Fast Facts

The Koiari and Orokaiva people who live in the remote villages along the Track are predominantly subsistence farmers, who live off the land and practice the Seventh Day Adventist faith. The women spend their days tending to the food gardens, looking after their children, participating in community events and attending local Church services; the men these days are often engaged in portering and guiding services for local and international trekking companies. During the wet season, the men return to their home villages and prepare new food gardens, build houses for their families, and participate in Christmas and New Year festivities. Young children attend village elementary and primary schools whilst older children will often board at high schools and universities away from the Track. On the weekends, you will find the kids playing a game of footy which they follow with more enthusiasm than your most avid State of Origin fan in Australia.
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​- Dr Genevieve Nelson is the CEO of the KTF
  • The Kokoda Track, or Kokoda Trail, is located in Papua New Guinea in the Owen Stanley Ranges.
  • The Kokoda Track between Kokoda and Owers' Corner is roughly 96km. From Owers' Corner to Kokoda as the crow flies is about 60km. 
  • During 1942 a terrible battle between the Australian and Japanese forces waged along the Kokoda Track with the death of 625 Australian soldiers.
  • One trekker recorded over 25,000 steps on a pedometer in one day.
  • The Koiari and Orokaiva people live along the track.
  • If you total all the uphill climbing along the track, it comes to more than 6000m of elevation gain (6km of ups and 6km of going down).
  • One of the best sections is between Menari and Kagi, although the nicest forests are found at the higher elevations between Kagi Gap and Templeton's Crossing
  • The highest elevation on the track is 2190m over the side of Mt Bellamy, one of 12 ranges that it snakes over through the Owen Stanley Ranges.
  • 'Kokoda' is an Orokaiva word meaning 'place of skulls'.
  • Number of languages spoken in PNG: over 800, more common is Pidgin and Motu. However most of our porters learn English at school and can speak it quite well, impressive as this would be their 2nd or 3rd language!

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