Hello!

My name is Jo – I am a postgraduate History student at the University of Western Australia and recently launched an online survey to find out more about Australians who trek the Kokoda Track – their motivations for making the journey and the meanings they attribute to the experience.

You can learn more about the project (and complete the survey) at http://www.mykokoda.com.au

Walking Kokoda is an incredible experience and as a historian I believe each trekker has an important story to tell. While I have attended a dawn service at Gallipoli I have not made the journey to Kokoda yet – however I look forward to experiencing it for myself one day!

Prior to 2001 few Australians had walked the Kokoda Track however in just under ten years a $100 million tourism industry has developed in Papua New Guinea. The speed at which the industry has developed reflects the incredibly strong emotional and historical connection Australians have with Kokoda.

While there have been several studies of pilgrimages to Gallipoli and the Western Front – there has been comparatively little written about Kokoda. This is slowly changing – which is very exciting! A few years ago Simone Grabowski studied the trekking industry from an eco-tourism standpoint and Rob Kelly from Monash University recently included Kokoda in his study of battlefield tourism.

My online survey is short (it should take about 10 minutes to complete) and all responses will be confidential. It is open to all Australian residents over the age of 18 and I will be gathering responses between April – August 2011.

I would love your support and would welcome any contributions and feedback! Feel free to contact me for a chat. 🙂

Jo Hawkins
University of Western Australia
School of Humanities (History)
35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA 6009
http://www.mykokoda.com.au
johawkins@gmail.com
Mob: +61 (0)431 260 552