Beverley Partridge is the daughter of a Kokoda veteran and the wife of a Vietnam Veteran. I never knew of her connection with Kokoda until she joined my trek in 1995 – and I never knew of her emotional interpretation of the pilgrimage until she sent me this poem and short story after her return from PNG.
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“Kokoda is almost the complete adventure experience for Australian baby-boomers and young adventurers. It requires physical stamina and mental tenacity. The wartime history evokes strong emotions. The unconditional care and support of local PNG guides and villagers is humbling. The environment is rugged, remote and pristine.”
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The era of ‘magic pudding marketing’ for Kokoda is over if PNG is serious about achieving its potential as a world-class pilgrimage tourism destination!
Read MoreOn 12 March 2020 we received an email from Kate Michelly, Senior Program Manager. Australia Office for Oxford Policy Management (UK) ‘regarding a review of the Australian Government development program components of the Kokoda Initiative funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.’
Ms Michelly advised that ‘the Australian High Commission has engaged Oxford Policy Management (OPM) to conduct an independent review into the effectiveness and relevance of Australia’s support to the Kokoda Initiative Partnership’ and that ‘the major focus of the review is ‘learning to support improvement of delivery and provide recommendations for future options for further support of the Kokoda Initiative.’
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The fallacy of a World Heritage listing for the Kokoda Trail, and the myth of its relevance to our military heritage has been exposed by Australian environmental experts in this field.
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