:06):
on the bullets, the battles, and the bloodshed. But what's
often forgotten is the quiet grinding work that keeps a
force alive. Food, ammunition, medical supplies, communication. All of it
had to come through this same terrain on foot. There
were no vehicles along the Kokata track, no helicopters, no
drones or satellite navigation. Everything moved the old fashioned way
(13:29):
on backs and shoulders, and every kilogram mattet, a tin
of meat, a few rounds of ammunition, a stretcher, a radio.
These were carried day after day, up and down impossible
climbs through leech infested mud, in heat and rain by
soldiers and the puppy importers alike. The challenges of supply
chain in this campaign were brutal. Japanese forces advancing from
(13:52):
Buner and Goner found themselves quickly overstretched their supply lines
were long and exposed, and they had underestimated the resistance
they would face. As they pushed deeper into the jungle
and higher into the mountains, they began to run out
of food, ammunition, dwindled, malnutrition set in. Their advance slowed,
not just because of Australian resistance, but because the jungle
(14:14):
itself began to starve them. For the Australians, a picture
wasn't much better, at least not at first. The initial
defenders were Kakoda and militia from the thirty ninth Battalion,
young men, inexperienced, poorly supplied, they were sent in as
a stopgap. Just hold the line while reinforcements could be
brought up and hold the line is exactly what they did,
(14:37):
but it came at a cost. Resupplying these men was
almost impossible. The jungle can be made air drops of gamble,
parachutes got caught in trees, Supplies missed their mark. Many
a desperately needed ration just landed kilometers away, lost at
the train. So it came down to the porters, to
the feet of men who walked with purpose and without glory.
(14:59):
It's hard to overstate the importance of the Papuan carriers.
They were the lifeblood of the campaign. Them barefoot carrying
loads upwards of twenty or thirty kgs. They move supplies
forward and wounded soldiers back. They sang as they walk.
They encouraged the diggers. They waited patiently during firefights and shellings.
They wrapped their wounded cargo and banana leaves to keep
(15:19):
the rain off. There are thousands of stories, many of
them undocumented, about the selflessness of these men. One that
sticks with me is the image of a carrier using
his body as a pillow for a dying digger, keeping
his head elevated as he passed away. No medals, no headlines,
just quiet humanity in the mud. This part of the
(15:41):
Kakoda story is not just a footnote. It's foundational, and
a's why we take the time today to visit these villages,
to connect with the descendants, to show gratitude, because without them,
the Kakota story absolutely would have ended differently. Now, let's
talk about leadership in this train. Leadership takes on a
(16:01):
very different form when you're in an environment like this,
in a city or an open plane, you can see
your men and your enemy. You can communicate clearly, you
have this room to maneuver. But in the Jungles apartment
in New Guinea, leadership was often invisible. It meant moving
quietly through the thick undergrowth, unsure of where your own
patrols were. It meant making decisions with almost no intel,
(16:24):
no maps, no certainty. Think of Brigadier Arnold Potts, he
commanded the twenty first Brigade during the early stages of
the campaign. He was put in an impossible situation. He
was told to retake your coda with exhausted troops, limited supplies,
and unreliable intelligence. He knew the train was against him,
(16:47):
he knew the odds were stacked, and yet he led,
He fought. He made decisions that, while criticized at the time,
ultimately helped turn the tide of the campaign. Or Lieutenant
Colonel Ralphona, commander of the thirty ninth A lawyer by trade,
a soldier by dune, his leadership during the withdrawal from
is Raval was calm, calculated, and fierce. He knew when
(17:12):
to hold, when to fight, and when to fall back.
In jungle warfare, those decisions cannot be made from a
command tent. That have to be made on the move,
with mud on your boots and bullets in the air.
This terrain demanded more than military training. It demanded presence
of mind, emotional intelligence, and the ability to endure, to
(17:34):
hold steady in everything around you as chaos. And that's
not just something for the history books. That's a lesson
that we can still carry today, because when you walk
Kakoda in the hour as a trekker a guide of
veteran retracing steps, you're not just retracing geography. You're connecting
to those leadership principles. You're learning what it means to
(17:55):
make decisions under stress, to support others in difficult moments,
to lead, even if only by example, when the path
gets steep, and make no mistake, the path will get steep.
Places like the Wall, the Nine False Peaks, or the
climb out offic Creek, these are legendary amongst trekkers. Long
(18:15):
whining a sense that break you down before they build
you up. I've seen strong people cry on those hills.
I've seen quiet teenagers emerge from the jungle, taller in
spirit than they ever imagined. And that's why we come back.
Because the train doesn't just challenge you, it changes you.
Now there's one more piece of this puzzle which we
(18:36):
haven't covered yet, and that's the emotional train. We've talked
about geography, we've talked about weather, supplies and leadership. We
haven't yet talked about what it meant to be a
young man thousands of klumlas from home, trudging through that
jung with a rifle in hand, and death as a
daily companion. The emotional weight of Kokoda is something that
(18:57):
we cannot measure, not in maps, not in meters. It's
something that lives in the eyes of veterans, in the
trembling of a decades later when they tried to describe
what it felt like. It's in the silences between the words.
It's in the stories they can't tell and the ones
they tell over and over trying to make sense of
what they survived. You see, Kakoda wasn't just a physical trial.
(19:22):
It was a psychological reckoning. These were young Australians, some
just eighteen or nineteen years of age. They were thrown
into one of the most brutal environments imaginable, fighting a
determined enemy on their doorstep, often without proper training or support.
They watched their mates die, not in the glory of
some grand battlefield charge, but in the mud, in the rain,
(19:45):
from sniper fire, from infection, from sheer exhaustion, and then
they had to carry on, pick up a rifle, keep walking,
keep fighting. Grief had no space to breathe. There was
no pause for mourning, only movement forward. And still they fought,
not for medals, not for headlines, but for each other.
(20:07):
This is something that I see marriage today. When groups
walk the track, the same human elements appear. People come
for the challenge, but what keeps on going is an ego.
It's connection, It's shared hardship. When one person is struggling,
another steps up. When someone breaks down emotionally, which happens
more often than you'd expect, someone else puts a hand
on their shoulder and says, you've got this. Because that's
(20:30):
what Kakoda draws out of people. It doesn't just ask
if you're fit, It asks if you're decent, if you're
willing to walk for someone other than yourself. And that's
what makes a co Coda tract different from any other
track in the world. It's not just the elevation, the jungle,
the rain, it's the meaning stitched into every step, The
echoes of those who walk before us. The knowledge that
(20:53):
where you stand, someone once fell, Where you struggle, someone
once endured, where you cry, someone once died. This is
the emotional train of Kakoda. It's not marked on any map,
but it's as real as any river will cross or
read your climb and maybe in the end. That's why
(21:14):
the Kakoda Track remains one of the most important experiences
and Australian can have, because it's not just about remembering history,
it's about learning how to carry it forward. So where
does this leave us? If you're preparing to track Kakoda,
know that it's more than just a hike. It's more
than a fitness goal. It's a journey into the heart
(21:36):
of what it means to be a part of something bigger.
You'll be tested, you'll be tired, and you'll come back different.
Not because the track makes you tougher, but more because
it makes you more aware, more aware of our country's history,
of the people of Papua New Guinea, of your own
limits and the powers of madship, sacrifice and courage when
(21:59):
the world is pushing against you. If you're not walking
the track to simply understand it. My hope is that
this episode will help you see why the train mattered,
why the geography shaped the battle, why the land itself
became a part of the fight, and why even now
decades later, this ground continues to teach you something about
(22:20):
who we are. This is why I do this podcast.
It's why I've guided so many people across Kakota, because
it's not just a place. It's a teacher, a storyteller,
a sacred corridor that connects the past and the present.
So I invite you, wherever you are in your journey,
to keep learning, keep walking, and keep asking the big questions,
(22:41):
because Kakota will answer them in its own time and
in its own way. I'm Glenais and I really hope
that you've enjoyed this episode of the Kakoda Track Podcast.
Thank you for walking this little stretch with me, and
hopefully I'll see you further up the track. And to
close out this episode, I want to give you something
more than reflection. I want to give you preparation because
(23:01):
understanding the geography Cocoda isn't just about history. It's about
how you and engage with it today. Whether you're thinking
about walking the track, maybe you've already signed up, or
maybe you're guiding others. How you prepare for the physical
and mental challenges matters, So first let's talk about physical readiness.
The Kakoda track is unforgiving. It's not about speed, it's
about stamina. The people who struggle the most aren't necessarily unfit,
(23:24):
they're the unprepared. If you're someone who trains only on
flat ground, who's never worn a weighted pack, or never
trained in heat and humidity, you're in for a wake up.
Corn her Coda requires more than cardior vascular fitness. It
demands leg strength, core indurance, joint resilience, and most of all,
recovery capacity. It's one thing to push hard on day one,
(23:45):
but it's another to back up. So if you're preparing,
build your training around long, slow hikes, add weight, gradually
train your downhill skills because that's where a lot of
injuries occur. Test your boots, your socks, your gear in advance.
There's nothing noble about getting blisters on day one. That's
just poor planning. Then there's a mental preparation. This is
(24:05):
where most trek is a court off guard. Kakota doesn't
challenge your body, it strips back your excuses. There's no
phone reception, no warm showers, no uber eats. You're with
the group, and every personality starts to show itself. The
loud ones get quiet, the quiet ones find their voice,
and the walls we build around our emotions start to crack.
(24:27):
I've seen CEOs and managers cry on the trail. I've
seen teenagers show maturity beyond their years. And I've seen
people arrive thinking this would be a physical tick box
and leave having the most profound experience of their lives.
So how do you prepare for that? You don't numb yourself.
You open yourself. You're coming ready to feel, to connect,
to listen, to support others and be supported. You don't
(24:50):
have to be tough, you just have to be real.
It's also worth thinking about why you're doing it. What's
your reason for walking Kakoda? Because when the track gets seep,
and it will, your why will be the only thing
that gets you up that hill. Whether it's honoring a
fe family member, chasing a personal breakthrough, or connecting with
our national story. Make sure that your reason is clear,
(25:12):
write it down and carry it with you. It'll mean
more than any protein bar or gear upgrade. You can pack.
And while we're here, let's talk about the track itself.
The geography isn't just vertical and muddy. It's also full
of variation. You're pass through eucalyptus forest, tropical jungles, quiet
riversides and mountain ridges and traditional villages. Each place has
(25:33):
its own energy, its own story. Don't just walk through them,
walk with them. Take your time, ask questions, Listen to
your guides, learn about the villages, hear the stories that
aren't in the books. That's the difference between walking kakoda
and experiencing kakoda. I've always believed that when we walk
this ground, we're not just covering distance. We're paying tribute.
(25:56):
We're walking alongside the ghosts, and every time we stop,
every time we sit and reflect, we're letting them speak.
The land speaks too, not in words, but in feeling.
When you reach places like Isharava, CON's Rock or Brigade Hill,
you don't need a lecture. The air shifts, the energy deepens.
You just know this place matters. Something happened here, and
(26:19):
it's your job now to carry that knowledge forward. So
whether you're walking next mother, next year, or maybe never,
you can still honor Kokoda. You can still learn, you
can still teach others because Kakota isn't just a war story.
It's a human story. It's about courage and failure, loss
and resilience, youth and sacrifice. It's about what happens when
(26:41):
people are pushed beyond what they think they can endure
and what comes out the other side. For me, it's
been one of the greatest teachers of my life. I've
walked besides people who were grieving, healing and rebuilding. I've
walked besides fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, old mates,
total strangers who became family. I've seen how this place
draws people together in a way the modern world has
(27:03):
forgotten how to do. And I'll keep walking because every
time I learn something new. So again, I hope this
episode has helped you see Kakoda not just as a destination,
but as a story written in mud and stone and memory.
And if you decide to take it on, I really
hope that I get to see you out there. So
until then, keep preparing, keep reflecting, keep learning.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
This is the co.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
Coda track podcast on Glena's art and I'll see you
next episode, and before I close out, I want to
leave you the one last word. I promise this is
the last one. If you've ever wondered whether you're capable
of more, more resilience, more patience, more grit, Kakoda is
a place that answers that question, not in a shout,
but in a whisper, not through comfort, but through challenge.
You won't walk the train, You'll walk into yourself. And
(27:49):
that's why it matters. That's why it still speaks to us.
Soever you are today at home, in training, or maybe
one day standing it. I was calling and ready to
begin carry this truth with you. You are capable of more
than you think, and the track will show you that.
So once again, thanks for listening to Track podcast. If
you really enjoyed this episode and this deeper diet I'm
(28:11):
starting to do, I'd love you to share it with
other people. But also we have some more interviews coming up,
so let's make sure that you pass it on. Keep
the spirit alive, and hopefully I'll get to see you
out on the Comcata track one day soon.
Speaker 5 (28:24):
Rightlessy Harmuzatu Bieffee.
Speaker 6 (28:35):
Racing bond and visits, So.
Speaker 4 (28:48):
The bond between Ossie's and the people of Papu and
New Guinea was forged in war and it endures in peace.
We've felt that friendliness, that special connection in the comforting
presence of our porters and in every small community of
on the Kakoda Track.
Speaker 5 (29:07):
Whoas were.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
Okay, guys, thanks for tuning in. It would be awesome
if you'd share this with anyone you know that's going
to the Kakoda Track or that has been and has
a keen interest in the track. It's people and those
that choose to track it. The pillars of is Sharaba say, courage,
endurance of makeshif and sacrifice great words to live by,
and this podcast will offer makeshift and a place for
those that live and love the co Coda Track experience
(29:47):
until next episode, live a life that inspires you and
those around you, and remember to take time out to
think about what's really important, what's really important?
Speaker 5 (29:56):
What's really important?
Speaker 1 (29:58):
Thanks fellows. Stake to the Kakoda Track Podcast.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
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Speaker 1 (30:03):
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
For me, Mission Ridge and Brigade Hill.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
The whole Kakoda campaign more people need to know about it,
or know everyone knows someone who's trek Kakoda, but to
actually understand the stories of what these young guys did,
it's harrowing what they went through.
Speaker 4 (00:33):
They were staunched to the end against odds uncountered and
they fell with their faces to the fore.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Welcome to the Kakoda Track Podcast, hosted by former Soljet
Glen Asa. This is the place to hear stories from
those who've trecked Kakoda and gained tips of knowledge about
what to expect on the track, or to relive your
own amazing experiences. The Kakoda Track Podcast keeping the spirit
of Kakoda alive.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Welcome to the Cocada Track Podcast. I am going to
aise your host and in this episode we're going to
take a deeper dive into the terrain, the geography and
the physical demands of the Kokoda track, which is arguably
one of the most formidable backgrounds in Australian military history. Now,
for anyone preparing to walk this track today or simply
seeking to understand what our soldiers endured in nineteen forty two,
(01:27):
this episode will give you a real sense of what
they're up against. It's one thing to read about it,
it's another to stand in the mudge yourself. For now,
I want to take you there through story and description.
To begin with, let's look at where we are. So
the Cocata Track runs for approximately ninety six kilometers, although
depending on which deed tours you take, it can be
slightly longer. It stretches from Owa's Corner just outside of
(01:50):
Port Moresby in the south, to the village of Kakoda
in the north, and that's straight through the Owen Stanley Range,
towering rugged jungle covered mountains in the heart of Papu
in Ne Guinea. Now, for those who haven't been, I
want you to really picture this. This is not a
well groomed hiking trail. This is raw terrain. Its narrow,
(02:10):
single file in most places, often slippery, and frequently quite vertical.
You're either climbing or descending. It's rarely flat. The track
cuts through dense tropical rain forest, muddy ridge lines, fast
running rivers and mistfield valleys. It is hot, it is humid,
and when it rains, and it rains often, it turns
a path into a slosh of clay and sliding footsteps.
(02:33):
You can lose your footing in an instant. This is
what our soldiers face in nineteen forty two, except when
weren't wearing trail runners or moisture wicking socks that hobbnar boots,
heavy packs, bolt action rifles, and little preparation for the
jungle warfare they were suddenly thrust into. Let's break down
the physical geography in more detail. At its highest point,
(02:57):
near Mount Bellamy, the track climbs to over two two
hundred meters above sea level. That's approximately the height of
Mount Kosiosco. And it's not a gentle gradient. You have
to earn every meter. Climbs like the one into a
Dewy or the infamous ascent to the top of Brigade
Hill and soul crushing for people, long relentless vertical climbs
with unstable footing, and with every elevation gained, you eventually
(03:20):
have to descent steep, slippery drops into the jungle valleys
where you're often crossing creeks and navigating boulders, all while
soaked in sweat or rain. When we talk about terrain,
people often think of the physical challenge, and rightly so,
but what you have to understand is that the train
also shaped tactics, train shaped strategy and train shaped survival.
(03:42):
For the Japanese advancing southward from Burner and Gona with
the goal of taking Port Moresby, the train was there undoing.
They were used to fast, aggressive movements. They underestimated the
puppy in Guinean Jungle. Their supply lines broke down. Food shortages,
disease and exhaustion crip of them just as much as
Australian resistance did. For the Australians, the train was a
(04:03):
double edged sword. It gave them an opportunity to delay
and frustrate a larger, better equipped force, but it also
cost them dearly. Movement was slow, communication between units was difficult, casually,
evacuation was nightmarish. Men who were wounded couldn't just be
driven to safety. They had to be stretched, often for days,
up and down these mountains through mudd and gunfire and rain.
(04:26):
This is why the contribution of the local carriers, the
men that we now know as the Fazzuasi angels were
so critical. Without them, many of our soldiers simply wouldn't
have survived. Then there's the weather. You cannot overstake the
impact of put New Guinea's climate on the campaign. Days
were hot and humid, Nights were often cold and wet.
Rain fell almost daily, sometimes for hours at a time.
(04:48):
Creeks turned to rivers, paths turned to bogs. Everything, your clothes,
your boots, your gear was constantly wet. And what that
meant skin infections, you know, foot right, leeches, an unrelenting discomfort.
And then there was disease, are dingy, fever, dysentery. These
didn't just sap strength. They killed. Some units were fighting
(05:11):
at half strength because the other half were laid up
in first aid stations. All were killed, They died from
these things. Imagine trying to fight a battle or running
a fever, dehydrated, bleeding gums, stomach cramps. That was the
reality for many diggers on the track. And yet they fought,
They climbed those hills, they stood their ground, and eventually
(05:32):
they pushed back. Let me give you a snapshot of
what a single day might look like. You're a private
in the thirty ninth Battalion. It's early August nineteen forty two,
your station near Ishirava. Rain has been falling on and
off all night. You didn't sleep well. The jungles alive
with noise, frogs, insects, the occasional rustle that makes you
(05:53):
one of it's an animal or a patrol. Your clothes
are soaked, your boots have been wet for days. Your
feet ache, your stomach's twisted from a mix of bully, beef, biscuits,
and whatever you can keep down. At first light, you
move a narrow ridge climb, rifle in hand, eyes scanning,
you know the Japanese are close. You're already seen. The
(06:14):
stretch of part is gone the other way. Your mates
are exhausted, gaunt, quiet. No one talks much. You reach
a defensive position. You dig in and your weight. Then
it starts. Machine gun fire cracks through the trees, Mortar
thumps echo. You return fire, barely able to see where
the rounds are coming from. The jungle hides everything and
(06:37):
every noise feels like it could be death. You hold
for hours, maybe for days. Then you're ordered to fall back,
regroup further down the track. You move fast, grabbing whatever
gear you can, ducking branches, slipping in the mud, heart pounding.
You don't know if you'll make it, but you run anyway.
You run because someone else needs time to set up
behind you. And this is how it goes, day after day,
(07:00):
ridge after ridge, battle after battle. This is the jobgraphy
of Kakoda, not just land forms on a map, but
lived experience, a testing ground, a crucible, And this same
geography for those of for those of walking, it now
still teaches us. It teaches us humility, It forces presence,
(07:21):
It demands respect. When you walk the Kokoda Tract today,
that geography is still alive. You're walking the same ridge lines,
you're climbing the same endless hills, you're crossing the same rivers,
and though there are no bullets flying, the intensity of
the landscape remains. It demands your attention. It strips away ego.
(07:41):
It brings out whatever's inside you, your fears, your strengths,
your doubts, and your resolve. I've seen it hundreds of times.
People awrve thinking Kakoda is just another track, a physical challenge,
maybe a bucket list item. But the track is a
way of teaching you. Otherwise it humbles you. It reveals
parts of yourself that you've either buried or never you existed.
(08:03):
And it does that because of the l and itself. So
let's go deeper into some of the key locations and
how they shaped the campaign. Take Ishiava. Now, this is
not just a memorial site. Although the stone pillars of courage, endurance, makeship,
and sacrifice remind us what this place stands for. It
was also the scene of one of the most brutal
(08:24):
and pivotable battles of the Kakota Campaign. Set on a
type plateau ishuebri Is surrounded by dense jungle and steep valleys.
In late August nineteen forty two, it became the front
line between the advancing Japanese and the outnumbered Australian defenders
men of the thirty ninth and later the second fourteenth Battalions.
For four days, they held their ground against wave after
(08:47):
wave of attack. Some of them were teenagers, most were
untested in battle, but the train gave them something they
knew the land. They used the contours the jungle covered
the high ground to their advantage, but the same train
also box them in their retreating routes. Limited supply lines
were cut. They were fighting, quite literally for every meter.
(09:10):
The Battle for Isherabas where Bruce Kingsbury earned his Victoria Cross,
charging forward with a brain gun to turn the tide
of a Japanese assault. He was killed moments later, right there,
in that narrow pocket of land, surrounded by mountains and mist,
A young man gave everything, and that moment is etched
into the story of this place forever. Now think about
(09:30):
Brigade Hill, another ridge line, another battlefield. When the Australians
tried to make a stand there in September of nineteen
forty two, they faced not just a numerical numerically superior enemy,
but a master class in flanking maneuvers. The Japanese came
from below and around, cutting off the Australians from their
supply and communication lines. Again, the train played a central role.
(09:54):
What looked like a defensible position became a trap. And
yet once more, the courage of the defenders. Officers like
Ralphana men of the Second twenty seventh and the Second
fourteenth were extraordinary. They withdrew under intense fire, carrying their wounded.
Some men were left behind, others chose to stay. That's
what this track demanded decisions that no man should have
(10:16):
to make. Who lives, who dies, who can be carried,
and who must be left. These weren't just tacked good decisions.
They were personal, and the landscape forced them on you.
Even the names of places carry weight. You're a creek,
a foggy Temperance crossing. They're not just waypoints on a map.
(10:37):
They are names spoken with reverence by anyone who studied
the campaign or walked the track, because each name holds
a story. Each name marks sacrifice. Temperance Crossing, for example,
is named after Captain Sam Templon of the thirty ninth,
one of the first to face the Japanese on the
track and one of the first of fall. His leadership
(10:59):
set a tone of quiet courage that echoed through the
rest of the campaign. The crossing where his name now
lives is a beautiful stretch of river, serene, even peaceful.
But for those who know the history, there's a gravity
to that place. You stop, you reflect, you feel it.
Let's not forget the role of the villagers and the
(11:21):
puppy on people. The track runs through living communities, places
like Minari, Naduri Khagi. These are not just locations on
a route. They are homes. In nineteen forty two, they
became staging grounds, hospitals, shelters, and the people, many of
whom had never seen war before, rose with incredible grace
(11:42):
and strength. They carried the wounded, sometimes for days. They
shared food they could scarcely afford to give. They comforted
young soldiers dying far from home. The stories of the
Fuzzywazy Angels are not just sentimental, they are real. Without
their many Australians wouldn't have made it back. That is
the truth we carry every time we walk through these
(12:04):
villages today. Today, these same communities welcome trekkers with song,
with laughter, with a sense of pride that connects past
and present. And they're still strong, still giving, still standing.
This episode is about train, but really it's about what
train draws out of people. In war. It throughout leadership
(12:26):
and courage under fire. In trekking, it draws out character.
It teaches patience, humility, and endurance. It forces you to
be present, to listen, to respect the land and its people.
When people ask me why I keep coming back to
Kakoda almost one hundred times now, I say this because
(12:46):
every time I walk it, I learn something new, not
just about history, but about myself and the deeper. I
understand the land, the deeper I understand the men who
fought on it. So let's shift our folkus now to
one of the most underappreciated realities of Kakoda, the logistics.
Because when we talk about training warfare, we often focus
(13:06):
on the bullets, the battles, and the bloodshed. But what's
often forgotten is the quiet grinding work that keeps a
force alive. Food, ammunition, medical supplies, communication. All of it
had to come through this same terrain on foot. There
were no vehicles along the Kokata track, no helicopters, no
drones or satellite navigation. Everything moved the old fashioned way
(13:29):
on backs and shoulders, and every kilogram mattet, a tin
of meat, a few rounds of ammunition, a stretcher, a radio.
These were carried day after day, up and down impossible
climbs through leech infested mud, in heat and rain by
soldiers and the puppy importers alike. The challenges of supply
chain in this campaign were brutal. Japanese forces advancing from
(13:52):
Buner and Goner found themselves quickly overstretched their supply lines
were long and exposed, and they had underestimated the resistance
they would face. As they pushed deeper into the jungle
and higher into the mountains, they began to run out
of food, ammunition, dwindled, malnutrition set in. Their advance slowed,
not just because of Australian resistance, but because the jungle
(14:14):
itself began to starve them. For the Australians, a picture
wasn't much better, at least not at first. The initial
defenders were Kakoda and militia from the thirty ninth Battalion,
young men, inexperienced, poorly supplied, they were sent in as
a stopgap. Just hold the line while reinforcements could be
brought up and hold the line is exactly what they did,
(14:37):
but it came at a cost. Resupplying these men was
almost impossible. The jungle can be made air drops of gamble,
parachutes got caught in trees, Supplies missed their mark. Many
a desperately needed ration just landed kilometers away, lost at
the train. So it came down to the porters, to
the feet of men who walked with purpose and without glory.
(14:59):
It's hard to overstate the importance of the Papuan carriers.
They were the lifeblood of the campaign. Them barefoot carrying
loads upwards of twenty or thirty kgs. They move supplies
forward and wounded soldiers back. They sang as they walk.
They encouraged the diggers. They waited patiently during firefights and shellings.
They wrapped their wounded cargo and banana leaves to keep
(15:19):
the rain off. There are thousands of stories, many of
them undocumented, about the selflessness of these men. One that
sticks with me is the image of a carrier using
his body as a pillow for a dying digger, keeping
his head elevated as he passed away. No medals, no headlines,
just quiet humanity in the mud. This part of the
(15:41):
Kakoda story is not just a footnote. It's foundational, and
a's why we take the time today to visit these villages,
to connect with the descendants, to show gratitude, because without them,
the Kakota story absolutely would have ended differently. Now, let's
talk about leadership in this train. Leadership takes on a
(16:01):
very different form when you're in an environment like this,
in a city or an open plane, you can see
your men and your enemy. You can communicate clearly, you
have this room to maneuver. But in the Jungles apartment
in New Guinea, leadership was often invisible. It meant moving
quietly through the thick undergrowth, unsure of where your own
patrols were. It meant making decisions with almost no intel,
(16:24):
no maps, no certainty. Think of Brigadier Arnold Potts, he
commanded the twenty first Brigade during the early stages of
the campaign. He was put in an impossible situation. He
was told to retake your coda with exhausted troops, limited supplies,
and unreliable intelligence. He knew the train was against him,
(16:47):
he knew the odds were stacked, and yet he led,
He fought. He made decisions that, while criticized at the time,
ultimately helped turn the tide of the campaign. Or Lieutenant
Colonel Ralphona, commander of the thirty ninth A lawyer by trade,
a soldier by dune, his leadership during the withdrawal from
is Raval was calm, calculated, and fierce. He knew when
(17:12):
to hold, when to fight, and when to fall back.
In jungle warfare, those decisions cannot be made from a
command tent. That have to be made on the move,
with mud on your boots and bullets in the air.
This terrain demanded more than military training. It demanded presence
of mind, emotional intelligence, and the ability to endure, to
(17:34):
hold steady in everything around you as chaos. And that's
not just something for the history books. That's a lesson
that we can still carry today, because when you walk
Kakoda in the hour as a trekker a guide of
veteran retracing steps, you're not just retracing geography. You're connecting
to those leadership principles. You're learning what it means to
(17:55):
make decisions under stress, to support others in difficult moments,
to lead, even if only by example, when the path
gets steep, and make no mistake, the path will get steep.
Places like the Wall, the Nine False Peaks, or the
climb out offic Creek, these are legendary amongst trekkers. Long
(18:15):
whining a sense that break you down before they build
you up. I've seen strong people cry on those hills.
I've seen quiet teenagers emerge from the jungle, taller in
spirit than they ever imagined. And that's why we come back.
Because the train doesn't just challenge you, it changes you.
Now there's one more piece of this puzzle which we
(18:36):
haven't covered yet, and that's the emotional train. We've talked
about geography, we've talked about weather, supplies and leadership. We
haven't yet talked about what it meant to be a
young man thousands of klumlas from home, trudging through that
jung with a rifle in hand, and death as a
daily companion. The emotional weight of Kokoda is something that
(18:57):
we cannot measure, not in maps, not in meters. It's
something that lives in the eyes of veterans, in the
trembling of a decades later when they tried to describe
what it felt like. It's in the silences between the words.
It's in the stories they can't tell and the ones
they tell over and over trying to make sense of
what they survived. You see, Kakoda wasn't just a physical trial.
(19:22):
It was a psychological reckoning. These were young Australians, some
just eighteen or nineteen years of age. They were thrown
into one of the most brutal environments imaginable, fighting a
determined enemy on their doorstep, often without proper training or support.
They watched their mates die, not in the glory of
some grand battlefield charge, but in the mud, in the rain,
(19:45):
from sniper fire, from infection, from sheer exhaustion, and then
they had to carry on, pick up a rifle, keep walking,
keep fighting. Grief had no space to breathe. There was
no pause for mourning, only movement forward. And still they fought,
not for medals, not for headlines, but for each other.
(20:07):
This is something that I see marriage today. When groups
walk the track, the same human elements appear. People come
for the challenge, but what keeps on going is an ego.
It's connection, It's shared hardship. When one person is struggling,
another steps up. When someone breaks down emotionally, which happens
more often than you'd expect, someone else puts a hand
on their shoulder and says, you've got this. Because that's
(20:30):
what Kakoda draws out of people. It doesn't just ask
if you're fit, It asks if you're decent, if you're
willing to walk for someone other than yourself. And that's
what makes a co Coda tract different from any other
track in the world. It's not just the elevation, the jungle,
the rain, it's the meaning stitched into every step, The
echoes of those who walk before us. The knowledge that
(20:53):
where you stand, someone once fell, Where you struggle, someone
once endured, where you cry, someone once died. This is
the emotional train of Kakoda. It's not marked on any map,
but it's as real as any river will cross or
read your climb and maybe in the end. That's why
(21:14):
the Kakoda Track remains one of the most important experiences
and Australian can have, because it's not just about remembering history,
it's about learning how to carry it forward. So where
does this leave us? If you're preparing to track Kakoda,
know that it's more than just a hike. It's more
than a fitness goal. It's a journey into the heart
(21:36):
of what it means to be a part of something bigger.
You'll be tested, you'll be tired, and you'll come back different.
Not because the track makes you tougher, but more because
it makes you more aware, more aware of our country's history,
of the people of Papua New Guinea, of your own
limits and the powers of madship, sacrifice and courage when
(21:59):
the world is pushing against you. If you're not walking
the track to simply understand it. My hope is that
this episode will help you see why the train mattered,
why the geography shaped the battle, why the land itself
became a part of the fight, and why even now
decades later, this ground continues to teach you something about
(22:20):
who we are. This is why I do this podcast.
It's why I've guided so many people across Kakota, because
it's not just a place. It's a teacher, a storyteller,
a sacred corridor that connects the past and the present.
So I invite you, wherever you are in your journey,
to keep learning, keep walking, and keep asking the big questions,
(22:41):
because Kakota will answer them in its own time and
in its own way. I'm Glenais and I really hope
that you've enjoyed this episode of the Kakoda Track Podcast.
Thank you for walking this little stretch with me, and
hopefully I'll see you further up the track. And to
close out this episode, I want to give you something
more than reflection. I want to give you preparation because
(23:01):
understanding the geography Cocoda isn't just about history. It's about
how you and engage with it today. Whether you're thinking
about walking the track, maybe you've already signed up, or
maybe you're guiding others. How you prepare for the physical
and mental challenges matters, So first let's talk about physical readiness.
The Kakoda track is unforgiving. It's not about speed, it's
about stamina. The people who struggle the most aren't necessarily unfit,
(23:24):
they're the unprepared. If you're someone who trains only on
flat ground, who's never worn a weighted pack, or never
trained in heat and humidity, you're in for a wake up.
Corn her Coda requires more than cardior vascular fitness. It
demands leg strength, core indurance, joint resilience, and most of all,
recovery capacity. It's one thing to push hard on day one,
(23:45):
but it's another to back up. So if you're preparing,
build your training around long, slow hikes, add weight, gradually
train your downhill skills because that's where a lot of
injuries occur. Test your boots, your socks, your gear in advance.
There's nothing noble about getting blisters on day one. That's
just poor planning. Then there's a mental preparation. This is
(24:05):
where most trek is a court off guard. Kakota doesn't
challenge your body, it strips back your excuses. There's no
phone reception, no warm showers, no uber eats. You're with
the group, and every personality starts to show itself. The
loud ones get quiet, the quiet ones find their voice,
and the walls we build around our emotions start to crack.
(24:27):
I've seen CEOs and managers cry on the trail. I've
seen teenagers show maturity beyond their years. And I've seen
people arrive thinking this would be a physical tick box
and leave having the most profound experience of their lives.
So how do you prepare for that? You don't numb yourself.
You open yourself. You're coming ready to feel, to connect,
to listen, to support others and be supported. You don't
(24:50):
have to be tough, you just have to be real.
It's also worth thinking about why you're doing it. What's
your reason for walking Kakoda? Because when the track gets seep,
and it will, your why will be the only thing
that gets you up that hill. Whether it's honoring a
fe family member, chasing a personal breakthrough, or connecting with
our national story. Make sure that your reason is clear,
(25:12):
write it down and carry it with you. It'll mean
more than any protein bar or gear upgrade. You can pack.
And while we're here, let's talk about the track itself.
The geography isn't just vertical and muddy. It's also full
of variation. You're pass through eucalyptus forest, tropical jungles, quiet
riversides and mountain ridges and traditional villages. Each place has
(25:33):
its own energy, its own story. Don't just walk through them,
walk with them. Take your time, ask questions, Listen to
your guides, learn about the villages, hear the stories that
aren't in the books. That's the difference between walking kakoda
and experiencing kakoda. I've always believed that when we walk
this ground, we're not just covering distance. We're paying tribute.
(25:56):
We're walking alongside the ghosts, and every time we stop,
every time we sit and reflect, we're letting them speak.
The land speaks too, not in words, but in feeling.
When you reach places like Isharava, CON's Rock or Brigade Hill,
you don't need a lecture. The air shifts, the energy deepens.
You just know this place matters. Something happened here, and
(26:19):
it's your job now to carry that knowledge forward. So
whether you're walking next mother, next year, or maybe never,
you can still honor Kokoda. You can still learn, you
can still teach others because Kakota isn't just a war story.
It's a human story. It's about courage and failure, loss
and resilience, youth and sacrifice. It's about what happens when
(26:41):
people are pushed beyond what they think they can endure
and what comes out the other side. For me, it's
been one of the greatest teachers of my life. I've
walked besides people who were grieving, healing and rebuilding. I've
walked besides fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, old mates,
total strangers who became family. I've seen how this place
draws people together in a way the modern world has
(27:03):
forgotten how to do. And I'll keep walking because every
time I learn something new. So again, I hope this
episode has helped you see Kakoda not just as a destination,
but as a story written in mud and stone and memory.
And if you decide to take it on, I really
hope that I get to see you out there. So
until then, keep preparing, keep reflecting, keep learning.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
This is the co.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
Coda track podcast on Glena's art and I'll see you
next episode, and before I close out, I want to
leave you the one last word. I promise this is
the last one. If you've ever wondered whether you're capable
of more, more resilience, more patience, more grit, Kakoda is
a place that answers that question, not in a shout,
but in a whisper, not through comfort, but through challenge.
You won't walk the train, You'll walk into yourself. And
(27:49):
that's why it matters. That's why it still speaks to us.
Soever you are today at home, in training, or maybe
one day standing it. I was calling and ready to
begin carry this truth with you. You are capable of more
than you think, and the track will show you that.
So once again, thanks for listening to Track podcast. If
you really enjoyed this episode and this deeper diet I'm
(28:11):
starting to do, I'd love you to share it with
other people. But also we have some more interviews coming up,
so let's make sure that you pass it on. Keep
the spirit alive, and hopefully I'll get to see you
out on the Comcata track one day soon.
Speaker 5 (28:24):
Rightlessy Harmuzatu Bieffee.
Speaker 6 (28:35):
Racing bond and visits, So.
Speaker 4 (28:48):
The bond between Ossie's and the people of Papu and
New Guinea was forged in war and it endures in peace.
We've felt that friendliness, that special connection in the comforting
presence of our porters and in every small community of
on the Kakoda Track.
Speaker 5 (29:07):
Whoas were.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
Okay, guys, thanks for tuning in. It would be awesome
if you'd share this with anyone you know that's going
to the Kakoda Track or that has been and has
a keen interest in the track. It's people and those
that choose to track it. The pillars of is Sharaba say, courage,
endurance of makeshif and sacrifice great words to live by,
and this podcast will offer makeshift and a place for
those that live and love the co Coda Track experience
(29:47):
until next episode, live a life that inspires you and
those around you, and remember to take time out to
think about what's really important, what's really important?
Speaker 5 (29:56):
What's really important?
Speaker 1 (29:58):
Thanks fellows. Stake to the Kakoda Track Podcast.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
To get it touched or stay up.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
To date, go to Kakoda Track Podcast on Facebook or
email Glen at Adventure Professionals dot com Dola you don't
forget to subscribe and share with your friends. Let's keep
the spirit and the stories of Kakoda and the P
and G people alive
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