When David Walder turned 40 he decided he would celebrate by walking the Kokoda Track with his older brothers Steven and Robert and his nephew Ryan.
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The men embarked on their journey to Papua New Guinea towards the end of June travelling first from Canberra to Brisbane, then to Port Moresby where they travelled to Popondeta before taking a gruelling four hour ride in the back of a truck to get to Kokoda 90kms away.
The trek from Kokoda to Owers Corner took the four men eight days of walking and nine nights camping in tents porters had set up.
The Kokoda Trail can be walked from either direction with some people saying Kokoda to Owers Corner is easier although it is an extra 550 metres in height.
"The worse thing was getting sick with a stomach bug of some sorts, it took the guts out of me. My two brothers also got sick and my nephew got some bad blisters and at one stage there was talk of airlifting him, but he made it to then end," David said.
"The best thing was the war history and the battle sites that we visited," he said.
A typical day on the trek began with a 5am wake-up, breakfast of either Weetbix, Cornflakes or porridge at 5.30 and at 6.30am the group started walking.
"Each morning the porters would do a chant to get everyone revved up and off we'd go," David said.
"The mozzies weren't too bad and not a problem, it was the humidity and wet feet that were a problem.
"We stopped and camped at villages along the way with Saturday spent in Naduri and a day of rest for the Papuan Seventh Day Adventists.
"We got to meet the son of the last Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel - Ovuru Ndiki, Ryan Ndiki before they took us to church and afterwards they presented us with wreaths that we carried with us to a military service at Brigade Hill," he said.
"Reaching the end was the best feeling. The porters set up a guard of honour as we walked between the two countries flags.
"I would recommend anyone thinking about doing the Kokoda trail shouldn't hesitate, it is tough but also very rewarding," David said.