MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

Sunrise over the Solomon Sea (photo taken from the front door of
the Sanananda Guest House)

On a recent trip to the WW2 Beach Heads, Kokoda Historical conducted a battlefield tour of the "Wartime Sanananda Track" in conjunction with the Village leaders and local landholders. And as correctly pointed out by any of the locals, the Kokoda Track really starts and finishes at Sanananda and the other beachheads.

Walk from Owers Corner to Kokoda or vice versa - and you only really ever get half of the Kokoda Track Story.

Sanananda Guest House

The first thing that strikes you about the ‘new' beachhead of Sanananda is its tranquillity. A first glimpse of the Sanananda Guest House is a matter of "love at first sight"....it stands a mere 25 metres to the high water mark and has an exceptional, uninterrupted view of the Solomon Sea. One can only wonder - ‘how could such a picture perfect locality - once have been the site of such an ugly, ferocious and devastating battle?' And how long will it be - before some International Leisure Corporation decides to build a luxury resort here and spoil its simplistic beauty?

As pointed out by the "Field Guide to the Kokoda Track" by Bill James (essential reading for any person who intends to visit the Beach Heads, see our book review page for further info) the land on which the Sanananda Guest House stands is ‘new land'. The dark, volcanic sand, which is quite fine and soft under foot - is the result of a volcanic eruption of Mount Lamington in 1951. This proved a Godsend for the village of Sanananda and a new "island" was formed. Subsequently, the original 1942-43 beachhead is now a riverbank and you have to cross a shallow tidal stream to reach the new shoreline where the guesthouse is located. But the hospitality of the locals is such that they will probably have you in a dingy and be pushing you safely across the water in no time - to prevent you from getting your feet wet.

Local guide Lomas in his 'dug out' canoe.

The walking tour of the Sanananda Track can take between 3 and 5 hours, depending on how long you wish to take. The tour starts within the ‘old' Sanananda village near the 55/53 Battalion Memorial and encompasses sights, such as the small museum, the crash site of Wirraway A20-492 which was shot down on the 18th of January, 1943 with the loss of two crew ( see www.pacificwrecks.com for more information).

You may also get to see the site of the Japanese Hospital where a very interesting collection of Japanese ‘false teeth', spectacles and ‘morphine' vials will be brought out to be viewed. And a visit to the roadblocks of "Huggins" and "James" are essential.

Trekker Michael Elgey and locals at the Huggins Roadblock *NOTE*
the bullet ridden vehicle.

It is not hard to find signs of ordinance and battle relics that confirm these localities. As pointed out in the Battlefield Guide by Bill James, rusting remains of motor vehicles litter the wartime track. We even found signs of a Japanese "Farriers" stop, with rusted horseshoes and a stirrup iron.

We would thoroughly recommend that the trekker wear ‘long' sleeves and trousers and carry insect repellent. However, you would be surprised how "little" evidence there was of mosquitos at the actual site of the Sanananda Guest House. Regardless of this, a mosquito net over your sleeping area will give you that extra peace of mind.

A public motor vehicle or 4 WD could be hired to get you there, but Kokoda Historical prefers the hire of a motorised dingy to convey its trekkers from Gona to Sanananda. It is a comfortable and easy walk along the beach to Buna, to complete your ‘Beach Head' experience.

The locals will entertain you with a moonlight serenade - guitar and sing along on the beach. Market days occur on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays where local fish and delicacies can be purchased and if you are not careful - the locals will rope you into a game of "beach touch football".

Sanananda Local Market

The water is as warm as a ‘bath' and is very safe. It is a coconut-palmed paradise and is central to Gona and Buna. Kokoda Track visitor, Michael ELGEY is quoted as saying "Staying at Sanananda was one of the highlights of the trip. It is such a great spot, I am going to bring my fiancée here for our honeymoon".

In a nutshell - it is the perfect place to kick off those trek boots, air your feet and work on your tan - after an arduous trek along the Kokoda Track.