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Why Choose Kokoda Trekking:
Trek Kokoda economically with our local highly and professional PNG guides. Australians, Americans and even the Japanese depended on local knowledge of the Angels of War to make advances. In peacetime, this task is now carried out in a different dimension by the new generation of fuzzy wuzzy angels along the same track.Choose Kokoda Trekking Limited (KTL) and we will walk you along the track as our older generation did and give you the greatest satisfaction of your life.
- We are the biggest nationally owned 'Kokoda' tour operator in PNG
- Excellent references – over 2600 trekkers to our credit
- Have over three (3) years experience as a tour operator
- 3 years in a row taken more trekkers on the track than any other operator
- All our guides and porters are predominately local
- Can also offer Australian guides with war experience re expatriate led treks
- Have bases in Australia, Port Moresby and Kokoda
- Own and operate transport both ends of the track
- Best guesthouse accommodation in Kokoda + a home cooked meal
- Group Food Porters
- Absolute maximum of 18 trekkers per trek
- Airfares from Kokoda included in your trek costs
- Inclusive Kokoda Track Permit
- Road transfers provided to Owers' Corner
- Visit to Bomana War Cemetery
- We are the cheapest professional tour operator on the Kokoda Track
- Excellent food – we believe the best on the track
- Sing Sing traditional welcome in Kokoda (6 trekkers or more)
- Satellite Phone and Two Way radios accompany all our treks
- Certificate of Completion and t/shirt at the end of your trek
- Liability Insurance both in 'Australia' and 'PNG'
- All our staff walk in company uniforms so easy to recognise and added security to your trek
- Provide carved walking sticks to our clients as a keepsake to take home
- Kokoda Trek Guide book with map provided to each trekker. 'Field Guide to the KOKODA Track', An Historical Guide to the Lost Battlefields – author Bill James
Our trekkers not only walk the footsteps of the Aussie diggers but we also send them home with a dose of PNG culture. They see the display of traditional Oro welcome dances, share local food, jokes and tales and sing by campfires along the track. All our treks have lots of singing and lots of fun and are definitely not boot camps. We encourage you to walk the Kokoda Track with us for just $1850 per trekker. Whether you are a company executive, businessman, college students, sports team, Christian fellowship group or ordinary worker trek with us and you will see the difference. If you need a personal porter there is an additional cost of $510.00 which covers porters wage, food, accommodation and food in Port Moresby, medical, group porter to carry yours and his food etc.
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trekon_RGB_200_size.jpgAll our treks include a visit to Bomana War Cemetery either on the way out to Owers' Corner or on the way back.
Bomana.jpegTrek with us and you can be sure that something goes back to the community. In 2004 our first year of operation we purchased a PMV (Public Motor Vehicle) Truck for the use of driving villagers from Kokoda down to Popondetta to the bank and to sell their market goods. It also serves our trekker needs.
KTL_1_Back_Version.jpegIn 2005 we donated an ambulance to the Kokoda Memorial Hospital:
Update 18/05/07: In May 2007 we took back the Ambulance from the Dept of Health as they did not do the right thing by our donation. One night the person designated to drive the ambulance got drunk which resulted in the vehicle being off the road.
It remained that way for the past twelve months as we handed it over to the Dept of Health and they said they would maintain the vehicle and employ a driver.
It soon became evident that they either did not have the funds or couldnt care less so we made plans to remove it from the Health system and take over running it ourselves.
Two weeks ago we employed a mechanic who went over and got it going again for us. Turned out it was something to do with the sump/transmission oil and a few other minor things. Once repaired and a service done, it is now up and running again. Today 18th May it performed its first medivac for over twelve months when one of our guides Glen Henson's father was driven down to the hospital in Popondetta in a serious condition.
Lets hope it continues to serve the people of Kokoda and surrounding areas.
As of May this year, we will pay the annual registration, wages and repairs to keep this vehicle doing the work it was supposed to do, and this is to save lives. Just two weeks ago one of our guides Kingsley Boropi lost his wife and twin daughters in childbirth….this was what pushed me to write a letter saying we were taking back the donation so that other women do not suffer the same fate. We can only try to continue to do our best and offer community services to the local community of Kokoda and the surrounding districts.
Ambulance_2.jpgIn 2006 we donated goods to the villagers along the track by way of tarpaulins; water containers; cooking pots and utensils; shower room; hot water shower bags; mattresses to Efogi Guesthouse and so on. As seen here in the background of this photograph, Ioribaiwa Villagers draped it over their guesthouse roof to help keep trekkers dry:
Tarpaulin.jpgIn January 2005 we had delivered to our home on the Gold Coast a donation of teacher resource materials. We paid the freight to PNG and onto Kokoda. The teachers of Kokoda Primary School were thrilled to receive them which made the whole exercise worthwhile:
Books_for_Kokoda_Primary_School.jpgLater in the year we heard they desperately needed a lawn mower and that the school children were cutting the grounds with bush knives, again Kokoda Trekking came to the party and donated a lawn mower:
lawnmower.jpgAll our treks go out with satellite phones as well as two way radios. We also own and operate our own vehicle fleet both in Kokoda and Port Moresby which are all fitted with two way radios.
Our head office is in Port Moresby has two base radios, one for our operations division and the other for the main office. In Kokoda Russell's Family block has a base radio. Russell's sister in law, Grace Eroro is the agent for Airlines of PNG and they too have a base radio on the block.
In September 2007 we installed a base radio in our security building at the Kokoda Airstrip.
So wherever you are, rest assured we know your whereabouts and your trek is closely monitored both in Kokoda and Port Moresby. Our KTL guides have to report in at least twice per day and inform us of your progress.
We also have good support on the track itself as we have on average in the busy period, approximately 5-7 treks on the go each week in both directions.
Vehicles_at_Ower__s_Corner.jpgChoose KTL and we will do our best to ensure you have a great trek. Join our KTL porters and guides and trek with KOKODA TREKKING (KTL)
Some of our KTL porters seen here providing some entertainment in a campsite on the track:
Editors Note: The guy on the right in this photograph is Andrew Yauga. He received from his trekker a wonderful gift of a Dell laptop computer and hasnt stopped playing with it ever since.
This year he has come up with the idea of saving to buy a digital camera and taking photographs of special events in Kokoda. He is going to use his computer to try and start his own small business in the hope that he will be able to sell the photographs. He has also been trying to learn how to type using 'Mavis Beacon' typing tutor that was also loaded into his computer.
Early January he was also part of a group of four KTL guides who was invited to attend the Lord Somers/Powerhouse Camp in Somers, Victoria. After the camp him and another guide Rod Ori were the invited guests of the Bollinger family in Sydney and other members of their family trek. Andrew has gone back to PNG with a far greater understanding of our culture and what makes us as Australian's tick.
We thank the organisers of the Lord Somers Camp and the Bollinger group of trekkers for giving guys like Andrew the experience of a lifetime!
Second from the left in the photograph is Andrew's younger brother Horace. Two trekkers have come forward and offered to pay his school fees to continue his studies. He has just enrolled as a boarder in Year 11 at Martyrs Secondary School in Popondetta.
KTL_Boys.jpgOur KTL Porters seen here at Isurava Monument with the Kokoda Track Champion, Brendan Buka (far right bottom row). Brendan is the current record holder for the Kokoda Track in both directions.. The second photograph is Brendan as he arrived at the Archway at Owers' Corner on the 27th August 2007.
2006: Brendan walked from Owers' Corner to Kokoda in 17 hours 49 minutes to win the 2006 Kokoda Challenge:2007: Brendan walked in the opposite direction from Kokoda to Owers' Corner in a new record time of 17 hours 20 minutes smashing the previous record held by John Hunt Hiviki of 22 hours 1 minute to win the 2007 Kokoda Challenge.
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Winner_Brendan_Buka__Small_.jpgSee you all in 2007 – and for you to take home, our carved walking stick – your 'best friend' on the track and a great souvenir:
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For all those people wishing to walk the famous Kokoda Track and aren't sure of which Company to walk with, I can personally recommend KTL as the Group to go with.Gail & Russell from KTL are people from a Company that you can safely and fully place your trust in their experience, knowledge and safety procedures for the most wonderful, enjoyable and life-changing experience that you will probably encounter.
I am desperately keen to walk the Track again and maybe the Bulldog Track one day as well.
Contact KTL and let them plan your trip for you, you won't regret it.
Warren (Trek 83 – 2005)
We have just purchased a second hand 'New Holland' sit on lawn mower with a slasher for use in Kokoda to help beautify the township, airport, Rusty's block, School grounds etc.
It is the same as is used by City Councils in Australia. It is hoped it will do the job and is another community project by Kokoda Trekking.
Our tractor will travel by boat to PNG Wednesday 5th April and should be in Kokoda around mid to end of April.
According to the Kokoda Track Authority they have managed to ask a contractor in Popondetta to come up to Kokoda and mow the airport where the grass is presently dangerously high for aircraft to land. It is hoped in future that this lawnmower can do the job without having to hire from outside of Kokoda thus giving wages back to the local community.
Russell was old enough to remember before PNG gained their Independence, how beautiful the township of Kokoda looked. This is the main reason for the purchase of such equipment. It is hoped we can help to return the township of Kokoda to the glory of yesterday – a big ask but we can only try.
The mower is having a full service before it departs for PNG.
100_1094.jpgUpdate May 2007: Our tractor has arrived in Kokoda and is now hard at work mowing up around the station and at the airport.
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