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Kokoda Airport Terminal Building:
Attention all trekking companies, Kokoda Track Authority and Airline Companies & pilots.
Quite a few years ago Kokoda Trekking decided to renovate the old terminal building in Kokoda and turn it into something to be proud of. We also wanted to add some atmosphere for trekkers as they arrive and or depart from Kokoda so asked local PNG carvers to design and build for us a signboard to 'Welcome' trekkers to Kokoda which has proved a big hit as a photo opportunity upon arrival in Kokoda.
Kokoda Trekking did not put any advertising material up in lights stating that we paid for the terminal building and all the thatched huts providing shade; paid staff to continually mow the terminal area; made sure the toilets and shower were always clean with toilet paper provided; that the water tank always had water pumped up to the smaller tank on the roof for gravity feed to these amenities. We always made sure the tap outside the fenced area worked so trekkers could fill up their camel packs with water; that locals had water to drink whilst waiting for their flight etc
Airline companies always had a nice clean area in which to work and turn round their flights from Kokoda; cargo was sometimes stored there when passengers did not turn up to collect their cargo and so on.
At the beginning of June 2009 we thought we would improve the services previously offered even further and commenced putting in some shelves so we could sell cold soft drinks; ice-cream; hot food; artifacts etc. After the work was completed at more expense, we applied to the authorities in Kokoda for a permit to operate the shop. The permit was refused but permission was granted for us to operate from 'Orohaven Kokoda Retreat' situated further down the runway on the opposite side owned by Kokoda Trekking.
Shortly after receiving this news, a decision was made to move the premises from the present position on land we had no control over to Orohaven Kokoda Retreat and rebuild. During the past two weeks our staff have worked round the clock to remove all materials and move them to Orohaven. Work has already commenced at Orohaven and should be finished in the not too distant future when once again we will provide shade for trekkers and the general public.
Providing everything goes according to plan we should be able to offer hot food; pizza's; cold drinks, ice-cream and many other products. During the past month we have also started commercial chicken farming on the block. This has proved popular to both locals and trekkers who are looking for protein in Kokoda. We started off with 150 day old chicks every three weeks but the demand has been so high that we are presently sending 200 every week as there is limited fresh meat in Kokoda. This week we sent 13 rabbits for breeding purposes which we are hoping will prove popular to the locals as an alternative to chicken.
Now back to the airport: During the past couple of days I have received emails asking why we have pulled down the terminal building so I thought it best to put something up on our website.
For those of you who may not be aware, 'all materials' used on the premises with the exception of a few iron sheets on the roof and a couple of steel posts remains of the old terminal building, everything else was supplied by Kokoda Trekking. All wages were also paid by Kokoda Trekking with no help from Airlines; Kokoda Track Authority or other trekking companies.; Local Level Government (LLG) authorities etc.
Since building the premises we have also had to provide two full time security staff to make sure nothing was stolen from the premises and to ensure the grass continued to be mowed and the area remained clean and tidy. Shrubs need pruning that we planted for beautification to try and keep the premises and surrounding area clean and tidy.
Now that we have moved the materials to the new block, it will mean we have consolidated our facilities in Kokoda so we will be able to provide even better services and amenities for the travelling publc and the population of Kokoda. The 'Welcome to Kokoda' signpost will once again be erected outside 'Orohaven Kokoda Retreat' and we trust that trekkers from all companies will continue to have their photographs taken with this in the background.
In the meantime we beg you for your patience as we build again something similar at Orohaven Kokoda Retreat. We will provide shade; seating; flushing toilet, cold refreshments and food. It is not our intention to create another airport terminal building as the powers to be in Kokoda will determine where they will be, but for anyone waiting for hours to catch a flight you will have an alternative like before to be out of the sun in a nice environment whilst you wait for your flight.
If we cannot bring food to the people hopefully we will bring people to the food and amenities.
Kokoda Trekking will continue to serve all trekking companies and to provide services to the people of Kokoda.
Please be a little patient with us whilst we complete the new project at Orohaven Kokoda Retreat.
The photograph below was the first time I landed in Kokoda and saw the Kokoda Terminal Building as it was back then:
036KokodaTerminal0001__Small_.JPGSometime later all the walls were gone along with the two seats and only the steel posts remained. You will note Grace who is the agent for APNG having to sit on the cement to book in clients:
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Grace_Eroro_checking_in_clients.jpgInitially we had a pit toilet dug into the side of the airstrip for both males and females and surrounded the walls with a tarpaulin. Within days the tarpaulin along with the toilets had disappeared.
Grounds_before_we_took_over_and_kept_them_clean_and_mowed.jpg
So the next step was to build a toilet they could not remove easily and renovate the old premises. We started work and before long produced something we were quite proud of.
After the terminal building was finished we put in a tank; seats; flushing toilet and shade areas for trekkers and beautified the area with plants we purchased in Port Moresby and sent by plane to Kokoda. The general public of Kokoda also had somewhere to sit in the shade waiting and/or departing for a flight.
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Kokoda_Airport_Grounds.jpg
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Kokoda_Airport.jpgThe haus win area with Soc Kienzle seen here in this photograph:
Soc_Keinzle.jpgBesides the airport terminal building we at Kokoda Trekking have continually mowed the airstrip with little or no return for many years compared to the outlay of wages; fuel consumption; Kumusi Bridge being washed away and fuel having to be flown in by chartered aircraft; replacement parts for our two tractor lawnmowers we purchased along with hand mowers and so on. At the end of May this came to an end when the Kokoda Track Authority asked us to stop.
Throughout the years however, we provided this service and are proud as pilots did not close the Kokoda airstrip which allowed our trekkers and other trekking companies the ability to fly in their clients. On a couple of occasions when for some reason or other we were not able to cut the strip, operations staff from airline companies would phone us to ask when it would be done like it was our responsibility alone to mow the airstrip.
We would respond as quickly as we could and since the first day we commenced the mowing, the airstrip has not been closed due to long grass and Kokoda always looked nice and clean and mowed from one end to the other. At times our boys would mow it wider and longer than necessary but they did a good job and by the time they would finish it would be time to start again in the opposite direction all over again as grass in Kokoda grows so quick with the humid conditions and regular rainfall.
Airstrip_Grass.jpg
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Iseki__small_.jpgSo thats it folks, we will continue to serve trekkers and the people of Kokoda from our very own
OROHAVEN KOKODA RETREAT.Stay tuned for new updates !!!
OROHAVENLOGO1_200_size.jpgFirstly thanks for your work on the airport terminal and Orohaven Retreat.
I just finished my trek last Wednesday with another trekking company as part of a charity trek. Hardest and most satisfying thing I have ever done in my life.
Sadly the terminal facilities have been knocked down/over in the last week and flowers surrounding the terminal burnt. Apparently due to a local dispute? All that is left is a few cinder blocks to sit on and thankfully a tin shelter for shade.
We had a delay in our flights getting in so we headed down to the Orohaven Retreat and was elated to find cold soft drinks, SP's, ICE CREAM!! and wood fired pizzas. YUM! It certainly was a welcome relief after 7 days of trekking. The facilites at the retreat look to be excellent and i would recommend the pizzas along with a cold SP.
Gail, Russell and team
Congrats and thanks for what you have undertaken to do at the Kokoda Air Terminal in the past it has certainly been greatly appreciated not only by those of us trekkers passing through but I know from chatting to them by the locals as well.
Not knowing the politics behind it I cannot understand the recent decisons made rgarding the selling of refreshments at the terminal and the mowing of the strip these decisons made by those authorites in Moresby to me personally appear a backward step.
I am pleased to see that you most certainly have not thrown in the towel but again at your own expense moved everything to Orohaven where it will be set up even bigger and better than before.
I certainly will make full use of it when hopefully I return to Kokoda in 2010.
Keep up the good work
BrianBrian "I certainly will make full use of it…'
As will I (& my partner) when we trek in October of this year (even though we are regrettably with another company). Sad to hear the news after so much hard work & dedication (without thanks or pay) has been put in, but elated to hear that because of the dispute/s that you have continued to provide the service at your own Orohaven retreat where there will be not a thing anyone can do about it but to accept it. Thank you Gail for as Brian said, ' not throwing in the towel', but also embracing the obstacle as a challenge ready to be met with everything you and the boys from KTL have within you.
You Go Girl!!!
2nd July: Today a trekker who flew in from Kokoda had this to say in an email he sent to me from an internet cafe. We were expecting him to fly in on the normal RPT service with Airlines of PNG however he decided to jump on the return Tropic Air charter and arrived in Port Moresby much earlier then expected. By the time we found out and rushed to the airport, he had already got in a taxi and later he sent an email refer below.
New Reply: finished trek
hey gail,
wow, you guys are good !
im in a internet cafe atm, just near the ela beach lodge, and going to kavieng at 1455 today, i return sunday about 7am and then go to brisbane that afternoonl Orohaven is phenominal – you guys are very smart and i think you are on a gold mine there – the service was exceptional and food out of this world, such a great set up of PNG meeting australia, the relaxed environment, showers, toilets and bedding was first rate.
what negatives could i say about it? not many, if i really had to find a negative, then i thought that the mosquito wire could have gone from the top of the ceiling to the walls, eliminating that gap between the wall and roofing, having said that, i thought about it a bit and thought that the cost benefits of it would not be worth it as the mosquito nets were more than sufficient. so therefore only postivies from the experience.
The food, service, services and establishment created a relaxed and welcome environment, i was very impressed.
postives about the tour is that the guides were very personable, and knowledgable about the treck, my guide was very attentitive and great to work with, as i said, i didn't have any pain throughout the trek, the boys knew when i needed a rest, and knew every water stop along the way, i was very happy with them all.
cheers
daveUpdate 19th July: There has been a slight delay in the rebuilding process at Orohaven so it may take a little longer than anticipated. On the 7th July I was supposed to fly over to give more instructions when the night before three angry locals went to the camp and started cutting and destroying all the plants surrounding the guesthouses and some other equipment such as one of our motor bikes parked there.
As a result of these actions, I ceased work for the time being and flew our Filipino Manager and our construction Manager and his family back into Port Moresby until I could investigate the cause and to make sure it was safe for them to remain there. Fred our cook/come Manager flew home to spend some time with his family after three months in Kokoda and the other staff are on standby working here in Port Moresby.
Investigations have since proved that it was a domestic dispute rather than an attack on the company or Orohaven so I have decided to send staff back to Kokoda in the next couple of weeks to commence where they left off.
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