DAY 6 - KAGI VILLAGE TO MENARI

Monday 07 July

The started with a short trek past the Kagi church out of the village to the airfield, then it was the steepest descent of the trek down to a creek crossing. The crew stopped here to fill up with water and then had a 10-minute calf burner to the top, followed by a relatively easy 30-minute hike for a rest, and then another 20 minutes into Efogi on the hill for a break. They rested here and had morning tea, enjoying the views before trekking 30 minutes down to Efogi Village in the valley. They inspected the museum here, and then hiked out of the village enjoying the beautiful views as they began the slogging ascent of Brigade Hill via Mission Ridge made even harder by the burning sun. They then trekked to the summit of Brigade Hill for a service in honour of the soldiers, and in remembrance of their bravery that fought here. The trekkers had lunch at Brigade Hill and then the torrential rain came down for 2 hours as they made the long descent for a break, before another hour to the creek at the bottom.

They got to the bottom just as the rain stopped however, were unable to swim as the rain had flooded the creek and caused the water to go muddy. Then it was a relatively easy 40-minute hike into camp, where they are now having a well-earned rest and waiting for dinner. Menari is the site where the brave 39th Battalion were withdrawn from the campaign before the battle at Brigade Hill. Exhausted and on the brink of total collapse the remaining ‘Ragged Bloody Heroes’ struggled back to Port Moresby. They would return to fight at Buna and Gona.