Kokoda 2006
Sunday April 30 - Day 6
9:00 start with a big uphill - 700m up!! - then Brigade Hill and a very emotional role play. We shoulder carried one of the carriers up the hill to re-enact what the fuzzy wuzzies did for the Australians. Not easy doing one small muddy hill. Imagine carrying someone with a serious injury for a month.
Big river crossing then big climb to Menari. Again the Microsoft team is lucky with it's own hut, a shower and beers!!. Kathleen and Neil play football with the local kids. Fun evening with Richard being initiated into the "Our Spirit" crew.
Monday May 1 - Day 7
Great sleep in the hut and a 7:00 start with clean dry socks and a clean shirt and bike pants. Feeling good - feet fine, plenty of energy and really enjoying the experience. Another big uphill - makes you wonder how MacArthur ever thought they could build a road over the track. This was turning out to be a big day and with a river crossing with shoes on that was the end of the nice dry socks. More crossings with boots on and then the Swamp!! Mud, mud, mud. Bloody, muddy Monday. Knee deep in mud at times. Then big river crossing on a single big log. Brownie had fallen in earlier. Then more mud and then a 4k uphill that took nearly 2 hours. Very tough day and the huts were crowded as the rain fell. Washed in the creek at the bottom of the hill at Nauro. Went in boots and all.
