Kokoda Challenge Gold Coast

[Boss Meri]

KOKODA CHALLENGE 14-15TH JULY, 2007:

Re Donations to the Kokoda Kids Charity: – Any amount is fully tax deductible – CLICK HERE to be taken to their website:Do not forget to click on the drop down menu and select your team of choice:

• Update 12:45am 15th July: KTL Boys finished in 7th position and the KTL Wantoks 8th but do not qualify as one team member pulled out, ie John Derick Eroro. However, can now go to sleep knowing all our boys are safely home to base.
• Update 12:15am 15th July: Our KOKODA TREKKING KTL Elite team finished in 4th position not too sure at this stage of the time but think its in the vicinity of 14 hours. Our other two teams are presently in 6th & 7th position but last time I spoke to our contact on the ground in Ausralia they were yet to come home. That was about 30 minutes ago. However, KOKODA TREKKING Wantoks is minus one, John Derick Eroro who had to pull out as he injured his knee. I spoke to the guys in the 'Elite Team' and they were overjoyed at their performance. Damon mentioned that Wayne and Brendan should do really well in our own Kokoda Challenge as they were really fit and ready for this race and are perfectly placed with our race in 6 weeks time.
• Update 8:15pm: Nike Hammer has won again four minutes faster than last year. Our KTL Elite team are still in 4th position and are now on the home stretch having passed Checkpoint 11 with 5km to GO! Our KTL Boys are somewhere between Checkpoint 10 & 11 and are about 45 minutes behind them. Tom is on a high and telling his boys not to spend too much time eating and to get MOVING as he wants to FINISH – our other KTL Wantoks team of 3 now is about 10 minutes behind KTL Boys so ALL HEADING FOR THE HOME STRETCH. We have family and friends at Russell's block in Kokoda all waiting patiently by their two way radio for updates
• Update 6:36pm: Lost contact due to no mobile coverage up in the mountains but received the following message from a personal trainer who gave them some training for a day or two on the Gold Coast – quote: Hi Gail, weve just spoken to Mikayla and have an update for you. Elite team is in 4th place at the moment approx 1 hour behind Nike Hammer team. Expected at checkpoint 9 about 7 p.m. Horace having very bad cramps but still running. They are VERY cold. Expected to finish at about 9 p.m. Other 2 teams in about 10th place and expecting home around 11 p.m. will keep you posted on any more news. They are doing REALLY WELL !! bye, pat and Ngaire
• Update 4:00pm: KTL Elite are still in 3rd place – 2 hours behind the 1st team and some 40 minutes behind the 2nd team at checkpont 8. Re KTL Wantoks, John Derick has pulled out due to hurting his knee. All others are proceeding as planned.
• Update 1:30pm: At checkpoint 5 our two teams KTL Boys and KTL Wantoks came in minutes apart. KTL Boys refused to give up and consumed lots of food and other salt replacing drinks in the hope the cramps go away. At that point both teams were still in the top 20. Unfortunately from Checkpoint 6 we are unable to obtain a mobile phone link so will have to be patient until we receive the next update. One would assume that KTL Elite must already be at Checkpoint 8 by now and hopefully maintaining their position and closing in on the other two teams ahead of them.
• Update 1:20pm: Checkpoint 5 – Two of the KTL Boys are suffering from cramps, David (Duggie) Eroro and Cyprian Aire as advised by Tom on a mobile phone call. I just called and was informed one team was about to arrive but do not know which one as yet, KTL Wantoks or TKL Boys. Meanwhile our daughter Cheree and Wallace who are the support crew for KTL Elite have moved onto checkpoint 6.
• Update 12:10pm: The KTL Elite team clocked in at checkpoint 5 at 11:50, 1 hour behind Nike Hammer and 40 minutes behind the team coming second
• Update 11:30am: Nike Hammer and one other team passed by checkpoint 5 around 11am onwards….where are our boys? Yesterday Damon predicted they would pass this checkpoint around 11:30 – 12:00 so can't be too far away…at the moment averaging 9 km per hour….can they keep this up?
• Update 8:40am:1HR 35 minutes later at 8:35am they have checked into CHECKPOINT 2 – three teams are ahead of them at this point who are mostly endurance runners including last years 1st home Nike Hammer's team. At this point, KTL Elite & KTL Boys 4 & 5th position. KTL Wantoks 8th position. Some are experiencing the start of blisters and have taken off their socks.
• Time: 6:40am 14/07/07: Have just spoken to each of our KTL boys and wished them luck. They are all pumped up and READY TO GO! Our daughters have boxes with all their gear to change at the end. Tom brought nothing, he says his focus is just on the race not what he is going to wear at the end. Damon was handing out vaseline and once again Tom declined saying he needing nothing.

  Wayne sounded the most excited. John Derick said they were getting lots of people staring at them. Little Horace, sounded like he was just so excited and kept saying, Mamma Kokoda we are READY! Brendan Buka, said their team is out to WIN, the two Cyprians were really excited and the list goes on. John Korove was the only one who spoke in English so that shows no nerves on his part.

  Turns out the Salomon shoes are RED in colour and really stand out. So the message will certainly get out there what brand of shoes they are wearing. My daughters said they look really nice. They are wearing the MOUNTAIN DESIGN shirt and shorts per their sponsors with our RED hats! They were lined up behind the last years winners NIKE HAMMER! However, its really really COLD and our boys were sitting in our vehicles with the heater going until 6:45. When they left they put their gloves on. They also are wearing skins under their shorts. A big 'THANK YOU to the TREK FOR TOM' trekkers and to Lisa Distant for supplying and delivering them to our house on Friday afternoon.

  The GUN has gone 7:04am, our boys are OFF along with hundreds of others!

DATE: 14-15th July

LOCATION: Gold Coast Hinterland – race commences at Mudgeeraba town centre

FINISH LINE: Nerang Velodrome

TO DONATE – Any amount is fully tax deductible – CLICK HERE to be taken to their website:

Cheree, Mikayla or Nathan will be phoning through regular updates so stay TUNED !!!

Contact Telephone numbers are as follows:

Nathan: (07) 55 716 512 – Mobile Number: 0415499495
Cheree: (07) 55 730 151 – Mobile Number: 0410776339
Mikayla: (07) 55 027 603 – Mobile Number: 0417621854

KTL Mobile Number at their Mt Nimmel Lodge Camp: 0420763135

Email address for Nathan: nathan@kokodatrek.com.au

TEAMS IN THE 2007 KOKODA CHALLENGE:

1. Nike Hammer; 2. KOKODA TREKKING – KTL Elite; 3. Mizuno Rebels; 4. KOKODA TREKKING – KTL Boys; 5. SCU 1; 6. SCU 2; 7. Parmac Property Group; 8. KOKODA TREKKING – KTL Wantoks; 9. The Hot Tomatoes; 10. DUNRUNIN; 11. TEAM LM 1; 12. TEAM LM 2; 13. Nab FP; 14. Team Vodka; 15. ZIMMER; 16. Windmoss; 17. ANZ Team 1; 18. ANZ Team 2; 19. Bunnings Nerang; 20. Team Devine Sports Gel; 21. Effstix; 22. Transplant Challenge; 23. Lost; 24. nab FAWK; 25. Not Under Warranty; 26. Team Footmaster; 27. The Owen Rangers; 28. The Wanderers; 29. Panglossian Plodders; 30. Team RLO; 31. GRIFF SUMIT; 32. Team Samford; 33. Balboa; 34. Worko's Walkers II; 35. Diehard Diggers; 36. Sci-Fleet Toyota; 37. Are We There Yet; 38. Pialba Pyro's; 39. Sub 20; 40. Apples and Cherries; 41. 41 Battery Gunners; 42. Happy Feet; 43. Team Roxx; 44. Big Foot; 45. Ancient Mariners; 46. Saint Stephen's College; 47. The Saddle Rashers; 48. The Dune Rats; 49. Mad Cats; 50. purplemonkeydishwasher

51. GM squared; 52. Gods Sheppards; 53. 53rd Battalion; 54. Active & Healthy Rangers; 55. Team Bling; 56. Wattle Brae War Trace; 57. Keema Kokoders; 58. Team BWC – Because We Can ! 59. Everest Sucked; 60. Alby Mangels; 61. MISFITS; 62. A-Accurate House Raising Striders; 63. The Bodhi Space Trekkers; 64. ML Design Diggers; 65. Cops on the Run; 66.Goodlife Players; 67. B-Team; 68. Bushwakers; 69. Wild Women Walkin; 70. Mudgeeraba Razorbacks; 71. Romper Stomper; 72. Another K; 73. SSS; 74. SHOTZ; 75. Just Around the Corner: 76. PIS Active; 77. Ford Ranger; 78.One Steel Wilderness Warriors; 79. UNITED NATIONS; 80. Ipswich Gunners; 81.Mixed Nuts; 82. Sub 30; 83. 2/4 Ambulance; 84. So Tired Right Now; 85. Strathfield Rockips; 86. Executive Excellence; 87. Lenovo Wombats; 88. WOTEVA4 – Team 1; 89. WITEVA4 – Team 2; 90. The Lion Park Trekkers; 91. Vincit Qui Se Vincit; 92. E.T.I. (Empowered To Invigorate); 93. Goodlife Turtles; 94. Long Shots; 95. GHD FleetFeet; 96. Gold Coast Bushwalkers; 97. Swaintrain 2; 98. Fosters Brewery Boys; 99.Super Heroes in Training; 100. Webby and his lovely ladies;

101. KK – Alpha; 102. KK – Bravo; 103. KK – Charlie; 104. KK – Delta; 105. KK – Team Leaders; 106. Band of Brothers; 107. the feebies; 108. Weli-Crap; 109. Grumpy Old Women; 110. TSA 1; 111. TSA 2; 112.TSA 3; 113. McLaughlins Solicitors; 114. Byron's Angels; 115. Currumbin Vikings; 116. Swaintrain 4; 117. Swaintrain 3; 118. Deloitte Forensic; 119. Likely Lads & Lasses; 120. Sand in Shoes; 121. The Ramsay Way; 122. Team Nemesis; 123. Something About Mary; 124. Team GPS; 125. Walker Talkie; 126. 4 Then and 4 Now; 127.Swain Train 1; 128. Bodychoice Intervest Trekkers; 129. Team Craigie Mac; 130. Aquarius Rescue; 131. RockanRoll; 132. The Back Halfs; 133. the quarter pounders; 134. Team IP Wealth; 135. Team Tenacious; 136. Team Exide; 137. Wannabe Finished!; 138. Nerang High School; 139. St Andrews Lutheran – 1; 140. St Andrews Lutheran – 2; 141. St Andrews Lutheran – 3; 142. TSS; 143. Miami High – Seniors; 144. Miami High – Mixed; 145. Repairs on the Run; 146. Beauties and the Beast; 147. Team Ford Ranger 2; 148. Healthy Finance; 149. FUBAR; 150. Family Challenge

151. Rhino's Team; 152. Three Blokes and A Kiwi; 153. Quackers; 154. W84ME; 155. Clayton Utz Conquerors; 156. The Honeymooners; 157. Caxton Crawlers; 158. Iceworks Warriors; 159. Made For Life; 160. Team Cardio; 161. Roaring Forties; 162. May Make It; 163. Aqua Ambulators; 164. Pricilla's Boys; 165. Team Capral; 166. Wilson HTM; 167. Veryvery Ordinary Walkers.

Update: cancellation – Priscilla's Boys. Just talking to Priscilla at the airport and unfortunately they could not get their passports in time.

Kokoda Trekking (KTL) are the major sponsors of our three teams. However, we have received the following sponsorship as follows:

• Air Niugini FOC airfare for Brendan Buka and reduced fares for two others for the Elite Team
• Salomon have supplied 8 pairs of shoes and given us a discounted price for the other four
• Mountain Designs have supplied 8 shirts and 8 hydration packs for two of our teams. We have purchased other items from them at reduced rates such as extra shirts, socks and shorts for them to run in.
• Special mention must go to John Brock, Australian High Commission for help with the boys visa's to enter Australia
• Lovelyn at the PNG Immigation Office for the issuing of their passports to allow them to travel

A sincere BIG THANK for helping their dreams come true. None of these boys would have thought it possible they would ever visit Australia. Whether they win or not, they are great embassadors for our company and also for PNG.

GO GUYS !!! We are pulling for YOU !!!
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[Boss Meri]

Team 1 – KOKODA TREKKING – KTL Elite – Winner and placegetters of our own KOKODA CHALLENGE in PNG over 96 km set last August 2006:

• Brendan Buka, (winner of the 2006 PNG Kokoda Challenge in a world record time of 17:49:17 from Owers' Corner to Kokoda)
• Wayne Urina, 2nd placegetter in our 2006 PNG Kokoda Challenge in a time of 18:51:57
• Damon Goerke, (Australian engineer from Sydney) 3rd placegetter in our 2006 96km Kokoda Challenge in a time of 19:28:48. 2nd Melbourne Oxfam Trailwalker Event; 4th Great Ocean Road Race; 4th Geoquest Adventure event
• Horace Yauga 4th placegetter in our 2006 PNG Kokoda Challenge in a time of 20:39:51 (and he slept for almost 2 hours as he couldn't stay awake).

Team 2 – KOKODA TREKKING – KTL Boys :

• Tom Hango (3rd in 2005 Kokoda to Owers' Corner time – 23:34:46, 5th after a bout of Malaria in 2006 Owers' Cnr to Kokoda time – 24:49:09;
• Cyprian Aire 5th 2006 PNG Kokoda Challenge time – 23:29:30;
• John Korove 7th PNG Kokoda Challenge 24:30:30;
• David (Duggie) Eroro, 8th 2006 PNG Kokoda Challenge 24:41:27

Team 3 – KOKODA TREKKING – KTL Wantoks:

• John Derick Eroro (one of the longest walkers/guides on the track 400 + treks spanning 15 + years. He looks really fit – the oldest member of our teams)
• Cyprian Haera (never entered our own PNG Race but considered by trekkers as VERY FAST. Came home 16th in a 5km charity run when he had never run before)
• Vincent Idau (fit rugby league player)
• Tony Ogomeni (fit rugby league player)

Our KTL boys at the Robina Train Station – do they have what it takes to beat the aussies? Perhaps so, perhaps not. If one of our teams do not win, we would like to invite whoever does, to enter our 96km Kokoda Challenge race in PNG on the real KOKODA TRAIL, will they accept?
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[Boss Meri]

Two Reserves, are heading to Australia today just in case someone gets sick, hurts themself at the last minute or whatever, they are:

[Boss Meri]

Update 13th July: Damon Goerke has arrived on the Gold Coast and is staying with our boys at Mt Nimmel Lodge. From now on, he is the BOSS MAN !!!

When quizzed about the team to beat, last year's champions and the fact that one guy has won the 6ft race in Sydney quite a few times, his comments:

It doesn't matter how good one of the guys is in Nike Hammer, they need all 4 members to be running well and survive the day to win it. We have to forget about them, look after each other and run our own race.

Damon…
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[Boss Meri]

Comments from Kokoda Challenge Newsletter:

Please Note!: Most of the 167 teams entered in the 2007 Kokoda Challenge are not out to break records. However, there are about 20 teams who are watching their times and as such these teams will be lined up first at the starting line. These teams are:

• 1 – Nike Hammer – (1st across the line 2006 Gold Coast Kokoda Challenge)
• 2 – KOKODA TREKKING – KTL Elite (1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th in our very own Kokoda Challenge in PNG set in August, 2006)
• 3 – Mizuno Rebels (2nd last year with one guy out and 1 new replacement in 2007)
• 4 – KOKODA TREKKING – KTL Boys (5th, 6th, 7th & 8th in our very own Kokoda Challenge in PNG set in August, 2006)
• 5 – SCU 1
• 8 – KOKODA TREKKING – KTL Wantoks (Kokoda Track Guide Veteran & other KTL guides)
• 12 – TEAM LM 2
• 21 – Effstix
• 39 – Sub 20
• 43 – Team Roxx
• 79 – UNITED NATIONS
• 84 – So Tired Right Now
• 97 – Swaintrain 2
• 114 – Byron's Angels
• 118 – Deloitte Forensic
• 119 – Likely Lads & Lasses
• 156 – The Honeymooners
• 160 – Team Cardio

[Boss Meri]

Official Placings:

• Nike Hammer 1st
• Mizuno Rebels – 2nd
• Byron's Angels – 3rd
• KOKODA TREKKING ELITE Team – 4th

Thanks Salomon for the boys shoes…just look at them warming up! is that an advertisement for Solomon Adventure racing shoes or WHAT? as they look really impressive!
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[Boss Meri]

Photograph: Wayne Urina being interviewed by Channel 9 – on TV tonight 15/07/07: – Comments from my daughter Mikayla: HE WAS FUNNY HE ANSWERED ALL HIS QUESTIONS FOR THE INTERVIEW AND THEN HE SAID "THANKYOU VERY MUCH I'M DONE." AND WALKED OFF IT WAS FUNNY…
AS HE ENDED HIS OWN INTERVIEW…..
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[Boss Meri]

Some messages have started to roll in:

• Jane Boswell – Hi Gail, Was keeping a keen eye on the boys race yesterday on your site. You must be very proud of them, they have done really well. Im disappointed for John as Im sure he must be. Hope he hasn't done to much damage to his knee, we want to get him on those ski's…
  Its been freezing down here in Melbourne, I might not get them away from my heater. We are all looking forward to them arriving on Tuesday. Jane
• Kingsley Eroro – CONGRATULATIONS !!! to you all for the great effort in getting KTL boys in the race and did well coming 4 th place and 7 / 8 th place with the number teams that took part and even though they were only there for few days to get to know the race track I say they did well. ( for the boys) Kokoda singa you all did well ategurena, see you all when you get back take care and enjoy the rest of your trip.
• Kenn – Congratulations on your teams success on their first attempt at the challenge on the Gold Coast. They had to contend with a completely new environment, the cold, fears of getting lost, and the effect a different climate has on their bodies. They even had to avoid cars on the roads. A tip to tell others next time: never jog down the middle of the road, always use the kerb.

  Yet the teams were in the top ten first time!

  I was at two checkpoints during the day. Your support crew (family) did a typically top job providing for and catering for the competitiors needs. It reminded me a little of a reverse "real Kokoda" situation, where KTL guides and porters cared for us. Your family provided great support for them.

  Two things to mention:

  1. The participation of the KTL teams added great legitimacy to the event. Other teams compered themselves to the KTL boys in ability and attitude. I know they felt pride in the added connection to Kokoda that the KTL teams brought to the event by simply participating. They felt a connection just by having them in their midst. People would ask me how they were going. And all I did was spectate.
  and
  2. I have rarely seen competing teams so supportive of one another. There was a great deal of back-slapping and hugging when I watched one KTL team arrive at the environment centre checkpoint and Aussie teams wanted to see how they were going. Aussie teams could not get enough of the KTL teams presence.

  Well done. I'd say you and the teams have raised the profile of the whole country, let alone KTL Trekking. Kenn

• Karen & Allan: Well, Just a quick note for now! Hi Gail, We've just arrived home from the most fantastic weekend. We thoroughly loved meeting your kids ( and Al got to catch up with a few boys he has met before and he didn't realise he would see them there )…and I loved meeting them all for the first time. Makes me want to go over MORE!. What a gorgeous bunch! Oh my God it was cold!!! We managed to take a heap of photos…some may be different to the others you will have from the other camera's so we'll send some on to you if you like. I'm so happy I managed to get a photo with Mal Meninga (when he'd just finished the race 15 minutes before…I'm sure he was impressed!) anyway the photo was with Wallace, Andrew and Rod who missed out on meeting him with the first crew. They were really happy…so Al and I were too! I'm going to send them a copy through the mail each, via you and Russell? Anyway I'd better get the kids to bed and unpack the car and get sorted for work and school tomorrow. I can't imagine how tired Nathan, Mikayla and Cheree are. They had it all sorted, you'd have been proud.
  Catch up with you soon, love Karen, and Alxx I got to practise my little bit of pidgin with Wallace! What a sweetie he is!
• Fiona – finished in 30 hours and future trekker: It was fantastic to have the KTL teams as part of the challenge, it reminded people what the whole event was about. At each of the checkpoints teams were asking how the KTL teams were going. We were talking to other teams on the track and a lot of those teams expressed interest in walking Kokoda – they were all really surprised when they asked the cost of trekking with KTL – they though it would have been far more expensive.
  Fiona – August trekker

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