Stretching between the villages of Salamaua and Wau in the island Nation of Papua New Guinea is a long-forgotten second world war track called “The Black Cat Track”.
It has it all…dangerous river crossings, swamps, cliffs, precarious rock-ledges, venomous snakes, and leeches that will suck the blood from your veins after the malaria carrying mosquito’s have finished with you…
The Lonely Planet guidebook describes the Black Cat Track as “suitable only for masochists and Israeli Paratroopers”.
This region of Papua New Guinea has some of the most spectacular jungle scenery on the planet and is the habitat of the country’s national emblem, the superbly beautiful Bird of Paradise.
I had to postpone a trek along the Black Cat Track a few years back due to civil unrest in the region, something it has been prone to from time-to-time, but I have been anxious to undertake this adventure and revisit a country Janet-Planet (Mrs Landy) and I lived in as newly weds many years ago…
And whilst I have not given up on my desire to climb amongst the world’s highest peaks in the Himalayas, the earthquake and tragic devastation it caused to Nepal and its people earlier this year has added a layer of complexity to that ambition!
But crikey, I need to “feed the rat” with adventure and an opportunity has arisen to join a trek along the Black Cat Track in May 2016 with a group of Papua New Guinean Nationals – “Legends” as they are rightly referred to and ably led by Aidan Grimes.
Co-incidentally, it will be almost 10-years to the day that I walked the Kokoda Track with Aidan, a veteran of 100 traverses of the Kokoda Track; a track that is synonymous with Papua New Guinea and the battles fought by our brave and courageous “diggers” during World War Two.
It will make a change to the Australian Outback and snow covered mountain peaks…
What an adventure, hey!
So strap on your backpack and get your hiking boots out…there is plenty of training to be done…
Baz – The Landy
Xplore 
Sounds like a great adventure! I once got a UN job there, but never took it up as the civil unrest was fairly severe at the time. Looking forward to reading all about it!
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Generally pretty good up there. Janet and I lived there for three years, loved it!
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This sounds like such an adventure, I can’t wait to read more about it 🙂
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Thanks Sas, looking forwards to it, although some time off yet…
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Rather you than me but it does sound epic.
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many years ago, I spent some time in the jungles of the West Sepik. A beautiful but dangerous place.
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Yes, it has seen its problems. Missed out on a walk up there a few years back to the problems. But confident it has improved now.
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I’d love to go back, but can’t see it happening now…
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Sounds like it is time to feed the “rat”, Baz. Looking forward to the stories and photos of your adventures!
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love the way you are flexible and are always willing to take on new adventures and that you take me along with you :} thanks :]
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A pleasure BG – just need to bring the fitness back up to speed. Hence back on the tower with ‘The Lunies’. Baz
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