Our Expedition Guides and Porters
Each Australian-led trek has both an Australian lead guide and a local PNG guide. Together they form one of the most experienced Kokoda teams in PNG. All our expedition guides have been carefully selected for their ability and temperament. Each guide has been well-trained and has proven abilities in eco-friendly methods, safety and careful trek operations. Each guide keeps the health and happiness of the trekkers as well as his crew, uppermost in mind.
Our guides are committed to making sure that all our trekkers have an enjoyable trek, come back safe, and have an overwhelmingly positive experience. Your local PNG guide will be a friend and
companion, who takes pleasure in showing you his country's specialties and, perhaps, takes you home to meet his family too. The Australian guide is well trained in first aid and will have experienced the Kokoda Track before. He/she will liaise with the porter team and make your trek as comfortable as possible.
The No Roads Expeditions team is made up of an eclectic group of guides. While the PNG team are full time employees many of our Australian Guides are Police Officers, Ambulance Officers, State Emergency Service Officers, ex Defence Force members, Fire Fighters and Outdoor Ed Teachers. They all have excellent emergency management skills, first aid qualifications, excellent knowledge of the Kokoda Track and understand the needs of our trekkers.
Our Expedition Guides
If you would like to know more about our expedition guides please visit the "About Us" section on the No Roads Expeditions website where you will find a short bio for each expedition guide. The photos below are just some of our Kokoda expedition guides.
Our guides are committed to making sure that all our trekkers have an enjoyable trek, come back safe, and have an overwhelmingly positive experience. Your local PNG guide will be a friend and
companion, who takes pleasure in showing you his country's specialties and, perhaps, takes you home to meet his family too. The Australian guide is well trained in first aid and will have experienced the Kokoda Track before. He/she will liaise with the porter team and make your trek as comfortable as possible.
The No Roads Expeditions team is made up of an eclectic group of guides. While the PNG team are full time employees many of our Australian Guides are Police Officers, Ambulance Officers, State Emergency Service Officers, ex Defence Force members, Fire Fighters and Outdoor Ed Teachers. They all have excellent emergency management skills, first aid qualifications, excellent knowledge of the Kokoda Track and understand the needs of our trekkers.
Our Expedition Guides
If you would like to know more about our expedition guides please visit the "About Us" section on the No Roads Expeditions website where you will find a short bio for each expedition guide. The photos below are just some of our Kokoda expedition guides.
NRE Guide of the Year (GOTY)
Each year one of the Australian Expedition Guides is awarded the "GOTY" by the NRE Melbourne Office staff recognising the significant involvement of a guide during the year in not only expedition duties but the involvement and promotion of NRE throughout the year.
2009 - Drew Gordon
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2010 - Justin Kibell
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2011 - Rhys Livingstone
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2012 - TBA
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Expedition Team
On each Kokoda expedition you will find the structure of the expedition team is very similar. The expedition is generally led by an expedition guide from Australia. However we also offer locally led treks.
In all Australian-led treks, the expedition guide is assisted by a Local Guide who is one of our PNG staff that acts as the local expert, manages the porter team and acts as the link between the expedition guide and the locals. The local guide lives on the Kokoda Track and has excellent knowledge of the day-to-day happenings along the track, and has links with the villages and the Kokoda Track Authority Rangers that patrol the track.
The porter team is led by a Lead Porter who typically heads up the expedition and walks at the front of the trekkers. He will ensure that the expedition follows the correct path and does not progress too fast or slowly. No trekker can walk ahead of this porter. The lead porter will prepare the track for the oncoming group, removing any obstacles and cutting footsteps in slippery or difficult passages. In addition, the local guide will task the lead porter to assist with some management duties for larger porter teams.
The Porter Team is made up of both general porters and personal porters. The personal porters are hired by trekkers to carry their personal backpack for the duration of the trek. They often keep close to the trekker who hired them to assist during the day whilst walking as they take a professional pride in ensuring that 'their' trekker completes the trek comfortably and safely. The general porters carry all the expedition equipment, food and other items whilst also helping the remaining trekkers with difficult terrain if they are close by. The general porters make and break camp, cook our food and manage the camp sites.
On some expeditions there may be Porters in Training (PIT) who accompany other members of the Porter Team. These porters are learning whilst assisting the expedition as part of our training program.
In all Australian-led treks, the expedition guide is assisted by a Local Guide who is one of our PNG staff that acts as the local expert, manages the porter team and acts as the link between the expedition guide and the locals. The local guide lives on the Kokoda Track and has excellent knowledge of the day-to-day happenings along the track, and has links with the villages and the Kokoda Track Authority Rangers that patrol the track.
The porter team is led by a Lead Porter who typically heads up the expedition and walks at the front of the trekkers. He will ensure that the expedition follows the correct path and does not progress too fast or slowly. No trekker can walk ahead of this porter. The lead porter will prepare the track for the oncoming group, removing any obstacles and cutting footsteps in slippery or difficult passages. In addition, the local guide will task the lead porter to assist with some management duties for larger porter teams.
The Porter Team is made up of both general porters and personal porters. The personal porters are hired by trekkers to carry their personal backpack for the duration of the trek. They often keep close to the trekker who hired them to assist during the day whilst walking as they take a professional pride in ensuring that 'their' trekker completes the trek comfortably and safely. The general porters carry all the expedition equipment, food and other items whilst also helping the remaining trekkers with difficult terrain if they are close by. The general porters make and break camp, cook our food and manage the camp sites.
On some expeditions there may be Porters in Training (PIT) who accompany other members of the Porter Team. These porters are learning whilst assisting the expedition as part of our training program.
Our Porters
The Porters of Kokoda are the back bone of our operations in Papua New Guinea. They are the soul, the heart and the body of what we are doing there. Trekkers come for the Australian History and go home feeling attached to the people that live along the Track and the Porters that help them achieve a personal goal.
Wherever possible we employ porters from all along the Track. We deal directly with the Koiari land owners and we are thus committed to employing the youth from villages deep along the Track. This places income back into the villages and keeps the youth away from Port Moresby. These porters have intimate knowledge of the environment and are a great information resource. Porters who prove themselves are chosen for training as trek helpers, cooks and guides, thus giving them an avenue to improve the quality of their life.
You can employ a Personal Porter who will carry your backpack for you and look after you along the Track. You will need to provide the backpack for the porter (which can be hired from No Roads). The personal porter fee includes their wage, food and flight to and from Kokoda. This is a very good option for people who wish to enjoy themselves that little bit more or who might otherwise be unable to complete the trek due to physical limitations.
Wherever possible we employ porters from all along the Track. We deal directly with the Koiari land owners and we are thus committed to employing the youth from villages deep along the Track. This places income back into the villages and keeps the youth away from Port Moresby. These porters have intimate knowledge of the environment and are a great information resource. Porters who prove themselves are chosen for training as trek helpers, cooks and guides, thus giving them an avenue to improve the quality of their life.
You can employ a Personal Porter who will carry your backpack for you and look after you along the Track. You will need to provide the backpack for the porter (which can be hired from No Roads). The personal porter fee includes their wage, food and flight to and from Kokoda. This is a very good option for people who wish to enjoy themselves that little bit more or who might otherwise be unable to complete the trek due to physical limitations.
Some of our No Roads Expeditions - Kokoda Porter Team - March 2011
No Roads Porter Policy for PNG
As part of our transparency we want to explain to you our Porter Policy in PNG. Not to make others look bad, but for you to understand that the people you will be walking with are being looked after, that they are happy for many reasons and one is that No Roads Expeditions treats them all with respect, not just a handful of lead and influential Porters but all of them.
No Roads Expeditions has been one of the leading Operators to promote the protection of its Porters. This culminated in the 2009 Tour Operators Code of Conduct that all Operators must agree to before being issued with a Licence. While this is often abused by many Operators it does form the benchmark for what Operators should be doing at a minimum. The KTA Code of Conduct can be viewed here but its' basic outline is as follows:-
The following is an outline of what No Roads Expeditions provides its' Porter team. We have also included the contracts that each Porter, Lead Porter and Local Guide sign so that both they and No Roads know what is expected from each other. Links to these contracts are at the bottom of this page.
The basic outline for our Porters contract is as follows:
No Roads Expeditions in 2011 has approximately 65 porters, 8 lead porters and 6 local guides. All team members are asked to sign their contract and as proof that they have signed it we take a photo of them with their contract. All have contracts and all have a understanding that they are part of a team that together we will look after each other and you on the Track.
Click on the following to see the PNG porter team contracts:
No Roads Expeditions has been one of the leading Operators to promote the protection of its Porters. This culminated in the 2009 Tour Operators Code of Conduct that all Operators must agree to before being issued with a Licence. While this is often abused by many Operators it does form the benchmark for what Operators should be doing at a minimum. The KTA Code of Conduct can be viewed here but its' basic outline is as follows:-
- Minimum pay of 50 Kina per day for Porters
- Paid no later than 4 days after the trek
- Maximum of 20kg carried by Porter
- Supply good equipment including blankets for Porters
- Promote good post trip behaviour after treks
The following is an outline of what No Roads Expeditions provides its' Porter team. We have also included the contracts that each Porter, Lead Porter and Local Guide sign so that both they and No Roads know what is expected from each other. Links to these contracts are at the bottom of this page.
The basic outline for our Porters contract is as follows:
- 75 Kina per day for Porter, 100 Kina per day for Lead Porter and 110 Kina per day for Local Guide
- 20 Kg Maximum pack weight (this is in contrast to the KTA Code as they have changed it to 25kg to comply with the International Porters Protection maximum pack weight)
- Individual bank accounts so pay is made within 4 days of trek (this sometimes doesn't happen due to bank issues)
- Sleeping bags etc.
- River Rescue Procedures for trekkers and Porters too.
- Great nutritious food on the Track including steak on the first night
- Buffet Dinner at the Holiday Inn at the end of the trek (this is only for Australian Led trips as the trip ends in Port Moresby)
- Transport fee back to Kagi
- Chance to participate in the International Porters Exchange Program
- Chance to come to Australia at the end of each year (so far we have had over 30 Porters travel to Australia)
- and more
No Roads Expeditions in 2011 has approximately 65 porters, 8 lead porters and 6 local guides. All team members are asked to sign their contract and as proof that they have signed it we take a photo of them with their contract. All have contracts and all have a understanding that they are part of a team that together we will look after each other and you on the Track.
Click on the following to see the PNG porter team contracts:
Some homework for you in relation to how places are pronounced and common terminology used by the PNG locals:-
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Kagi Boys singing
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Some of the No Roads Expeditions Kokoda Porter Team in October 2007
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