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Look Who's
Trekked With Us...
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See some of the famous faces who've conquered the Track with Kokoda Spirit. More here.
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Jobs Australia Foundation
Kokoda Spirit is proudly supporting a group of young Indigenous Australians as they take on the challenge of a lifetime with Kyle Vander-Kuyp on the Kokoda Trail.
This inspirational trek is been organised by Jobs Australia Foundation and sends a great message to the Australian business community about the value of developing the capabilities of our future Indigenous leaders.
“Jobs Australia Foundation was established to help disadvantaged communities throughout Australia.
Trekking the Kokoda Track will help young Indigenous people to build their leadership capacity and become positive role models within their communities.”
“Taking on the Kokoda Trail and this leadership program will be a challenging and life-changing experience for these 24 young leaders and we want them to gain as much as possible from it.
“We expect program patron and Australian hurdler champion, Kyle Vander-Kuyp, will be a great support and guide for the participants during their trek.”
Jobs Australia Foundation’s Indigenous Youth Leadership Trek of the Kokoda Trail will have 24 young trekkers plus the mentors that will accompany them. The participants will also attend the pre-trek leadership camp in Victoria this April, studying components of the certificate II in Indigenous Leadership and 12 days in Papua New Guinea.
"I feel on top of the world right now mate..."
 But I can't stop thinking of being on the track. I seriously wish I was still there. Never had a feeling like this before and I want MORE! A few friends of mine want to do it now also, so you'll be hearing from me soon about that.
As for the helping you understand our culture, I love that you were interested, like I was in you, your company and of course the Track! Loved every minute of it and truly loved the way you presented everything to us. You really painted the picture for what the Diggers, Japanese soldiers and the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels experienced, and helped me/us understand the significance of what took place 68 years ago.
We will never be able to imagine the feelings, trauma, pain etc they went through, but hopefully they're looking down on us with pride and a smile knowing, we have learned a lot more and appreciate what the Diggers and Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels did for OUR survival.
I am truly grateful!
Pauly
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"I miss the space, the constant hum of nature,
the birds and wildlife..."
Jodie Belyea, Project Manager for Jobs Australia Foundation, writes about being home from the 2010 Indigenous Youth Leadership Trek.
I am now sitting at home eating breakfast from a table with a kitchen, with a toilet and bathroom close at hand. It has been a delight to get up during the night to go to the 'loo' and not have to watch out for very large spiders peering at me intently as I went about my business! However I miss the space, the constant hum of nature, the birds and wildlife watching you with their eyes from the trees...and of course the noise of the group at 5am as we pack-up our tents and get ready for our daily walk.
The group and walking the track was amazing! All of the 21 participants crossed the finishing line. The walk was difficult and I do not believe I have ever walked and climbed hills so very, very slowly! It brought a whole new meaning to the phrases 'walk in a relaxed manner' and 'slow and steady wins the race'. The team was 'deadly', solid and consistent in supporting each other in achieving the goal of completing the 96km walk. I do not believe I heard one winged over the entire week, a testimony to the resilience and maturity of the group and the work that we commenced at the pre-trek leadership training in April.
With any activity like this individual and group dynamics unfolded each day and over the course of the 12 days. They were 'unpacked, debriefed and processed' by the group individually and in evening meetings, reinforcing the importance of communication, conflict resolution and problem solving skills. Wayne from Kokoda Spirit spoke of the history of World War II and what took place on the track providing a moving backdrop that reinforced the values and attributes of good leadership - courage, determination, mateship and service. Whilst the support of the Porters across the track and seeing how they lived in their communities evoked strong feelings and thoughts on equality, poverty and disadvantage and how so very fortunate we are in Australia.
On the second last day I took the time to move through the group as we took our last steps towards Kokoda and asked each of the team what their goals were for the future. Many of them exclaimed that they now had the courage to follow dreams that they had contemplated but never thought possible such as returning to study to find employment in an area they felt passionate about. The past 12 days has been life changing for all of us, providing the space to review and set new goals as individuals be it professional or personal. Completing this walk is not the end but a new beginning.
A big thankyou to Wayne and Michelle Wetherall, the Porters and Dion Taylor from Kokoda Spirit, Rob Walls and and most importantly the Jobs Australia Foundation for making the decision to implement this incredibly powerful program.
Contact Kokoda Spirit here. Contact Jobs Australia here.
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"Dubi Namu Na Everyone..."
This morning I woke early thinking I had to get up and do some shakin and bakin (bacon?!)... but here I am in cold Melbourne with the heater on - missing the tropical weather, the boyz, the singing and walking in a line through the Kokoda jungle with all of you - in the footsteps of heros no less....
Just had a sneak peak at some of the stuff you all filmed on those lik lik video cameras.... AWESOME!!!! Since we don't have our evening meeting, wanted to get this out while its still fresh in my mind. (I imagine that this might go under "Acknowledgements" and be swiftly followed by a collective "BOOM!!!" - so feel free to "boom" after you have read this):
Firstly I would like to acknowledge Scottie for entrusting me with what I now realise, was ultimately a HUGE task - to get through the track (sometimes running!) and document you all on this AWESOME journey. The reality of what we have all just achieved is starting to surface and I know that this will forever be a career highlight for me. So thanks Scottie for your support and believing that I could do it cos I wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for you. BOOM.
Secondly I would like to acknowledge the Kokoda Spirit crew, the porters (our PNG brothers) and the people and communities that we encountered along the way. I felt a strong connection with the land and the people and I am so grateful for having the opportunity to learn about the history, people and culture surrounding Kokoda track. I know I will get back there in the future. And the songs we sang are still running through my head.... "Thursday me silip lo Manari...". BOOM.
Lastly and most awesomely, I would like to acknowledge all of YOU. For me, the decision to come along to Kokoda came pretty fast and before I knew it, I was in a gym (for the first time in my life) with task-master Dion, training alongside an Olympic Athlete (with calves the size of jungle trees) and Jodes (the pocket rocket) - I had no idea what I was in for!! Ha ha!! Then suddenly I was thrown into a bunch of people, most of whom I had never met, from around Australia as the 'camera woman', about to embark on what Wayne said would be "one of the greatest things you will do in your life". I expected that it would be hard, I expected mountains, sore muscles, feeling tired - all of that. But I didn't expect to be welcomed so openly and honestly into the group, I didn't expect that people would turn the camera on me, I didn't expect to be singing and laughing so much, I didn't expect that I would go into this as 'camera woman' and come out as 'rat woman' (thanks for that Lik Lik Mundi).... I have never had the honor to spend time with such an AWESOME and supportive bunch of people. I have learnt so much from all of you and I honestly feel privileged to have shared the KOKODA journey with each and every one of you. So thank you - and from my heart - BOOM!!!
(Far out... now I know why people come back from Kokoda writing poetry!!)
xx Amie
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