Nobody could ever accuse me of being a partisan Albo supporter, however I believe his decision to spend a couple of days on the Kokoda Trail with his PNG counterpart, Prime Minister James Marape, has been a diplomatic masterstroke.
Read MoreAnthony Albanese is the latest Prime Minister after Paul Keating, John Howard, Kevin Rudd and Scott Morrison to link himself with Kokoda.
Read More
The Kokoda Trail: 10 Essential Facts
Read More
Time for PNG to reclaim ownership of the Kokoda Trail
Read More
This paper is based on my experiences leading 101 expeditions across the Kokoda Trail over a 32 year period between 1991-2023.
Prior to this there was no Kokoda tourism industry and subsistence villagers earned zero income.
During my time in PNG I spent 95 percent of my time on the Kokoda Trail working with our guides and carriers on the Trail and either living in their villagers or with them on the Sogeri plateau.
My purpose is to summarize the situation which led to the rise of Kokoda tourism under PNG management from 2004 – 2008; its demise under the management of Australian environment officials from 2009 – 2023; and its potential it as a world-class pilgrimage tourism destination.
Read More