DAY 5 - KAGI VILLAGE TO MENARI - TUESDAY 17 JUNE

Only a short hike out of the village past the church to the airfield for the steepest descent of the trek down to the creek crossing. The trekkers filled up with some water here and then had a 10-minute calf burner to the top followed by a relatively easy hike for 30 minutes out in the sun for a rest by a gum tree. Then another 30 minutes into Efogi on the hill and here the trekkers rested, had morning tea, enjoying the views down to Efogi Village in the valley. They then trekked 30minutes down to the village and inspected the museum and market here before hiking out of the village enjoying the beautiful views as they began the slogging ascent of Brigade Hill via Mission Ridge and this was made hotter by the burning sun. They stopped at Mission Ridge to discuss some more of the campaign and then headed onto Brigade Hill for an emotional ceremony on the summit in honour of the soldiers and in remembrance of their bravery here. After lunch they followed the track, with a long descent for 2.5 hours into Menari and a few found this tough however they arrived there at 5:30pm local time just as light shower fell. Menari is the site where the brave 39th Battalion were withdrawn from the campaign before the battle at Brigade Hill.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. They trekkers have all arrived in camp safely and are now having a well learnt rest and waiting for dinner.