I'm Back - Day 1

I really don't know where to start. I left Port Moresby on Saturday to fly home. At the moment (Monday) I am a whole bag of mixed emotions, restless is probably the best word for summing up how I feel today. So so happy to see the family but missing Team Kick Ass and feeling strangely lonely, I can't describe it. People talk about Kokoda withdrawals, I think I have them. I think it's something to do with the hard work, the build up, forming a close team, the emotions experienced together, the sense of achievement at the end and then you go home.

It's going to take ages to update this blog, what I have seen and experienced over the past two weeks physically and especially emotionally is something that I am not sure I can describe very well in words.  In addition, on the very last day on the track my diary got wet. Of course it was in a dry bag but the last day/night was a pretty intense night of raining and flash flooding so it couldn't really be helped.  More about that later. 

I can only read some of my diary so some of this may get a little muddled as all the days and nights seem to blend into one. Anyway I will do my best.

I stayed with my friends Nikki and Trevor the night before (It was Nikki's birthday and mine the day before so that was pretty great). Nikki dropped me at the airport on the morning of the 18th April.  I had a bit of a struggle moment saying goodbye to her and had to blink extra fast and get out of the car ultra fast so she didn't see me getting upset.  She would have known exactly how I was feeling though she has known me for a long time, I was glad she was with me.

Our flight was delayed by several hours, but this was made better with a Kelly Slater sighting, vodka shot and a couple of coffees. Everyone was excited. It was good to have the extra time to get to know everyone.  Bags all checked in and then off through customs.  Much to my delight I was 'randomly' selected for an explosives check and pat down.  This is so not a random check. It happens all the time to me, I'm starting to think I'm on some alert list. You just have to make the most of pat downs when you get them I guess. And of course everyone thought it was hilarious and were cracking jokes about it for the rest of the trip.

Outside the hotel in Port Moresby

We eventually landed in Port Moresby and headed off to the hotel. I had been so excited I had forgotten about the civil unrest going on in PNG.  I have always known Port Moresby was one of the most dangerous cities in the world but I was not prepared for the armed guards and the razor wire.  Once safely inside we had a team briefing and sorted out our gear.  Then it was off to dinner and of course I couldn't pass up the chance to try a couple of local brews (just a couple, honestly).

We are all pretty tired so off to bed.  Through the night I could hear fighting. It was quite close.  I could hear the armed security guards running up and down outside my room.  I wasn't scared but I wasn't getting up to have a look either.  The next morning there was a massive hole in the side of our compound where people had tried to break in.  Only a couple of us heard this which was unbelievable.  In 3 short hours I had landed in a strange new world. 

Courage Endurance Mateship Sacrifice

So the 70th Anniversary Kokoda Track Campaign begins.  


I'm off in the morning. Excited, nervous, humbled and pumped.  See you at the end of April.


They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

5 sleeps to go

Only five sleeps to go. I woke up today feeling so nervous I thought I was going to get situation diarrhoea.  Had to draw on some inspiration to snap myself out of it. I am now officially in my 'rest phase'. I did my last workout yesterday morning while camping with my friend Louisa, 

We did some snatches with brooms because that's all we had, pushups, situps, pullups, rope climbing (well I didn't do much of that because it turns out that vines hanging from the rainforest over creeks are not the best climbing thing invented, not sure how Tarzan did it because it can end quite badly).  I am actually pretty sore from the workout. And scratched.  Did a very small walk as well and some creek crossings.

I woke up today thinking that I should just get up and repetitively smash a big hill somewhere but I do need to rest (a few people are hassling me to rest with reason) and no amount of work I do now will help. I rested this arvo and slept for 3 hours, so maybe I am  a bit tired after all!

Our trek leaves on 18th April and we are back on the 28th.  Our trek leader will be carrying a GPS tracking device, which will commence 19th April. A couple of times a day my facebook page will be updated with our progress on a map.  The map also provides some interesting information about our route, and what we will be seeing and experiencing.  If you don't have social media accounts you can use the below link.

Click here to view the trip

Next one of these will be from PNG

Two weeks and counting...

So I have decided that this will be my last training update before I go, otherwise this will just get too boring, I am after all doing the same things week after week.

Mt Cooroora

Mt Cooroora - contemplating whether
I should just slide down on my butt

I have increased my hiking over the past few weeks and tackled many hills and mountains. I swear I am walking more than Forrest Gump. Have done Mr Cooroora, which I love, you have to use hands to climb some parts of it.  Have also trained at Mt Coolum which is OK, not as challenging as Cooroora but great uneven surfaces in some places, I even decided to have a jog on this one once.  

Have also done Mt Coo-Tha in Brisbane. I was lucky to be able to get down there for a practice session with some others doing the same trek.  Was great to be able to do this and meet the trek leaders and some other members of the group.  I have had serious doubts over the past few weeks on quite a few occasions. Have I done enough training? have I prepared enough? am I mentally up to this? all that kind of stuff.  So this trek was great because I got to see how I was going compared to everyone else. I definitely felt better at the end of it.   I also used my walking stick for the first time.  Not sure I really needed it on this walk, although there were some horrid hills, but it was a good chance to try it out and I can definitely see the benefits in using it.

The Brisbane Mt Coo-Tha walk
I think I'm tree hugging. Way steeper
than it looks!

The other great thing about this trip was that I was able to stay in Brisbane the night before the walk with one of my best friends in the world Jayne. We have known each other since we were about 14 and were living in central NSW.  Somehow after all this time, and both of us living all over the country or overseas, we have ended up only 120 km apart.  She is moving to Kuala Lumpur soon and time was running out for us to see each other.  Jayne and I had dinner, managed a laugh and a cry and really could have very easily had a massive night. The self control was out in full force I'm telling you. Anyway we were up at 0430 and off, Jayne came with me which was just awesome! Now she wants to do Kokoda as well!

The lift, squeeze those glutes baby
Think of the macadamia's

Still been going to Crossfit but maybe not so much as I have been walking a lot.  Luckily some of the classes have been smashing our legs.  Hip Thrusts with the barbell are my new thing, I love them. Some pics below of the hip thrusting action. Excellent for you glutes.  I realise that one of the pictures below looks like I'm about to give birth and Madonna behind me is some type of birthing coach but it gives a good idea of the whole motion, and it's a little bit funny (it kind of feels like your giving birth too just quietly). 

Getting ready for the lift

The dreaded sled also materialised one Saturday morning.  Danny our trainer had headed to NZ for some training so Woogie, stand up paddle boarding legend, took our classes. If we thought we would get away with slacking off we were so so incredibly wrong. Seriously, Woogie must have secretly been in the SAS or something. Actually Woogie was extremely motivating, and boy did he push me.  

He made me do the sled pulls all up hill 6 times.  Supposedly at body weight, I started at 55kg which is about 7 kg's more than my body weight. About halfway through I realised I had been doing 65 kg because Woogie had slipped on another 10 kg plate. So now I am doing 17 kgs more than my weight, goodness knows how many runs I did that for. So apparently according to Woogie I am much more capable than I think I am, the best thing someone could have said to me that week. And I will be remembering that when I have a hard day on Kokoda. I was pretty knackered after, lying on the grass was nice.

Crossfit has been the best thing I have ever done for my fitness and wow it has helped with my preparation for this trek.

Have done a lot of other walks, mainly from my house up some big hills and then through the national park and back to the stairs for a few rounds of those. The let downs of the past couple of weeks were that I caught a cold, which I still have, and a really sore right hip that has developed over the past two weeks. It is apparently just muscular and I'm on to it and going to the physio. I have still found time to have some fun as well. Some good waves around, some nice pieces of road. Definitely not Kokoda training but keeping fit all the same.

I'm surprised there's nobody else
in this pic there has been so many
people in the water

Louisa and I having a paddle at 1st Point and
cacking ourselves about something

After this week my training will taper off (yay I'll be able to surf more) and I will give my muscles a chance to heal for the last week before I leave. Will just be doing some light walking.

All my gear is ready. Visa is ready.  I have a little mental reserve of stuff to think about when I need some motivation, things I have I picked up from some amazing people I have met. Pretty sure I will need to use these reserves somewhere along the way.

I think I am ready to go???? Geez this all seems to real now.  

History of Kokoda and the Track/Trail (whatever you want to call it)

I have decided to post a brief history of Kokoda. Everyone has heard of Kokoda (almost) but probably not that many know the actual story of what happened there.  It really is a significant part of our history. 

The track is about 97 km over rugged and isolated terrain between Owens Corner and Kokoda.

Before World War II Kokoda was a track used by European miners to access goldfields. During WWII it became a battlefield between Australian and Japanese troops.

I have included a couple of things. A couple of videos which are the first in a series of 8, and gives you a basic history of Kokoda. These blokes were amazing. Watching the whole series is absolutely eye opening. What the Australian and Japanese soldiers went through is unbelievable. The videos show interviews with soldiers from Australia and Japan as well as the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels. It's humbling really.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDgvy-SIBcM&feature=related

This is the second video in the series.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdNb1Jz-n0Q&feature=related

There are six more, worth watching, you will find them listed on you tube after these two above.

If you haven't got time to watch, there is a written history below that will only take a couple of minutes to read.

This summary is from ww.ww2australia.gov.au/asfaras/kokoda.html.

More than 600 Australians were killed and some 1680 wounded during perhaps the most significant battle fought by Australians in World War II.

Forced to repel a Japanese invasion force, which landed at Gona on the north coast of Papua on 21 July 1942, the Australians fought in appalling conditions over the next four months. The Japanese objective was to capture Port Moresby, the main Australian base in New Guinea, by an overland strike across the Owen Stanley Range. 

The most direct way across these rugged mountains was by a jungle pathway known as the Kokoda Track. During the next four months, until 16 November 1942, Australian soldiers fought the Japanese, first to keep them from reaching Port Moresby and then to push them back over the Owen Stanleys to their north coast strongholds at Buna, Gona and Sanananda.


In late July 1942, as the Japanese advanced towards Kokoda village, they were engaged by forward elements of the Papuan Infantry Battalion and the Australian 39th Infantry Battalion. Despite the Australians’ stubborn resistance, Kokoda fell to the larger Japanese force and by 27 August the Australians and the few Papuan troops who had stayed with them had been forced back to Isurava. Reinforcements were sent from Port Moresby: first the 53rd Battalion, which protected a side-track behind Isurava, and then the veteran 2/14th and 2/16th Battalions, which had previously served in the Middle East.

At Isurava, in the last days of August, the 39th and the 2/14th Battalions, with support further back from the 2/16th and 53rd Battalions, were able to temporarily hold the Japanese during an intense five-day action. Three days into the battle, on 29 August, in the face of yet another enemy assault, Private Bruce Kingsbury, 2/14th Battalion, was killed as he rushed forward with his Bren gun, driving back the enemy in a determined counter-attack. He was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross, the first VC awarded during the New Guinea campaigns.

Throughout September, the Australian units withdrew down the Kokoda Track, being joined by the 2/27th Battalion. They made further stands against the Japanese at Eora Creek, Templeton’s Crossing, Efogi, Mission Ridge and Ioribaiwa. Allied airmen dropped supplies and made repeated attacks on the enemy’s supply lines. During those gruelling days, the Papuan men employed as carriers played a vital role in the battle. They carried supplies forward for the troops and then, as the number of troops who were wounded or fell sick increased, carried back to safety those who were unable to walk.

By 16 September, after more troops had come forward from Port Moresby and dug into a defensive position at Imita Ridge, the Japanese were exhausted. They had been forced to fight hard to cross the mountains and had run out of many supplies. Following setbacks on other battlefields against Australian and American forces, which robbed them of further reinforcements, the Japanese on the Kokoda Track were ordered to withdraw. As Australian patrols pushed forward of Imita Ridge on 28 September, they found that the enemy had slipped away.

During the next six weeks, the Japanese fell back over the mountains. They were pursued by troops of the 25th Brigade – comprising the 2/25th, 2/31st and 2/33rd Battalions – and the 16th Brigade – comprising the 2/1st, 2/2nd and 2/3rd Battalions – along with the 3rd Battalion and men from medical and supply units. Significant actions were fought at Templeton’s Crossing, where it took more than a week of hard and costly fighting for the 25th Brigade to push back the enemy, and at Eora Creek where the 16th Brigade also doggedly attacked enemy strongpoints to slowly make ground. The Australians were plagued by supply shortages that increased the difficulties of jungle warfare. Finally, on 2 November, Kokoda was retaken. The Australians had one more tough battle to fight at Oivi-Gorari, where the Japanese were determined to make another stand, before they were able to finish the advance over the mountains. By 18 November the Australians had reached the Kumusi River. The battle for the Kokoda Track was over.

I'm hiking and my friends are drinking lattes

I did my first hike today. Have still been going to crossfit, surfing and doing the stairs but I need to get into the walking and endurance training. Decided on a walk through Noosa National Park.  It was a pretty gloomy morning and raining, good practice.  I started at the northern end of Sunshine Beach. Last time I walked up there was about a year ago with my cousin Nat, we were knackered by the time we got half way up the headland. Today I got to the top and felt fine.  Getting fitter woohooo.

Looking south over Sunshine Beach from the Headland

Walked up the headland, across and down to A Bay, the local nudist beach (yes Nat, remember A Bay and the dude bending for the towel, my eyesight has still not recovered). I then headed inland across the Tanglewood Track.  Most of the track is sand so not as easy as a normal surface to walk on, but I have to say in general I do not think that this track was challenging enough. 

I did find out some pretty interesting and important things though. Today I carried a pack with about 8 kg. I was fine with the weight it did not bother me at all (thank you crossfit).  What bothered me were annoying little things, like I wanted to take a photo and had to take the whole pack off to get the camera out. Then it started pouring and I had to stop again to get my jacket out. I couldn't reach my drink in the stupid side holder thingy on my pack and had to take it off every time i wanted a drink. I guess it's good to sort all this stuff out now. I am sure I will get better at refining it over the next few weeks. My right boot also rubs so lucky I am breaking them in now.

Despite the track not being hard enough it was really a beautiful walk and I enjoyed it.  Unfortunately I did not get to my favourite places in the National Park (Tea Tree and Granite Bay), but next time I think I will go the coastal track (and maybe take the surfboard too).

Why the track is called Tanglewood maybe?

Towards the end of the track was getting pretty hot. Luckily the beach was close by!!! And how great was the water looking today!!!! There were even some 2ft peeler sets at Little Cove and noone at all on it!!! Where is my surfboard when I need it?

I am so going in there

Had a swim at Little Cove with about a million massive blue jellyfish (not bluebottles though, never seen them before, weird, they were not stingy at all).  Then I had to walk another 1.5k's home up Noosa Hill.  Not nice putting boots and socks on when your still a bit sandy. Was absolutely starving.  Was just about home and feeling pretty knackered when I saw a friend sitting outside a cafe sipping his latte. I really thought he might hold a latte out over the footpath and give me just a sip (you know like in a marathon), I just got a friendly wave. Good one Josh haha.

Later this week will start on some more challenging walks. I think I did nearly 10 k's today, I just need more hills and more challenging terrain, and maybe a latte.

ON THE BOIL YEEEEW

Just went for a surf, I'm boiling again.  Look out this week your getting smashed. That is all.