Kokoda Trail was big trial

By Kath Gannaway
BY THEIR third day on the Kokoda Trail, Upper Yarra Secondary College’s Extreme Challenge team were waking up as tired and stiff as when they went to bed.
Settling back into school and work last week after facing huge physical and emotional challenges was a challenge in itself for the nine students, two teachers and two local police officers who were on the track for nine days.
The trip was a life-changing experience for students Myfanwy Goode, Daniel Kelly, Michael Laws, Riley Shefford, Daen Smith, Jess Witnish, Dhania McKechnie and Nathan Dowthwaite, teachers Chris Stevens and Angela McCormick and Upper Yarra police officers senior constables Doug Fisher and Peter Hamilton.
“I didn’t expect to get so deeply into the history but when we got to the landmarks, like Surgeons Rock, you just did,” Riley Shefford said.
“It was the only flat piece of land to operate on so they would take the soldiers up to the rock and a lot of them died there.”
Standing side by side at the pillars overlooking the trail at Isurava, which celebrate the qualities of endurance, mateship, sacrifice and courage, was another pivotal moment.
The last three days of the walk were especially emotional as the team walked through areas where most of the major battles took place.
“I saw where my grandfather fought and that was very emotional,” Doug Fisher said. “Bits of old plane are probably the only physical reminder there was a war there,” he said.
Seeing the living conditions and poor education opportunities that are available to people their own age in the villages, and staying behind razor-wired compounds in Port Moresby were just two of the insights they had into contemporary life in Papua New Guinea.
Peter Hamilton said the trip had built a special rapport between police and students.
UYSC principal Brian Way said the Kokoda Extreme Challenge was part of a series of challenge programs offered at the school.
“Through these challenges we are saying to the students, set goals, rely on your friends and push yourselves beyond what you think your limits are,” Mr Way said.
He said part of the challenge for each student had been to raise the $3700 fee for the trip and to commit to months of training.
Mr Way thanked the Warburton and Woori Yallock branches of the Bendigo Bank, which backed the challenge programs and paid for the police officers’ involvement.