What an experience it's been trekking the Kokoda Track. Our journey started at Kokoda itself, having flown from Port Moresby in a rather scary small plane through the mountainous clouds, and then immediately setting off on our walk in a north to south direction. We spent 8 days and 7 nights on the track, which in many places resembles a narrow path along a knife-edge ridge with impressive drops on either side. The track is registered at a length of 96 kilometres but I'm quite sure this does not account for its meandering nature, multiple river crossings, thick slimy mud which tested every leg muscle we'd ever used, and of course the impressive vertical climbs and descents we encountered. We camped each night in local villages where it must be said that conditions are very primitive compared to our western lifestyles - no electricity, no showering facilities although the local streams were refreshing, and toilets (hole in the ground) which would make the toughest man gulp (and sometimes dry retch !!). The humidity up there would make the perfect setting for an episode of "The Biggest Loser" as we all battled to ensure we drank at least 8 or 9 litres daily to keep well hydrated, though wives and partners were well impressed with how buffed we looked on our return !!

Our experience was made all the more worthwhile by our guide Andrew James (Heritage Treks), who made sure we were well aware of how the campaign in 1942-43 unfolded and what the Diggers went thro up there. We learnt about the tactics of war in such oppressive conditions, visited various battlefields which still have weapons pits visible 66 years later, and when we returned to Port Moresby we saw the ultimate result of the Papua New Guinea conflict at the Australian War Cemetery. The conditions on the Kokoda Track in WWII which our forebears experienced, and ultimately triumphed in, made us all very proud and humbled. This was reflected in our simple ANZAC Day ceremony held at dawn at a small village called Naoro, with wonderful views over the Owen Stanley Ranges as the sun rose up through the cloud cover.

Special mention should be made of our local native porters who quickly made us realise why the Diggers nicknamed them "fuzzy wuzzy angels". Often diminutive in size, they carried our heavy packs, tents and other accoutrements with consummate ease, and looked after us superbly. The fact that most walked the track with neither footwear nor a walking stick (an absolute must) was astounding. One great experience with them was a game of touch football at one of the villages at the end of a long walking day - keen NRL fans, they put us to further shame with their athleticism and resilience with a football in hand.

To my mates who all helped make this trip such a success and who all helped raise funds for the Liver Transplant Unit at the Children's Hospital Westmead, many thanks. They are: Michael Gazal, Rick Francis, Patrick Mannix, Andrew Price, David Francis and Andrew Pembroke. Thanks also to North Face who provided most of the excellent trekking gear we used.

Finally, many thanks to our friends and supporters who've generously donated to this cause. In addition to the amount specified on this website I have received cheques and cash totalling nearly $6000 which is fantastic. I plan to keep the website going with the aim of reaching our target of $50,000.

As a reminder, this money will be used to provide the resources, time and infrastructure to undertake research into sick children with liver diseases who require liver transplantation. Performing clinical research is a vital part of subspeciality medicine, especially something as specialised and focused as paediatric liver transplantation. One aspect of such research is allowing us to review, audit and assess what we do, what our results and outcomes are, and how this compares to other hospitals from around the world. Publishing results of such research in international peer reviewed journals is an important means of making sure that the care and treatment we provide is world class.

Specifically, the funds raised will be used to provide for the establishment of a dedicated database with data managers, plus research nurses and other personnel, to assist in the collection and analysis of data.

Thanks sincerely for your help and support, the response has been fantastic.

Michael Stormon