Kokoda Spirit and the Kokoda Track

introduction

Kokoda Spirit is Australia and PNG’s most respected and professional company trekking the Kokoda Track.

Kokoda, the Kokoda Track our Diggers and our PNG brothers is our passion.  

The Kokoda Trail is one of the World’s great adventures. Kokoda is a living breathing, pulsating and evolving Track. It is surrounded by seemingly impenetrable jungle, pristine rivers and stunning waterfalls that cut deep into the brooding mist covered mountains then sweep down into beautiful, lush green mystical valleys.

Kokoda Spirit is a specialised Australian and PNG adventure trekking company taking school groups, sporting teams, corporate groups and individuals across the famous an iconic Kokoda Track.

Kokoda Spirit has organised and ran a number of specialised treks for Australian Defence Force organisations and Aust Para Military organisations, including Queensland Police Service, Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army and the RAAF.

These organisations have chosen Kokoda Spirit for our professionalism and indepth knowledge of the Kokoda Track and the battles along the Kokoda Track. 

While we love working with our Defence Force groups we do promise not to treat you like a raw recruit or march you in platoon or company size groups like some trekking companies.

Here is what some of them have said about Kokoda Spirit;

Dear Wayne,

Thank you for a great trek. It was well organised and exceeded all of my expectations.

Your leadership and knowledge of the Kokoda Track and its history was first class.

Congratulations on a job well done.

Regards,
DR David Stevens                                                                                                                                                                        Director of Strategic and Historical Studies
Sea Power Centre-Australia. Royal Australian Navy

Dear Wayne,

I thoroughly enjoyed the recent trek across Kokoda and thought it was well organised and led.

In the RAN a ship’s Captain is the ship, and sets the standard for his ships performance.

Wayne is the ship’s Captain for Kokoda Spirit and has done an outstanding job. His knowledge of the track and in particular the battles along the Kokoda Track were excellent.

His positive and warm relationships with his local staff and landowners and his passion to improve their lives and protect the heritage value of the Kokoda Track is to be commended.

His leadership, professionalism and easy mannerism is to be commended.

Regards,
Peter Jones

 Rear Admiral

 Royal Australian Navy

Dear Wayne

On behalf of the Queensland Police Service contingent who recently visited the Northern Beaches of PNG and walked the Kokoda Track with Kokoda Spirit I wish to express our sincere thanks for your professional and comprehensive service.  Your passion, knowledge and respect for the track and its local inhabitants are truly inspiring. 

As you are aware we conducted an in-depth evaluation process of numerous Kokoda Track service providers before selecting Kokoda Spirit.  Your adherence to risk management protocols, delivery of promised services, professional conduct and historical briefings were of the highest order. 

Cam McNeill

Detective Senior Sergeant

State Intelligence Group | State Crime Operations Command

If you want to challenge yourself, learn more about yourself and those that you walk with, learn about the importance of team work or honour those that fought and died for this country, walk the Kokoda Track with Kokoda Spirit, their knowledge of the history and battlefield operations along the Kokoda Track were outstanding.

Graham Coleman
Superintendent
Queensland Police Service

 Kokoda Spirit carries a full 10 Million dollars in Public Liability Insurance and has a comprehensive Risk Management Plan. Kokoda Spirit and its Director Wayne Wetherall carry full Personal Indemnity.

Kokoda Spirit is a Registered Business in Australia and PNG and operates under the laws of both countries. Kokoda Spirit complies with all licence requirements for its operations including the Commercial Kokoda Track Operators Licence, holding Licence No.3.

 All our travel arrangements are completed through Spirit Holidays - Travel Agents Licence TAG 1611.

Kokoda Spirit's Managing Director Wayne Wetherall was part of the Foundation Committee that assisted in the design and implementation of the trekking companies Code of Conduct. Wayne was also a member of the Kokoda Track Maintenance Advisory Committee.

Wayne Wetherall and Kokoda Spirit have been engaged to manage and facilitate the invitation only Kokoda Track Authority Chairman’s Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels Day Trek to celebrate the role played by the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels during the Second World War, and to meet with the village people, inspect the facilities and infrastructure that has been created through the ‘Kokoda Initiative’ and to listen to their concerns and issues.

Kokoda Spirit is supporting Cricket PNG to help facilitate talent and youth development programs across the track. These ongoing cricket clinics will help to identify the remarkable natural talent of the local kids across the Kokoda Track and deliver some opportunities for them to develop and grow these talents under the watchful eye of members of the PNG Cricket team and coaching staff.

These cricket clinics will commence at Kokoda, Efogi and Menari. Future plans will see all the villages and kids along the Kokoda Track exposed to these wonderful clinics.

Kokoda Spirit is also developing elite treks across the track for all members of the PNG men’s and woman’s cricket teams. These tracks will give the participants a very powerful and empowering experience whilst learning about the incredible story of not only the Australian Soldiers but the Papuan Infantry Battalion and of course the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels.

 Kokoda Spirit also supports the Kokoda Track Foundation as a Gold Trek Operator Partner.

KOKODA SPIRIT HELP LIGHT UP THE KOKODA TRACK.

 Kokoda Spirit is proud to be associated with the Kokoda Track Foundation as a Gold Sponsor.

Kokoda Spirit Managing Director Wayne Wetherall assisted with the Lighting up the Track project by funding lights for this very worthwhile project.

Kokoda Spirit is Lighting Up, Iorabaiwa, Naoro 1, Efogi 2, 1900 Crossing, Templeton’s 1 & 2, Hoi, Kovello, Oivi, and Gorari Villages. They are funding the distribution of 255 solar lights to these communities.

GREEN SPIRIT FIRE

Kokoda Spirit has begun distributing its Green Spirit Fire places across the Kokoda Track.

Kokoda Spirit Managing Director Wayne Wetherall and Kokoda Spirit Trek Leader Bill Kelly designed the innovative fire places to reduce the amount of fire wood needed to cook meals across the track.

The fire places not only reduce dramatically the amount of fire wood needed to prepare the meals but have also reduced substantially the amount of time it takes to cook meals and boil water.

The fire places are being distributed to camp sites by the Kokoda Spirit teams across the Kokoda Track during the Anzac period.

Wayne Wetherall commented that he hoped to be able to distribute these innovative fire places to all villages and camp sites across the track.

The reduction in fire wood usage is a great step forward in protecting the environment and integrity of the track.

 History

Kokoda Spirit was formed by husband and wife team Wayne and Michelle Wetherall in 2004.

Wayne had recently returned from trips to both Vietnam and PNG including the famous and enormously challenging Kokoda Track. These two trips were the impetus for the birth of Kokoda Spirit. Wayne and Michelle had a dream to share the story of the courageous and heroic diggers on the Kokoda Track with fellow Australians.

Kokoda Spirit is passionate about, and committed to, the legacy and spirit that our Australian soldiers and their Papuan New Guinea brothers have left for us on the Kokoda Track.

The story of the Australian Diggers and their Papuan New Guinea brothers on the Kokoda Track has become folklore, an Australian legend.

The Courage, Endurance, Mateship and Sacrifice shown by our boys have made them and the Kokoda Track an Australian Icon.

Wayne Wetherall from Kokoda Spirit organised with the support of the 39th Battalion Association for the President of the 39th Battalion Association, Alan Jameson and Kokoda Veterans Alan ‘Kanga’ Moore and Cecil Driscol, and 53rd Battalion Veteran Clarry Meredith to fly to PNG to attend a private, moving ceremony on Wednesday, 29 September 2010 at Gorari Village near Kokoda.

Alan ‘Kanga’ Moore was proud to unveil a plaque and deliver The Ode on behalf of his fellow diggers.

The ceremony was organised to remember Captain Sam Templeton, Privates Sydney Moffatt, Thomas Herbert, Harry Lubansky and Leslie Speechley who fought and died during the Kokoda Campaign in the area of Oivi and Gorari. A plaque was laid in their honour and will be a place for others to pay homage.

In 2011 Wayne Wetherall Kokoda Spirit Managing Director and John Weston a student from the St Ignatius Riverview School had the great honour of laying the wreaths on behalf of the 39th Battalion at the Bomana Cemetery Port Moresby. 
Kokoda Spirit Australian Guides John Titmus and Shane Maloney also laid wreaths on behalf of the 39th Battalion Association at the Anzac Day service at the Isurava Memorial.

Wayne has completed a detailed research project along the Kokoda Track that included extensive interviews with Veterans of the Kokoda Track including Stan Bisset of the 2/14th, Keith Norrish 2/16th, Bill Graydon 2/16th, Jim Mackenzie 2/16th, Cecil Driscoll 39th, Alan “Kanga’ Moore 39th, Jim Stillman 39th and Kokichi Nishimura (The Bone Man) 144th Regiment, (Major) Masao Horie 18th Japanese Army and the 15th Independent Engineers Veterans association. Wayne has also assisted various Japanese Veterans association with information regarding the battles along the Kokoda Track and the Northern Beaches areas.

These interviews took place in Australia and Japan during 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Kokoda Spirit and Wayne Wetherall are always at the forefront of new adventures in PNG.

In 2008 we uncovered the remains of four full Japanese skeletons on the Kokoda Track and worked closely with the PNG Land Owners the PNG Museum and the Japanese Government on their repatriation back to Japan in 2009.

In November 2010, Kokoda Spirit Managing Director Wayne Wetherall was engaged by the Japanese Government to help recover four more Japanese Army Engineers remains from Mt Bellamy.

These Japanese Army Engineers had been killed by Allied aircraft on the Kagi ridgeline around the 4th September 1942. Their remains had then been buried up on Mt Bellamy.   

We have completed an in-depth investigation into solving the mystery of the disappearance of Captain Sam Templeton from the 39th Battalion. 
We have also conducted extensive research in the forgotten battlefield areas of Oivi, Gorari and Waju.The local landowners in this area have given us un precedented support in locating and mapping these important but forgotten battlefield areas.

In early 2008 we re-discovered the original “Golden Stairs” and the original supply track up to Imita Ridge. These original war time tracks were improved by the Australian Army Engineers to make it easier for supplies to be brought forward during the Kokoda Track campaign. These tracks can be easily seen and followed as you cross over from Dump 66 to Imita Ridge and it is very difficult to dispute theses tracks authenticity no matter had cynical the track expert. 

It is very important to realise that there is more than one Wartime Track running across Kokoda. Kokoda and the Kokoda Track is a series of tracks and trails that runs across the spine of the Owen Stanley Ranges. 
In the Imita Ridge area there is at least three tracks that cross this area alone.