I felt a bit the same. I think the whole story was about 7 minutes. Not long enough at all. I would have liked to see more….but bloody good achievement on his part, nonetheless.

I'm a little torn in two ways about this story, even though I truly appreciate his amazing effort and courage. I must say, two days from the end of our trek when my knee suddenly gave me incredible pain and I could hardly walk, my carrier mentioned the other boys told him to make sure I took it easy, because they weren't going to help him carry me…[Read more]

QUOTE(Mrs Moo @ 6 Nov 2009, 03:07 PM) [snapback]10922[/snapback]Good luck. All you need to do now is find a toilet seat to put it on!LOL There are a couple. The thing that was the 'issue' for me was the tarp doors. You'd get comfy (sitting or squatting) and the wind would pick up and blow the damn things open. Sometimes it paid to go in pairs.…[Read more]

I think the idea of disposable covers is kinda funny…and means one more thing to carry, plus it's rubbish to take out with you. Squat and hover. It's free.

Hi Simone, If you have limited space and/or options of where to train, these are things you can do anywhere, with no equipment. If you have knee or joint issues, walk/step the exercises, rather than jumping or bouncing. Mountain climbershttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO5KVEoEbo4Burpeeshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5oXadjFAlQPlus step ups,…[Read more]

Hi Rob, do you have a time line for completion of your Thesis? I'm trying to get a project started that you might be interested in (and involves doing a Kokoda trek some time in the next six months). Don't worry, I'm not trying to sell you something, or anything of that nature. I did Kokoda back in August. I'm a personal trainer, but Kokoda (and…[Read more]

Congratulations Brooke!Sounds like the first bit of your trek was the biggest challenge. It's mentally and physically overwhelming, so I wouldn't feel bad about having a hissy fit. I reckon most people would, even if they don't show it haha. (Did I ever tell you the first day was my worst? Baaad reaction to the malaria tablets! Thought I was going…[Read more]

Brooke, it could just be the increased blood flow….that sometimes causes that itchy feeling.When you combine heat, pressure, exercise, blood pumps more freely. When the hot blood just underneath the skin reacts with the cooler outside temperature, you get that itchy sensation (drives me nuts, too). I don't know how you get rid of it, but your…[Read more]

Brooke, You've prepared yourself mentally and physically and you're smart enough to recognise your own limitations. I'm sure you'll use common sense and look after yourself on the track – just keep your trek leader updated along the way. It's not a race, so there's no need to push yourself past where you're comfortable. Just take your time,…[Read more]

I guess I see it from a number of perspectives. My dad is 66 and completed the trek with no problems. I was the one who had knee issues at the end. He, however, trained MUCH longer and harder than I did, and with more weight in his backpack. He also has a background of running marathons and the like. I, on the other hand, have medical issues. I'm…[Read more]

We got one lovely night of below zero temperatures and ice on *everything* at Myola. I was freezing with thermals, track suit, beanie, gloves, two pairs of socks and sleeping bag! LOLMOST unexpected! Definitely take a sleeping bag! I loved my Thermarest mat, but those are a bit more of an investment and maybe something cheaper would suffice for…[Read more]

Hey Fluppy! I had to take "controlled drugs" with me. I just made sure I had the letter with the rest of my travel papers. The most important thing is keeping your medications in their original containers in case you do get checked for some reason.Getting close now!! Best of luck!! Eve(I got my letter/medication list a week before I…

Marshall,Get a referral from your doctor to see a respiratory specialist if you don't already have one. You don't say how bad your asthma is, but a good degree of lung capacity is required and there are tests that can be done to determine that. There are parts of the track that are quite strenuous and require quite deep, diaphragmatic breathing.…[Read more]

I just find this so sad and distressing, but also frustrating! My thoughts are with his family and all those concerned. In my opinion, every single person who attempts Kokoda should have some kind of fitness clearance in addition to medical clearance. Trek operators have a duty of care for the trekkers they take, but trekkers should have a duty…[Read more]

Hi Fluppy,We all had journals, but I fell into the latter category – just wanted to sleep. That was more to do with having narcolepsy than not wanting to write, though lol.I tried to write sometimes. My dad wrote every night religiously and I know others caught up when they could. I would have written more if I knew how much I would have…[Read more]

Just a note on Visas…..you can't get one in Victoria. Frustrating, but true. I was told I'd need to send my passport to Brisbane, or Canberra, but I wasn't prepared to do that. The turn around for people in my group who did was three days – very fast! It cost them $35 in Australia. My visa cost me 100 kina ($50) and 90 minutes waiting in line at…[Read more]

Those choko fields were an amazing sight. Do you know if they got to try the leaves? I have to admit I was skeptical, but those were nice!It's great that you post pics of the trekkers on their journeys.

I wore the really short gaiters, but lasted only two days before I took them off, because they annoyed me and I felt like they were constricting my legs too much. Maybe they were just a tiny bit too small, I don't know. I didn't want the longer ones, because my body temp rises pretty quickly without any real effort, so I didn't want something that…[Read more]

I can't speak to the backpack topic, as we were supplied ours. I didn't take anything to waterproof the outside of the packs, but did put everything in ziplock or waterproof bags and labelled them (night clothes, underwear, clean clothes, dirty-wet, dirty-clean (meaning I could get another wear out of them), morning items, first aid etc) so I…[Read more]

Well, that's reassuring. Thanks, Gail. And, yes, I'm already trying to figure out how and when I can get back there!