Location
Lat 8° 52' 60S Long 147° 43' 60E  Village in center of the Owen Stanley Mountains, where the Kokoda Trail ends.

History
From July - November 1942, a village on the Kokoda trail, from Buna on the north coast thru the Owen Stanley Mountain Range to Port Moresby. After Battle of the Coral Sea May 5-8, 1942 that resulted in the failure of Japanese sea borne assault of Port Moresby, the Japanese Army 144th Infantry Regiment commanded by General Horii's attacked overland across the Owen Stanley mountains, using the Kokoda Trail. On the trail the Australian 7th Division resisted the Japanese, and the advance was halted within 30 miles of the city, and due to losses, and lack of resupply, the Japanese began to fall back towards their beachhead at Buna. Australian forces re-occupied Kokoda on November 2, 1942.

Kokoda Trail
Kokoda Trail is the name of the small track that linked the village of Kokoda to Port Moresby. The track ran from Gorari and Oivi to the village of Kokoda which stood on a small plateau 400 meters above sea level, flanked by mountains rising to over 2,000 meters. It then climbed over steep ridges and through deep valleys to Deniki, Isurava, Kagi, Ioribaiwa, Ilolo and beginning at Owens Corner, linked with a motor road (Snake Road) leading from plantations in the hills above Port Moresby down to the coastal plains.

Kokoda Museum
A small museum was set up in the 1970's by the Keinzle family and the local district office.

Kokoda Airfield
Wartime airstrip used to resupply Australian troops

P-40N Serial Number 41-36243 Tail 82 (81)
Crashed near Kokoda

P-40E "The Spoddessape" Tail 68 Serial 41-25178
Recovered in 2003 by Robert Greinert / Jason Cockayne to Australia

Contribute Information
Do you have photos or additional information to add?

Last Updated
March 23, 2009