By ANEEKA SIMONIS
EMERALD Secondary College students said it was a surreal experience walking the same path as brave soldiers before them.
Eight of the senior school students recently arrived home from the nine-day life-changing trek along the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea.
One of the trekkers, 17-year-old Brad Francis, said the reality of war and the sacrifices made by Australian soldiers became a lot more real to him as he walked the same, difficult path.
“It got a bit emotional toward the end when we saw the big battle sites and at the dawn service on the last day,” he said.
“We also saw pictures of soldiers standing where we stood on the track… it was cool.”
Brad was joined by fellow 17-year-old trekkers Chloe Robinett, Matilda Sinclair, Nathaniel Van Der Hulst, and Tyler Wills, 15-year-old Kealy Jordan-Hill and Ryan Hall, and Hamish Burnie (16) along with teachers Shane Closter and Tanya Moran.
Though the group had done significant training in the lead up to the trek, unexpected challenges presented themselves along the way including steep and muddy terrain.
Chloe said there were some points when she didn’t think she could carry on, but the challenge paid off when they were able to spend time with people living in the villages.
“Meeting and playing with the kids was my favourite part of the trip though I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face when we got to the end. I was over the moon,” she said.
Brad said time at Cons Rock, a place where makeshift surgeries were set up, particularly stayed with him.
“They used this rock as a surgery table. It was just a flat rock in the middle of the bush… some people died there. It was a little emotional,” he said.
The students were selected to take part in the trek after winning the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award.
