Kokoda Trail - Maoro

Following a short descent, I hiked up a very steep section, hugging the mountainside before the track became “just” steep. I emerged onto the grassy ridge of Brigade Hill. The biggest battle of the campaign was fought here in early September. Brigadier Arnold Potts decided that Brigade Hill was an excellent defensive position due to its high ground. He set up his headquarters near a knoll and had three infantry battalions, spread apart on the opposite side of the hill on Mission Ridge. This strategy created a weakness which the Japanese exploited by infiltrating the line and cutting Potts off from the rest of his troops. Suffering heavy casualties, Potts ordered a withdrawal. The retreat was disorderly, with one of the units finding themselves deep in the jungle, taking weeks of trudging before they reunited with their comrades.

During the campaign the mountain ridge was forested but today it was cleared for a campsite and a very simple war memorial that consisted of a plaque and several rows of sapling trees equally distanced, representing each Australian who died defending the hill.

From Brigade Hill there was an extremely steep and tiresome descent dropping 2,296ft (700m) of elevation, placing a significant amount of pressure on all the major muscles in the legs and the glutes.

Another log crossing later, I walked into Menari, a village where Potts’ troops withdrew to. It was also the site of a famous photo of the 39th Battalion taken after weeks of fighting in the dense jungle. The photo became the cover of the book, Those Ragged Bloody Heroes by Peter Brune.

A steep climb up to the saddle was rewarded with views back to Menari and the nearby peaks of Mt Tamata and Mt Victoria. The final descent was met with swampy terrain, where the trail was difficult to follow. Reaching the wide Brown River, the typical tree logs used for crossing were under water in several sections. Removing my boots and socks whilst standing on the muddy bank was a fine balancing act. Holding onto a rope, I made my way into the fast-flowing river and cautiously moved through it until I reached the other side of the bank.

With my boots back on, I trudged through the swampy track. With each step, my boots sunk into the muddy holes, the excess water spilling into my shoes and wetting my socks. I carried on until I finally reached Naoro where I cleaned myself up, gave my boots a good scrubbing and put them out to dry. Exhausted, I passed out into a deep sleep. No dreaming this time.

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