New guidelines for Kokoda Track tours
PORT MORESBY – The management committee of the Kokoda Track Authority (KTA) and the management of the Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority (PNG TPA) have expressed their condolences to the families of the two trekkers who have died recently while walking on the Kokoda Track.
The KTA and PNG TPA said they respected the family’s wishes for privacy and would not discuss the individual circumstances of the deaths.
Since 2001 nearly 20,000 trekkers have walked the Kokoda Track, increasing from less than 100 permitted trekkers in 2001 to more than 5,600 in 2008.
This season there has been 20 tour operators guiding trekkers along the track.
According to the official statement, “These recent tragic incidents are rare with only two other trekking deaths over the past eight years.
“People thinking of undertaking the trek should be reassured that commercial tour operators working on the Kokoda Track are highly professional with long standing experience and expertise. They are also asked to commit to observing a code of conduct.â€
The track travels through remote and rugged terrain closely following the wartime route of the Australian forces defending Port Moresby.
The KTA and PNG TPA management are working on guidelines to ensure prospective trekkers undertake compulsory training and seek proper medical clearance from their doctors before they walk the track.
The joint statement went on, “The experience is profound, even life changing for some, where trekkers can gain an insight to the courage and hardships of the Australian soldiers and the Papuan New Guinean people who supported them.
“Trekkers are challenged personally by the experience and gain a better understanding of themselves and discover a new found strength to their own character,†the statement said.
The track links a series of villages and most nights are spent within or alongside a village in either a campsite or a guesthouse providing opportunities to engage with the local communities.
The trekking industry makes a significant contribution to the people living along the track with wages for porters and guides, food and lodging. Trekker fees help to maintain the track.
Ian Jarrett
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