Cnr Waigani Drive & Wards Rd

Boroko

Port Moresby

Papua New Guinea

Tel: +675 303 2000

Port Moresby.   The hotel provides a courtesy bus, so please make your way to the courtesy bus which will take you to the Holiday Inn.

The pre departure meeting will be held at 6pm in the joining hotel, giving you the chance to meet your Local Tour Guide and fellow travellers, and the opportunity to ask any questions, and prepare for the trek with an equipment check. 

Trek to Alolo Village via Isurava Battlefield.  (6-7 hours) After a complete breakfast we head for Alola via Isurava Battlefield memorial. The memorial was opened by Australian Prime Minister John Howard in August 2002 to commemorate 60 years since a ferocious four day Battle was fought there in 1942.

We will lunch there and then continue hiking - descending and ascending numerous hills to finally arrive at Alola. From here we can see across the valley towards Abuari Village. After a fresh pasta and damper meal it’s off to bed.  (B,L,D)

Trek to Kagi Village.   (8 hours)  Today we ascend Mt Bellamy, the highest point of the Kokoda Track (2190m). From here there are good views at the Kokoda Gap Lookout.

We will divert off the Track to visit the last surviving Fuzzy Wuzzy at Nadoori.

Later we descend to Kagi village where we will be greeted by the locals. A big feast is had tonight. We overnight at a village guest house or in tents. (B,L,D)

Trek to Naoro Village.  (5 Hours) Today we hike from Menari to Naoro Village. After climbing a steep saddle you will descend and pass through a number of river crossings to Naoro Village. A good chance to river surf down the Brown River. The village of Nauro has only recently been moved to the current location on the Maguli Range. It was previously on the Nauro River with a good airfield but some say fear of sorcery caused the villagers to move up the mountain.   (B,L,D)

Owers Corner to Port Moresby.  (4-5 Hours). Today we hike from Wa-ule Creek to Ower’s Corner. There are a number of river crossings and a long steep climb up Imita Ridge. The descent on the other side of the ridge is known as The Golden Stairs which leads down to Goldie River. After wading through the river the Kokoda Track concludes with a final steep ascent to Owers Corner.

We will arrive at Owers Corner in the early afternoon and will be met by a 4WD vehicle with a picnic lunch and cold drinks that you will share with your guides and porters.

We then drive to Bomana War Cemetery and on to Port Moresby to be dropped off at our hotel. We will spend the night dining with our guides, porters and other friends we have made on the Kokoda Track.  (B,L)

Holiday Inn Port Moresby

Cnr Waigani Drive & Wards Rd

Boroko

Port Moresby

Papua New Guinea

Tel: +675 303 2000

The Pre-Departure meeting is held at 6pm THE DAY of the scheduled departure date. The pre-departure meeting is held to discuss the tour itinerary in more detail, meet your crew and fellow passengers.

Topics discussed then will include the following subjects.

- How to walk

- Lodging, meals and other conditions while on expedition

- Security and safety

- Tipping

- Evacuation Procedures

- Cultural and Environmental Considerations

- Other relevant information

In each departure city we have named a joining hotel from where the tour will leave. It is your responsibility to make your way to this hotel. 

PLEASE ADVISE KUMUKA OR YOUR AGENT IF YOU WILL BE ARRIVING LATE AND ARE THEREFORE UNABLE TO ATTEND THE PRE-DEPARTURE MEETING.

In addition the crew will check that all passengers have the necessary travel documents, insurance and immunization certificates for the tour. It is IMPORTANT that you attend this meeting. Please advise KUMUKA or your AGENT if you CANNOT attend this meeting.

All passengers MUST bring:

1. Passport.

2. Vaccination Certificate.

3. Travel Voucher.

4. Travel Insurance Policy.

Your passport is a valuable document and you should exercise extreme care in keeping it safe. We recommend that you keep your passport on you at all times, preferably in a money belt that is worn under your clothing. We advise that you take copies of relevant pages in your passport and any visas that you may purchase in case of loss or damage. Your tour leader will require your passport details at the pre-departure meeting. Again, we recommend that you have a photocopy of all passport details, kept separate. Your passport must be valid for six months after the END of your tour, and must have one blank page for each country to be visited.

Please speak to your Dr regarding prescription medications that they would recommend for the trek, or what you require

Anti-Malaria tablets (we do recommend)

Antibiotics (for infections)

Any other medications your GP recommends

Please note that there is nowhere along the Kokoda Trail to get access to any medications.

Vaccinations:

No vaccinations are required for entry to PNG. However you should consider cholera, typhoid and hepatitis vaccinations and make sure your tetanus cover is up to date. Please consult your doctor on these matters. Plan ahead for getting your vaccinations. Some of them require an initial shot followed by a booster, while some vaccinations should not be given together. This also applies to some malaria prophylactics, which have to be begun at least a week before you leave home..

We also recommend:

A dental check-up prior to travelling.

That you know your blood group in case of emergency.

That if you have any pre-existing medical conditions which might affect you on tour, you make these known to your tour leader and your agent/Kumuka at the time of your booking.

You can also visit www.kumuka.com for further details.

Medical Supplies: 

It is essential that all passengers bring along their own personal first aid kit.

Below is a list of some recommended items:

Band aids, Paracetamol, Deep Heat or other muscle liniment, Blister pads, Crepe bandages, Antibiotic cream for cuts and scratches, 'Imodium' tablets, Strapping tape (for knees and ankles), Anti chaffing cream e.g. Pawpaw cream, Foot powder, Waterless hand disinfectant, Anti-malarial drugs (see your doctor), Anti-inflammatory cream, Broad spectrum antibiotic tablets, Anti-Nausea Tablets, Insect repellent, Gastrolyte, Water purification tablets(Allow for 7 litres of water per day), Sunscreen protection

Any one using any prescription medicines regularly should carry a supply for the whole duration of their expedition. Please consult your doctor and include items and medicines that may be required for you or for the area you are travelling in. Kumuka does not supply any medicines and takes no legal responsibility for any medical treatment or professional medical support to our clients.

If you have something you are particularly prone to such as ear infections, sinus problems or mild asthma bring what you need with you.

On the trek you will be provided with one litre of electrolyte replacement powder per day, this helps stave off cramping and dehydration.

The Guide will be carrying an extensive Wilderness First Aid Kit.

Womens Health

On top of the normal health consideration, women are advised to bring a tube of Canestan and applicator. The Canestan is used for the treatment of thrush (which can be very painful if left untreated) and can be applied to both internal and external thrush. 

Fitness

All trekkers must make special efforts to get in top physical condition for the trip they have signed for. Every participant should consult a physician well before the expedition date and make sure that they do not suffer from any chronic heart, lungs, cerebral, physical or any other serious illness. Kumuka Worldwide is not a medical facility and we take no legal responsibility for medical or other emergencies that may arise on the course of a trek. We will take all necessary steps needed to evacuate injured or ill clients on the understanding that all costs involved will be paid to us before leaving the country (see Insurance).

The following is a basic training regime for the next few months. You do not need to be super man to complete the expedition but the fitter you are the more enjoyable you will find it. All members should be either walking or jogging everyday, where possible.

Resistance and endurance training (i.e.: stair climbing, hills, inclines and anything that goes in the upward direction). At least 1/2 an hour per day should be a minimum.

To make jogging / walking interesting try the local parks or the odd mountain or three. Also invite a friend along, that way both of you will benefit from the exercise and you have some one to talk to.

Upper body strength is also important. A person with overall muscle tone, rather than one who is built like a brick out-house is far better off. For those with out access to gyms, push-ups and sit-ups and chin-ups are excellent. All can be done at home or when you are out jogging.

Below is a small exercise regime, which will condition and tone muscle groups necessary to enable you to cope with the riggers of the Kokoda Track region.

Sit-ups: repetitions of 20 daily - increasing by 5 at the beginning of each week - max level 50

Pushups: repetitions of 10 daily - increasing by 5 at the beginning of each week - max level 100

Chin-ups: repetitions of 5 daily - increasing by 5 at the beginning of each week - max level 30

If you have a gym at your disposal then aerobic exercise, boxercise and the like are all excellent ways to increase your oxygen intake capacity and muscle fitness.

Swimming is a low impact exercise but has the same benefits as aerobics. If you don’t like to perspire then give swimming a try.

The secret is do exercises that simulate what the expedition will be like, so hiking with a pack up and down hills for a few hours is ideal. We all have busy lifestyles so if this is not possible a hike into the hills every 2 or 3 weeks would be beneficial.

We hope this helps you all enjoy your time on expedition.

The following are suggested walks for various places around Australia that will help with your training.

Cairns

In the north suburbs near the airport and botanical gardens is the "red arrow" walk (45 minutes - up & down) and at the top is the 'blue arrow' walk (150 minutes - up & around) .

Up the Redlnych valley is the Crystal Cascades walking track (120 minutes - up & down). In the southern suburbs in Bayview Heights (top of Crest Close) is the Copperlode Dam walking track (200 minutes). At Gordonvale in the south is the Pyramid Mountain walk (380 minutes - up & down). This is the best for Kokoda training.

Brisbane and Sunshine Coast

The ‘Hinterland Great Walk’ – Maleny to Mapleton. This is 58 km overall but is broken into 5 different circuits you can do. There are ample good climbs for the legs.

Mt Cooroora at Pomona (just north of Noosa). The hardest climb but probably not long enough.

Mt Coolum. This is also an honest climb but a little short and a prick to come down.

Glasshouse Mountains - There are plenty of walks out there such as Mt Tibrogargan. You can do a fairly basic long distance walk before a steep ascent up the mountain. The climb has rough and unstable terrain which sort of mirrors some of the stuff in PNG.

Within Caloundra there is a boardwalk (mostly flat) that stretches for miles in both directions.

Melbourne

There are several good walks around Melbourne for training.

In the Dandenongs are the 1000 Steps (45 mins up and back) at Upper Ferntree Gully and the Glasgow Track (45 minutes up and back) at the end of Glasgow Rd in Montrose.

Other more out of town walks are the You Yangs (2-3hrs walking) out of Geelong, Mt Macedon (2-4 hrs walking) north of Melbourne, Mt Martha (2-3hrs walking) on the Mornington Peninsula and Mt Donna Buang (5hrs walking) near Warburton. This last one is the best for Kokoda and is only 1 to 1.5 hrs from Melbourne.

Sydney

There are plenty of walks around Sydney that are perfect for training. These are a few ideas.

Berowra Waters along the Great North Walk. A very enjoyable and scenic 17 km walk. Together with a few steep climbs the trail is very good

Blue Mountains at Glenbrook. This is a trek/scramble/bushbash/mountain climb/hike through the Glenbrook Gorge, up the mountain side to Portal Lookout and back along the trails over the Causeway and back to the gates of the National Park. Fantastic scenery along the way. Along the way there are several sections (like creek crossings and rock walls) that will require a bit of teamwork.

Ku-ring-gai National Park. Start at the Gibberong Track Wahroonga and walk down to Bobbin Head. From there walk back up the Bobbin Head track, back down the Sphinx Track and along the Warrimoo Track back to Bobbin Head for lunch. From there walk around to Apple Tree bay and then head out of the park via Birrawanna and Kalkari Tracks. Should take about 5 hours plus lunch. It will mean leaving cars at both Wahroonga and Mount Colah. Walk from Patonga to Mt Wondabyne Station on the Great North Walk (18 km). It should take about 4 to 5 hours to walk this section. Arrive at Mt Wondabyne Station. Depending on the time, you can another return walk from the Station towards Pindar Caves & Pool. This walk return is about 11kms. Catch train from Wondabyne Station back to Brooklyn. Train leaves on the half hour every hour.

Meet at the "Explorer's Tree" in Katoomba. This tree is on the Great Western Highway, on your left just west of Katoomba. Look for Nellies Glen Road on your left. There is parking available. The walk is approx 15.5kms each way. The elevation change is 800m each way. The walk down should take approx 3 1/2 hrs. Plan to spend no more than one hour at Cox's river for lunch and swim before heading back up. Please bring your swimmers and towel if keen for a dip. The walk back up should take 5 to 6 hrs and have you back between 5:30 and 6:30pm. Be sure to bring plenty of food and drink. Water is available from Cox's river at bottom. You will need lots of energy for this walk so it is important to keep eating and drinking along the way.

- From Owers' Corner to Kokoda as the crow flies is about 60km

- The Kokoda track between these two points is 94km

- One trekker recorded over 25,000 steps on his pedometer in one day 

- If you total all the uphill climbing along the track, it comes to more than 5500m of elevation gain

- The best section is between Menari and Kagi, although the nicest forests are found at the higher elevations between Kagi Gap and Templeton's Crossing

- The highest point on the track is 2190m

Many of the places you will visit are pristine. As travellers, we should try to have as little impact on these natural environments as possible. As such we recommend the following:

1/ We discourage the use of soaps when washing both body and clothes. Vigorous scrubbing is usually sufficient. Even biodegradable soap is not good for any water course and as such is harmful to the eco-system

2/ Please do not dispose of plastic bags and wrappers in either pits or in fires. These take years to degrade or let off toxic fumes when burnt. Simply put them in your pack until you return home (they can be discarded in waste bins before going through customs and immigration).

3/ Please do not dispose of batteries in the country. They are extremely harmful to the environment and usually local governments do not have any means to dispose of them correctly. Return old batteries to your home country for disposal there.

4/ At campsites, use toilet facilities that are provided. If you are in the remote, walk off the track and dig a small hole approximately 15cm deep and at least 100m from any water course. If safe to do so, burn used toilet paper in the hole (toilet paper takes a long time to degrade). Once fire is out, cover with soil. In rocky and icy mountain terrain (where a hole cannot be dug), cover waste with rocks. Tampons and sanitary pads should be placed in a plastic bag and placed in the rubbish bin back at camp.

By abiding by these simple guidelines, you will be protecting the local environment for the people who live there and for your children’s children.

You will need to carry a minimum of 3 litres of water on you. Your porters will advise the best places to fill up your water bottles along the trail. There are many places to fill up along the trail. The furthest you will walk between water is 4 hours.

It is essential that you take electrolytes/Gatorade/Staminade etc with you. Put in your water every time you fill up, as it helps to prevent dehydration due to high perspiration losses from exertion and high humidity.

Dehydration can become a major issue on the trail. It is very important to keep drinking fluids on the track. Because of the higher level of activity, temperature and humidity you will tend to sweat more. With the increased fluid intake and sweating you also tend to flush out of your system essential minerals, salts etc. This is why it is important to use electrolytes, salt replacements and Glucose type products.

Water purifying tablets should be taken as a precaution. The water is generally very good along the track but always check with the Local Guide about the quality of the water. We only source our water from the streams that do not pass through any villages or campsites. With the different environments, conditions, food and water, upset stomachs, vomiting and diarrhoea can occur. Please ensure you bring adequate medication.

How much money will I need on the Kokoda Track?

The currency in PNG is the Kina (K). Exchange rates vary depending on the strength of the US dollar. 

Cash and travellers’ cheques are readily accepted and can be exchanged for Kina at the airport, hotels or banks in any major city.

Credit cards such as American Express, Visa and MasterCard are accepted in many hotels, shops and restaurants in major towns and cities. Bankcard is not accepted in PNG.

For spending money while on expedition it is best to have money in local currency (K). The best place to exchange $Aus for Kina is at the Port Moresby airport. You do not need to buy Kina in Australia.

You will require to budget spending money for:

1) First night and last night dinner. $60

2) Personal items such as laundry, phone calls, snacks, etc.

3) Alcoholic/bottled beverages and drinks including bottled water.

4) Tips. All tipping is at your discretion. $35

5) Souvenirs and handicrafts.

6) Tourist Visa K100 or $50 ($50 if you arrange to buy it on arrival)

7) Small snacks along the Track $100 in small Kina notes 1K and 2K

Please Note: the local villages do not have change to give you, therefore lots of small change is best.

In Port Moresby Eftpos machines are few and far between. For your own safety we do not recommend you go into Port Moresby town to the local bank.

Accommodation

The accommodation on the Kokoda Track is very basic. Jungle camps and camp sites along the Kokoda Track are basic at best. The Guest House accommodations are open air huts with no mosquito protection. Guest House accommodation is not always available, so we will camp at the best available camp sites.

Washing/cleaning/toilets/shower facilities

The facilities on Kokoda are very basic at best. Toilets on the track and villages are known as ‘long drops’ and ‘short drops’. These are simple, deep pits or short pits that have been dug in the ground for use as toilets. There are no toilet seats. These facilities have a roof and screen over them for privacy. You do need to take your own toilet paper (3 or 4 rolls).

A shower tent is available to wash with soap and protect the environment. Hot showers are available.

Washing of clothes may done in the river. You need to bring a hand cleaner/disinfectant and environmentally friendly soap/washing powder.

There are no specific changing rooms on the Kokoda Track or villages.

Villages

Whilst in the villages we recommend you do not give money to anyone, as this does create problems between the village people. They live as a community and money needs to be shared between all in the Village. If you would like to take something to the villages, a gift that they can share is more appropriate, clothes, ball games,, colouring in items books reading and writing, First aid items are also very much needed (and appreciated) e.g. band aids, antiseptic lotions, strapping etc. We also ask our trekkers not to wander around the villages in swimming costumes. Please cover up while walking around the villages as it is a sign of respect.

Retiring from the Trek

i) Early departure from the trek including evacuation will incur the cost of extra staff, transportation, administration costs including phone calls and all other expenses incurred in returning you back to Port Moresby.

ii) The client is responsible for organising accommodation and must pay the Hotel directly for their stay. The trekker will be responsible for these extra costs.

iii) If you require or request a helicopter lift out you will be liable for these costs. The Local Operator will invoice you for these extra costs. It is your responsibility to organise payment claims through your Travel Insurance Company.

Helicopter Airlift Out

i) In the event of an emergency whilst on the Kokoda Trail, our local staff will assess the situation and they will act accordingly.

ii) If a helicopter is needed our Local Operator will contact your Travel Insurance Company and implement the evacuation.

 iii) All costs relating to a “Medical/Emergency Evacuation” will be charged to the Trekker including and not limited to administration costs, phone calls, staff wages assisting in the evacuation etc.

iv) Accommodation required due to the evacuation is the responsibility of the client and must be paid directly to the Hotel.

Some Useful (and Interesting) Pidgin English Words

- bagarap(im) - broken, to break down (from "bugger up") - very widely used in Papua New Guinea

- bagarap olgeta - completely broken

- balus - airplane

- bikpela - big

- haus - house

- haus meri - female domestic servant

- haus moni - bank

- haus sik - hospital

- sit haus - toilet

- haus tambaran - traditional Sepik-region house with artefacts of ancestors or for honouring ancestors; tambaran means "ancestor spirit" or "ghost"

- hukim - to catch fish (from "hook")

- kaikai - food, eat

- kamap - arrive, become (from "come up")

- kisim - get

- mangi - young man (from "monkey")

- maski - it doesn't matter, don't worry about it

- manmeri - people

- meri - woman (from the English name "Mary")

- olgeta - all (from "all together")

- pikinini - child (from Pacific Pidgin English, but ultimately from Portuguese influenced Lingua franca, cf, pickaninny)

- Papa God - God

- raus(im) - get out (from German "raus")

- sapos - if (from "suppose")

- save - know, to do habitually (from Pacific Pidgin English, but ultimately from Portuguese influenced Lingua franca, cf. "savvy")

- solwara - ocean (from "salt water")

- stap - be, stay (from "stop")

- slip - sleep, live

- tasol - only (from "that's all")

Whilst on tour you will probably want to stay in touch with family and friends. There are several ways of doing this:

Mobile Phone – Before departing your home country check with your phone supplier to see if it compatible with the mobile phone networks in the countries that you are traveling to, and how much will it cost to use abroad.

Email – Internet Cafes are very cheap and popular, and you are sure to come across several during your tour. If you haven’t done so already, set up a free Google Mail, Hotmail, or Yahoo email account which you can then access from any computer. Internet Cafes will charge a nominal fee for using their computers. Within Europe some hotels charge a wifi connection fee and we cannot guarantee a wifi connection at all hotels we use.

Twitter – A method of communication that is rapidly gaining in popularity on the Internet especially amongst travelers. Twitter allows you to send short messages and update your friends and family with where you are on tour and what you are doing. Create your free account at http://twitter.com. Visit Kumuka’s page on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kumuka

Facebook – Very popular website that allows you to upload stories, get in touch with fellow travellers before and after your Kumuka tour, upload photos and videos to share with other travellers, your family and friends. To create a free account, go to www.facebook.com and then become a fan of Kumuka’s Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/pages/Kumuka-Worldwide/26617121087?ref=ts

Postcards – The good ol’ fashioned postcard. But you will probably get home before the postcard does!

KUMUKA WORLDWIDE

UK OFFICE

Hillswood Business Park 3000
Hillswood Drive Chertsey KT16 0RS
Tel: +4420 7937 8855 Fax: +442075043782

Email: sales@kumuka.com
www.kumuka.com

AUSTRALIAN OFFICE

Level 5, 387 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: 02 9279 0491 Fax: 02 9279 0492
Email: sales@kumuka.com.au
www.kumuka.com.au