Kokoda trek

Isabel conquers Kokoda

Twenty-One-year-old Isabel Fyffe returned Papua New Guinea around 10 days ago, tired but extremely proud of her achievement of walking the Kokoda track.

Isabel was part of a team of six AKD Softwood staff to do the trek.

“Five of the members were AKD’s other mills in Colac and Tumut from their personnel departments, I was the only one from Yarram,” she said.

Isabel is a third-year apprentice electrician.

Joining the AKD crew were 12 students from Colac Secondary College.

Isabel was nominated by her peers to be part of the Emerging Leaders and Self Development Program.

Before embarking on the trek, Isabel spent six months preparing for the trek.

On reflection Isabel said she probably should have done more training in the lead up.

“I knew it was going to be hard, not just physically but mentally challenging as well. I di a few walks through the pines around this area and a couple of group training sessions in Colac,” she said.

The group left Melbourne on June 19 for Brisbane and then Port Moresby  and a connecting flight to Popondetta then it was a four hour drive to the start of the Kokoda track.

“We arrived late in the afternoon, so we had to walk in the dark on our first day,” she said.

“Day two we walked to Denki which was fairly easy but after that there were some tough days and some days I thought I would not make it but everyone was so supportive and that helped to get us all through it,” Isabel said.

Each persons had a backpack to story their sleeping gear, clothes, medical stuff, snack and water.  The packs weighed 15 kg. Isabel opted to carry her backpack herself.

Waiting for the group each night was around 30 porters who had gone ahead of the group to set up camp and cook the evening meal.