HAPPY HEALTHY KOKODA

Kokoda with Happy.Healthy.Living

11 Days 8500 ex Brisbane (Australia)

Accommodation

8 Nights Camping
2 Nights Hotel

Transportation

Mostly on foot
Vehicle transfers, domestic flight to Popondetta

Included Meals

11 Breakfasts
9 Lunches
9 Dinners

Trip Grade

Category 3
High Heart Rate Holiday

Group Size

Min. 6 Trekkers
Max. 12 Trekkers

Get prepared for a once in a lifetime program, culminating in trekking the famous Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea, in partnership with Happy.Healthy.Living and No Roads Expeditions.

This 14 week program is the ultimate in Experiential Development, all designed to prepare you for that final challenge. Walking the 96km Kokoda Track in June 2025.

Throughout the program, participant swill be working on the physical and mental resilience required through gym based training and outdoor training sessions to walk the famous Owen Stanley Ranges.

We’ll meet with the incredible local people, learn about their culture as we walk with them, and rest in the villages they call home.

Walking the Kokoda Track with the team from Happy.Healthy.Living is an adventure designed to utilise their incredible skill set and experience, in coaching, guiding and nurturing people from all walks of life, but especially those living with Neurodiversity.

Happy.Healthy.Living, although Sunshine Coast (Queensland) based, have also created an incredible online learning centre to help develop resilience and self regulation (so you don’t need to live there to benefit from their knowledge and expertise). The platform is growing regularly with new content and courses to work through. 

The Happy.Healthy.Living coaches specialise in developing movement and mindsets for all abilities. They have developed a great network of NDIS Support Co-ordinators and Plan Managers who refer and trust their clients to be a part of their programs.

Key Dates:

Information Night: March 2025

Program Begins: April 2025

Trek Commences: June 2025

Neurodiversity “is not a tragedy. It’s a challenge that can be met with creativity, courage, and resolve.””

Tom Harkin, Senator

Why Kokoda?

Improved physical fitness, strength and endurance. It reduces stress and boosts self-esteem, providing significant mental health advantages.

The trek enhances teamwork and camaraderie, fostering strong social through shared experience. Participant gain valuable historical insights and cultural awareness, while enjoying exposure to beautiful natural landscapes.

The journey often creates opportunities for for personal reflection and mindfulness, allowing individuals to disconnect from their daily routines and technology, and reconnect with themselves.

Walking the Kokoda Track takes people from any background, and places them in an unfamiliar and challenging environment, where everyone must work together, to overcome together.

96km over 9 incredible days. What are you waiting for?

“Finding the Happy Healthy Living program was a game changer. HHL is a program different to any other program I have ever heard of. The adaptive approach, nurturing body and mind.”

Danielle

 

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Kokoda Trail ammunition

The Kokoda Journey

Arrive Port Moresby and transfer to hotel. 

Relax and have a pre-expedition briefing with your guide. 

(3 Hours) We depart Port Moresby at 7am for Popondetta (30 minutes). We will then ride the “Chiropractic Express” along the same road the Japanese Imperial Force used to reach Kokoda Village, crossing the wide Kumusi River (where Japanese Major General Horii famously drowned). We’ll visit the local war museum and walk on the cigar shaped Kokoda battlefield.

We’ll be introduced to our expert guide and local team, who we will be our support for the trek to come. They will set up camp, carry our food, tents and safety equipment and ensure we have a safe and enjoyable trek.

We will then head off towards Deniki, through plantations and via the beautiful Hoi village. The going is relatively easy except for a steep 45 minute trek up to our destination. We will set up camp, have lunch and a delicious dinner before bed. (B,L,D)

(6-7 Hours) After breakfast, we break camp for Alola via the Isurava Battlefield memorial.

The Isurava memorial was opened in August 2002 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the ferocious four day Battle fought here back in 1942.

We will lunch there and then continue hiking – descending and ascending numerous hills to finally arrive at Alola. From here we can see across the valley towards Abuari Village.  (B,L,D)

(9 hours) Hike from Alola via Eora Creek to Templeton’s Crossing 1 (Dump 1), at the base of Mt Belamy.

This is a long day but extremely interesting with both historical and natural points of interest. (B,L,D)

(8 hours) Trek from Templeton’s 1 to our home village, Kagi.

Today will see us ascend Mt Bellamy, the highest point along the Kokoda Track (2190m).

The Kokoda Gap often provides wonderful views (on clear days).

We will detour off the track to Myola 1, before our  descent into Kagi where we’ll meet the locals.

A well deserved meal awaits.

Overnight in a village guesthouse or tents. (B,L,D)

Today is the local Sabbath (Seventh Day Adventists). There’s an invitation to join them (if you wish) in a church service to hear them sing, and observe how they pray.

Afterwards we will take the time to visit the local school, before allowing the afternoon for relaxing and letting our muscles rest before the next day’s trek. (B,L,D)

(9 Hours) Today we will hike from Kagi to the village of Menari. Across the morning we’ll climb Brigade Hill, before a long, steep descent into Menari.

This will weary your feet and legs, and most sleep very well indeed. Overnight in Menari. (B,L,D)

(5 Hours) Hike from Menari to Naoro village.

After climbing a steep saddle you will descend and pass through a swamp with a number of river crossings to Nauro village.

When safe, there’s a good chance to river surf down the Brown River! (B,L,D)

(7 Hours) Hike from Nauro to Wa-ule Creek.

Climbing through open grasslands you will mount the Maguli Range and take a long steep descent to Ofi Creek and Wa-ule Creek campsite. (B,L,D)

(4-5 Hours).Hike from Wa-ule Creek to Ower’s Corner.

There are a number of river crossings and a long steep climb up Imita Ridge.

The descent on the other side of the ridge is known as The Golden Stairs which leads down to Goldie River. After wading through the river the Kokoda Track concludes with a final steep ascent to Owers’ Corner.

Arriving in the early afternoon, and we’ll be met by vehicles with a picnic lunch and cold drinks that you will share with your guides and local team, before we transfer back to Port Moresby.

We will spend the night dining with our guides and other friends we have made on the Kokoda Track. (B,L,D)

Our adventure is over. Transfer back to the airport and return home, or journey onward!

Trek Add Ons:

 

Personal Guide Hire: $720AUD per person

Backpack Hire: $70AUD per person

Includes

  • 14 Week Happy Healthy Living Kokoda Program
  • International flights (ex Brisbane)
  • Trained Australian and Local Guides for the entire expedition (who carry all group equipment, food & set up camp)
  • Electrolyte supplements such as Hydralyte
  • All domestic flights within PNG (as per itinerary)
  • The support of a trained medic and our River rescue team
  • Shower tent to wash with soap and protect the environment. Hot showers are available for a small fee.
  • 10 breakfasts, 9 lunches, 9 dinners (some dietary requirements such as vegetarian, vegan & gluten intolerant can be accommodated)
  • All transfers as per itinerary
  • A visit to Bomana War Cemetery
  • All accommodation during the scheduled itinerary (2 nights hotel accommodation in Port Moresby, and tents inclusive of sleeping mats for the remainder of the trip)
  • Kokoda Track Permit
  • 1 to 1 General Guide-Client ratio
  • A rubbish Guide that takes all our (and some other operators) rubbish from the Track
  • Farewell dinner on the final night
  • Snack Pack for each expedition day to get you between meals
  • No Roads Expedition T-shirt
  • Access to your Australian Guide for advice prior to (and on) the expedition
  • Support, guidance and coaching from the Happy.Healthy.Living team, as well as weekend training walks before and after the expedition

Excludes

  • Additional services such as Backpack Hire or Personal Guide Hire
  • Personal spending money
  • Tips for General Guides
  • Any meals not listed as included

Your Guides and Safety

An excellent guide can make the difference between a trip of a lifetime and just an ordinary trip. Our handpicked professionals come from a range of backgrounds. Each has extensive outdoor and hiking experience and a passion for the beautiful place that is Papua New Guinea. The guide will ensure that your trip is truly inspiring, a huge amount of fun, and safe. All guides are trained in Safety First Aid and are connected to our Port Moresby and Melbourne offices by satellite phone.

Accommodation

“No tents tonight, as we all opted to rest our sodden bodies and damp clothes inside a rickety hut. Seriously, the floor flexed as we tiptoed over it, and it wasn’t only the two oddly shaped windows allowing in some of the dull light but also the wider cracks within the floor.”

We’ll make you as comfortable as we can, but outside of Port Moresby, there’s no escaping the fact, that we’re inhabiting the remote. Provided for you, at every campsite (should you want it) are a single-person tent and a sleeping mat. You could get by with that alone beneath your weary legs, but we’d recommend bringing an inflatable mattress, and a sleeping bag as well.

At some sites, you’ll have the option of a guesthouse should you want a bit more space to stretch. Think 3 or 4 wooden walls, and a thatch roof and floor, and you’ve got a reasonable picture.

Certainly a popular place for drying boots and socks, they’ll also on occasion sleep a trekker or two. Just make sure to bring a mosquito net, just in case.

It might sound rough, but we assure you, some nights, will come close to the best you’ve ever slept!

“If they can’t learn the way we teach, we teach the way they learn.”

O. Ivar Lovaas, Psychologist

As we departed Deniki, the relatively open jungle (at least at this point) was carpeted in lush green growth.

This was the Choko vine, and little did we know, its freshly plucked fruit would form part of our dinner, that very night!

Food in PNG

“There I was, socks screwed up into balls, massaging wrinkles out of damp, tired feet when I caught a familiar smell. Was I back at the movies?! Minutes later, a large bowl of steaming salted popcorn was plonked on the table right in front of me, almost like a dream!” 

We want to maximise the economic benefits from your visit to the local people everywhere we explore. The purchase of fruits & vegetables, allows fresh foods for our meals, and income for them. This provides incentives for villagers to offer a good standard of service to trekking parties as well as a vital source of income to pay for medicine, education, and transportation.

One of the biggest differences between us and other operators is our food. We do not get you to carry the food and we do not supply baked beans and 2 minute noodles for every meal. We cook up curries, vegetarian pastas, damper, prawn crackers, fried rice and the list goes on. Our Master Chefs are specifically trained in food handling to ensure you have not only a delicious meal full of nutrition, but one that is safe to eat. You may even have the opportunity to help the Chef prepare the meal, giving you a chance to engage our local team in conversation and build a bond otherwise not obtained.