MUD, SWEAT & TEARS

ARRIVING at the old Jackson’s airport in May 1991 was a bit of a shock. I was met by Bernard Choulai who drove me to his haus in Badili, near the Koki markets in Port Moresby. Every haus along the way was surrounded by razor wire and there seemed to be an armed guard at every entrance. This forbidding first impression contrasted with the uninhibited friendliness I encountered.

Bernard introduced me to the guide who would lead me across the trail: Alex Rama, a Mountain Koiari from Naduri village on the trail. I couldn’t get much out of Alex – his English was poor, and my tok pisin was non-existent, so I felt we were in for some interesting days ahead.

A lack of information and maps meant I had to overcompensate with rations and gear. All I could get from Alex when I asked him how long it would take us to get to Kokoda was “maybe