The ‘Golden Staircase’
The ‘Golden Staircase’ on Imita Ridge, Papua New Guinea, was made famous as part of the Kokoda Track used by World War II Australian soldiers. It is infamous for its steepness and ruggedness, as well as its strategic location during 1942. It was considered the final obstacle to the Japanese objective of capturing Port Moresby, so the soldiers were told to fight to the death and to the very last man. Each step was battened at its edge by a rough log, often broken and covered with slippery mud. When climbing the stairs, soldiers had to lift their leg over the possibly rotted log and put their foot down on the step which was frequently a puddle of mud up to six inches deep.
In 2007 the Golden Staircase was supposedly rediscovered, as Charlie Lynn disagreed with where the current Kokoda Trek traversed, arguing that it did not match up with soldier’s recollections. So armed with a GPS and the help of local landowners they set out to find it. Through matching army survey maps, GPS coordinates, grid references and the lay of the land they were able to locate the original Golden Staircase. It was also confirmed by the finding of a number of old ammunition dumps and weapon pits around it.
The Kokoda Trail
The Kokoda Trail is a track that runs for 96 kilometres through the Owen Stanley Range in Papua New Guinea, notoriously difficult, it was made famous as one of the most significant battles between the Japanese and Australians during World War II. It is now a popular trek for Aussies wanting to experience history.
The Japanese landed at PNG on July 21 1942 intent on capturing Port Moresby. It is argued that had they succeeded mainland Australia would have come under dire threat. It is also significant as more Australians died in the seven months of fighting in PNG than in any other campaign, as they were massively outnumbered and fighting in treacherous conditions.
Modern Staircase Design
Modern Style