Trek the Kokoda Trail Travel Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Kokoda crew’

The Kokoda Track Maintenance Committee was formed to define what it was that has drawn 20, 000 trekkers to The Kokoda Track since 2001, and once defined, ensure that this experience – The Kokoda Experience, will be preserved.

The Committee consists of a small team of  trekking guides, historians, local Kokoda Track land owners and is chaired by the CEO of the Kokoda Track Authority.

All committee members have a long history of involvement with trekkers walking the Track and most importantly a desire to ensure that the magic experience that trekkers have while walking the Track, defined as the Kokoda Experience, is protected and maintained for ever. A Back Track director is a committee member.

The inaugural meeting, agreed, that a trekker will have had a true Kokoda Experience if on completion of their trek they have:

• An accurate understanding of the truly remarkable war time story of Australian mateship, courage, endurance and sacrifice. The epic story slowly unfolds each day as your Trek Guide relates the war stories on the exact locations where history was made.
• An appreciation and respect for the remarkable jungle eco system the Track encompasses. The plants, orchids, trees, the wildlife, birds, the creeks and rivers, nature in all its most beautiful jungle clothing. To live- eat, sleep and pass through this natural wonderland for 9 days while experiencing the sunrises, sunsets, the rain, the heat, the cool dark jungle is for most trekkers a once in a lifetime experience that is exhilarating and rejuvenating.
  Note: Currently the Kokoda Track and the entire Owen Stanley Ranges are considered so unique that they have been presented for listing as a World heritage area.
• An appreciation of the culture of Australia’s nearest neighbor. The Koiara and Orokaiva people who inhabit the 23 villages along the Track corridor are the direct decedents of the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels who carried to safety and cared for our wounded soldiers. Interacting with their culture in the villages and with your PNG trekking crew who live along the Track is a highlight of the Kokoda Experience.
• And last but definitely not least, the Kokoda experience is knowing that you have faced and conquered your own physical and mental challenge and with your fellow trekkers depart PNG having had a once in a lifetime experience – The Kokoda Experience.

In practice, the Kokoda Experience will be preserved by initiatives that will ensure:

• all the war time relics that remain along the Track and in the jungle and all important war time sites are preserved and protected.
• the jungle, trees, waterways, camp sites, tracks etc are preserved and where damaged, plans put in place to repair or rejuvenate. All future development should be environmentally sensitive and only enhance the jungle experience. A yardstick of our success will be when the “moss on the rocks” has rejuvenated at the Track crossing over Ofi Creek. The moss at that crossing has disappeared over the last few years due to environmental damage from trekking.
• all stakeholders including trekking companies, land owners and all the village people along the Track corridor understand that the financial benefits of the Kokoda Track Industry is dependent on total cooperation and understanding of the importance of maintaining the Kokoda Experience for trekkers.
• a licensing system is in place to ensure that trekking companies maintain a minimum standard and have correct insurance cover, provide all necessary safety and emergency equipment and have emergency evacuation procedures in place. The true Kokoda Experience must be a safe experience for all trekkers.
  Note:Though it will not be compulsory for trekking companies to have Australian Trek Leaders to obtain a license, the Kokoda Experience for all trekkers is greatly enhanced and safer by having a properly trained Australian Trek Leader accompany a trek Team.

Back Track Adventures is committed to the above initiatives and will be participating in every aspect of the plan to maintain the Kokoda Experience for all trekkers yet to trek the Kokoda Track.

For more detailed information visit our dedicated Kokoda website:  trekkokoda.com.au

Carry your own pack  on the Kokoda Track?
The Pros:
*  The achievement factor – doing it tough like the diggers
*  Possible increase in your level of fitness by the end of the trek
The Cons:
*  Be fit; be very very fit. Train hard to get results. Have you got the time and inclination to do this ?
*  Consider the following scenario: The trek is well underway, your pack is too heavy; you’re not enjoying it. You begin to even hate it. Your Kokoda experience has turned decidedly sour.
Hire a porter to carry your pack on the Kokoda Track ?
The Pros:
*  The trek isn’t easy. But it’s a hell of a lot easier with a personal porter.
*  You’ll have a great trekking companion who is there to support you.
The Cons:
*  nil

Back Track are excited to share details about out own ground crew in PNG. In addition to your Trek Leader (from Australia), our Head Guide and Trekking Crew are an essential part of every Team trekking the Kokoda Track.  All your Trek Crew will come from the villages along the Kokoda Track. You will on occassions meet their families,( wife, brother, sister etc),  as you pass through or stop in their home villages during the trek.   They are the direct family of the original Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels.

Each  Team is guided over the Kokoda Track by a Head Guide. His expertise and experience and leadership qualities has earned him the role as  Head Guide.  He supervises  and is responsible for all the Trekking Crew and  Trekkers Personal Porters.  He appoints the various crew members to the daily roles of  Lead man , lunch site set up team and evening camp set up team. He will also oversea the crew attending to all meal preparation and acts as the liason between the  Trekking Crew and the Trek Leader.

Pic above: (left) Andy Ovoru, a respected Naduri Village leader and 2010 Head Guide with (right) Nick Huleva,  BTA Operations Mgr based in Port Moresby but from Naduri Village

Trekking Crew

There is a ratio of 1:1 trekking crew to trekkers and trek leader. The Trekking Crew carry food, mess equipment, tents and other camping equipment. They also watch out for all trekkers during the course of the days walk. During each days walk, they will assist at river and creek crossings and especially on difficult sections of trail and generally look after the welfare of all trekkers at all times.