Hi Michael,  

Thank you so much for sharing the 'mystique' of the Kokoda story and making the experience what I believe to be one of my greatest achievements.

I sincerely hope we can maintain contact into the future and the fact I can now consider you a friend.

I am proud to advocate your business in anyway I can and would ask you to give some thought as to how this could be best provided.

Thanks and best wishes.

Dean Talbot
State Manager Victoria & Tasmania
NAB Broker

Hi Mick and the team from Australian Kokoda Tours. Thanks for your efforts in organising the trip.  The logistical challenge of providing safety, nutrition, hydration, personel, transport, accomodation and significant psychological support, (not to mention a sensational pharmaceutical supply) for all of us was second to none. I hope you have had a couple of nights solid sleep and been to your favourite steak house, but most of all I hope you have put the lid on the jar of HTFU and left it in the fridge.  Your girls will be needing a soft and malleable bloke in the house.

Coming home was much more emotional than I expected  "crying tired" I guess.  My thoughts are consumed by the people we met,  the amazing environment we traveled through and the contrast between the track and Moresby.  I think there are lots of things we could do to keep these people living happily and productively in their villages and will continue to ponder the merits and feasibility of these.

I have been using a compression cuff from the footy club, which has really helped reduce the swelling of my ankle and i think that and a few days of not trekking will sort it out - probably psycho.

Once again thank you Mick, the enormity of the experience is still sinking in.

Regards

Loretta FitzGerald
North Ballarat Football Club

Hi Mick,

I had an amazing time.  It was harder than I thought, at times lonelier than I thought, but definitely more amazing than I thought.  I genuinely did not think that I would love it as much as I did, laugh as much as I did or feel so empowered at the end.

You and your support had an enormous impact on me.  Without wanting to sound over the top, I truly find you inspirational.  Someone asked me yesterday whether I would do it again, and I have to admit my answer was yes!  Who would have thougth.

Just wanted to say, thank you so much.  It was so well organised, the porters were amazing and the history along the way was fabulous.

Thank you so much Mick for the most amazing experience of my life.

Kim

I want to express my enormous gratitude to each and every fantastic friend I have just had the privilege of sharing one of my life's most amazing experiences with. To all 11 of you, you will have a special place in my thoughts and hopefully much more a part of my life from here on. The incredible tapestry of experiences is beyond words and the emotional roller coaster everything and more than I could ever have imagined or expected. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Packs On, let's rock and roll up and down. Fuzzy Wuzzy, you bloody beauty. I love you all to Owers Corner and back. Talk soon my good friends. BAKKA

Peter Burke

Dear Mick

Thank you for the congratulations, I think everyone in the team did an amazing job, struggling with their own issues at times but overall making a seemingly impossible walk possible.

Kokoda occupies my mind most of the time since we have returned.  I wish I could go back and do it all again tomorrow, I am really really sad that it is over and that I may never see Mudman and Anouk again!   I just loved their kind, gentle and very funny natures.  And this of course goes for all of the other porters too.  Their natures are so gentle (without exception).  They were always grateful when I would buy them bananas, coke or mandarines and it was always my absolute pleasure to do this for them as they deserved every kindness in my opinion.  They were always there with an arm/hand/foot ready to catch us when we were sliding or struggling.  They were always up for a laugh and friendly and smiling.  They were so polite and shy at the same time.  I will really never forget them and treasure my memories so much, I never want them to fade.

I am going to save up this year and next and come on another Kokoda trip with you next year.  If I can rally up a few people I know to come along I will do this as i think half the trick is getting a good group of like minded people together.

I am still laughing at all the funny things that happened.  The porters no doubt think I am one of the biggest half wits they have even encountered on the track but c'est la vie!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping to make possible an amazing dream, a fantastic self achievement, an incredible life experience and really for me, the absolute trip of a life time.

Thanks Mick.  Great leader, great enthusiasm and encouragement at all times for those that needed it.  Great laughs, great chats, hideous stretches.  The fines were such a great idea.  I think it made it so so fantastic to be able to regroup and laugh and laugh each night after long days, particularly for those who were struggling.  Keeping spirits high is no doubt one of the most important components to a successful trip and this was 'fines' game very conducive to it. 

Love Ros

Hi Mick,

The trip was an amazing experience and honestly the best thing I have ever done. I got so much out of it and the hard moments are the ones I look back on now and find the most rewarding and worthwhile.

I want to say a big thank you to you again for running such a fantastic trip, your experience and professionalism made the trip such an enjoyable one and your choice of porters was awesome - they were all so friendly, experienced, knowledgeable and lovely. Freddy in particular was amazing and so attentive and helpful (I probably drove him nuts with my lack of coordination!) and I couldn't have made it without him.

It is remarkable to look back like you said and think about the diggers who managed to do kokoda whilst been shot at and carrying huge amounts of supplies - it just beggars belief how they did that and how brave they must have been when we're struggling with porters to help us up the hills! I found the historical part of the trek really interesting and informative actually and learned a lot during the 8 days - I definitely think having the historical context made the experience so much more valuable, so thank you for that too.

I will definitely pass on your details to any of my friends who are interested in doing kokoda in the future!

Take care and thanks again for everything,

Cath :)