Kokoda Enduro Trek

Days
6
From
$2,895
The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award

Kokoda Enduro Treks are a combination of Boot Camp, Tough Mudder and Oxfam - they are not for the unfit, semi-fit or faint-hearted - 138 kilometres through rugged jungle terrain with a total climb higher than Everest requires special endurance qualities.

Only those who train hard and maintain a high level of physical fitness should apply.

These treks are ideally suited for gym squads, boot-campers, footy teams, personal trainers and any other sporting teams who train together.

Kokoda Enduro Treks are cheaper than normal treks because you get across the trail faster and save the expense of an additional two days - but you have to be fit! 

Enduro Treks are for those with a high level of fitness who want to take on the ultimate challenge – Kokoda in five days. It is gruelling, tough and relentless – but will inevitably be the most rewarding endurance challenge you will ever do.

We can tailor our Enduro Treks to meet the needs of individual groups.  We require a minimum of 8 enduro trekkers if you choose to trek with a PNG leader or 10 if you choose an Australian leader.

Enduro Treks are available from $2695

What's included

  • Meals
  • All transportation
  • All accommodation
  • All trek fees
  • Mosquito-proof tents

Dates & Availability for Kokoda Enduro Trek

Photos from the Kokoda Enduro Trek

FAQs about this trek

Adventure Kokoda is not a member of the KTOA.

We declined the invitation to join the Kokoda Tour Operators Association (KTOA) which was established to protect the interests of Australian trek operators at the expense of PNG guides and carriers.

In 2017 they prevented a PNG motion calling for backpack weights to be reduced; employment conditions to be improved; and for guides and carriers they employ to be provided with sleeping bags, mats and a uniform; from being tabled.  

Overloading of local carriers is a common practice by many Australian tour operators as a means of keeping their costs down. We do not believe that PNG guides and carriers should have to sleep on wet ground because they are not provided with such essential items of comfort.

The exploitation of guides and carriers practiced by KTOA members would not be tolerated in Australia and it should not be tolerated in PNG.

They treat PNG laws with contempt by failing to ensure their members register as a ‘Foreign Enterprise’ in accordance with their Investment Promotion Authority Act.  As a result they operate illegally within PNG.

They also treat their trekkers with contempt by failing to advise them that their travel insurance policies may be voided if they trek with an illegal operator.

According to the IPA PNG (Investment Promotion Authority) website, Adventure Kokoda is one of only two Australian trekking companies who operate legally in PNG as a registered ‘Foreign Enterprise’ with the IPA.  Adventure Kokoda also provide for:

  • a maximum allowable weight of 18 kg which was the maximum weight allowed for 'fuzzy-quzzy angles' during the Kokoda campaign; (which means we have to engage more carriers);
  • a full trek uniform - cap, shirt, shorts
  • a sleeping bag;
  • a sleeping mat;
  • wholesome meals - equivalent to what we provide for our trekkers;
  • a gratuity equivalent to one day's pay at the end of each trek; and
  • a 'Walk-Home Allowance' of PNGK250 to allow our guides and carriers to walk back to their villages after each trek.

In addition to this we engage a PNG medic with a full medical kit to look after their specific medical needs across the trail.

If our guides or carriers suffer serious illness or injury during their trek we arrange for them to be evacuated by helicopter and treated at the Port Moresby Private Hospital - they receive the same care, attention and treatment as our trekkers.

 

The trek across Kokoda is the toughest physical challenge most people will encounter. 

The decision as to whether to carry your own backpack is important because it can mean the difference between enjoying the experience or suffering and having to withdraw from the trek.

Some trekkers in the past have stubbornly refused to engage a personal carrier because they want to do it like ‘the diggers did it!’

If this is your rationale we suggest you purchase a pair of hobnail leather boots, carry a canvas backpack with webbing pouches; travel with a half-blanket which you will willingly share with up to six other trekkers; borrow a rifle and ammunition; sleep outside your tent and leave your underwear and toiletries at the hotel in Port Moresby!

For those who are young, confident and physically fit it will not be a problem.  But for those who lead a sedentary lifestyle; who might be carrying an extra kilo or two; who might be harbouring some self-doubt about their ability to burden themselves with extra weight; or who do not maintain a daily regime of physical training it will be a struggle – you will find the track does not make concessions to anybody!  It is therefore important that you do an honest assessment of your physical capabilities.

If you are physically fit, are an experienced extreme conditions trekker, and have prepared yourself with a strenuous training program then you should be able to carry your own pack.  On the other hand if you have any doubts about your ability then you should consider engaging a personal carrier for yourself or sharing one with a mate. 

If you engage your own Personal Carrier prior to your trek we provide them with a trek uniform and purchase additional food and camping gear for them before we leave Port Moresby – there is none available along the track.

The cost of a Personal Carrier is between $660 - $790 per person, depending on the trek type/duration.  The cost will be displayed when completing the online Booking Form.

If you decide to engage one after you arrive an additional $150 surcharge will apply to cover the additional costs we have to incur as short notice.

From time to time we have trekkers who realise they cannot carry their backpack after the second or third day - we then have to try and recruit additional carriers along the trail. This is a difficult exercise in the middle of the Owen Stanley Ranges as we are not able to arrange for additional food, uniforms or camping gear for the additional carriers.  It’s also unfair as our PNG trek guides and carriers, who already work hard under extreme conditions, don’t appreciate having the size of their meals reduced whenever we have to engage additional personal carriers during the trek.

A Personal Carrier will carry your backpack and act as your ‘trek caddy’ for the duration of your trek – he will often catch you before you fall; will assist you over the most difficult sections of the trail; assist you with packing up and setting up and proudly introduce you to his family in his village.  

The situation is assessed by the trek leader.  If it is an emergency he will immediately contact the Adventure Kokoda base at Sogeri via satellite phone or VHF Radio.  The person in charge of the office will initiate immediate evacuation procedures by telephone with the appropriate emergency authorities in PNG and will advise the Australian High Commission of the details.  Immediate action will be taken to move the patient by stretcher to an area accessible by helicopter or to a nearby airfield.  The patient will be met on arrival by our representative from Sogeri who will then liaise with the appropriate medical authorities and the Australian High Commission for the most appropriate treatment or further evacuation to Australia if necessary.

The distance across the Kokoda Trail between Owers Corner and Kokoda as the crow flies is 96 km. However if you were to strap a Garmin 64st GPS to the leg of the crow and get him to trek it via the wartime trail the actual distance is 143.7 km - you would also climb a total of 6748 metres.

 

You should not have any worries if you are travelling with a reputable trek operator who utilizes a secure hotel and pre-arranged transport in Port Moresby.

Our trek leaders meet you on arrival at the Port Moresby airport; accompany you to your accommodation; provide detailed pre-trek briefings and equipment checks; lead you safely across the trail; and escort you back to the Port Moresby airport at the end of your trek.  We are with you the entire time you are in PNG.

Our relationships with local villagers along the trail is based on mutual respect because of the employment we provide to their local Koiari and Orokaiva guides; the money we have invested into their local campsites; and the community benefits we provide through our not-for-profit company, Network Kokoda.

 

 

Meet the Trek Leaders

Major Charlie Lynn OAM OL

In 2015 Charlie was inducted as an Officer of the Logohu by the Government of Papua New Guinea in their New Years Honours and Awards list 'for service to the bilateral relations between Papua New Guinea and Australia and especially in the development of the Kokoda Trail and its honoured place in the history of both nations' over the past 25 years.'   More..

Major Chad Sherrin MM

Chad is a decorated Vietnam veteran - he was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in action.  Chad first joined the 8th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (8 RAR) as a tracking dog handler.  He was promoted through the ranks to Sergeant while serving with 8 RAR and served with the Battalion in Malaysia and South Vietnam.  More..

Peter Morrison

Peter Morrison is an unassuming young Australian.  He first trekked with Adventure Kokoda almost a decade ago and developed a strong desire to learn more about the campaign and the people he met along the trail.  Peter is a professional boxer and former NSW Welterweight  Champion.  More..

 

Major Scott Babington

Scott joined the Australian Army as a 16 year old apprentice in 1985.  He was promoted through the ranks and has spent over 34 years serving in the Australian Regular Army.  

Scott has worked with the United Nations in Sudan as a Military Observer and as an Adviser in Afghanistan with the US 82nd Airborne and the 3rd Infantry Divisions.  More..

 

Major Craig Moffat OAM

Craig joined the Australian Army in 1979 and was posted to the Royal Australian Infantry Corps where he has served for 40 years with over 20 years serving in Special Operations Command as a Commando.  

Craig has seen regimental service as a soldier and officer rising through the ranks within The Royal Australian Regiment and Special Operations Command, his career culminated as soldier with two Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) appointments prior to commissioning to officer in 2005.  More..

Lieutenant Colonel Rowan Tracey LLB BA

Rowan is a pioneer of the Kokoda Trail.  He first trekked it 30 years ago when he served with the PNG Defence Force.  He is fluent in the local language 'Tok Pisin'.  Rowan is a military historian and is acknowledged as the most eminent authority on the strategy and tactics of the Kokoda campaign.  More..

Captain Reg Yates

Over the past 34 years Captain Reg Yates has explored most of the WW11 battlesites in PNG. He is fluent in Tok Pisin and is well respected by village elders along the Kokoda Trail.  More..

 

Commodore Simon Hart CSC MSc MA

Simon joined the Australian Navy a Cadet Midshipmen in 1973 and carved out an outstanding career spanning 33 years.  He specialised in maritime surface ship operations and spent the majority of his career at sea.  More..

Dave Sherry

Dave began exploring Australia as soon as he was old enough to escape Sydney.  He was born in the city but his heart was in the bush and he now lives on a farm just outside the western country town of Horsham.  There are few places in Australia that Dave hasn’t trekked on foot or explored in off-road vehicles.  He even took to the sea as a crew member on the Tall Ship HMAS Bounty during the Bicentenary in 1988.  More..

 

Peter Davis

Peter served in the Army Reserve for 7 years and has two grandfathers who served in both World Wars - one being a highly decorated soldier.  Peter recently graduated with a MPhil in Military History with the Australian Defence Force Academy and is now studying for his PhD.  More..

Bernie Rowell

Bernie is a Kokoda tragic.  He first trekked with Kokoda to honour his father who served in New Guinea during the war.  He has since trekked it 55 times.  Bernie has transposed his success in business to his passion for leading treks across the Kokoda Trail.  More..

Sergeant Rod Foster

Rod is currently serving as a Sergeant in the Royal Australian Artillery at 4 Field Regiment Townsville.  He has served in the Sinai Peninsula and Iraq and has a deep understanding of the wartime history of the Kokoda campaign.  He is also a competitive ultra-marathon athlete.  More..

John Nalder

Prior to John joining Adventure Kokoda he used to wrestle crocodiles with Steve Irwin.  John is a qualified para-medic and expert bushman.  He has a deep emotional commitment to Kokoda and the veterans he has met over the years.  He is a keen student of the Kokoda campaign.  More..

Fiona Foster

Fiona has a strong passion for Kokoda, PNG and its people which was sparked as a young girl knowing her grandfather fought on Kokoda.

As a school teacher Fiona has extensive experience in developing leadership in young Australians and has been involved in the development of a leadership program within the school environment.  This saw her bring two passions together; teaching our future generations and Kokoda, whilst getting them outside of their comfort zones, and allowing them to learn about themselves.  More..

Carla Valmorbida

Carla brings great organisational skills, energy and humour to her role.  She is passionate about the Kokoda campaign and thrives on seeing how transformative and life-changing this experience can be for trekkers.

Carla was initially inspired to trek Kokoda to honour her Grandfathers service with the AIF in Buna and has now successfully participated in a number of Adventure Kokoda Youth Leadership Challenge treks as a Trek Guide.  More..

Tracie Watson

Tracie is the General Manager and engine room of Adventure Kokoda - she is on-call 24/7 and will look after your every need and concern from the moment you book your trek until you arrive back in Australia.  More..

Why Trek with Adventure Kokoda

Our primary goal is to lead you safely across the Kokoda Trail and ensure you have an unforgettable wartime historical and cultural experience.

Charlie has led 100 expeditions across the Kokoda Trail over the past 30 years.

He previously served in the Australian Army for 21 years. During this time he saw active service in Vietnam; was assigned to the joint Australian, New Zealand and British (ANZUK) Force in Singapore/ Malaysia from 1970-72, and as an exchange instructor in Airborne Logistics with the United States Army from 1977-78. He is a graduate of the Army Command and Staff College.

Why choose Adventure Kokoda?

Why is Kokoda so important?Dive into the History