The 12 Yarrawonga College P-12 students and their teachers Jo McCarthy and Megan Wood at the beginning of the Kokoda Trail in mid September.
An all-female group of Yarrawonga College P-12 year 10 and 11 students have returned from the experience of a lifetime, completing the Kokoda trail.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Eva Wilson, Shailey Reeves, Charlotte Goudie, Jenna Thorp, Lucy Bassett, Sienna Mullavey, Milla Fletcher, Abbey Shoppee, Kristi Hardman, Kaleisha Pell, Jessica Linehan and Tessa Ryan left Port Moresby on September 19 for Kokoda to take part in the nine-day monumental trek which creates an opportunity for students to develop into ANZAC Ambassadors.
Sponsored by ClubMulwala with a $25,000 sponsorship, the program also provides high level practice and knowledge in team building that links to core community priorities.
The 12 students applied to attend the trek last year and were selected after modelling the college values at all times and were outstanding ambassadors for the college, spending the last nine months training and raising money for their trip.
Several of the girls had family who had always wanted to or had taken part in the trek which was a driving force for them to become involved with Shailey Reeves saying that her mum has been sick since 2017 and had always wanted to do Kokoda but is no longer able while numerous others had family that had fought in the war so they wanted to see what it was like for themselves.
“A lot of us did it to challenge ourselves. It was mentally draining and everyone had their days but it was an amazing experience,” Eva Wilson and Shailey Reeves said.
“We all knew the history of Papua New Guinea and Kokoda but to actually be in the area and seeing some of the conditions they endured really sunk in with us.
“We learnt a lot about the history and culture as well as within ourselves,” Lucy Bassett said.
The trek, which the local group did through tour agent Kokoda Spirit with porters and guides, is 96 kilometres with a fair portion of this being through the Owen Stanley Ranges.
“We made really good friendships with our porters as everyone has a porter and guide. We were also so amazed with the gratitude of the kids.”
Each of the girls took a gift over which they gave to their porters or children within the villages that they stayed, villages that are lasting on the bare minimum and worlds away from our experiences in Australia.
“We realized there is plenty of things that we took over in our luggage that we really didn’t need especially when they were so happy with so little,” Kaleisha Pell said.
“We are all a lot more grateful for what we have as some of our porters and the people we got to meet didn’t have homes to go to which Jenna mentioned on several occasions that really sunk in and we got to understand seeing it for ourselves.
“A full day hike for us was a walk to school for them and most go to primary school but very small numbers go to high school,” Jenna Thorp added.
“There is so much of it that you can’t explain except to someone else who was completed it too.”
Joining the students on the trek were teachers Mrs Jo McCarthy and Mrs Megan Wood who have both completed Kokoda on several occasions and see the changes it creates in the students.
“We want to say thank you and are very appreciative of Mrs McCarthy and Mrs Wood,” Charlotte Goudie said.
“It was cool the support we got back in Australia and thank you also to major sponsor ClubMulwala.
“People get shocked that this group of girls did it but we were very honored to have been selected to go and are so pleased with the experience,” Kristi Hardman said.
Mrs McCarthy said that the Kokoda Track Leadership program is an amazing and life-changing event that she has seen change students mindsets for the better.
“I saw the change in the way the girls communicated and how they interacted in a different way the longer we were away from technology,” Ms McCarthy said.
“It is always great to see the way this experience changes the students and what they take away from it.
“For them to be able to experience how different life can be whilst also being able to immerse themselves in part of Australia’s history is really lifechanging.”
When asked what some of their tips were for those who are thinking of taking part in this life-changing experience, all the girls were of the same consensus.
The girls said they were challenged but honoured to take part in the experience and would do it again.
“Make friends with your porter as they care so much, play with the kids, pay attention to details, make sure to train and become fit as the fitter you are the better you will cope and take savory snacks,” the girls responded.
“We matured a lot and are now more grateful for everything.
“We definitely encourage others to go. We’d do it again.”
16°C