Kokoda Trip

Kokoda Trip 2019

From the 16th until the 27th of September, 10 students had the chance to walk the Kokoda trail. The experience, though gruelling, was extremely rewarding. We got the opportunity to see many war relics that locals had found and made a display of. These relics were Australian and Japanese and it gave us an insight into what the soldiers would have had to carry along the trail. This, paired with the knowledge of our guide from No Roads, Phil, taught us all just how much perseverance and determination the Soldiers from both countries needed. It wasn’t all about the war though. The friendships formed within the group were very important and have carried on since we’ve gotten home. The experiences within Kagi, a village we stayed at for two days, were amazing as well. We played games with the kids, made a traditional mumu dish with men and women (Mumu is a dish cooked for family events under hot rocks. The women prepare the food and cook, and the men prepare the fire). We also got the chance to visit their church, and to have a sing along with the local choir kids one night. The track itself was hard, starting hiking at 6:30am and getting into camp between 4 and 5pm. Overall the experience was a rewarding one, that all of us who went would strongly recommend as we all learnt a lot about their culture and the war, and the bonds created between us trekkers is a unique one.

Written by

Kat Morgan & Narelle Brown