The Kokoda Trail – 10 Essential Facts
The Kokoda Trail: 10 Essential Facts
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Author: Charlie
Time for PNG to take back Kokoda
Time for PNG to reclaim ownership of the Kokoda Trail
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The Rise, Fall and Future of Kokoda Tourism: 1991-2023
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.
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DFAT in Kokodaland
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.
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Governor Juffa’s Betrayal of Kokoda Tourism
Oro Provincial Governor Gary Juffa has recently been referred to the PNG Ombudsman’s Commission for his threats of violence against a charter airline if they flew Adventure Kokoda trekkers into Kokoda in April 2023.
His actions amount to a breach of the General Responsibilities of Office as defined under Section 27(1)(a) of the PNG Constitution which states that, “(1) A person to whom this Division applies has a duty to conduct himself in such a way, both in his public or official life and his private life, and in his associations with other persons, as not – (a) to place himself in a position in which he has or could have a conflict of interests or might be compromised when discharging his public or official duties;…”
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