People who know better than I might be able to confirm or deny, but I have heard that the Aussies called it the Kokoda Track, whereas Kokoda Trail is the seppo version.
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People who know better than I might be able to confirm or deny, but I have heard that the Aussies called it the Kokoda Track, whereas Kokoda Trail is the seppo version.
from wiki:
There has been much debate in Australia about whether it should be called the "Kokoda Trail" or the "Kokoda Track". The monument at Owers Corner uses both terms: "Track" on one side and "Trail" on the other.
"Kokoda Trail" was gazetted as the official name of the route by the Australian administration of Papua New Guinea in 1972.[16]
The earliest mention of the route in an Australian newspaper may be in The Argus on Wednesday 29 July 1942 in a map when it refers to "the Buna Kokoda-Moresby track".
According to historian Stuart Hawthorne, before World War II, the route was referred to as "the overland mail route" or "the Buna road". He states that "Kokoda Trail" became common because of its use in Australian newspapers during the war, the first known instance being in Sydney's Daily Mirror on 27 October 1942.[16]
However, all three terms Kokoda Track, Kokoda Trail and Buna-Kokoda road were commonly used during World War II in Australian newspapers from September 1942.[17][18][19]
The diary of the Australian Army's 2/33rd Battalion records the route being officially designated as the "Kokoda Trail" in September 1942.[20] The Australian Army has used "Kokoda Trail" as a battle honour since 1957. The Australian War Memorial (AWM) says that "trail" is probably of United States origin but has been used in many Australian history books and "appears to be used more widely".[21]
Despite the historical use of "Trail", "Track" gained dominance in the 1990s, with the Australian Macquarie Dictionary stating that while both versions were in use, Kokoda Track "appears to be the more popular of the two".[22]
The couple of veterans of Kokoda I spoke to referred to it as the track, so that it is for me.
You are correct though the monument /arch at the moresby end refers to it as both.
I'm sure the people you book with will brief you on the basics, such as local customs. Check with your head porter on the customs frowned upon in each village you may encounter . Wear the best hiking boots you can afford. Keep your feet dry, as best you can. Take 3 pairs of socks, one for wearing, one for drying , one spare. Good quality woolen socks, not cheap Chinese polyester.Take 3 to 4 changes of underwear. You can get 4 good days out of a pair of underpants. One day normal,one back to front, one inside out, and the last inside out and back to front. Take one T shirt for walking during the day. You will all smell at the end, so one will do.Take a pair of shorts for walking during the day. Just one. Don't forget it will be cold at night.Take sandals or thongs, to wear at night , don't walk around bare foot. A cut on the foot will be infected quick.
When you do your fitness training [ and you must], make sure you walk up and down plenty of stairs, carrying your pack loaded to the weight you intend to carry. Hundreds, if not thousands, of stairs. Up, and down. And, as has been mentioned, do your research. Respect the memory of the boys [ a lot were] who fought and died on the track. I can guarantee you will be a different person at the end , to when you started.
Thanks all for the great tips etc.
Been doing a bit of research and I am amazed what is on line. Between the National Archives and the Australian War Memorial who can find so much info.
Last night we found my wife's grandfathers whole service record at the National Archives. At the War Memorial site you can read the daily reports from his actual unit - the 2/1 Machine Gun Battalion. In these you can read daily reports, where they fought with all the details etc. Truly amazing. When I first found this we even were able to see a report on when he arrived on the track and written accounts where he was involved in fighting.
If people have relatives that fought in these conflicts this is a very useful resource.
we paid the National Archives to dig up and digitize my grandfathers records and his brothers.Quote:
Originally Posted by EastFreo
we were quite disappointed with what we got. couldnt even provide unit information.
one of my granfathers brothers was captured and held in changi. he kept a sketch book which is now on display at the national war memorial. we knew this prior but there was no mention of it, or any information to say it even existed.
Hi Eevo. That is really disappointing.
Last night I went here Session expired | RecordSearch | National Archives of Australia
Simply typed in full name and up came a heap of records including the service and casualty form. On this you can see which units an individual was attached to.
maybe they have added more since your query.
it was only 5-6 months agoQuote:
Originally Posted by EastFreo