2008 Experience - Back in Training for Kokoda Track

Back in training for the Kokoda Track
So we had our group together, and began training for Kokoda. My training was not as extensive/intensive as last year, but having achieved the track last year, I felt I knew what was in store, first signs of complacency – dangerous situation! Anyway we did some walks in the Grampians, Timboon and locally, as well as Cradle Mountain in April, and a section of the Great Ocean Walk (which turned a little farcical when I realised halfway across that I had left my car keys in Janet’s car at the other end - first signs of Alzheimer’s?). Bobby and Knoxie were hard at it in the Grampians, as were Bill & Cee, Bobby and Knoxie thought they would emulate weight carrying by carrying chains in their packs, which was an interesting enterprise, not very good weight distribution? Finally the time arrived when I did my customary drive up to Noosa for Boot Camp, Janet joined me there late in the week, I sprained my ankle late in the piece, a cause of concern, but not undue. I visited the chiropractor on our day of departure, which sorted me out a little bit, anyway we headed down the Bruce Highway with Janet & Charles, ran into a car park about halfway down, very slow progress, I think we were the last ones to report in to the hotel except for Street and Mike. On the way Janet rang her son Woody in Perth hoping he would wish his mother, brother and uncle good luck for their impending trek, only to be asked if we had enjoyed our walk! So we gathered and headed for the Cha Cha Char Restaurant, which wasn’t quite up to its standing of last year, but we enjoyed ourselves nonetheless, and headed for bed early in anticipation of the morrow.

2008 Experience - Gathering Troops for Kokoda Track

Gathering Troops for the Kokoda Track - back for more and recruiting others!
Shortly after successfully completing the Kokoda Track in August 2007, I attended dear old Griff Weatherly’s funeral, and after the service we were having the mandatory cup of tea and copious cream cakes, courtesy of the local Red Cross, when I was told in no uncertain terms by Bobby's wife that he was ropable that he hadn’t been given the chance to participate. So I decided that it would be good to put another group together, and mentioned this to Trina W., her instant reply was “Then you better not leave Bill out!” So I started formulating a group, which included those two, as well as Peter and his daughter Virginia, who was overseas but keen (Peter being a nephew of Bruce Kingsbury who won the VC at Isurava), Gary and his sons Andrew and Tim (Gary’s father Bevan French was the OC B Company 39th Battalion, who had replaced Sam Templeton after he was missing at Oivi), Murray who walked it last year with me, and had always indicated that his son Andrew and son-in-law Tim would be interested to go with him this year as well. My sister Janet walked Cradle Mountain with me in April, and said she wanted to have a crack this time, and her son Charles was in after his Himalayan walk in February. Hobba had indicated that he would have liked to do it in 2007, but little baby Eda put a stop to that, so he was keen to have a go this time, as was Mike. We attended Clair's wedding at Delamere in November, and on talking there to Bill he said he was a probable starter, and later on Cee indicated that she was feeling a bit left out, so she came on board. The three Beers (Michael, Shelley and Lachie) spoke early about their interest, and worked very hard to get to the line, along with several other of their friends who expressed their keenness, but dropped off with the passing of time. Peter met me in Macs Snacks one day not long after my return in 2007, and said he would like to join us, so I offered him a pair of boots that I had spare, and which seemed to fit him. Several people expressed interest in seeing the 2007 Kokoda dvd at Easter, we were still living in Margaret's house so I invited them around to view it one night, we had a most amusing night there, and I had just got rid of the last of the guests when the phone rang, it was Jim ringing from Walcha, NSW, totally out of the blue, to say he wanted to join us. Knox was the next, and he and Bobby proceeded to tramp the Grampians big time, along with Bill & Cee, and Bill W. on occasions. Speaking of Bill W., we went to his 60th birthday at Blythvale, and John was there, I was feeling a bit guilty that I hadn’t offered him a chance last year, so corrected that by offering him a berth this year, which he accepted without the slightest hesitation, and said his son Richie was also keen (John’s father was at Isurava, and was one of those who were separated there, amongst them Captain Ben Buckler and Lt ‘Mocca’ Treacy, who eventually made their way back to Australian lines after some weeks, unfortunately along the way having to leave John Metson, Tom Fletcher and other wounded, who were massacred by the Japanese). The last one on was Richard, from Young in NSW, who attended Bruce's 50th about two months ago, and rang me on his return to see if he could get a berth, which I said he could.

2007 Experience - Rallying the Troops

Rallying the Troops
Our Kokoda dream was born after Trisha Dixon’s Longreach tour in 2005, and Anna and Trisha’s New Zealand walk along the Kaikoura Track later that year. On their return I emailed Trisha and said her next project should be Kokoda Treks . Trisha didn’t embrace this suggestion with much glee, but suggested Darvall and Skye may like to do it. So it became for Ian, Darvall, Vic and myself, with whatever family members we could include, as the original four (at least two of us made it, well done Vic!). Quite a contingent appeared from the Cooma area, most of whom fell by the wayside with the passage of time, plus a few from down our way, I suggested to Pip Ritchie that he should do it also, he sidestepped the issue, but put his son Will up for membership of the Kokoda Club. Gradually our group grew, with the inclusion of Clive after his mountaineering experience up Mount Donna Buang, when, as he said, he ascended said mountain with a group of ‘young Turks’, forty-ish, corporate types, gym junkies, super fit, they left poor Clive in their wake. That night Clive rang me asking that he may be included in our team, as he felt if he did Kokoda with those guys, they would more than likely kill him! I was absolutely delighted with the prospect of him joining us, and much later when his son Jonno came on board, that was an added bonus. Darvall was unfortunately burnt out in the fires earlier this year, so he was unable to fulfil his dreams, Lawrie took on a job with Packer, and was therefore a scratching quite understandably (had a wedding to attend!), although he always said if the worst came to the worst, he would love to be a late inclusion.
Charlie (Vic’s nephew, farmer from Corowa) was in from the start, and a very funny thing happened at a cattleman’s meeting, where Charlie and Sandy M. were both on a board chaired by Malcolm, when they met in May or thereabouts it was suggested the board should meet again in August. Sandy said he would be unable to attend in August as he was doing Kokoda then, Charlie being the shy retiring type that he is (not!), thought to himself thank goodness I didn’t have to say that, but I’m in the same boat. After the meeting he said to Sandy that he was doing Kokoda at about the same time, who are you going with. Sandy replied that he was doing it with a friend called Bim, Charlie was flabbergasted and replied that he was going with a guy called Jim, and wondered if they were related! Sandy assured him that they were one and the same person. Eight people sitting round a boardroom table, two of them barely know each other, and find themselves plunging into the jungle of New Guinea together with the Colonel! Doug was always on my radar for this trip, because of his experience with Lauriston and Brauer College, and also because of well, he’s Doug. So I suggested it to him and he was keen, although he didn’t sign up right away, in fact our last member, Sandy actually signed up before Doug, after we three had attended George's wedding at Burra in March. Late that night it was suggested to Sandy that he was too weak to attempt Kokoda, I thought it was Doug who put that suggestion, but Sandy assured me it was in fact me, anyway the long and the short of it was that Sandy rang Kris at Our Spirit as soon as he returned from the wedding and signed up! And didn’t he make us look like novice walkers – well done Sandy. Another Sandy and Charlie story was Charlie asking Sandy (the feedlotter) perpetually, “And what do you do with your offal?” which became a sort of Kokoda theme, picked up by lots of other members of the group.