Testimonial by Kokoda Challenge Kids 2006
Kokoda Challenge Kids have their say...
Kokoda Challenge Kids - September 2006
"Aidan, In the short time I've known you, you've done more for me thatn anyone has"... Brad
"Words cannot express how thankful I really am for your support and for helping me get to the top, one step at a time". Skye
"Thanks for nearly killing me - kidding :-) I had an awesome time, I've learned lots and will remember this trip for a lifetime. Keep up the good work". Emmi-Lee
"Thanks for all the things you've done - great man!" James
"Uda Beroma, thank you bud haria lao lakatani mu nega dow do oi la ura henia - you are an inspiration! Torana namonah - Kokoda lives on." Mile
"Thanks heaps for the best time of my life. What an experience. I've learned a lot." Ross
"You made me understand I can hit the stars, so I'm gonna start reaching out for them" Beau
"Thank you for leading us on the Kokoda Trail experience" Deja
"Aidan, you helped me so muh over the last couple of days. Thank you so much - greatest time ever" Josh
"Aidan, you already know how much you've done for me so I'm not gonna even attempt to explain now. What I am gonna say though is that you have made me believe that I can reach my dreams and because of that I am certainly gonna go for it! This certainly won't be the last you hear from me." Tiff
Testimonial by Jean Devitt, Leitchville, VIC
I would suggest to anyone wanting to go that they travel with a friend for moral support when the going gets tough.
Kokoda Track - August 2006
"The trek was “a great experience and a wonderful challenge. We had great support in our group from family members and also from the others travelling with us. I would suggest to anyone wanting to go that they travel with a friend for moral support when the going gets tough. The country is magical and the Legends irreplaceable - unobtrusive but right beside you when things get sticky. …It's well worth it.”Jean Devitt, Leitchville, VIC
Testimonial by Dean Trevaskis, Ocean Shores, NSW
Our family trip to the Kokoda Track was everything I wanted and more.
Kokoda Track - June 2006
"Just wanted to say thank you to Aidan, Rob, The Legends and the entire team at Our Spirit for an experience I will never forget. Our family trip to the Kokoda Track was everything I wanted and more. Aidan's passion was infectious, his knowledge, research and presentation outstanding and his professionalism and management of the group gave us all a great sense of safety. Rob's medical expertise ensured we all felt safe and all made it through to Owers Corner in great shape. The respect and friendship shared with the Legends and villagers made us all feel like we were doing the Track the way it should be done. I personally felt I had the opportunity to experience and overcome the physical challenge, learn the history and feel the pain and sacrifice of both the Diggers and Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels.I also grew as a person and shared an experience with eight members of my family that has formed a bond between us that will remain throughout our lives. I saw many other groups on the track breezing through sacred sites like Brigade Hill and Isurava apparently oblivious to their importance. I saw other trekkers flown out and many obviously struggling to the point of hating the whole experience. I have no doubt if they had chosen to do Kokoda with Our Spirit their experience would have been totally different.
Thank you Aidan and Rob for getting to know us all, sharing your passion, lifting our spirits when we needed it and most importantly giving us the opportunity to understand the legacy of the men who gave so much on the Kokoda Track. Other members of our group have told me it has been the greatest experience of their lives. I have no doubt the best of our Kokoda trip is yet to come as our experience improves us all as people and passionate Australians. I have a strong sense that my connection to the Track is only just beginning. I feel compelled to pass the story on."
Dean Trevaskis, Ocean Shores, NSW
Testimonial by Various NSW Police 2006
Ok, about Kokoda, DO NOT go with anybody other than Our Spirit.
Kokoda ANZAC Trek - April 2006
"Ok, about Kokoda, DO NOT go with anybody other than Our Spirit. They took our Police Legacy Group in April of this year (2006) and it was simply brilliant. We had a reunion on Friday night just gone and I enjoyed speaking to the other trekkers and hearing how the trip has impacted upon their lives. One of the girls that I spoke to summed it up when she said nobody talks about the trip without making a comment about Aidan. Once you walk with Aidan and share in this man's passion and unsurpassed knowledge you will know what I mean. I have no idea about costs and how they might compare to other tour companies, but don't bother even wasting your time, this is not something you want to compromise on.So was it worth doing? Hell yes and I would do it again in a heart beat!"
Peter Baines, Inspector, NSW Police
“I had a great night and it was a fantastic opportunity to see everyone again and relive some the memories of the trip. I want to say a big thank-you for making the effort to be there that night. You mean a lot to all of us - especially me and it was fantastic to see you again. It reminded me that Kokoda will not be a distant memory but an experience which has made some impact, whether small or colossal, to every day since my return”.Louise Griffin, NSW Police Anzac Trek 2006
Testimonial by Bill Johnson, Young, NSW
I was very impressed by how well organised the walk was, the competence and efficiency of all the Our Spirit team,
Kokoda ANZAC Trek - April 2006
I'd like to thank the team - Aidan, Rob, Richard, all the guides, and Kris, for a wonderful and memorable experience. …I was very impressed by how well organised the walk was, the competence and efficiency of all the Our Spirit team, and by Aidan's passion, commitment and knowledge. I was affected by the experience in many ways - the beauty of the landscape and the rainforest, and the friendliness of the people. I enjoyed the physical and mental challenge. Above all was the fact that we were walking the site of battles fought in conditions unimaginable to us. On the first night I understood how young and inexperienced soldiers could mistake fireflies for the Japanese, which I just couldn't grasp from reading the books. The visit to the Bomana War Cemetery on the last day of the walk was a sombre and fitting conclusion. Although I had high expectations of the walk beforehand, it was a much more moving and powerful experience than I could have imagined. I was, and remain, affected deeply.After we finished the walk I spent a week in Goroka in the Eastern Highlands, where I was born, and my father died forty years ago. In the market on the first day I was in Goroka I met an old man who knew him. I was again overwhelmed by the friendliness of the people, and the beauty of the country.”