Words and photographs by Epic founder, Chris Lininger
Most of the time, we do not take hiking holidays to former battlegrounds.
I’m talking about a place where the jungle mists cling and seep into deep gullies, and the trees look like they were pulled from a prehistoric age. A place where you can still see the foxholes and grenades and boots of the men who fought up and down these remote footpaths during the largest conflict in world history.
Well, these lands with their stories woven into the very vegetation do exist and add another layer to what is already a pilgrimage of truly epic proportions.
As October quickly melts into November, it’s time to hang up our sleeping bags, rack our gear, and take stock of our most recent expedition to Papua New Guinea: 9 days on the legendary Kokoda Track.
Over the years running Epic Expeditions, there have been many memorable “firsts” and milestones.
Our trip to Kokoda was different, though, and even now, with a few weeks gone by to process the trip, I find myself reaching for the words to put the impact of this place, this journey, and its people had on our team.
For as long as I can remember, I have used the lessons, triumphs, and mistakes of history as a tool to guide my own path and to filter how I see the world. When you look at an event like World War 2 from a satellite-level zoom-out, the sheer scale of what was involved almost gives an impersonal touch to the whole thing.
What Kokoda gave us was a boots-on-the-ground approach to connecting with our own history and the history of others, our own freedom, and helped to redefine what adventure can truly mean, well beyond just a simple hard trek in the mountains.
Getting an opportunity to honor what was achieved here 80 years ago while also trekking into some of the wildest jungle on earth was at once humbling to lead as much as it was just a damn good time.
This trek was hard. The jungle was humid. The hills were steep. The legs felt it.
But also…
The rivers were cool. The soup was full of spicy noodles. The Nutella was plentiful. And the lessons, bonds, and self-reflection were abundant.
To the Kokoda team 2026: thank you for being apart of the Kokoda “first” for Epic Expeditions. And to our local team from Sananada: this trip would not have been possible without all of your hard work, care, thoughtfulness, and laughs!
If you are keen to join us for this trip in the future, keep an eye on the Kokoda Trip page for our next available dates.
Below is a selection of photos from the Kokoda Track Expedition 2026, I hope you enjoy!
Crack on, guys.
