Papua New Guinea Archives - Adventure Kokoda Blog

A Chronicle of our Kokoda Journey: 1991-2024

by Charlie | Dec 17, 2024 | ADVENTURE KOKODA, OUR VIEWPOINT | 0

Over the past 32 years I have led 101 expeditions across the Kokoda Trail. During this time I have also travelled to Canberra to brief eight of the 11 Ministers for Veterans Affairs and three of the Ministers for International Aid and the Pacific, on the need to protect our shared military heritage across the Kokoda Trail. Unfortunately, there were no outcomes from these meetings.

I have also submitted numerous papers with suggestions for improving the management of Kokoda pilgrimage tourism. These were based on the collective experience of our trek leaders who have a combined total of 160 years professional military experience and who have led more than 600 expeditions across the Trail over the past 32 years. All have been ignored by DFAT environment officials in Canberra and Port Moresby.

The Kokoda Trail: Chronology of Mismanagement: 2009-2024

by Charlie | Nov 30, 2024 | MANAGEMENT ISSUES | 0

Under Australian management since 2009 trekker numbers have declined by 42% resulting in a direct annual loss of $1.2 million (K3.1 million) for village communities across the Trail.

Adventure Kokoda Pilgrimages for Schools

by Charlie | Jun 2, 2024 | SCHOOL GROUPS | 0

‘Army Basic Training — often called boot-camp — prepares recruits for all elements of service:...

Why Adventure Kokoda?

by Charlie | May 22, 2024 | OUR VIEWPOINT | 2

Why? Because we are expert on the military history of the Kokoda campaign – and because we engage professional expedition leaders for our treks. This is why we have been rated No.1 on Trip Advisor for the past nine years.

The Kokoda Trail – 10 Essential Facts

by Charlie | May 16, 2024 | ADVENTURE KOKODA | 0

The Kokoda Trail: 10 Essential Facts

The Rise, Fall and Future of Kokoda Tourism: 1991-2023

by Charlie | May 16, 2024 | ADVENTURE KOKODA, OUR VIEWPOINT | 0

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.

Funding Proposal for a Kokoda Trail Military Heritage Master Plan

by Charlie | May 15, 2024 | ADVENTURE KOKODA, OUR VIEWPOINT | 1

Michael Pender, an accredited Military Heritage Architect from HPA Projects was commissioned by Network Kokoda to develop a Master Plan for the Kokoda Trail for the 70th anniversary of the Kokoda campaign in 2012.

The plan has been ignored by the DFAT Kokoda Initiative in PNG as they regarded the development of a World Heritage Listing for the Owen Stanley Ranges as a priority.

Since then, a 2015 report from an Australian expert on World Heritage listings, Dr Peter Hitchcock AM and Dr Jennifer Gabriel concluded that the Kokoda Trail does not meet the criteria for a World Heritage listing.

Conflict in command during the Kokoda campaign of 1942: did General Blamey deserve the blame?

by Charlie | May 14, 2024 | MILITARY HERITAGE, OUR VIEWPOINT | 8

General Sir Thomas Blamey was commander-in-chief of the Australian Military Forces during World War II. Tough and decisive, he did not resile from sacking ineffective senior commanders when the situation demanded. He has been widely criticised by more recent historians for his role in the sackings of Lieutenant-General S. F. Rowell, Major-General A. S. Allen and Brigadier A. W. Potts during the Kokoda Campaign of 1942. Lieutenant Colonel Rowan Tracey, a Trek Leader with Adventure Kokoda examines each sacking and concludes that Blamey’s actions in each case were justified in a paper published by the Royal United Services Institute, Volume 61, 2010.

Time for PNG to take back Kokoda

by Charlie | May 12, 2024 | OUR VIEWPOINT | 0

Time for PNG to reclaim ownership of the Kokoda Trail

DFAT in Kokodaland

by Charlie | Mar 20, 2024 | OUR VIEWPOINT | 2

The Kokoda Track Authority International Tour Operators Forum conducted at a 5-Star hotel at Southbank in Brisbane on 22-23 November 2023 is a far cry from remote villagers eking out a subsistence lifestyle across the Kokoda Trail – about as far as one could possibly get!

The Minutes of the forum indicate the clique of government officials, consultants, and rent-seeking eco-tour operators operate in a parallel universe to the two key stakeholders in Kokoda tourism i.e., those who invest in the pilgrimage and generate the income for the industry and those who own the land sacred to our shared military history.

Adventure Kokoda Charity

by Charlie | Feb 13, 2024 | NETWORK KOKODA, OUR CHARITY | 0

Charlie Lynn, who trekked Kokoda 101 times over a 32 year period, has come face-to-face with both emergency needs of villagers and their ongoing development needs.

During this period he established the Kokoda Track Foundation and Network Kokoda as philanthropic bodies to support their needs in education, health and agriculture.

In additions to this his company, Adventure Kokoda, has funded emergency evacuations and hospital treatment for village children in need of urgent care.

Adventure Kokoda Meals

by Charlie | Feb 12, 2024 | OUR TREKS | 0

The logistics involved in the purchase, storage, packing (by day and by meal lots), cooking, serving,and cleaning up are a major challenge as there are virtually no back-up facilities anywhere across the 138 km Kokoda Trail.

Our rationing system is therefore based on the purchase of all food from supermarkets in Port Moresby; the engagement of a specialist PNG catering crew; and a helicopter resupply half-way across the Trail.

Tag: Papua New Guinea