MEDIA RELEASE
25 July 2008
For immediate release
YOUNG AUSTRALIAN STUDENTS AND POLICE WALK KOKODA TRACK
A group of 25 young high school students and police from Victoria in Australia has arrived in Papua New Guinea to walk the Kokoda Track to build their leadership skills, improve their life skills, and connect with Papua New Guinean youths and share experiences.
The group is in PNG under a program run by Victoria Police aimed at providing a positive and life-changing learning experience to the young people from Australia.
In welcoming the group, Australia’s Acting High Commissioner to PNG, Ann Harrap, acknowledged the challenge that lay ahead of them in completing the gruelling 96km walk.
She said the students should work together to overcome any adversity on the Track and should take the opportunity to think about the Australian soldiers, in whose footsteps they would follow, who had died defending freedom for both Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Ms Harrap encouraged the students to learn as much as possible from the Papua New Guineans they would meet along the Track, including their porters and carriers.
“This is your big chance to learn about Australia’s closest neighbour and friend” Ms Harrap said.
Seventeen year old Hang said she felt both nervous and excited about doing the walk. But she said she and her Grade 11 friends had worked hard to get accepted into the program were looking forward to the challenge.
The group will fly to Kokoda today (25 July) to commence their 9 day trek.
Media Inquiries: Francina Thomson, Public Diplomacy Officer, Ph: 3259333 ext 276, Email: [email protected]