The Kokoda Trail as it has been commemoratively re-named is one of the hidden attractions of the Mt Dandenong Ranges. Set amidst the fresh beauty of the Australian bushland, 1000 steps climb upward beneath a thick canopy of gum trees and pose a challenge to the most ambitious travelers.
Being in Melbourne for a few days, I decided this morning to take the challenge and embark on the Kokoda bush trail. The air was fresh; some would alternative between adjectives such as cold, crisp, chilly or in extreme terms – freezing! however I welcomed the change in season having become so accustomed to the sub-tropical temperatures of Queensland. An early morning rainfall had left its residue on the native bush and the passive morning sun had done little to avail the ferns of the small water droplets which rested on their long-reaching fronds. Every aspect of the bush, the sounds, the falling leaves and the freshness of the cool air was brimming with life.
The one thing I miss most about Victoria is the Dandenong Ranges. The native Australian bush is at its most beautiful in the Dandenongs with tall gum trees reaching upward towards the sky and vibrant green gullies of fan-like ferns catching the moisture of early morning. Trickling water flows over lichen covered rocks, lightening struck trees display their enduring beauty and golden rays of sunlight pierce through the trees as though the sky itself had been torn. In all my travels, the Dandenong Ranges are incomparable to any countryside I have seen… the bias of my view is undoubtedly coloured by the nostalgic value I place in this place of my upbringing. For me, the attractiveness of the Dandenong Ranges is not found merely in the beauty captured by any discerning eye, but also in the underlining memories that are encased within this beauty.
Over moss covered rocks and trampled leaves, my brother and I challenged the trail admirably. While my attention was being constantly deviated to the beauty of the surroundings with camera in hand, my younger sibling powered ahead at a more industrious pace and habitually waited for me after every 100 or so steps – an apt description may be ‘a slow but steady pace’. Despite the resounding echo of voices ahead, our thoughts were assailed by the silence of the bush and our every step marked by a feeling of triumph… it was not simply a ‘goal ticked off the list’, it was a memory made that I shall treasure forever.
