Kokoda Trail – The Original Name

The original name of the route is KOKODA TRAIL and not KOKODA TRACK as some of us want to call it in recent days.  The name takes us back to more than 65 years during the Pacific War.  Particularly the Kokoda Campaign in the History of the 2nd World War between the period 1942 – 1945.

The fact is that the terms “Trail” and “Track” contrast each other.  ‘Trail’ has a direct and closer link to the War History, while ‘Track’ is a commercialized term used today by the business entities, which does not have a major link and importance in the 2nd World War.

The Australian Diggers were Trailing behind and not Tracking behind the much advanced Japanese forces across the rugged and steep mountains of Owen Stanley Range in their Kododa Campaign.  They struggled hard and were at the edge of defeat in the hands of the Japanese but were greatly assisted by the local Papua New Guineans (The famous Fuzzy Wuzzy Angles) and the Allied forces.

Therefore, Kokoda Trail is famous on the world map.  It has now become one of the world’s leading heritage attracting thousands of pilgrimage tourist from around the world each year.  Recently it has been declared as one of the world’s great heritage by both Australia and the Papua New Guinea Government.