Black Cat Track
| The BCT | |
|---|---|
| Location | Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea |
| Trailheads | Salamaua / Wau |
| Use | Walking |
| Hiking details | |
| Trail difficulty | Hard |
| Season | All |
| Sights | WWII History, Jungle, Mountains |
Coordinates: 7°03′39″S 147°02′38″E / 7.0609°S 147.0438°E
The Black Cat Track or Trail is a rough overland track in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. It runs from the village of Salamaua on the coast of the Huon Gulf, south into the mountains to the township of Wau. In the 21st century despite being a difficult journey it became a hiking destination for international trekkers.
The name is taken from the Black Cat Gold Mine in Wau. It is also known as the Skindawai Track.
The track started out in the 1920s and 30s as a trail for prospectors seeking to get rich on the gold in Wau. They traveled from the port Salamaua on a treacherous 3 to 4-day hike through leech-infested territory, a trail that recently has been described as "suitable only for masochists and Israeli Paratroopers".
Before Errol Flynn (who grew up in Australia and New Guinea) became an actor in 1933, he hiked this trail and commented that it was a rigorous march through leech-infested jungle, in constant fear of ambush, and lying awake at night wondering "whether that crawly sound you heard a few feet away might be a snake, a cassowary or maybe only a wild boar razorback ... I have seen Central Africa, but it was never anything like the jungle of New Guinea."
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Wikipedia