A Dingo's Breakfast.....a what?

As you may or may not know I’m a voracious reader (really?? – thank you Sherlock Holmes), and never has that been more firmly ensconced that during my preparation for my upcoming trip to Papua New Guinea.   The expedition that I’m about to embark on is a very famous part of Australian folklore, and with me being a bit of history buff is right up my alley.  

So what the hell does a “Dingo’s breakfast” have to do with your expedition to Papua New Guinea?   Great question……

The year was 1942, and Australia was under the threat of invasion by the Forces of the Empire of Japan.  They had been unstoppable since their surprise attack at Pearl Harbour and subsequent surge across the Pacific and much of South East Asia, landing on the north coast of Papua New Guinea their aim was to completely catch the allies off guard, as they had done so recently in Malaya and capture Port Moresby by overland route vs. a seaborne invasion having recently been defeated in the battle of the Coral Sea by a combined US and Australian naval force.   At that time Australia was completely unprepared and unprotected as their regular army was fighting in North Africa with the British 8^th army.  

So the task was left to a small, mostly untrained and definitely under equipped rag-tag militia force   (39^th battalion) to hold off further advance.   The militia force was made up of those that were either too young or too old for the regular army, so it was a real mixed bag of characters that set out from Port Moresby to Kokoda with all of their gear into the vast unknown that July morning in 1942 (at that time the track wasn’t marked, it ran in a circuitous route from village to village over the mountains and used primarily by local tribesmen, brave missionaries and the occasional miner looking for his fortune).  

The odds were clearly stacked against them;  having to carry all of their own gear – including weapons, ammunition, water and finally food.   It’s hard to fathom that food was the least of their worries and often last to be packed, with much of it being left behind.  They were truly beast of burden – remember no high tech packs and walking paraphernalia, they had canvas packs, with thin shoulder straps (must of cut into them painfully), cotton clothing that soaked up the sweat and chaffed mercilessly, well you get the picture.…painful to just think about it actually.  The worst must have been about the third day out on the track, when they had pretty much run out of food, and this is where the phase was coined a “dingo’s breakfast”.  It was in reference to when the soldiers got up in the morning – stiff, sore, hungry and aching all over that they all enjoyed a “dingo’s breakfast”…… a bit of a scratch, a piss and a look around.   Shoulder your gear boys and let’s go – that’s all there is.   They walked for eight brutal days until they reached the village of Kokoda and a date with destiny.

Fast forward sixty nine years, and fortunately for me I’ll be in a team that has all the high tech gear including maps (nice touch!), an abundance of food, as well as friendly villages if we need to procure additional supplies.  Clearly my hope is that I won’t need to resort to a “dingo’s breakfast” anytime soon, but that being said, as part of the experience I might just have to do it once as a salute to those brave souls who passed this way all those years ago.

As you can see by my stories over the past month (I know if feels longer doesn’t it), the significance of this expedition is not only in the physical and mental effort required to conquer the track, but the historical legacy for me as an Australian who grew up surrounded with these stories.    You mention the “Kokoda Track” to an Aussie and there is a universal understanding of the extreme sacrifice and dedication paid to hold the track in those dark and desperate days of 1942. 

I’m leaving later this afternoon (got that John Denver song in my head and can’t seem to get it out – Leaving on a Jet Plane), during my expedition I won’t be able to post any new blogs, but have skillfully packed an old fashioned pen and notebook ready to jot down my thoughts, emotions and stories from the track as I definitely want to share all the trials and tribulations of my adventure with you.  

Clearly the upside for you is that you’ll be able to enjoy my experiences and stories from the safety and comfort of your own couch, while sipping a latte or perhaps a glass of merlot – hey it’s almost better than National Geographic! 

So until my next installment……….