Many have trekked the treacherous trail and a number haven't made it, but two Southern Highlanders are preparing to take on the beast and all for a great cause.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Kokoda Track is notorious for its harsh terrain, hot, humid days with intensely cold nights, torrential rains and most famously known for the 1942 World War II battle between Japanese and Australian soldiers.
Southern Highlands based organisation, Rare Cancers Australia will host the Kokoda Trek4Rare Challenge on August 10-20.
Related Further: Rare Cancers and Highland cyclists fighting against cancer
The trek is led by experienced Adventure Kokoda trek leaders with a detailed knowledge of the wartime history of the Kokoda campaign.
Battle sites that will be explored throughout the trek include:
- Imita Ridge
- Ioribaiwa Ridge
- Brigade Hill
- Templeton's Crossing
- Eora Creek
- Isurava
- Deniki
- Kokoda
President of the Southern Highlands Cycling Club and Rare Cancers Australia's community engagement manager, Zac Hulm is training hard for Kokoda.
"We'll be spending a lot of time walking over different terrain," Hulm said.
"There will also be a lot of gym work. We'll be adopting all the right gear and wearing it while training. That'll ensure it fits all correctly, especially the boots. The boots are the key to cross Kokoda.
"I'm excited because it'll be almost 10 years to the day since I walked the track for Camp Quality."
Wingecarribee Shire Council deputy mayor, Gary Turland will also participate in the event and is channelling his inner Rocky Balboa for the course.
"My training regime will be to walk up and around the Gib, with a backpack on and a log in it," Turland said.
"That's what I did when we raised $15,000 for the Renal appeal. We all got together and did 15-20km walks on the weekends, it was a good move.
"I've trekked all around the world, from India, Nepal, Morocco, and South Africa.
"This is another goal that I'd like to achieve. It'll be something really different and I think the most difficult thing to adjust to will be the climate change.
"It'll be very humid and I think we'll need to do some humidity training."
Along with raising money for a great cause, walkers will pay respects to the brave who sacrificed their lives for their country.
"I'm looking forward to getting to the memorial dawn service again," Hulm said.
"When walking the Kokoda Track, a part from the sentiment of walking in the same direction and experiencing a small part of what the Diggers went through, we'll certainly do some suffering on the way.
"But the suffering we will experience will be nothing in comparison to what the patients of Rare Cancers or Cancer sufferers face each and every single day."
Turland is calling for donations of a different kind to give to the locals along the Kokoda Track.
"We've been told the New Guineans love Australian Rugby League guernseys," Turland said.
"I've got a few of those, so we're going to approach a few of the clubs and see if they'd like to donate some and pass them out to the villages."
If you would like to donate, please visit: https://www.rarecancers.org.au/campaign/54/kokoda-trek4rare-2019.