Our 9-day Kokoda treks follow the original wartime trail via Kagi village through the mystic Moss Forest beyond Tovovo Ridge and onto the extinct volcanic plateaus at Lake Myola.
A highlight of the trek is the night at Bombers, the highest campsite along the Trail, in the Moss Forest near Lake Myola.
Major Charlie Lynn first visited Lake Myola in 1979 when he led a rigging team to recover a Ford Trimotor aircraft that crashed in 1942. The aircraft was relocated to the current National Museum and Art Gallery in Port Moresby where it is on display today.
Your trek leader will provide a detailed onsite briefing on Lake Myola which was discovered by Captain Bert Kienzle (the Architect of Kokoda) and developed into the major logistic base for the Kokoda campaign. The land was once considered 'tabu' by local villagers because the landscape is so hauntingly different from the surrounding jungle.
What's included
- Meals
- All transportation
- All accommodation
- All trek fees
- Mosquito-proof tents
Trek Itinerary
- Flight to Port Moresby
- Owers Corner to Imita Base
- Imita Base to Ofi Creek
- Ofi Creek to Agulogo Creek
- Agulogo Creek to Efogi Village
- Efogi to Bomber's Campsite
- Bomber's Campsite to Templeton's Crossing
- Templeton's Crossing to Isurava Memorial
- Isurava Memorial to Hoi Village
- Hoi - Kokoda - Port Moresby
- Depart Port Moresby
Dates & Availability for Kokoda History Trek 9 days
FAQs about this trek
The villages along the Trail are Seventh Day Adventists. They are vegetarian, don't drink alcohol, and strictly observe their Sabbath between 4.00 PM on Friday and 4.00 PM on Saturday each week. They also have two church services in each village each day - one at 6.00 AM and one at 6.00 PM and most of Saturday. Trekkers are asked to respect these religious protocols and proceed quietly through any village observing the Sabbath.
We contract PNGs premier air charter operator, TropicAir to fly our trekkers directly into and out of Kokoda.
We do not try and cut costs by using scheduled flights into the Oro Provincial capital at Popondetta, then subject trekkers to a bumpy 90 km ride in the back of a truck to get to Kokoda.
Scheduled flights into Popondetta are notoriously unreliable and often result in tour companies arriving into Kokoda after dark then having to reorganise themselves for a 3-hour night trek to their first campsite at Deniki.
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.
Adventure Kokoda Video: Should you Hire a Personal Carrier?
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The difference is the dialogue we have within the group during and after our presentations.
We have a combined total of 160 years professional military experience - our trek leaders have served in Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. They are able to relate discuss the ground and conditions to the strategic situation of the time and the various principles that apply to the different phases of war.
They have also experienced the emotional aspects of perhaps never seeing their families again - and they understand mateship because they have experienced it under combat condtions.
As a result they are able to provide informed debate surrounding some of the decisions made by commanders in the heat of the campaign and relate many of the personal stories of veterans they have previously served with.
This is not stuff you can learn from a book - it comes from personal experience in the army and makes for interesting and lively dialogue.
According to Major General Gordon Maitland, a distinguished military historian there are three types of military historians:
- Journalist historians, who show little respect for the facts in order to tell a good story
- Academic historians, who have the time and facilities to unearth new and valuable information, but mainly at the political and strategic levels
- Soldier historians, who are the only ones one can trust at the tactical level, for they have been taught to understand the key factor – ground'.
Adventure Kokoda engages 'soldier historians'! who meet Major General Maitland's criteria of understanding key tactical factors and are able to incorporate them into interesting and entertaining battlefield presentations.
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Adventure Kokoda was rated as the best Kokoda trekking company on the Kokoda Trail in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and again in 2023.
What is the Travellers' Choice?
Travellers' Choice (formerley Certificate of Excellence) recognises businesses that earn consistently great reviews.
We are very proud to be rated number one on Tripadvisor for the 9th successive year which shows our commitment to providing an outstanding experience to all our trekkers, ensuring they have an enjoyable, challenging and informative historical and cultural experience among friends.
View Tripadvisor reviews here.
Meet the Trek Leaders
Major Charlie Lynn OAM OL - Director, Adventure Kokoda
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..
Tracie Watson - General Manager
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..
Tau Maguli - Quartermaster
Tau Maguli is our PNG Quartermaster with an enormous task, he coordinates the allocation of 350 of our PNG guides and porters to ensure each trek has an equal number from each village across the Trail and each one gets at least six (6) treks a year. 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..
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..
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..
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.
Dave first trekked Kokoda in 2006 and began leading expeditions across the trail in 2011. He has now led more than 35 groups across the trail. 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..
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..
Jake Leske
Australia’s Honey Bee. Former Navy sailor, Jake Leske, is more than an outstanding Kokoda trek leader, he is Australia’s original ‘Honey Bee’ and a remarkable endurance athlete. Jake first trekked with Adventure Kokoda to learn more about the Kokoda campaign. He returned as a volunteer 2IC and later led his first trek. More..
Warrant Officer James 'Max' Walker
James ‘Max’ Walker (first trek with Adventure Kokoda Aug 2018 – 2IC Apr 2024).
Max Walker is a former career soldier who first joined the Australian Regular Army as a young apprentice.
During his service, Max was posted to the United Nations in Cambodia and deployed to the Republic of Narau prior to the establishment of the Australian offshore immigration detention facility. More..
Jesse White
Jesse has recently joined our Adventure Kokoda leadership team and comes with outstanding credentials. After visiting PNG over 10 years ago he formed a strong connection with the people, culture and history.
He served as a rifleman with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, completing multiple specialist courses and multinational exercises, including a deployment to Timor-Leste as part of the International Stabilisation Force. More..
Gerhard Hattingh
Gerhard grew up on cattle stations in the Gulf country and is a natural bushman. He joined the Army in 2000 where he served for 21 years.
He was a specialist Sergeant Gunnery Instructor in the Royal Australian Armoured Corps where he taught soldiers to employ and fight armoured vehicles.
He later transferred to the Australian Army Aviation Corps where he was engaged as an aircrewman and loadmaster in Taipan helicopters. He completed jungle survival courses as part of his qualification for this role. More..
Kerry Symes
Kerry brings a wealth of knowledge to our leadership team due to his success in senior management in PNG over a 10 year period. He has a Graduate Diploma in Strategic Leadership and was previously employed as the Operations Manager of PNGs major fuel distributor which took him around the country. More..
Angelo Tsirekas
Angelo first trekked Kokoda in 2010 and has since trekked it another 10 times with groups he has recruited from the Canada Bay Area. He has been 2IC to Charlie Lynn on his recent treks and has now stepped up to be a trek leader.
He is a former Board Member of the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway in Concord and was instrumental in establishing the 'Rusty Priest Kokoda Scholarship Program' with students from Rosebank College.
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..
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..
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..
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..
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..
Joe Uwea - Chief Guide
'Big Joe' as he is fondly known is the Chief PNG guide for Adventure Kokoda.
'Big Joe' has been trekking across the Kokoda Trail for almost 20 years and is fast approaching his 100th crossing.
He has earned the respect of his Koiari and Orokaiva counterparts during this period. He is a man of few words but there is no doubt about his authority along the trail. He is well-known and highly respected by all village elders and community leaders. 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 101 expeditions across the Kokoda Trail over the past 32 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.