A GROUP of local teachers and students will soon be following in the footsteps of war-weary Diggers and football teams alike, when they take on the Kokoda trail.

Four teachers, seven girls and three boys in Years 11 and 12 at Bayside Secondary College will head to New Guinea next month, to walk the trail that has become part of Australian folklore since World War II.

Federal MP for Hotham Simon Crean, who walked the trail with a group that included AFL football legends Ron Barassi and Robert Dipierdomenico earlier this year, last week visited the school to share his experiences and help the group prepare for challenges they will face on the trek.

Assistant principal Rob Evans, who will be walking the trail, said he and another teacher had been talking about making the trip for a while, before deciding to turn their adventure into a school trip.



Mr Evans said the group was well into its preparations for the arduous 97-kilometre trek over the Owen Stanley Ranges.

“The kids are really coming together as a team and working hard at building their fitness and raising money for the trip.

“The kids have been investigating various aspects of the history of the trail.

“Part of the whole trip is the history of the significant events and people, a visit to the war cemetery and other monuments along the way.”

Mr Crean said he was delighted to share his experiences with a young audience.

“I think it’s great that young people are going. A lot of the approach to the Kokoda trail is in the preparations and unless you’re prepared it’s really hard work.

“You have to depend and communicate a lot with each other during that time because you are basically cut off from the outside world.”

Mr Crean said the nine-day walk would present unique challenges for the group, both physically and mentally but he said the rewards would be worth every strenuous step.

“It’s certainly the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It’s just constant ascent and descent and it never lets up.

“The sense of achievement in doing it, the sense of occasion for why you are there and the fact that you know you can make the distance, I think equips you well for later in life.”

But walking the Kokoda trail also offers those who take the challenge a chance to personally connect with a crucial chapter in Australian history, Mr Crean said.

“The walk helps you understand the significance of Kokoda and New Guinea to Australia’s history.

“It’s quite moving because you have time to think about it all and reflect.

“This was a battle for Australia and I think we should recognise the significance of the New Guinea campaign as we do with Gallipoli.”

Mr Evans said the trip would not have been possible without the support of the Community Bank of Hobsons Bay, who provided clothing and financial support for the group.