Hon. Simo Kilepa, MP and Chair of the Kokoda Initiative Committee declared that his committee had instructed the CEO of the Kokoda Track Authority (KTA) to cancel Adventure Kokoda’s license because the company had attempted to evade paying trekking permit fees, as required under PNG law.
Are you trekking with Australian Kokoda Tours in 2022? Our past trekkers have provided some great suggestions for some extras to bring to Kokoda. Please note that these are additional items - refer to the checklists on our website for a detailed outline of what you need to bring.
Our team at Australian Kokoda Tours is excited to kick off the 2022 trekking season in March! We have lots of exciting treks coming up this year, including our Komatsu private trek, school treks with Geelong Grammar School, St Joseph’s College Geelong, Saint Ignatius College Geelong, and Western Heights College.
2019 has been a great year for our Australian Kokoda Tours team and trekkers. We’ve led some fantastic treks once again this year, including our annual Anzac Day trek, Geelong Kokoda Youth program trek, and the Mental Health Collective trek.
For many of our trekkers, completing the Kokoda trek is a life-changing experience. Not only because of the mental and physical challenge of trekking through the Papua New Guinea jungle for eight days, but also the emotional journey of following in the footsteps of our Australian Diggers. Trekker Murray Pearson has expressed this in the form of a poem.
Saint Ignatius College Geelong trekked with Mick O’Malley and the Australian Kokoda Tours team earlier this year in June. This was the first time Saint Ignatius College has trekked Kokoda, and the students, parents and teachers alike had a fantastic, once in a lifetime experience trekking in Papua New Guinea with Australian Kokoda Tours.
Torquay local Mick O’Malley is contributing to women’s health and education in Papua New Guinea through the organisation Empowering Women Empowering Communities (EWEC). EWEC was founded by Yolonde Entsch to empower Aboriginal Australian women through income generation. Mick’s business Australian Kokoda Tours will distribute 200 of EWEC’s Moon Sick Care Bags to women and girls in Papua New Guinea during its forthcoming Kokoda Youth Program with Victoria Police.
Australian Kokoda Tours trekker Karly Grundy created an Instagram account called Karly Does Kokoda (@karlydoeskokoda) dedicated to documenting her Kokoda preparation and trekking journey.
Australian Kokoda Tours trekkers Luke and Mark raised over $16,000 for youth mental health awareness charity, LIVIN. Luke and Mark were part of the Australian Kokoda Tours 2019 Anzac Day trek.
Australian Kokoda Tours Director Mick O’Malley is standing up for workplace safety by taking part in a Geelong campaign with WorkSafe. Mick featured in the Surf Coast Times, sharing the importance of workplace safety within his businesses.
Australian Kokoda Tours featured in the Illawarra Mercury in an article discussing the incredible Kokoda journey lead by our Director Mick and Trek Leader Carl.
Australian Kokoda Tours is proud to facilitate and support trekkers who take on Kokoda for a cause. This month, Clayton Henry is trekking Kokoda to fulfil his bucket list dream and raise funds for his charity, MotoAid.
Young teen Luke Mawson will trek the Kokoda trail with Australian Kokoda Tours in April 2019 with his Dad to raise funds and awareness for mental health charity, Livin.
Western Heights College staff, students, and parents, trekked the Kokoda track with Australian Kokoda Tours last year. This year, St Joseph’s College and St Ignatius College will have the opportunity to trek Kokoda in June.
