12 Days Kokoda Battle Treks and Tours itinerary (incl Gona, Sanananda and Buna)

(Owers Corner – Sanananda )

Day 1: Owers Corner to Ua-ule Creek (5 -6 hours)

After a good night’s rest and breakfast at either the Gateway or Ela Beach Hotel in Port Moresby, we leave for Owers Corner. Perched up high on the Sogeri Plateau, this marks the beginning of the trail. We take photographs at the memorial and carry out last minute adjustments to our packs and equipment before setting off. We cross Goldie River, pass through Uberi and Goodwaters campsite and then head up the 'Golden Staircase' which takes us onto Imita Ridge. Imita Ridge is where the Australians took their last stand against the Japanese who stopped short at Ioribaiwa. From here, we head down to our campsite at Ua-Ule Creek.

Day 2: Ua-ule Creek to Ofi Creek (4 -5 hours)

We begin our trek today through numerous creek crossings and a canyon in encroaching jungle foliage. We then climb to Ioribaiwa, the final Japanese defensive position that brought them within reach of Port Moresby before they were ordered to retreat. They could see the Port Moresby city lights from here. We head up and down to our campsite perched on the terraces of Ofi Creek, where we spend the night.

Day 3: Ofi Creek to Augulogo Campsite (6-7 hours)

Today, we begin with a steep mountain climb from Ofi Creek over the Maguli Range, before negotiating another steep climb pass – the 'Japanese Ladder'. After reaching the top, we begin a gradual descent into Nauro. There are spectacular views of the Owen Stanley Range and Mt Victoria on this part of the trail. We pass Nauro before heading through the famous Nauro Swamp where a section of Australian soldiers became lost and slept in waist-deep water. From here, we cross the fast flowing Nauro River before traversing it to our Augulogo campsite.

Day 4: Augulogo Campsite to Menari (4-5 hours)

From Augulogo, our trek takes us along, then steeply up a narrow ridgeline called 'The Wall', which lead us onto Menari Gap, also kown as Mt Tamata. We then descend into Menari, our next campsite and guesthouse. Menari was captured by the Japanese after the Battle of Brigade Hill.

Day 5: Menari to Efogi Two (5-6 hours)

Day five begins with a steep climb to Brigade Hill. Brigade Hill was the site of a major four-day battle, where the Japanese outflanked the Australians and cut their position into half. We take a break and examine the treacherous eastern slopes where approximately 300 Australian soldiers escaped from a deliberate Japanese attack, before carrying their wounded and sick out into the open after spending three weeks in the jungle. From here, we head down to Efogi One and onto our campsite and guesthouse at Efogi Two.

Day 6: Efogi Two to Templetons Crossing One (5-6 hours)

This morning, we leave early to head down a steep decent, passing several cascading waterfalls and a fast flowing creek before heading up to Naduri. This is the home of the last remaining 'Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel'. We then climb from here to Mt Bellamy (2190 metres), the highest point on the trail after passing through 'Diggers Rest' and '1900 Crossing' campsite. We head down to the Kokoda Gap or 'The Gap'. Here, we note the ridiculous lack of appreciation of the terrain by Generals MacArthur and Blamey when they ordered to 'blow the gap'. 'The Gap' has magnificent views of the Yodda Valley to the north on a good day. Our next campsite, below ‘The Gap’, is Templetons Crossing One.

Day 7: Templetons Crossing One to Alola (5-6 hours)

From here, we start very early on our trek which will take us to Alola. This part of the Trail, between Templetons Crossing and Myola (by-passed) was believed to have been the hardest during the campaign. We head past Templetons Crossing Two (where there’s a war grave) and cross Eora Creek, another major battle site where both Australian and Japanese forces lost many lives. We then begin a steady climb through numerous razor-deep valleys to our guesthouse at Alola. Alola has magnificent views of the valley looking towards the North and Kokoda.

Day 8: Alola to Kokoda (5-6 hours)

Today, we have another early morning start to reach our final destination, Kokoda. We stop at Isurava battlefield and memorial for a tour and photographs. This is where Private Bruce Kingsbury was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery and gallantry in action during the battle. With little regard for his personal safety, he charged forward towards the assaulting enemy, while firing his Bren gun from his hip, which broke up the momentum in their attack and forced the Japanese to retreat. He was later shot by a Japanese sniper. After our stop at Isurava, our trek takes us over undulating terrain before dropping steeply past Deniki, which has beautiful views of Kokoda and the Yodda Valley, Hoi and Kovelo. We then reach the village of Kokoda, our finish point and final guesthouse and campsite.

Day 9: Kokoda to Port Moresby (no trekking)

On the ninth day of our trek, we walk down from Deniki Lookout to Hoi village. We pass through Kovelo village and continue on down to Kokoda Station. It’s mostly a flat terrain from Hoi to Kokoda. We stop over and spend the night at Kokoda. This is where we have a deserving cool shower and dinner. We also get to visit the Kokoda battle site and go on an organised tour of the Kokoda war meseum before retiring for the day. Tommorow, we will travel by road to Popondetta to tour the battlesites at Buna, Gona and Sanananda.

Day 10: Kokoda to Popondetta

At dawn we have breakfast and begin our 60 km journey by truck from Kokoda to Popondetta. We arrive and book into Oro Guesthouse, which will be our home for the next two nights and three days. After lunch, we visit the small but beautiful Popondetta war memorial in a rather sleepless but neo-Australian colonial township built after the war. Following that, we visit the local market in Popondetta by bus, an experience which is vastly different to marketing in Australia or overseas. We have dinner and a few drinks before retiring for the night.

Day 11: Travel by road to visit the Gona, Sanananda and Buna

Today we travel in a bus to Gona, then on to Sanananda than Buna. There we meet the locals, visit the villages and go on a guided tour of the battlefields, which was the scene of bitter fighting between the Japanese and the Allied forces. We have lunch enroute with some delicious tropical coconuts before returning to Popondetta town in the evening.

Day 12: Travel by road to Oro Bay

Oro Bay was a major United States Army forward operating base during the battle of Buna, Gona and Sanananda, and the Kokoda Campaign. Today we travel 60 km down to Oro Bay by bus and go on a guided tour of the former war time base. We then have tea and are given a traditional chiefs farewell by Beama and Oro Bay villagers, before travelling back to Girua Airport to catch our flight to Port Moresby. After lunch, we go on tour of Port Moresby visiting areas of military significance including the Bomana War Cemetery which is the resting place of around 3000 Australians soldiers whose remains were transferred from temporary graves at Kokoda, Buna, Gona and Sanananda and Milne Bay. You will spend your last night in your four-star hotel room in Port Moresby before returning to Australia tomorrow.

PS: We can customise your battle treks and tours to include your prefered itinerary for ANZAC Day (25 April). This can be held at the Bomana War Cemetery, Isurava battlefield, or at Gona, Buna or Sanananda. Please contact us for more information.