Guided by Phillip Bradley, the author of The Battle for Wau, see where the Australian army fought one of the most desperate battles of the New Guinea campaign in World War Two.

Now you can visit this battlefield and see where Captain Sherlock held the line against a Japanese regiment within view of Wau airfield itself. This tour will give you the opportunity to stand on the critical knoll on Wandumi Ridge and view the course of this critical battle. With a 360 degree view you can look out at ranges from which the Japanese attacked and to the gullies on either side along which the enemy infantry infiltrated. Looking behind you can see the Japanese objective of Wau and its vital airfield. You can also look over the battlefield from the Japanese commander’s view, further along the ridge. Then descend the ridge passing the final rearguard positions to the Bulolo River where Sherlock fell.

Around Wau you can also go over the battlefield where the Japanese thrust was finally defeated and also within walking distance is an extraordinary B-17 Flying Fortress, still intact after over 60 years. Attacked by Zero fighters during the bombing raid to stop the Japanese regiment from landing at Lae, the B-17 pilot, Ray Dau, had his hands full just to keep the plane flying. With both his starboard engines out, as his plane steadily lost altitude, a crash landing was inevitable. Dau and Hoggan kept the plane in the air only with lots of left aileron and a strong left rudder, turning to the right all the time. Dau later recalled, ‘we were headed up a small valley and couldn’t get over the mountains’. The plane could only fly straight up that canyon with mountain ridges on either side and Ray Dau faced the inevitable. ‘I knew it was just a matter of time, so I began looking for a soft place to set her down. We glided in on the side of a mountain at about 110 miles an hour and, as luck would have it, there were no trees – nothing but nice soft grass – so we slid along into a crash landing’. Stand next to the wreck and consider the story of this raid and the bravery of the airmen who managed to land the aircraft on the side of a ridge, and walk away.

Beyond the battlefield, explore the area on a four wheel drive tour to experience the wondrous views across Wau Valley from the top of the mountain range. Also take in the natural delights of the Wau Ecology Centre where native butterflies are bred and where Birds of Paradise fly around you in the walk-in aviary. Stay in the comfort of the Wau guesthouse where you can wander in the adjacent gardens in the cool of the afternoon before enjoying a hearty meal to end a rewarding day.

DAY ONE: Pick up at Lae / Nadzab airport, drive to Lae Cemetery, drive along the beautiful Bulolo Valley via Bulolo to Wau

Meals included
Approx timings: 1000- Pick up Nadzab
1100-1200: Lae cemetery
1200-1300: Lunch in Lae
1300-1600: Drive to Wau
Accom: overnight at Wau guesthouse

DAY TWO: Wau area- drive into the mountains behind Wau to the Wau Ecology Institute to see the butterfly breeding program and the magnificent Birds of Paradise. Battlefield overview from the location of the Australian commander during the battle for Wau

Meals included
Approx timings: 1000- Leave Wau guesthouse for mountains and ecology centre
1300- Lunch at guesthouse
1430- Battlefield overview
Accom: overnight at Wau guesthouse

DAY THREE: Wau area- drive down to Kaisenik village and then a walk up to Wandumi Ridge where the critical action by Captain Sherlock’s beleaguered company was fought. Follow the course of this action on a battlefield little changed in 65 years.

Meals included
Approx timings: 1000- Leave Wau guesthouse for Kaisenik
1100-1530 Walk to Wandumi Ridge battlefield and return
1600- Return to guesthouse
Accom: overnight at Wau guesthouse

DAY FOUR: Wau area- drive out past Kaisenik village and then walk in to the foothills where a Flying Fortress bomber remains intact on the hillside where it landed during the battle for Wau. This is your opportunity to see the best preserved aircraft remaining in Papua New Guinea.

Meals included
Approx timings: 1000- Leave Wau guesthouse for Biawen
1100-1430 Walk to B17 and return
1530- Return to guesthouse
Accom: overnight at Wau guesthouse

DAY FIVE: An early morning drive down the Bulolo Valley to Nadzab airport for the flight back to Port Moresby.

*Note: Order of activities for Day 2 to 4 may vary depending on weather

Tour includes: All transfers Lae to Wau and return plus all transport around Wau, all meals at Wau- hearty breakfasts and dinners, picnic lunch if applicable.

Tour size is six persons minimum and eight persons maximum.