DAY 2 - HOI TO ALOA

Wednesday 04 November

The trekkers were up bright and early at 5:00am this morning for breakfast after spending their first night on the Kokoda Track. They made there way out of the village of Hoi for 15 minutes before tackling there first accent of the trek and this left more than a few what had they got themselves in for.

They rested breifly at Deniki before departing and making there way through the choko fields before on the way to the village of Isurava for morning tea. It was here during the Kokoda Campaign that the exhausted soldiers of the 39th Battalion were finally reinforced by troops from the 21st Brigade. The group paused to learn more about this significant chapter of Australia's military history before continuing along the track.

After another hour of trekking, they arrived at the Isurava Battle Site, where they gathered for a moving commemorative service at the famous Four Pillars Memorial—Courage, Endurance, Mateship, and Sacrifice.

The trekkers paid their respects to Australia's returned and fallen servicemen, listening to stories and recordings that brought the campaign to life. Particular attention was given to the sacrifices made by men such as Corporal John Metson, Charlie McCallum, Lindsay Bear, Bruce Kingsbury VC, and many others who fought and died defending Australia during the campaign.

Following lunch at Isurava, the group continued on a short but challenging section of track to the historic Surgeon's Stone, where further stories of the campaign were shared. Among them were moving accounts from veteran Stan Bisset, including memories of his brother, Thomas "Butch" Bisset, and the hardships endured by those who served on the Track.

Then back onto the track for another 60 minutes as the group maintained a steady pace into tonight's campsite at Alola Village. Although there was light showers on & off all the day the track remained in great walking condition and too muddy and this helped the crew arrive safely into camp in great time at 3:40pm.

They are all in great spirits and are now relaxing, enjoying some popcorn, sharing stories from the day, and reflecting on the history they have experienced before settling in for another night on the Track.

Today was a powerful reminder that Kokoda is far more than a trek—it is a journey through one of the most significant chapters of Australian and Papua New Guinean history.