Our Spirit Content

Leader, Aidan Grimes flew the flag at half mast at Isurava yesterday as members of Our Spirit's August trekking group gave a minute silence in honour of the victims and their families.

Leader, Aidan Grimes reports Our Spirit August group arrived in Kokoda late yesterday afternoon and have commenced their trek bound for Deniki today.

The Advertiser - Adelaide news reports: The Kokoda Ethics committee decided that "20kg is the maximum weight a porter can carry", said Aidan Grimes

Dirranbandi ladies relived the spirit of Kokoda... "it is a truly amazing event in Australian history that we should all be proud of and should never forget"

I enjoyed not having to walk 'nose to tail' like other groups we passed. When you're all one after the other, you wouldn't be inclined to stop and 'smell the roses' as much, take photos etc. because you'd feel you were holding the group up

What started our from a keen interest in and a strong empathy for all of our diggers who served our country, became an extreme personal journey into my own mental and physical strength and self worth.

Our Spirit gave me contact details for other ladies who had trekked with them and these ladies were most helpful and the key reason I chose to trek with Our Spirit

We (Kokoda and Our Spirit) have lost one of our greatest friends yesterday. John Beleni has passed away and it saddens me greatly to have to write this notice.

The recent dispute between land owners on the Kokoda Track and PNG government authorities (namely, the Kokoda Track Authority) have now been resolved.

Trekking the Kokoda Track with Our Spirit has provided me with self belief, an understanding of what the Diggers of 1942 suffered yet achieved and made me accept

It is now one week and a day since we got back but my mind and spirit is till up there in PNG, I would bet I’m not the only one feeling that way.

Links to related articles and interviews from Aidan Grimes with national radio and newspapers as the chairman of the Kokoda Ethics Committee in relation to this tragedy

Owen's genuine enthusiasm in detailing the war events created our own "talking book" with each important campaign

Kokoda Women on the March - miss the everyday simplicity of life we had in PNG, the people of the villages, the legends and all the friendships of everyone

A remote Papua New Guinea village has donated money to the Victorian

bushfire appeal almost a decade after Victorians came to their aid

In 2006 the NSW Police Force started a tradition. Twenty four NSW police officers walked the Kokoda Trail taking six Police Legacy legatees with them. Two years later the custom continues.

The Our Spirit team have really outdone themselves with this package of in depth military history in an area of one of Australia's unsung and often forgotten and bloody commando campaigns.

David was motivated to present his understanding of the Kokoda campaign (after trekking with us in July 2007) at local Rotary Club and offers a few words of advice for those wanting to trek the Kokoda Track...

The highlights of the trip for me were the passionate presentation of the war history, particularly the balanced perspective provided on both the Australian and Japanese side...

Great experience, great team. Very good military perspective...