ANZAC Day High Time On Kokoda Track

In the early morning of 25th April, while it is still dark, Australians across the country will get up early to attend a dawn service, followed by a parade to honour those who have fought to protect the country. 

However, every year, thousands of adventure seeking Australians travel to important military sites to honour the soldiers at their place of battle. Gallipolli in Turkey, where Australian and New Zeland soldiers fought with the allies during World War I, is without a doubt the most popular Anzac Day travel destination. This is closely followed by those wanting to tackle the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea where Australian soldiers fought against Japanese troops during World War II.

Tour operators at both destinations offer multi day tours designed to show travellers the historic sites and culminating in a Dawn Service on the morning of 25th April.

Along the Kokoda Track, a 10 day jungle trek in the Central Province of Papua New Guinea, the main Dawn Service is held at the Isurava Memorial. Most ANZAC Day treks will depart around 18th April at Ower’s Corner, holding a dawn service at Isurava Memorial on the morning of the 25th of April and finishing in Kokoda on 26th April. For those on tight schedules or not physically fit enough to complete the gruelling track, some tour operators offer the opportunity to attend the memorial service without having to complete the entire 10 day track. These groups trek only one day from Kokoda to Isurava, stay the night and then attend the dawn service the next morning. They return to Kokoda Village the same day as the Dawn Service and fly back to Port Moresby from there

ANZAC Day is one of the busiest times of the year for Kokoda tour operators. Treks are typically booked out six months in advance even though most of the bigger tour operators would run two or three groups during this time. Many smaller operators also guide private tours to commemorate ANZAC Day at Isurava.

Adam Nicholson, who reviews Kokoda Tour operators and shares his personal experience of walking the Kokoda Track on his blog http://www.kokodatrekkingreview.com says tour operators are advising to book now for ANZAC Day treks in 2013. “Not only do you ensure that you have a spot, it also gives you plenty of time to start training and preparing. Plus many tour operators let you lock in prices for 2013 at today’s rates.”

For more information on walking the Kokda Track, including photos and personal experiences visit http://www.kokodatrekkingreview.com.

Contact Information

Adam Nicholson

Publisher

Kokoda Trekking Review

Contact via E-mail