Our Spirit Content - Kokoda Track

One of the clear victims of social progress in my opinion has been the loss or removal of challenge from our lives. We have got to the stage where everything we do is risk assessed to assure that anything we do is predictable. I am sure that this loss of challenge is being driven by the need to mitigate liability, but I can’t help wondering what it is doing to us and in particular younger people as they seek to develop their identities.

When society decides you don't fit in because you are different and even stops you growing.... but then to find a tribe that accepts you and you excel because of a new found belief, support and value in your abilities, to connect with the past history and identify where the future lies,,, through Courage, Sacrifice, Endurance and new found Mateship... this kid becomes a great success story

Last week nine Papuans from Central and Oro Provinces visited the war graves of a number of Papuans at Bomana Cemetery. They paid their respects to these great men. They had just walked and assisted along the Kokoda Track in honor of the fallen Papuans with our accomplished trek leader, Owen Turner

The School of Health Sciences Professor - Kevin Norton – followed a group of 6 walkers from South Australia as they walked the Kokoda track so that the physical work could be measured. On the first day the energy used was almost 6,000 kcal per person! This is a massive rate of energy use and not much below the energy required by the Tour de France cyclists [about 6,000 kcal per day for 21 days].

This is an article I wrote about a recent group of kids that were pretty much ostracized by society.... because they were different and struggling. I brought them up the Kokoda track and found that they were in fact.......teachers!

Aidan Grimes was proud to lead participants of Indigenous Youth Leadership Program across the Kokoda Track on his 90th crossing this month. Everyone in the group successfully completed the adventure in a fast-paced 7 day trek that included comprehensive Australian war history and lessons from our Diggers in 1942

In its ninth year now, the NSW Police took on the challenge of doing the Kokoda Track as a team including 6 young kids who had lost at least one of their uniformed parents. These young kids and Police Officers organized and attended functions to create some funds that would allow them to “put back in”... Here is their story

Aidan Grimes delivers a passionate recount of the Kokoda Campaign in 1942 to participants as they walk across the Kokoda Track in PNG from Kokoda Village to Owers Corner and then onto Bomana Cemetery to pay their respect to the thousands of fallen soldiers, our Aussie Diggers

Aidan Grimes met with the Paul Nerau, PNG Consul General at the 2nd 14th Battalion Reunion luncheon held in Brisbane

Aidan Grimes met with the Major General Michael Jefferies at the 2nd 14th Battalion Reunion luncheon held in Brisbane

Sixteen Victorian University students, of similar age to the diggers sent to war in PNG, were amongst the July group who trekked the Owen Stanley Ranges from Kokoda to Ower's Corner with Aidan Grimes and for the first time, his 15 year old son, Sean.

Aidan Grimes and his wife, Kris attended the QLD RSL AGM in Port Douglas where Aidan was presented with the National RSL ANZAC of the Year Award 2012 in recognition of his outstanding service.

Aidan Grimes talks with Ovuru Ndiki, the iconic Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel from the Kokoda Track in PNG

Another amazing Kokoda Track adventure was successfully accomplished by two groups of service personnel and six very motivated legatees for the annual ANZAC Memorial trek from Kokoda to Ower's Corner

The NSW Police, Australian Federal Police, NSW Ambulance Services and the NSW Police Legatees were all represented at the Bomana Cemetery in PNG on ANZAC Day 2012 for the official Australian RSL ceremony after walking the Kokoda Track with Aidan Grimes

We (Kokoda and Our Spirit) have lost one of our greatest friends yesterday. John Beleni has passed away and it saddens me greatly to have to write this notice.