Trekkers find remains at Kokoda

AUSTRALIAN Department of Defence experts will launch formal identification processes after a Geelong-based trekking group discovered human remains near Papua New Guinea’s Kokoda Track.
A PNG porter from a trek group led by Mick O’Malley discovered a skull and thigh bone while fishing in a stream at a village known as 1900, near Menari.
O’Malley said ammunition was at the site, pointing to World War II battles between Australian and Japanese forces.
“It was a little bit of a shock really to be honest,” the veteran of 15 Kokoda treks said.
“It certainly puts the war into perspective. They’re not just stories or fables, it’s real life.
“When you see Bomana War Cemetery at the end of the track, you get the sense this is actually real and this was the same feeling.”
He was unsure if the bones were those of a digger or a Japanese soldier.
O’Malley runs Australian Kokoda Tours and was leading a group from the North Ballarat Football Club on a trek which finished last week.