‘How I found myself again on the Kokoda Track’

Laura Dundovic and Erin Holland at the launch of their #DoKokoda documentary. Source: Supplied

WHEN former Miss Universe Australia Laura Dundovic and former Miss World Australia Erin Holland traded their high heels for hiking boots, they never expected they'd each return "a different person".

The girls, who completed the 96km Kokoda Track in October last year, say the experience was a life-changing one, away from the "superficial" nature of the industry that made them famous.

"It sounds really cliche but I found myself as a person again," Holland, 26, told news.com.au.

"It's a very cleansing experience and particularly being in the industry we're in, where our hectic lifestyle can be ruled by social media, it's amazing to get back to the world. You're out there (in the jungle), you're tired, you're dirty, you're working hard, but I really just felt like a 14-year-old girl without a care in the world and I haven't felt like that in a really long time."

A portion of the proceeds from each trek goes to support the local communities. Source: Supplied

Dundovic, who has a personal connection to Kokoda, with her grandfather Sir Thomas Blamey, the Commander and Chief of Australian forces in the Kokoda campaign, said the trek was the best experience of her life.

"I get goosebumps when I talk about it," the 27-year-old told news.com.au.

Over six gruelling days, the pair walked through the jungle of Papua New Guinea, tracing the footsteps of Aussie soldiers who fought in perhaps the most significant battle fought by Australians in World War II.

625 Australians were killed and over 1000 were wounded in the 1942 campaign against Japanese invasion of PNG.

"Walking in the footsteps of those soldiers, it's almost like they're with you the entire way, every time you're having a weak moment," said Holland. "I fell over and knocked my knee pretty bad and thought, 'I can't do this, I can't do this', and then I thought, 'You know what? I'm fed, I'm watered, I have someone the majority of my weight, I can do this'. It really motivates you in those times that it's particularly hard to get going."

Dundovic said the experience was a particularly emotional one and it suprised her how much it affected her.

"At school you hear the names of people involved in the war and it's sad that it's just a name, but when you're over there and you hear the story of what they went through and then you see their tombstone at the end with their name on it, it just becomes so, so real. For me, when you hear the ages of the men who were fighting, I thought 'I've got younger brothers like that.'"

The pair said they found the journey very emotional. Source: Supplied

The pair said they were moved by seeing old weaponry, boots, water bottles and helmets still just laying out there on the track.
"They're not in a museum or anything, but I guess the whole trail is a museum because there is stuff everywhere for you to see," said Holland. "It's a constant reminder of what happened. I think this is the only way that you can begin to understand the magnitude of the sacrifice that they made, it makes me tear up even trying to sum it up."

The pair completed the walk as part of a campaign to encourage more women to #DoKokoda.

"People think it's for fit young male athletes and it's not," said Holland. "I don't think there's any difference between a man or woman doing it. It's just one foot in front of the other. We saw a group of guys on the track and they kind of looked at us, saw our blonde hair and laughed and we ended up beating them by a day."

The girls with their local tour guides and cameraman. Source: Supplied

Guided by Papua New Guinean locals, some of whom were the descendants of the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels who were widely credited with helping the Australians to win the battle, the pair say they left with an immense sense of gratitude and appreciation.

"I didn't realise what a pivotal moment this entire campaign was in Australian history," said Holland. "Our lives could be so different right now if it wasn't for what happened and I had no idea, I'm not going to lie, I did ancient history at school, I had no idea about our own history so I feel really blessed now to have had that experience and to really appreciate what happened."

From high heels to hiking boots. Source: Supplied

Laura and Erin's expert tips for surviving for the track:

• Talcum powder is great for drying out your feet.

• Don't get a pedicure just before you go: "Having soft feet is bad, you need to spend a few weeks toughening them up," advised Laura.

• Take a pillow, "I really wish I had one to get a good night's sleep."

• The less you take the better, its too hard sorting through the bag

• Take body wash over a bar of soap, "I lost the bar of soap in the river on the first night," said Laura

• Snacks are really good bribery for getting you up the hills, "I kept thinking if I get up the top I get a jelly bean, this is exciting," said Erin.

• "There's no mirrors, so you won't know what you look like until you get home," said Laura who also recently competed on I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here.

• Prioritise hill training and endurance, clock up at least ten kilometres a day

• "Wear in your boots in the number one thing"

• Tiger balm is good to rub into your muscles before you sleep and make sure you stretch

For more information visit DoKokoda.com.

Erin Holland with some local Papua New Guinean children. Source: Supplied

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