Page 99 - Holidays with Kids - Volume 62 (January 2020)

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Australian soldiers in World War II with someone pulls a football out of their rushes beside it. Sitting on a bench next to the
On Track Expeditions. backpack. Within minutes, teams are formed: river with my dad and sipping tea to warm up
The track has a unique position in the students against the porters (the local after our swim is a moment I’ll cherish forever.
Australia’s collective consciousness, as the Papuans don’t celebrate birthdays, but the Despite my exhaustion as the group and
conflict was the first time Australian soldiers youngest would have been around 14), while our backpacks are weighed for our charter
defended against a direct threat to their own the dads sit with the older guides on the flight from Kokoda village back to Port
country. Walking along the track, our guides sidelines. Try lines are marked by jumpers Moresby, I can’t help feeling like we’ve both
Adrian, an ex-history teacher, and Gary, who and water bottles, and for nearly an hour in accomplished something special. It’s not
previously worked as the Australian War the fading light, they play touch football. Back every day that you get to conquer something
Memorial’s assistant curator of military and forth they run, drawing on previously as monumental as Kokoda, let alone with
technology and heraldry, point out signs of undiscovered reserves of energy. Their shouts a family member in tow. Will I be going back?
the conflict: a Japanese helmet tucked behind echo across the grassy hillside on which we Maybe – I’ll need a week’s worth of sleep
a tree; trenches and foxholes dug by both camp, the last minutes of the game lit by before I can think about that.
Australian and Japanese soldiers just off the a lone head torch on the sideline. I’m not
side of the track; and, potentially seen for the a footy fan by any stretch, but it was pretty
first time since the war, a Japanese rifle that clear – even to me – that this game was all
a dad trips over as he walks back from a about the home side.
bathroom break. History is everywhere on A couple of days – and a few falls – later
the track and our knowledgable guides are (my thanks to Gibson, my perpetually happy Kokoda Report Card
more than happy to share. porter, for keeping me firmly on two feet most
of the time), we make camp at Templeton’s
Tea and try lines Crossing. This grassy clearing is surrounded Info papuanewguinea.travel
On the third night, after we set up camp by dense jungle on all sides, and Eora Creek, kokodatrackauthority.org
overlooking a plunging valley at Nauro village, where this story’s introduction took place, Do ontrackexpeditions.net

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