Kokoda Locally Led

The Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea, was the site of one of the most important Australian forces’ battles of WWII. But back then, and still now, it is home to a large number of local people and their unique cultures.

As well as the 625 Australian soldiers who died and 1,000 that were wounded during the 1942 battle to repel the invading Japanese army, many local villages were damaged or destroyed. That’s why this local led tour of the Kokoda Track can offer a different perspective on history and the trail itself. It’s an emotional journey through a place overflowing with poignant and sometimes difficult memories that deeply impact trekkers who visit.

No Roads Expeditions local guides can offer trekkers the very best local knowledge traversing this rugged mountain territory, including the stunning Owen Stanley Range. The guides possess exceptional bush craft skills and a deep technical and emotional understanding of the terrain around them. They can help you to understand the significance to both local and Australian history – connecting you to your surroundings in a deeper way than normally possible.

Trekkers often speak of the weight of emotion they feel on the trip, with a local guide just adding to the experience. The openness and warmth of locals is another key aspect, helping trekkers to step outside their everyday lives and appreciate what’s really important in life.

You’ll stay in local guesthouses, experiencing the indigenous culture first hand, as well as sampling some of the stunning food and micro-economies in villages along the way. With a local guide you will discover more about how the local people survived the battle, and how they rebuilt their environment afterwards.

Stop at the most moving and historical sites to pay your respects and reflect. Discover the most incredible mountain viewpoints and benefit from the best local knowledge and bush skills, developed over the centuries.

This is a challenging historical trek from a new angle, and one No Roads Expeditions really recommends to trekkers searching for an emotional as well as physical experience.

In 2016, the people of the Kokoda Track have decided that the Sabbath (which is a Saturday for the Seventh Day Adventist SDA) will be observed. This means that no work shall be undertaken from 6pm Friday until 6pm Saturday.

What that means to you is that our 8 days of trekking will be now 9 days. This extra day in a village will give us a great opportunity to see how village life is, witness a SDA church service and take a walk to see some interesting natural sights. We respect the decision made by the people along the Kokoda Track and expect this rest day as a real bonus to our experience.

Itinerary

This 9 day, 8 night trek with one day before and after for making the expedition a total of 11 days. For a more detailed expedition itinerary and map please see the detailed itinerary page.

Day 1	Arrive in Port Moresby and Transfer to hotel. Afternoon briefing with Local Guide
Day 2	Early morning and drive to Owers' Corner for start of Expedition. Overnight in Va-ule Creek
Day 3	Trek from Va-ule Creek to Ofi Creek
Day 4	Ofi Creek to Menari
Day 5	Menari to Kagi via Brigade Hill
Day 6	Rest day in Kagi village to observe Sabbath
Day 7	Kagi to Templeton's One via Naduri
Day 8	Templeton's One to Eora Creek
Day 9	Eora Creek to New Isurava via Isurava Battlefield.
Day 10	Isurava Battlefield to Kokoda via Deniki for our flight back to Port Moresby
Day 11	Port Moresby to your next destination

Note : This Itinerary is indicative and may change due to local conditions.

Walking direction - Owers Corner to Kokoda - Click to enlarge

Booking Conditions

Please read the following information which explains what is included, any exclusions, booking and expedition conditions and upgrades available for this expedition

General Information

Click on the following web-links to find out more about the topics described below.

How we Operate - why should you trek with No Roads? Learn more about how we manage safety and security, our philosophy, our team of Porters and Guides, what others say and we will bust some myths about the Kokoda trekking scene.
Kokoda Expeditions - learn about the Kokoda Track itself, the people and terrain, the plants and animals, more about our expedition team and the different types of Kokoda adventures we offer.
Preparation - to properly prepare for this expedition we have provided detailed information on how to plan for your expedition, prepare yourself both physically but also advice on health and medical considerations, and lastly what gear to bring (and to leave home).
Meals - No Roads offers the highest standard of delicious and nutritious meals along the Track and special dietary considerations can be catered for if we are notified in advance.
Military History - The history of the Kokoda Track during 1942 is nothing short of amazing. The stories of individual efforts, of triumph and defeat are ones that are still helping to shape Australia’s identity. Read our campaign overview and detailed key history events notes.
On Expedition - To complete your preparation we encourage you to read about the three stages of the expedition grouped into before trekking, trekking and after trekking. The information in these pages will assist you greatly in preparing and understanding what to expect on expedition.

Inclusions

Hand selected and trained Local PNG Guide for the entire expedition
Copy of the Bill James book "Kokoda A Field Guide"
Electrolyte supplement for the expedition portion
All domestic schedule flights
Equipped with a Satellite phone for emergency purposes
River rescue team and procedures - essential for large rivers
Government Taxes (except visa charge and civil aviation terminal facilities charge)
Shower tent to wash with soap and protect the environment. Hot showers are available.
10 breakfasts, 9 lunches, 8 dinners. Meals on expedition include Curries and Pasta. (Dietary requirements can be incorporated)
All transfers including those from the airport and from Owers' Corner
Visit to Bomana War Cemetery
Nutritious and delicious food for Porter team who deserve the best.
All accommodation outside of Port Moresby on the trek
Kokoda Track Authority Permit
Guides and porters (who carry all group equipment, food, set up tents etc.)
1 to 1 Porter-Client ratio
A rubbish Porter that takes all our rubbish and other operators rubbish from the Track
Tent hire (twin share) and floor mat
2 nights accommodation in Port Moresby twin share (4 star Holiday Inn : the best in Port Moresby)
Snack Pack for each expedition day to get you between meals
VHF Radio contact with Port Moresby, Kokoda and 10 other Track villages for emergency purposes.
No Roads Expeditions Kokoda T-shirt
Urine and health chart guide
Access to the pre-trek preparation information provided in this website.

Exclusions

International flights to and from Port Moresby (please contact us for a quote)
Travel Insurance (please contact us for a quote)
PNG Visa or Passport
Vaccinations and anti-malarial medications
Airport Departure Taxes (civil aviation terminal facilities charge)
Pre and Post trek meals (except hotel breakfast included with room booking)
Personal expenditure - items of a personal nature (i.e. art, drinks etc.)
Personal Porter
Excess baggage on scheduled domestic PNG flights
Charges incurred as a result of delays beyond the control of No Roads Expeditions
Hot showers during the trek require the porters to collect and boil extra water, for a small fee.

Expedition Conditions

Travel insurance that includes medical evacuation is considered mandatory.
Closed Private Expeditions are not included in this schedule.
This 11 day expedition with an 9 day 8 night trek is a demanding walk that requires an above-average level of fitness. Some days are long hauls of 7 to 10 hours through humid and hot terrain. Physical fitness preparation is necessary.
Minimum numbers for the scheduled expeditions are required, typically 8 people. Please contact our office regarding our scheduled departures to discuss your needs.
We aim for a lower impact and safer expedition by limiting our group size to less than 18 trekking customers per expedition. Typically our expeditions are around than 10 to 15 people group size (not including the porter team members).

Upgrades

The following upgrade options can be selected when you make a booking online.

Personal Porter - you can hire a personal porter for AUD $720.
For those that do not wish to share accommodation in Port Moresby, a Single Supplement of $380 will apply.
Backpack Hire - to hire a trekking backpack for $70.00 provided to you in Port Moresby.
After expedition activities - please ask our Expedition Consultants about options such as helicopter flights, Loloata Island resort, Port Moresby Nature Park and more.

Terms and Conditions

No Roads Expeditions is the booking agent for www.kokodaexpeditions.com.au
NO ROADS EXPEDITIONS (NRE) TERMS AND CONDITIONS

PRICING:

No Roads policy is to hold prices firm for each calendar year. However because costs such as but not limited to exchange rates and airlines are out of our control we reserve the right to vary our prices at any time up to departure, without notice. Pricing is per person based on twin share accommodation.

PAYMENT:

A 20% deposit is required at the time of booking and the balance due 45 days prior to departure.

CANCELLATION:

If you cancel your booking 90 days or more prior to departure, you will have your deposit refunded less $200 administration booking fee.

If you cancel your booking between 89 and 46 days prior to the commencement of your Expedition you will forfeit your entire deposit.

If you cancel between 45 days and 29 days before the departure date you will lose 50% of the Expedition cost.

If you cancel less than 28 days prior to the departure date of your expedition you will lose 100% of the expedition cost.

If after cancellation we fill your place on the expedition and the expedition is fully booked, we will at our discretion refund your money less an amount to cover No Roads Expeditions (NRE) administration costs.

We may, at our discretion choose to offer you another expedition.

Full payment is due 45 days prior to the departure date. If you fail to pay by this date you could lose your place on your chosen expedition and your deposit will be forfeited.

In the event of NRE being forced to cancel an expedition for reasons of security or personal safety (e.g. civil unrest, seismic activity, etc.), the amount paid will be transferable to another expedition or will be refunded, minus a reasonable amount for administration costs and cancellation fees charged by airline and accommodation companies not controlled by NRE.

Administration fees will be calculated on a case by case basis. While acknowledging the travel warnings posted by respective Foreign Office departments, NRE does not accept cancellation due to these warnings in isolation. We take into consideration information from numerous sources including reports from our local offices in the respective country and act accordingly.

In the event of NRE cancelling an expedition, we will work with all affected members to try to provide an alternative venue or the expedition fee will be refunded minus associated costs out of NRE's control.

PRIVACY:

No Roads Expeditions from time to time uses footage, comments and names for promotional purposes, should you not wish to participate, you must notify No Roads Expeditions in writing.

Liability Release

The following liability release statements are found on our booking form and provided here for reference. You will be asked to sign a copy of this release in Port Moresby before trekking.

I have been advised by 'No Roads Expeditions' (NRE) of the following matters in relation to my upcoming expedition with NRE.
I have been advised that, snorkeling/swimming, trekking, climbing and especially mountaineering are inherently dangerous activities.
I may be killed, injured, incapacitated and experience pain, illness and suffering. I may experience loss, damage or theft of my property.
Any of the above may not be NRE's fault or the fault of anyone else. These incidents may be caused by others in my party, employees or directors of NRE, their subcontractors, my guide or wildlife, environmental factors such as ice cliff collapse, avalanche, bad weather, loose rocks, unstable snow or even just physical exhaustion which can happen at any time on my Expedition.
There is no way of predicting all the hazards I may face. While NRE will take reasonable precautions to minimise the risks, there is no way NRE can guarantee my safety on this expedition 100%.
Often areas of operation are remote with little or no medical support. In some remote areas self-rescue is the only option.
My guide may need to begin first aid appropriate to the remoteness of the area and the nature of my ailment.
While NRE will take all reasonable precautions to maintain my safety I understand that I also am responsible to act in a responsible and safe manner that will not endanger myself or others in my party.
By signing or ticking this document I certify that I have read and understood these risks and they are acceptable to me.
I also agree not to seek compensation, financial or otherwise from any incident that might occur during or associated with your trip, from NRE, it's directors, employees or subcontractors.
I understand NRE will not accept my participation on expedition if I do not have suitable or sufficient travel insurance to cover such events as illness, remote area evacuation, etc.
NRE is not responsible for any medical, hospital, doctor, rescue, evacuation, or associated transportation costs. We will where possible assist you with any emergency logistics in the event of problems.