We were hot from climbing, but the mist hung around keeping the tropical jungle temperature bearable. The back of the group caught up, generally only about five minutes behind the rest of us at each stop.
Vicko paused every twenty minutes or so for us to rest our burning calves and drink some water. The track was single file and for the first hour, we climbed about 300 metres in altitude. Vicko had a smaller pack than the other porters, but his had a large coil of blue rope hanging off the back and I wondered if it was to rescue us if we fell off the edge of the track.īen walked bare foot that day. The porters slotted in between, ready to grab us if we slipped on the wet ground. I fell in behind Vicko, with Rachael behind me. I worked out that my porter, Ben, always wore a white, blue, and red hat, which made it easier for me to pick him out quickly from the rest of the group all wearing blue Back Track Adventures shirts.Īround 6:30 am Vicko started the ‘ are we ready’ call and we set off. The rest carried the trek supplies and would also keep an eye on the three trekkers who elected to carry a full pack and therefore didn’t have a personal porter. We made a line and the boys filed passed us pausing to shake our hands and say their name. The trekking crew consisted of 20 boys, including leader Vicko and 10 personal porters. We shouldered our packs and waited for the whole team to be ready.Īs we’d been rushed yesterday due to the delayed flight, Martin arranged for us to officially meet all the trekking crew before we set off for the day. Mist had settled around us giving the morning an eerie feeling. Now there was a star for a door, a toilet (as opposed to a hole in the ground), a toilet seat, toilet paper, and somewhere to wash hands. Nicole announced a change to her toilet ranking system as her current one didn’t hold up to Kokoda Track conditions. I didn’t normally eat porridge, but I poured honey on top and ate it while the porters packed up our tents. I packed my belongings by torch light and temporarily lost my camera in the process, making me one of the last to reach the dining hut for breakfast. We had a big pot of water for making tea, coffee, or milo, a pot of porridge, cereal, and bananas. I couldn’t make out the words, but they were quite talented singers. As I fumbled in the dark for my torch, the porters began singing a beautiful melody from their hut. He’d obviously practiced it on many occasions, however the village roosters took objection to it and attempted to out-crow him. Martin’s rooster impersonation woke us at five am.
This extract is from her book ‘ Kokoda Trek: 75 th Anniversary’ and gives the full story of her ten-day journey. Nikki Moyes trekked the Kokoda Track with Back Track Adventures in 2017 (Team 1 and 2).
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