About Us

Kokoda Spirit is Australia and PNG’s most respected and professional company, specialising in trekking Kokoda.

We have been operating in PNG since 2004 and we have escorted over 8500 trekkers and more than 55 expeditions a year safely across Kokoda.

Kokoda Spirit prides itself on its friendly, professional and knowledgeable staff…they truly make all the difference and ensure that all our trekkers have a safe and memorable trip.

Kokoda Spirit also supports a large range of Charities and Foundations with raising funds and awareness for their causes.

Our Australian Guides range from Military men that have served in Afghanistan, Vietnam, Timor and Somalia, our other Australian guides are specialist teachers, business and community leaders that love to share their knowledge of the history and culture of the Kokoda Track.

We can give you options with our great cross section of Australian Guides that represent an incredibly diverse outlook on life.

We offer a range of treks depending on your requirements and all of our packages are designed to eliminate any hidden extras and to make the logistics and organising of your trek hassle free and great value for money.

We have a wealth of experience and have been operating in PNG and along the Kokoda Track since 2004. Over 8500 trekkers’have now successfully and happily trekked Kokoda with us.

Australian Defence Force organisations and Australian Para Military organisations, Corporate, Schools, Sporting Teams, Charities and Foundations have chosen and continue to choose Kokoda Spirit for our professionalism and in-depth knowledge of the Kokoda Track and the battles along the trail.

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!

OUR ADVENTURE PARTNERS

Kokoda Spirit has helped to organise and lead a host of corporategroups, school groups, Defence groups, charities, individual clients and celebrities across the Kokoda Track.

We have worked closely and trekked with Paralympian and Adventurer Michael Milton, Paralympian Kurt Fearnley (Crawling Kokoda), Paralympian, author and motivational, speaker Don Elgin.

Rugby League Legend, Paul “The Chief”Harragon, NRL Premiership winning players Mark Hughes and Billy Peden, Australian Rugby League representive players David Fairleigh and Brad Godden.

Manu Feidel from MKR, Kate Peck model and MTV presenter, Miss Universe Australia, Laura Dundovic, and Miss World Australia, Erin Holland.

IN THE MEDIA

Kokoda Spirit has also been privileged enough to be the chosen trekking company by the producers of “Kokoda”the movieand has appeared on Channel Seven’s Sunday Night Program and Channel Seven’s Today Tonight program.

Journalist and television presenter, Simon Bouda, Channel 9, chose Kokoda Spirit to assist with coverage of 2017 ANZAC Day ceremony at Isurava Memorial.

We have also had an ABC Foreign Correspondent trek with us and have had articles published in The Australian, Sydney Morning Herald Age, Courier Mail, Japan Times newspapers and Air Niugini In-flight Magazine.

Our Foundation, Organisations & Charities Have Included:

Our Leadership and Mentoring groups have included.

Our Defence and Para Military Force Groups Include.

Our School Groups have included;

Media

Channel Seven Sunday Night Program, Channel 7 Today Tonight program (twice), ABC Foreign Correspondent, Channel Nine 60 Minutes Program (Twice) articles in The Australian, Sydney Morning Herald Age, Courier Mail, Japan Times newspapers and Air Niugini In-flight Magazine.

We run trips for the annual Queensland Police Service trek and we are proud of our past association with the Kokoda Challenge Youth Program (KCYP).

Kokoda Spirit also continues its relationship with the MASP Youth Leadership Mentoring program in Victoria and has done so for the past five years.

We have also been involved with Jobs Australia and their Indigenous Youth Leadership programs having led a group of Indigenous Leaders and Mentors across the Kokoda Track in their leadership program.
We organise and lead a number of school trips across Kokoda. Our school group’s focus is on the history of the track, community projects, including immersion, humanitarian and student empowerment and leadership projects.

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.

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

We do, we really love Kokoda, which is why we keep going back! We love its story, we love its people and we love its beauty and we’re confident that you’ll feel exactly the same after your experience.

Kokoda is a special place that we’re passionate about, that we care about and respect. We want to keep it special and although we’re not perfect, we try very hard to minimise our impact along the track by delivering an exceptional eco-trekking experience.

We offer competitive pricing on all-inclusive trek packages, including pre and post accommodation and many extras that some other companies may not mention. We’re reliable and we deliver on our promised services!

We provide excellent, friendly pre trek administration and professional advice and fact sheets, with attention to detail in preparing for your trek.
We can supply all your trekking, camping and hydration needs

Trekking Gear Package

We can provide you with a training program, excellent, friendly pre-trek administration and professional advice and fact sheets, with attention to detail in preparing for your adventure.We can also supply all of your trekking, camping and hydration needs.

See our Kokoda training plan

We are fully licensed and adhere to the Kokoda Track Trekking Code of Conduct and the laws and regulations of both Australia and PNG. We hold KTA Licence No.3.

Not only is ‘going local’the best way for you to have a real travel experience, but working with the local people and their businesses means that the economic benefit derived from your trek stays with the local community.

We have excellent relationships with the villages, communities and elders along the track and will continue to work with the local people in PNG and along the Kokoda Track to ensure everyone benefits from this once in a lifetime experience.

We exclusively use local guides who were born or raised along the Kokoda Track. They are all highly qualified, trained and English speaking and their intimate knowledge of the track will show you things that you wouldn’t otherwise find. You’ll also experience the track from a uniquely local perspective even meeting their friends and family along the journey.

Aside from the benefit to you, the traveller, we are proud to say that by employing locals, we are providing income, training and a career to local people.

With Kokoda Spirit, you can trek knowing that the money you spend directly benefits your leader, the porters and their families and the local community. In as many ways as we can, we support local businesses and communities in our travels, it’s the ethical way. It is the only way to get a true understanding of PNG and the Kokoda Track.

Our locally based PNG Guideswere born or raised along the Kokoda Track corridor or Northern Beaches areas and are all qualified, trained and English speaking.

Naturally they have an intimate knowledge of the track and can show our trekkers things that you wouldn’t otherwise discover.

We are proud to employ locals and provide income, training and a career to the local people of the Kokoda Trail.

Our PNG Guides are professionally trained in first aid, food preparation, river crossings, risk management and trekker safety.

Our PNG Guides and Senior PNG Staff all go through a rigorous training process, which includes track first aid at the start of every trekking season.

A fully qualified Paramedic Trainer provides this training.

We also have access to our specialist Wilderness Nurse who can assist with porter health.

Our Porters and Carriers are also briefed and resourced with knowledge and equipment to allow them to work in a healthy environment.

We provide group porter medical kits

We pay camp site fees for each of our porters

Each trek has a trained first aid porter who carries a porter medical kit

Each trek has a professionally trained rope and river-crossing specialist.

Each trek has trained cooks and camp staff that supply, prepare and cook our Porters hearty and healthy meals.

We pay our Trek Guides and Porters well above the industry average and well above the recommended amount specified by the Kokoda Track Authority.

Our Porters and Guides are on an upwards sliding pay scale from General Porter through too Senior Trek Master. We promote from within giving each porter the possibility of advancing his career.

Our Porters carry less than the specified weight recommended by the Kokoda Track authority and less than the International Porters code. Our Porters carry between 12 -20kgs.The maximum weight our Porters carry on day one of their trek is 20kgs. Our Porters weight is re distributed each day ensuring their pack weights are reduced by a minimum of 2.5 kgs each day.

The Kokoda Track Authority (KTA) approved weight for porters/carriers is 22.5kg.

We pay for Porter flights/transport to and from the Kokoda track or we pay them a walk back wage plus supply them food or food money for the walk.

We supply camping equipment, sleeping mat and sleeping bag and uniform for our staff.

Our porters and guides do not walk at night as this is an unacceptable risk to our employees and trekkers.

We can organise treks for private indivduals, groups, sporting clubs, schools, corporate organisation, defence force operations and more. We can even personally tailor your trek to meet your needs and requirements including options for:

• Trek Leaders (PNG Trek Masters or Australian Led groups)
• Dates – trekking season runs from March to November
• Direction – beginning or ending in Kokoda
• Number of trekking days
• Community projects

All of our itineraries are sensible and achievable

We’ve been travelling Kokoda since 2004 and we’ve taken thousands of happy trekkers safely from start to finish. Over the years we’ve built an army of highly trained and knowledgable Australian and Papua New Guinean leaders and guides who will make sure you have the time of your life.

We can give you options to the style of Australian Guideyou would prefer with an incredibly diverse outlook and experience with life.

Our Australian Guides range from Military men that have served in Afghanistan, Vietnam, Timor and Somalia.

Our other Australian guides are specialist Teachers, Business and Community leaders, Fitness and Health coaches that love to share their knowledge of the history and culture of the Kokoda Track.

Our Trek Masters and Guides are professional, friendly, knowledgeable and passionate about the track with an exceptional knowledge of the history. They live and breathe Kokoda! All our senior staff are First Aid or Wilderness First Aid trained.

Your safety is our highest priority. We’ve developed and adhere to an extensive risk and safety management procedure for all of our adventures. We have contingency plans in place and 24 hour back up, with satellite phones. We have a First Aid trained Medic/Guide and first aid kits carried on every trip.

We will provide you with a comprehensive medical form that must be completed by your Doctor before you participate to make sure that you are in peak condition for Kokoda.

We also carry $20 million in Public Liability Insurance.

Your trek will be physically tough so we know how important it is to have the right food to keep your strength up. We have hearty foodand plenty of it – freshly prepared pastas, stews, rice, potato and vegetable dishes all enhanced with local fresh garden ingredients (not hydrated packages) by our camp chefs! Our meals are designed to ensure you receive plenty of carbohydrates and protein to fuel your body.

Prepare yourself to be well feed with great food, including treats of pastries, pizzas and even donuts! We cater, for Vegetarians, Vegans and Gluten free.

Our business is registered in Australia as Kokoda Spirit Pty Ltd and we are registered with the PNG Internal Revenue Commissionin PNG as Kokoda Spirit PNG Limited.

We operate within the laws and requirements of both countries and pay our tax in both Australia and PNG.

Our PNG employees are registered with the PNG Internal Revenue Commission for income tax.

This ensures they are covered for tax and superannuation benefits.

We do not sub contract out our logistics in PNG to third party organisations.

We are proud to be an Australian and PNG registered and based company that employs locals and generates real benefits for PNG.

Our locally based PNG Guideswere born or raised along the Kokoda Track corridor or Northern Beaches areas and are all qualified, trained and English speaking.

Naturally they have an intimate knowledge of the track and can show our trekkers things that you wouldn’t otherwise discover.

We are proud to employ locals and provide income, training and a career to the local people of the Kokoda Trail.

Our PNG Guides are professionally trained in first aid, food preparation, river crossings, risk management and trekker safety.

Our PNG Guides and Senior PNG Staff all go through a rigorous training process, which includes track first aid at the start of every trekking season.

A fully qualified Paramedic Trainer provides this training.

We also have access to our specialist Wilderness Nurse who can assist with porter health.

Our Porters and Carriers are also briefed and resourced with knowledge and equipment to allow them to work in a healthy environment.

• We provide group porter medical kits
• We pay camp site fees for each of our porters
• Each trek has a trained first aid porter who carries a porter medical kit
• Each trek has a professionally trained rope and river-crossing specialist.
• Each trek has trained cooks and camp staff that supply, prepare and cook our Porters hearty and healthy meals.
• We pay our Trek Guides and Porters well above the industry average and well above the recommended amount specified by the Kokoda Track Authority.
• Our Porters and Guides are on an upwards sliding pay scale from General Porter through too Senior Trek Master. We promote from within giving each porter the possibility of advancing his career.
• Our Porters carry less than the specified weight recommended by the Kokoda Track authority and less than the International Porters code. Our Porters carry between 12 -20kgs.The maximum weight our Porters carry on day one of their trek is 20kgs. Our Porters weight is re distributed each day ensuring their pack weights are reduced by a minimum of 2.5 kgs each day.
• The Kokoda Track Authority (KTA) approved weight for porters/carriers is 22.5kg.
• We pay for Porter flights/transport to and from the Kokoda track or we pay them a walk back wage plus supply them food or food money for the walk.
• We supply camping equipment, sleeping mat and sleeping bag and uniform for our staff.
• Our porters and guides do not walk at night as this is an unacceptable risk to our employees and trekkers.

Kokoda Spirit believes passionately in responsible travel and promotes this through the development of sustainable eco-trekking along the Kokoda Track. This commitment will enable us to assist the local Koiari and Orokaiva people develop the skills and experience to gain employment and develop eco-tourism business across the Kokoda Track.

Kokoda Spirit is also committed to developing and implementing programs to assist the people across the track.

We believe people who work for Kokoda Spirit should be treated fairly, paid a fair wage, are supplied with adequate trekking gear, have a safe work environment, have access to health and education programs and further career opportunities.

We also believe that we should also learn and respect the culture and the customs of the country we are visiting so that we do not offend local people.
We ensure that local people benefit economically from trekking by employing them as porters, cooks, leaders and guides.

We also train our staff in hospitality, customer service, and first aid and assist them with both education and health.

Kokoda Spirit assists programs across the track to help with the distribution of schoolbooks, home readers, gardening products and first aid kits.

Our Projects have included:

• Village Reader

• Village Garden

• Green Fire

• Lighting up the track (In association with the KTF)

Some of our community groups have included PNG Cricket, Kokoda Village Reader project, PNG Village Gardener project, National Breast Cancer Foundation (Kokoda Chicks), Breast Cancer Care WA, Blind Courage (Guide Dogs Australia), Heart Foundation, Coca Cola, Zing, Victorian RSL, VECCI, Credit Union Foundation Australia (CUFA), Autism Victoria, Aspergers Group, Mission Australia, Centre Stage Management, Qantas, 500 Club, EFM and Centacare Catholic Family Services,ANGLS (Aussie Nurses Giving Life), Cerebral Palsy Centre, Barrick Gold Corporation and Porgera mine. NRL Team Newcastle Knights

Kokoda Spirit also supports and sponsors the Sunshine Coast ‘Give Me 5 for Kids’ program.

We are also Sponsors and Supporters of Smiling for Smiddy which supports the Mater Foundation.

We are members of the 39th Battalion Association, 2/14th Battalion Association and the 2/16th Battalion Association.

Kokoda Spirit is the largest employee of PNG Guides, Carriers and Porters on the Kokoda Trail.

Our business is registered in Australia as Kokoda Spirit Pty Ltd and we are registered with the PNG Internal Revenue Commission in PNG as Kokoda Spirit PNG Limited.

We operate within the laws and requirements of both countries and pay our tax in both Australia and PNG.

Our PNG employees are registered with the PNG Internal Revenue Commission for income tax.

This ensures they are covered for tax and superannuation benefits.

We do not sub contract out our logistics in PNG to third party organisations.

We are proud to be an Australian and PNG registered and based company that employs locals and generates real benefits for PNG.

Our locally based PNG Guides were born or raised along the Kokoda Track corridor or Northern Beaches areas and are all qualified, trained and English speaking.

Naturally they have an intimate knowledge of the track and can show our trekkers things that you wouldn’t otherwise discover.

We are proud to employ locals and provide income, training and a career to the local people of the Kokoda Trail.

Our PNG Guides are professionally trained in first aid, food preparation, river crossings, risk management and trekker safety.

Our PNG Guides and Senior PNG Staff all go through a rigorous training process, which includes track first aid at the start of every trekking season.

A fully qualified Paramedic Trainer provides this training.

We also have access to our specialist Wilderness Nurse who can assist with porter health.

Our Porters and Carriers are also briefed and resourced with knowledge and equipment to allow them to work in a healthy environment.

• We provide group porter medical kits
• We pay camp site fees for each of our porters
• Each trek has a trained first aid porter who carries a porter medical kit
• Each trek has a professionally trained rope and river-crossing specialist.
• Each trek has trained cooks and camp staff that supply, prepare and cook our Porters hearty and healthy meals.
• We pay our Trek Guides and Porters well above the industry average and well above the recommended amount specified by the Kokoda Track Authority.
• Our Porters and Guides are on an upwards sliding pay scale from General Porter through too Senior Trek Master. We promote from within giving each porter the possibility of advancing his career.
• Our Porters carry less than the specified weight recommended by the Kokoda Track authority and less than the International Porters code. Our Porters carry between 12 -20kgs.The maximum weight our Porters carry on day one of their trek is 20kgs. Our Porters weight is re distributed each day ensuring their pack weights are reduced by a minimum of 2.5 kgs each day.
• The Kokoda Track Authority (KTA) approved weight for porters/carriers is 22.5kg.
• We pay for Porter flights/transport to and from the Kokoda track or we pay them a walk back wage plus supply them food or food money for the walk.
• We supply camping equipment, sleeping mat and sleeping bag and uniform for our staff.
• Our porters and guides do not walk at night as this is an unacceptable risk to our employees and trekkers.