Without doubt one of the greatest experiences of my life. A truly humbling, life-affirming, physical, spiritual and emotional quest that will stay with me for all my days.
Adventure Kokoda are the top of the field in this rare space and that is really apparent when you’re out there on the track. Every carrier, chef, trek leader and logistics person is passionate, kind, inspiring and professional.
Peter Morrison is the consummate leader; kind, warm, thoughtful, sincere, yet confident, inspiring and thought-provoking.
Still waters run very deep in PNG: no matter how gruelling you find the physical and mental challenge, a tour with Adventure Kokoda is one of the greatest gifts you’ll ever give yourself.
I had the lovely opportunity to participate in a pilgrimage of the Kokoda Trail with the Kokoda Youth Leadership Challenge, ran by Adventure Kokoda.
I must say the program did an excellent job of picking the tour operator and if you're thinking of trekking Kokoda, Adventure Kokoda really is the way to go.
The staff that trekked with us were absolutely amazing and extremely professional, and always encouraged us and motivated us. Their history knowledge was second to none and they helped us to get the most out of the experience. I was lucky enough to have Major Charlie Lynn as our trek leader, who taught the group so much about leadership, the history of Kokoda, and really helped us to understand the values of the Kokoda campaign - courage, endurance, mateship, and sacrifice. Charlie was not only knowledgeable but in general, he was and is a lovely man who helped us the whole way and truly cared about the trek. As the title of this review suggests, he explained how this was more than a trek but a pilgrimage, which it truly was. It was a very challenging but spiritual and rewarding journey. His passion, as well as the company's passion for the Kokoda Campaign and its significance really separates Adventure Kokoda from other operators.
Scott and Fiona of Adventure Kokoda were also absolutely amazing. As a group of young people, they essentially all adopted us as their children, and we all considered them as our mum and dad. They helped us every step of the way and really taught us how to be good people and good leaders. Adventure Kokoda really does a great job at choosing its staff.
Another great thing about Adventure Kokoda is their PNG guides, affectionately known as "the boys". They were all absolutely lovely and helped us no matter what. When I was mentally struggling, walking much slower than other days, and I felt alone, I was never truly alone. Behind me, never telling me to move faster or harassing me, was Jerry, a lovely PNG guide who was with me every step of the way. Something as small as that changed the experience and helped greatly. All the boys were not afraid to help and you could tell they were properly cared for too. They all are provided with sleeping mats, sleeping bags, and hiking packs, and had a maximum weight limit of 18kgs, and are paid a good amount. They take care of us extremely well, and Adventure Kokoda does the same. On a side note, they were also all very good singers and did some amazing renditions of "Happy Birthday" for some of our trekkers who had birthdays along the way.
Another great thing about Adventure Kokoda is the food and accommodation. Over the ten days, we learned to love the colour orange. Getting to camp and finding all the orange tents all set up perfectly was absolutely amazing at the end of the day. The boys took so much care in setting them up and looking after us, helping us find the tents, and they always tried to make them as dry as possible. Even though it rained every day for our trek, my tent was always dry inside. Also, the tents are a great size and extremely high quality. I also have to mention the food. The food was great every single day, and they always fed us right, with new lunches and dinners each day. We were provided with breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner, with hot water at each break for hot drinks (or cold drinks such as milo). The Bos Kuks and their helpers were always lovely and truly deserve all the thanks us trekkers would give them every day.
The Dawn Service at Isurava and the visit to the Bomana War Cemetery, as well as the historical briefings along the way, were truly amazing and gave me such a greater understanding of the campaign and the strength of the Australian solider (and PNG Carriers). I think it's fair to say I cried a couple of times.
Overall, completing the Kokoda Trail changed me, and Adventure Kokoda was genuinely a great company. If you are considering taking the challenge, I would 100% recommend doing it with Adventure Kokoda. It would definitely be worth all the money,