Kokoda test for intrepid eleven

Off to Kokoda are (from left) Georgie Hannah, Scott Young, Koby Dewar (front), Jared Palu, Richard Colborne, Lani Cremer, Col Baldwin, Tenielle Dunkley, Daniel Holt (middle) and Robert McRae.

Darryn Smith

GEORGIA Hannah has packed her bags for countless holidays, but none like her latest excursion - an eight-day hike through Papua New Guinea's Kokoda Trail.

“My bag weighs 17kg, and it will stay that heavy the entire time, it's full of rations and socks,” she said.

Three months of solid training has readied the 11 youths and four adults for the tough slog, but the trip will be emotional as well.

“It's pretty exciting to finally be leaving after all the preparation, I think it will be a bit overwhelming when we finish the journey,” said Georgia, before she departed yesterday.

“I'm confident we can all make it to the end, we have a great team bond and we've been training really hard.”

It is the second time the RSL-backed program has gone ahead, meaning the new crew are well aware of what they are in for.

“We'll be up at 6am every morning with a wake-up call, then we eat our breakfast, check for blisters, then we walk until nightfall with a short break for lunch,” the Bundaberg State High School student said.

“We were told just don't stop walking, keep going, once you stop it's too hard to start again.”

RSL youth committee chairman Col Baldwin is completing the trail for the third time and said the hike was the perfect occasion for youths to build character and appreciate what the Australian diggers were met with.

“To get an appreciation of the roughness of the terrain, it takes about 30 minutes to fly it and eight days to walk it,” Mr Baldwin said.

Georgia, 16, is well aware of the history behind the trail, but said ongoing tutelage and visits to various war memorials during the trip would strengthen her understanding.

Parents will be reassured that Dr Rod Fell is making the journey and will serve as the expedition's medic.

The group is expected to return to Bundaberg on July 12.