Club Clipsal on the Kokoda Trail

Lying in his tent in the middle of the Papua New Guinea jungle, Club Clipsal member Rob Beech, of Robert Beech Electrical, SA, was settling into his sleeping bag after a long day travelling when he heard a surprisingly beautiful sound coming from the camp site.

The 11 men employed as porters to help the group on their walk along the Kokoda Trail were singing - some taking solo parts, others in harmony - serenading the group with their traditional songs.

“They sang three or four songs, and they all had their parts. It was beautiful and very soothing after our first day on the trail,” Rob said.

Rob was part of the group of eight Club Clipsal members and one Clipsal by Schneider Electric representative, Jeremy Davis, who walked the Kokoda Trail in July last year. The group spent eight days walking the narrow, 96-kilometre trail made famous during World War II as the location of battles between Australian and Japanese soldiers. Over 600 Australians were killed.

“My wife’s grandfather, Horace Savage, was part of the 2/27th Battalion,” Rob said.

“He fought on the Kokoda Trail and was shot. He didn’t die, but he lay there for two days and as a result contracted malaria before being taken to hospital. Also, my father fought in the area during World War II on some of the islands nearby. I wanted to walk the track to gain an insight into what both men went through.”

Rob completed the trek with his 23-year-old daughter, Lucinda, who is studying medicine in New South Wales, and also his 17-year-old son, Lachlan, who is completing the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in Adelaide.

“The kids have both moved out of home to do their studies, so it was really good to spend some quality time with them.

Being away with them for 10 days certainly gave us a lot of bonding time. It was a terrific experience.”

The day the group landed in Papua New Guinea, they stayed the first night in a hotel and were then up at 3.30 am to catch a flight to Gona Beach, which was where the Japanese army had landed on the same day 70 years earlier. From the beach, the group was transported via a three-hour truck journey to the trail.

Porters were hired by the group to carry the majority of their supplies, with the visitors carrying around 6-7 kg of goods, primarily made up of water and clothing needed for the day. Everyone was up at around 5 am with the group walking between 6 am and 3.30 pm each day.

In preparation for the trek, Rob, Lucinda and Lachlan began training six months in advance of the journey. They each took on difficult walks to improve their fitness and to build up strength in their legs.

“When we got to Kokoda our fitness was really good, so even in the humid conditions we were able to maintain a good pace without becoming weary,” Rob said.

Although humid, the conditions were good with temperatures around the low 30s, and only a small amount of rain at night. Rob says that on days when it was really hot and steamy, the guide, Norm Beer, from No Roads tour group, would ensure the group regularly stopped for water.

“Each person was advised to carry 3-4 litres of water to drink each day,” Rob said.

“The water in the local creeks is beautiful and clear, so with a couple of purifying tablets to help us along, we could simply re-fill our bottles from the streams.”

Along the way, Norm pointed out areas of significance and explained the events that took place there.

“There is a lot of history along the trail,” Rob said.

“Many of the places we stopped at were significant battlegrounds and we heard stories of heroic Australians who fought there.”

In memory of Horace Savage, the group was granted permission to trek along Mission Ridge, the area where Horace fought.

“In order to preserve it, not many trekkers are allowed to walk this section of the track,” Rob said.

“It was thanks to the goodwill of the local land holders and the respect of our brilliant porters and tour guide Norm Beer that we were given this honour.”

Later on the trek, Norm invited the group to climb 300 m up a mountain to an area where a Japanese bomber plane had crashed. Rob, Lachlan and Lucinda all went up and saw the remnants of the plane, identifying the cockpit, propeller and parts of the wing.

“We made sure not to touch anything so that future visitors to the area can continue to enjoy these pieces of history.”

Having this history on show, and being told of the hardships of those who were in the area during the war, was very significant for Rob.

“To gain an understanding of what my relatives went through when they were in the area was very important to me,” Rob said.

“Australia was outnumbered by six to one and their gun power was significantly less than that of the Japanese soldiers they were fighting. The Australians had small guns, but the Japanese had cannons which they had brought to the area by dismantling them and reassembling them once they had found a position to defend. The Australians really had no hope in out-gunning them.

“Furthermore, the troops were there in summer with very little food - and they were experiencing the difficult terrain while under fire from the enemy. It was amazing to stand in the area and think about what they went through.”

As well as sharing the experience with his children, Rob said that it was also good to bond with the other Club Clipsal members who undertook the journey.

“We were all there for a common reason, and we became terrific friends along the way,” Rob said.

Rob says the experience has inspired him to do some other trips as well.

“I would love to do the Great Wall of China and there are certainly a few walks in Tasmania I will get to.”

As for his kids, Rob says it is an experience they will remember forever.

“My children now have a real insight into what their great-grandfather and their grandfather went through and some of the sacrifices that their ancestors have made.”