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.
He is fluent in Pidgin and passionate about the wartime history of the place, particularly Rabaul and the Kokoda campaign.
He also has an empathetic understanding of the diverse range of cultures due to his extensive travels around the country.
Tianna McHugh
'Doing the pilgrimage with Kerry was honestly a highlight. His knowledge on the country, the area and of the kokoda battle was very impressive. He had lots of insights into significant soldiers and key staff in Kokoda and how and when they were involved in the campaign. He knew all of the major events and even had personalised stories from the soldiers involved in the battle sites or exerts he had sourced from letters or campaign documents and he would relate them back to the area or part of the trek we were on. '
'He is very genuine and authentic and it made the experience so much more then a trek. I'm not really a war history buff but I very much enjoyed being a part of Kerry's group. I felt like I knew all the soldiers in his stories by the end of the trip, something I wasn't really prepared for or expecting to be honest.'
'His leadership was to be admired, he was very good at understanding each of the trekkers capabilities and then making suggestions to ensure we all had a smooth and safe journey. I was very impressed. We had a strong sense of mateship and teamwork on our walk and I wholeheartedly believe it came from Kerry in the first few days with his leadership style and suggestions.'
'The whole trip exceeded my expectations and I've been telling everyone to go! It was amazing! I'd definitely go again, but only if it was with Kerry ahaha.'
Andi Teni
‘I found our team leader Kerry Symes very knowledgeable on the Kokoda Trek. He knew all the significant battle sites and about the many battles that were fought. I learned so much about Kokoda from Kerry and the way he presented it with passion and emotion made it a stunning experience. The dawn service at Isurava Memorial was a highlight of the trek. Kerry involved us all in one of the most emotional experiences of my life.’