World War II was the most significant and traumatic global event within 20th century history and I feel very strongly about recognising the sacrifices men and women made for the world to remain in a state of peace and stability. The Kokoda track has incredible military significance for Australia and even more to me personally, as my Grandad fought here during the war. I wanted to see first hand what sort of conditions he would have faced and commemorate the efforts of the soldiers by visiting the major battle points; learning about the campaign in depth. This is my ultimate guide for preparing and walking the track:
Preparation
Find a company: The first thing you need to do is find a tour company as you are not permitted to be out on the track unaccompanied. These companies provide you with a tour leader, pre and post tour accommodation, and take care of all the necessary arrangements (including food and putting up the tents).
We chose Adventure Kokoda (AK) and could not fault them! We decided on this particular company because of the amazing military history they share along the way, the outstanding level of service they provide and the way they give back to the track (the company founded a non profit organisation that provides ongoing support for local villages on the track). All of their trek leaders are fantastic, highly experienced on the track and incredibly knowledegable; answering any questions you may have about the campaign or the track itself.
Training: Now let’s talk about the hard part of prepping for such a journey. This is a serious undertaking and not for the faint hearted. I can not stress ENOUGH the importance of training thoroughly for this (both mind and body). We were pretty fit beforehand and spent the best part of 8 months training multiple times a week. I strongly recommend several cardio sessions each week where you are moving continuously (with little rest) and using hills and stairs to develop your body’s cardiorespiratory capacity. Trust me you will thank me when you are climbing such steep inclines in humid conditions and your heart rate is super high (but not so crazy that you feel like you will keel over).
You will also need resistance training and to strengthen your body with weights. You will be carrying a decent weight on your back and you should be prepared for this. We did a combination of circuits in the gym and functional training. You will want to ensure your shoulders, core and back are really strong. This involved filling up a backpack like we would be carrying over there and walking several kilometres each weekend to get used to moving with a heavier load on our back. Finding some hiking trails around you is even better.
Medical:
Get a check up with the GP (especially if over the age of 40 or under 20) and get a prescription of Malaria tablets!
Equipment:
There are specific items you will need to purchase before your trip. The most important of these is a pair of good sturdy trekking boots. You should look for something with good ankle support and made from synthetic material (these are more breathable and do not need to be broken in like typical leather boots). I want to also stress the importance of getting boots with LACES and not an adjustable cable that is tightened. We did this and one of mine snapped. I had to walk for the best part of the last two days feeling like one was going to fall off my foot. Certainly not ideal in the mud and conditions over there! Well not ideal at all really! And speaking of laces, take an extra pair just in case. Also, speaking of shoes, you will need a pair that can get wet for river crossings. Crocs are not recommended as they are not tight or sturdy enough. A pair of aqua shoes with the rubber grip on the bottom would be ideal. Yes, they are certainly not attractive, but out there comfort and practicality are king! Don’t forget you never wear them for very long anyway.
Clothing
In terms of clothing you will need a casual set for the short time you spend in Port Moresby pre and post trek. This can be left in a bag at the accommodation. For clothing out on the track you will need a day set (that you trek in and get dirty) and a clean set (this is for nighttime to relax around the campsite after a big day). It can get cold out there of an evening so I would suggest a light tracksuit or another set of your day clothes (long pants and shirt with a jumper and sneakers). Also make sure you don’t forget your thermal underwear! There were a couple of nights in the middle of the track where I was super cold!! And I’m a typical Aussie beach babe…I hate the cold! Be prepared! At any rate- you won’t be looking glamorous and that is totally ok!
Kicking back at the campsite after a long hard day! Looking glamorous covered in mud 🙂
Personal items
Make sure you have Insect repellant! Bushmans make a great one. They have a 20% DEET and even a 40% DEET Heavy duty one. DEET is the active chemical ingredient and is very strong. I wouldn’t use anything above 40%, I’m not even sure if repellents are manufactured with concentrates greater than 40%. Don’t skimp on insect repellant. You WILL need it.
Malaria tablets…These are non negotiable and must be taken everyday (even pre and post trip). Your doctor will give you specific instructions for this.
Click here for Adventure Kokoda’s full equipment list. The items above can be purchased at most outdoor stores. In Australia I would recommend Anaconda, Kathmandu or Paddy Pallin. We purchased at least 90% of our gear from Anaconda. They do not ship internationally, but Kathmandu and Paddy Pallin do. Alternatively, visit your local outdoor store in your home-town, I’m sure the range available would be similar.
The Track
The main track is 96 kilometres long (but we did approximately 130km by detouring to see extra wreckage and ammunition points). I loved that we got extra ‘bang for our buck’ by seeing things that other groups miss. It took 8 full days of walking to go from start to finish, including the detours. Adventure Kokoda now offer both 8 day and 10 day tours. You can do the track in both directions. We started in Owers Corner (Port Moresby end) and finished in Kokoda Village, before flying back to Moresby over the ranges we had just crossed. I highly recommend completing it in this direction as you experience exactly what our diggers did as they advanced towards the Japanese forces. This direction also completes the steepest, hardest parts of the trek in the first few days…which is great for your mindset when you’re out there. I also loved that we ended in Kokoda village, I just think that is really special.
The terrain does vary from flat, swampy marsh areas to Steep slow climbing in deep mud. You will also need to be prepared to get wet as there are several river and creek crossings. For most of the time you are under the jungle canopy of trees but you will also have periods of time where the landscape is more open and the sun is beating down on you.
Logistics
So how do the finer points of transportation and storage of belongings work?
Getting there and back
Fly into Port Moresby and you will be met by AK and transported to the Pre tour accommodation. The track finishes in Kokoda village and the only way out is to fly on a small charter aircraft (well unless you want to repeat the journey and walk another 8 days back to the start!!) This is all arranged for you and it is really interesting to see the mountains and ridges you crossed from an aerial perspective.
Small charter plane that flew us from the end of the track (Kokoda Village) back to Port Moresby Aerial shot of the mountain range we had just trekked across
All transportation (in and around Port Moresby is arranged by AK) which is great! To start the track you will take a bus out of Moresby and visit the Bomana War Cemetery on the way (this is very special). Leave all the arrangements on the ground in their trusty hands!
Technology
You can pretty much say goodbye to using your phone for a week while out there in the jungle. This can be a good thing though. Sometimes it is nice be away from social media and constantly checking your emails. I would advise leaving this securely in the accommodation with your other casual clothes and belongings not needed for the track. If there is an emergency your trek leader can make contact back to Port Moresby and deal with things appropriately. There is no technological infrastructure out there as it is extremely remote. As for your camera, I would recommend only turning it on when you are taking a picture (conserve the battery as much as you can). And if you are worried about it dying take a spare battery just to be on the safe side. On this matter though…I wouldn’t be lugging my fancy DSLR out there. You would need a smaller point and shoot camera. It is not very practical to be carrying this either in your hiking bag or on your body, but if you want to risk it, that’s up to you.
Carrying your belongings
You have two options with this.
- You can carry all your overnight and personal gear yourself. This is around 12 Kilograms dry (15kg once you have 3 litres of water in there). This can start to feel quite heavy after a while, especially when climbing up the steeper sections.
- Carry a day pack (with personal items and a few bits of clothing). This usually sits around 5-8 kg, so much lighter than option 1. The rest is carried by a Personal Carrier or Porter. AK has many carriers that work for the company and walk the track with you. They carry your heavier belongings and help you on the track if you are struggling or need an extra bit of support going up and down the steep sections. These people are native Papuans and most live in the villages along the track. This is how they make their living and they are all lovely people, usually very reserved, shy and humble.
Additionally you will need to pack a separate bag that you leave in Moresby ( at the hotel). This is the bag/suitcase that you checked in on the plane. I would leave my expensive devices and casual/travel clothing needed after the trip in there. Oh and if you travel with an extensive toiletries or cosmetic bag…leave this behind too. You will not need all those products out there, nor will you have room in your backpack to fit them.
The experience
The first thing I would like to point out is that I had never been camping before I went (at age 16!). Yep, my parents never took us on a camping trip, deprived right?! Good thing I’m not too much of a diva and can handle roughing it. In saying that though, I definitely enjoyed living a minimalistic life for a week and didn’t mind those tiny little tents.
All jokes aside, this was definitely a journey that touched us in ways we didn’t even expect. We learnt so much about the history of the Kokoda Campaign and what occurred during different battles in that jungle but more importantly we learnt about ourselves. We found inner strength deep within us we, practiced self reflection and pushed ourselves physically and mentally.
The track has a number of small villages that you come across and the people you meet are usually quite happy and humble. We attended this small church service where we couldn’t understand much but this was such a beautiful, moving and spiritual experience.
On our trek I was fortunate enough to meet some great people and got an insight into their lives as most of them were much older than me. We had an awesome group. Most had a great sense of humour and were pretty down to earth. No one treated me differently because I was much younger and there were no major complainers in the group (I would have hated listening to someone whinge all day…because you can’t really escape them out there) haha!
Upon returning so many people asked the same question “Was it hard?” The short answer to this is YESSSSSS! But I went over with the mentality that whatever happened I would not allow it to break me and it would not make me cry ! And I stuck to that. Even when I got foot rot..I know…gross right?! Give your feet adequate time to breathe and dry out each night. It also didn’t help that I didn’t take aqua shoes so had to do all the river crossings with boots and socks on (hence why my feet were always stuck with too much moisture and my skin started to rot away from my feet) urgh! This was painful but that sorted itself out quick enough once I finished the track and my feet were not constantly exposed to too much water.
I suggest keeping a daily journal of your experiences so you can look back on them for years to come and be reminded of all the special experiences you had. I came back full of gratitude and will definitely go back one day!
Afterwards
SHARE! So many people don’t know why the track holds so much importance and the significance of what took place out there. You might feel like it was so difficult that you won’t ever return…but give it time…I guarantee at some point you will want to go back again!
Thanks to Adventure Kokoda for giving me the experience of a lifetime. As always all opinions expressed are entirely my own. This post is not sponsored but I will happily sing their praises as they are an authentic, genuine and efficient company and I will always recommend quality when I come across it.
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