We interrupt the birthday celebrations (but come back for the final collage tomorrow! )The Kokoda Track or Trail is a single-file foot thoroughfare that runs 96 kilometres (60 mi) overland — 60 kilometres in a straight line — through the Owen Stanley Range in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The track is the most famous in PNG and is renowned as the location of the World War II battle between Japanese and Australian forces in 1942.
The Kokoda Track memorial Walkway is 800m long, along the Parramatta River in theh suburbs of Concord West and Rhodes. It provides a lasting memorial to those who served in WW2, especially in the South West Pacific theatre. The centrepiece is this beautiful series of granite walls, with images of the Kokoda campaign sandblasted on them. Water and rainforest also play a central part.
Click here for previous Anzac day posts.
I have written an account of my grandfather's experiences in the First World Way, from training in Melbourne, to Egypt, Gallipoli and the Western Front. It is based on official records including his service record, histories and 21 letters and cards he wrote home, which remain in the family. Click here to have a look at it.
