Kokoda 
KOKODA OCTOBER 2010 NOW SELLING!!
Take the ultimate challenge of trekking the Kokoda - one of the world's great adventure treks, but with the best preparation and support available to ensure you not only finish the adventure, you have the time of your life! The next Kokoda trips will be October 11th & 26th (Geelong Football Club), please be aware the dates are subject to change due to availability of flights at that time.
Joining the South and North coasts of Papua New Guinea, it is a challenge to be enjoyed by all. PNG's Kokoda Track is one of the most fulfilling treks you will find with a 96km Trail cutting across razor edged ridges and over steep towering mountains, then descend deep into the rainforest and jungles of ferns, spectacular scenery and towering trees entwined with creepers. You will pass through mountain streams on manmade bridges of vine and logs, as the translucent water tumbles its way down into the steep valleys. Rest in relaxed, untouched villages, where you will be warmly welcomed with smiles and fresh fruit and vegetables.
O'Malley Fitness has tailored a training program for people of any age and fitness level, to take the Kokoda Trek Adventure. The complete training program offered over the two months prior to departure is an all inclusive package provided for the actual trip. During the pre trip training we will lead you on an intensive, specialised training program three times a week for eight weeks. The Kokoda training will focus on strength, endurance and overall aerobic / anaerobic fitness and will provide necessary training for those taking on the Kokoda challenge. The trek isn't easy and to actually enjoy the experience and get the most out of the eight-day hike, adventurers need a specific training program to increase their fitness levels and help ensure they enjoy the trip. The eldest trekker we have trained and guided through the trek is 68 years of age and it was a fantastic challenge, and also an amazing experience to complete the Trek with him.
The Kokoda Track is also the home of the "Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels" - the local villagers who risked their lives in the Second World War to assist the Aussie’s to resist the Japanese advance. The Kokoda Trail was the site of one of the most critical and bloody campaigns of World War II. Three thousand Japanese and 600 Australians died on the Kokoda Trail in seven months. It was on the Kokoda Trail that the Australians fought the Japanese Army's last attempt to capture Port Moresby. In the end it was the Kokoda Trail that proved to be invincible as neither side could maintain a supply line over its distance. Today the Kokoda Trail is one of the most beautiful and peaceful walks on earth, however there is still evidence of the war and we sometimes find remnants in the jungle, and the older men of the villages bask in telling their stories of the "Fight".
The trek is not rushed and we walk it in eight days, which gives you time adjust, acclimatise and find your own pace. Completing the Kokoda Trail will give you a deep sense of achievement. The terrain can be difficult and the weather on the track is unpredictable and you have to be willing for anything, and our training program will help prepare you for this.
All your Kokoda guides are qualified and speak English, with one porter accompanying each person to assist carrying tents, cooking and other necessary equipment. We have a satellite telephone, comprehensive emergency plans, insurance and thorough knowledge of the PNG area, having taken more than 300 clients along the infamous track. The package includes all flights, meals, taxes, accommodation and the all-important pre-trekking training program. During the adventure, we will also take you through the history and significance of each part of the trail, telling the story of each infamous battle along the way.
It is really quite amazing to witness what our diggers did and the memories and sense of achievement will stay with you for your lifetime and we will offer the best support you can get before and during the trek.
For more information or to book your place on the challenge of a lifetime, you can phone Flick 0401 296 696 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
KOKODA TESTIMONIALS
Journey of a lifetime............ I have just experienced what has become one of the defining points in my life – walking the Kokoda track with Mick O’Malley. I come back from my trip with nothing but admiration and respect for the way that Mick ran the whole experience. From the day I signed up to walk Kokoda with Mick he was available for every question, every concern and every change of plan. Walking the Kokoda track was not on my ‘to do’ list but I find myself telling everyone I meet (and who I think can do it) that this is a ‘must do’ life choice. I then tell them that when they make the decision to walk Kokoda that they then need to call Mick and walk the track with him. I have spoken with other people who have walked Kokoda and no one has had the same experience that I had. Our preparation with Mick was sensational – we had organised group training sessions which ran three times a week for 8 weeks prior to our departure. We did group hikes that pushed us well out of our comfort zones, leaving us wondering what we had signed up for! There were open discussions about what we needed, how we would handle different situations and a sense that Mick was trying to give us a reality based perception of what we were going to do. Walking the track itself is an experience that will stay with me forever. Kokoda is a sensational personal challenge that takes you away from your life expectations and puts you squarely back on even ground. There are no short cuts walking Kokoda. There are no easy days. There are no dry days. There are no life comforts. What you get is a sense of being able to do anything you want in life and a realisation that life really is one foot in front of the other each and every day – you need to keep moving toward your goals at a pace you can sustain and you will achieve. Thank you and admiration to Mick for the way he runs the ‘Kokoda experience’. Walking the Kokoda is a once in a life opportunity and doing it with a team that you have faith in and who push you to your personal limits is the way to experience this. I highly recommend O’Malley Fitness to anyone thinking about this challenge. There is no way I would have enjoyed this trip as I did had it not been for Mick and the strong leadership he provided. Mick was always in control of the situation and always there to offer help at every point. At the end of a long day trekking Mick was always there rubbing legs down, strapping knees, organising for the next day. I had full confidence in Mick and his ability to pull me through any challenge that I faced along the Kokoda track. Life is not a race – it is there to be experienced each day. Thank you to Mick for reminding me that there is more to life than what exists within your current reality.
Tania Austin Managing Director – Decjuba Enterprises
Dear Mick,
I can't thank you enough for the most amazing time of my life! You have given us all a wonderful experience & I loved every moment of it. My life has changed and I shall never be the same, I am sure. I am a much stronger person for it. There is no hiding who you are when you take all our comforts away and I found that I can survive Just Fine! Thank you for the friends I have made & the memories that I will never forget.
Donna
I went Kokoda Trek with O'Malley Fitness in November 2009 and had an amazing experience. The service provided by Mick and his team was absolutely outstanding. From well before we left, I knew we would be in good hands – the fitness program was well planned and Mick gave us many thorough briefings on what to expect and what gear we would need. On the track the food we ate was first class and always very fresh – certainly no packaged food. The porters and guides were outstanding and did a brilliant job of explaining the significance and history of all the key locations along the track. Everyone was made to feel like part of the team and Mick’s infectious enthusiasm ensured there was always a laugh or joke to break up the hard work. Walking the Kokoda Track is something every Australian should do and I would recommend Mick and O’Malley Fitness to anyone. It’s worth doing just to see Mick’s donkey impersonation!!!
Stefan Grun - AFL Umpire
