DAY 8 - UA ULE CREEK TO OWERS CORNER

Wednesday 30 April

The final night spent on the Kokoda track was had with mixed emotions as the trekkers were happy to finally be so close to the finish line but also, sad and amazed at how fast the past 7 days had gone. The last 5am wakeup call as the trekkers trekked straight back into the creek and crossed it 1/2 dozen times for an hour on the way to the base of Imita Ridge. They then trekked up Imita for an hour and many said this was the toughest climb of the trek. The track conditions are muddy as they trekked down Imita Ridge on the way to Goodwater village, where they stopped and had a break before they trekked on to Dump 66 to tread the famous poem the “Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel” penned here by Sapper Bert Beros. Then they trekked for an hour onto there “Goldie River” where they crossed and then gathered arm in arm and reflected on the past 8 days. After this it was another 45-minute hike with the last 15 minutes in the heat up-to Owers Corner, it was extremely hot! They arrived at 1pm and are now enjoying some cold beer, Moet champagne, soft drinks and a BBQ before heading to Bomana War cemetery to pay their respects to the service men and women that lie there. Everyone is very happy to have made it, afterwards they will head back to the 5-star Hilton hotel and enjoy a celebration dinner with their guides and porters that helped them over the past 8 days.