The red mud sticks to the boots after just a few kilometers. The Kokoda Track, the trail that crosses the Owen Stanley mountain range in Papua New Guinea, offers no respite from the very beginning. This 96-kilometer route connects the village of Kokoda in the north with Owers' Corner, near Port Moresby in the south, cutting through one of the densest and most impenetrable jungles in the Pacific.
Its fame comes not only from the physical difficulty but from what happened here between July and November of 1942, when Australian and Papuan soldiers of the Papua Infantry Battalion clashed with Japanese forces in one of the toughest military campaigns of World War II. Walking along this trail means traversing places where battles were fought house by house, tree by tree, with malaria and dysentery as equally lethal enemies as the bullets.
The route: climbs, river crossings, and remote villages
The trail does not follow a linear logic: it continuously ascends and descends through ridges that exceed 2,190 meters in altitude at the highest point, near the Kokoda Pass. Trekkers face extremely steep climbs with exposed roots that serve as natural steps, river crossings on bamboo bridges or directly fording, and sections where the vegetation is so thick that it almost completely filters the light. Rain is frequent in any season, and the ground quickly becomes slippery and unstable.
Along the way, one crosses about ten indigenous villages, such as Isurava, Eora Creek, and Templeton's Crossing. The inhabitants, mainly belonging to the Orokaiva community, live in huts on stilts and often offer coconut water and fruit to passersby. These villages are not tourist reconstructions: they are real communities, with children running between the huts and elders sitting in the shade of the trees.
The historic sites along the trail
The most intense moment of the journey is the stop at the Isurava Memorial, built in 2002 on the occasion of the sixtieth anniversary of the battle. The monument consists of four black granite pillars, each engraved with a word: Courage, Sacrifice, Brotherhood, Mateship. The latter word, untranslatable into Italian, represents a key concept of Australian culture, the sense of solidarity among comrades. The site is located at the point where, in August 1942, one of the bloodiest battles of the entire campaign was fought.
Further along, in Kokoda itself, there is a small local museum that preserves helmets, water bottles, ammunition, and period photographs recovered from the surrounding jungle. The Kokoda Arch, a symbolic structure at the entrance of the village, conventionally marks the beginning or the end of the trek depending on the direction of travel. Many trekkers choose to start from Owers' Corner and arrive at Kokoda, traveling the trail from south to north in an average time that varies between 8 and 12 days.
The fauna and vegetation of the jungle
The jungle surrounding the trail is inhabited by endemic species of Papua New Guinea. It is possible to spot birds of paradise in the morning hours, particularly in the primary forest areas between Eora Creek and Templeton's Crossing. Large butterflies, some with wingspans exceeding 20 centimeters, cross the paths in an almost theatrical manner. The vegetation alternates between dense rainforest and alpine meadow areas at higher elevations.
Along the edges of the trail, tree ferns grow that can exceed six meters in height, and mosses cover every available surface, giving the jungle a diffuse and almost underwater green light. In some places, the branches of the trees intertwine above the trail, forming natural tunnels that increase sensory isolation from the outside world.
Practical tips for those who want to tackle the Kokoda Track
The best time to walk the Kokoda Track is from May to October, during the dry season, when the rivers are lower and the mud is less abundant. The rainy season, from November to April, makes some sections dangerous and can lead to temporary closures of the trail. It is mandatory to register with the Kokoda Track Authority before departure and obtain the official permit, which costs around 250 Australian dollars for foreign trekkers.
A local guide is legally required and non-negotiable: in addition to being a formal requirement, it represents a real advantage in an environment where getting lost can have serious consequences. Local porters, called carriers, can carry part of the luggage and know every variation of the trail. It is advisable to arrive in Port Moresby at least one day before departure to acclimatize and complete the final checks of the equipment, which must include waterproof trekking shoes with aggressive soles, malaria treatment prescribed by a doctor, and a complete first aid kit.
