2020 KOKODA TREK OPERATOR REVIEWS: Tripadvisor
A number of rogue individuals and companies can obtain licenses as trek operators without any due-dilligence checks – and they are free to operate!
Read More
Category: TREKKING
TREKKING: All you need to know!
A trek across the Kokoda Trail should be regarded as a pilgrimage – a journey of moral significance through a jungle shrine linked to our Australian heritage.
Read More
BEYOND ENDURANCE: The Westfield Sydney-Melbourne Ultra-Marathon – a tale of legends!
The Westfield Sydney to Melbourne Ultra-Marathon was made famous by a most unlikely hero in 1983.
A 63-year old potato farmer, Cliff Young – who trained in gumboots – shuffled his way down the Hume Highway to blitz the field and win the inaugural event.
Read More
Kokoda 4 Schools
Our ‘Kokoda 4 Schools’ program’ is based on the historical adversity of the Kokoda campaign. It’s not about victory or defeat – it’s about the ability of the human spirit to conquer adversity. It’s about understanding that their legacy is our liberty. It’s about the development of personal leadership.
Read MoreWhat our trekkers think of their PNG guides and carriers
‘I cannot say enough kind words about them. Throughout the entire trek I felt supported and knew that I could turn to them for help at any time. They were always in the right spot at the right time. They were so...
Read MoreA mother’s perspective of our 2018 Kokoda Youth Leadership Challenge . . .
A mother’s perspective of our 2018 Kokoda Youth Leadership Challenge . . .
Read MoreTrip Advisor Ratings for Kokoda Trek Operators
Trip Advisor Ratings for Kokoda Trek Operators
Read MoreWhy does PNG tolerate ‘blackbirding’ on Kokoda?
Recent articles on the history of ‘blackbirding’ in the Pacific should serve to shine the spotlight on the Australian Kokoda Tour Operators Association (KTOA) whose member lead treks across the Kokoda Trail. The most...
Read MoreBlackbirders on Kokoda – BeAware
School holidays offer great opportunities for Australian ‘blackbirders’ operating on the Kokoda Trail.
Blackbirding was a form of slavery which saw Papua New Guineans coerced into working as cheap labour on Queensland sugar plantations in the late 19th Century before it was outlawed.
However the practice has mutated into various forms since then and now involves shady operators who have cashed in on the Kokoda trekking industry over the past decade. Papua New Guinea is a governance free zone for blackbirders who are not subject to the same scrutiny they would receive in Australia.
The current dysfunction and debasement of the Kokoda Trail management authority provides them with free rein to promote themselves as legitimate. They are akin to a malarial parasite running through a quinine free bloodstream. There are no limits to the extent they can exploit local Papua New Guinean guides, carriers and villagers who live in a subsistence economy and are desperate for work.
Read MoreKokoda Guides: What teenage girls really think
Two attention seeking wannabees recently set out to trek across the Kokoda Trail in the wet season without proper clothing, camping equipment or a local PNG guide. They achieved their five minutes of fame when they...
Read MoreKokoda Pilgrimages for Schools
Our Kokoda pilgrimages for schools incorporate: Student-Parent Treks, Historical Treks tailored to suit school curriculum, and Youth Leadership treks. Student-Parent Treks There is no greater bond of mateship, or...
Read MoreAdventure Kokoda trekking hints for keeping clean on the trail
A high standard of personal hygiene is essential to avoid discomfort and disease when trekking in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. The tropics are unforgiving on those who are slack in this regard. Microscopic There are no large...
Read More