OUR TEAM
TREK KOKODA
LEAD GUIDE & FOUNDER
PETER CONDON
Peter is a retired Emergency Services professional with 32 years of emergency management experience. He has his certificate 3 and 4 in fitness instructing and has previously been a senior instructor for an outdoor fitness business Fire Up Fitness which is essential experience in preparing clients for the physically challenging Kokoda track.He is a father to four children and lives on the surfcoast.
He has extensive overseas travelling and trekking experiences including climbing Kilimanjaro numerous times, trekking in Tasmania, New Zealand, South America and walks the Kokoda Track numerous times every year.
He is very passionate about the Kokoda track and its people. "I get immense satisfaction when I walk arm in arm with a trekker under the famous arches at Owers Corner at the end of 8 days of leading them over the arduous Owen Stanley Ranges. The most important part of the trip to me, is not only have I got them through safely, but that I have conveyed the incredible story of courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice displayed by the Australian men in 1942".
TREK LEADER
LEE CAMPBELL
Kokoda has had a place with Lee for over 22 years, and has also lived, worked and built health and wellbeing programs for the communities and companies in PNG for 20 years.
Lee Served in the Australian Army with The 3rd battalion Royal Australian Regiment – “Parachute Battalion", as an infantry solider, leaving the Army in 1994, where Lee started Bfirm, his well reknowned Adventure & Fitnesss Company.
Lee first started Trekking the Kokoda Track in 2000 and has led many treks across the trail since. "I see the Kokoda track touch and change peoples' lives from the moment they step onto it, The living history is amazing, I have had the privilege to have seen families grow and the pure kindness of the PNG people. Once you walk the track – It Never Leaves You".
TREK LEADER
MARCUS FORBES
With a remarkable focus on guiding trekkers through the challenging terrains of the Kokoda Track, Marcus stands as a leading Kokoda Courage Trek guide. Boasting an extensive background in the fitness industry, Marcus has thrived as an athlete, coach, and trainer for over a decade. His journey includes a successful fitness business tenure at The Geelong College spanning 14 years, where he has trained clients and collaborated with the school's sporting clubs.
A true Kokoda veteran, Marcus has completed the challenging Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea an impressive ten times, leading groups through this demanding and historical journey.
Beyond his adventures on the Kokoda Track, Marcus also excels in developing and conducting pre-season training packages for various sporting clubs. His enthusiasm shines through when working in large group settings, where he thrives on motivating and inspiring participants. Marcus embodies a unique blend of fitness expertise and a passion for adventure, making him an outstanding guide for those seeking the ultimate Kokoda experience.
OPERATIONS MANAGER
HENRY AMULI
Henry Jons Amuli is from Abuari on the Kokoda track and is currently a Papua New Guinean politician who represents Sphe Open in the National parliament of PNG. He is currently the Minister of Commerce and Industry.
Henry has been the PNG Kokoda Operations Manager since 2012. Henry is the backbone of our PNG operation and is incredibly supportive to all of our local guides who are his relatives from the Kokoda area and he always finds time out of his busy schedule as a PNG Minister to meet and greet the trekkers at the completion of the trek.
Henry has a wife Wilma and four children, Genevie, Joel, Margaret and Victor.
HEAD GUIDE
RAY IDAU
Ray has a wife Stephanie, daughter Nellie, and two boys Roah and Vincie. He has been a guide with Kokoda Courage for over 10 years and is now the Head Guide.
He has an intimate knowledge of the track growing up near Isurava and he was promoted to this position because he is such a strong, natural leader who commands respect. He has a dry sense of humour, excellent man management skills and a caring nature.
Kokoda Courage is very lucky to have Ray as our head guide.
HEAD CHEF
JOSH HOLEVE
Josh is our head Chef and one of our hardest working staff and he has one son Simon.
He and the other cooks are the last to leave camp due to cleaning and washing dishes and then they have to walk the track fast getting in ahead of everyone else so they can start preparing the next meals.
Considering the conditions he has to work under, the food Josh prepares is absolutely delicious and we at kokoda Courage are very lucky to have him.
CRITICAL CARE MEDIC
BEN EDMONDS
Ben is an emergency nurse practitioner and has over 10 years experience in emergency and ICU.
He loves everything outdoors, so when given the opportunity to work with Kokoda Courage, he jumped at it. Working with Kokoda Courage allows Ben to combine both of his passions of the outdoors and provide medical care to both trekkers and the local communities.
Ben provides an evidence based, safe and time critical care treatment to all trekkers, porters and people within the local community’s. Ben stated "This allows me to give back to the community we visit, though improving health literacy, first aid care and preventative medicine."
"I look to see you all on the track. Train hard and enjoy, Ben."
NOREEN MARSHALL
CRITICAL CARE MEDIC
Noreen has a Grad Dip in Critical Care and has over 20 years of ICU and Emergency Nursing experience. She has always been active and fitness is important to her, so when she was offered the opportunity to join Kokoda Courage in October 2019 as a medic, it was an offer she said that she "couldn’t turn down."
Noreen states "that having the ability and skills to provide not only first aide but also physical and emotional support and care with the satisfaction of knowing I can make a difference, not only for the trekkers but also for the locals is very rewarding. The locals normally would have scarce access to medical supplies and care and are often suffering with chronic conditions or injuries that require attention, so being able to provide this is soimportant to me. The fuzzy wuzzy’s – our porters and the local villagers hold a very special place in my heart and they are forever grateful for the medical care we can provide to them whilst we are there."
"I am always looking forward to my next trek and to share this amazing experience with my fellow trekkers - I look forward to sharing this with you." Noreen.
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COURAGE | ENDURANCE | MATESHIP | SACRIFICE