Mission Statement

Adventure travel that is outside of the ordinary.... Our aims are:

To challenge each client with new ideas and understanding of the fascinating ecology and cultures that surround Australia in the South Pacific island nations.

To facilitate a combination of highly experienced expatriate and local guides, small group sizes and responsible environmental guidelines.

To allow both visitor and the visited feel that they have been part of a special moment in time and space, a moment where global understanding and the thrill of discovery still work their timeless magic.

To cater for a variety of fitness levels with appropriate safety and encouragement so as not to smother the true spirit of the adventurer.

Background

Northern DisTRACKtions was created by people with a passion for discovery. For twenty years now we have been pioneering new places and faces, making remote and potentially dangerous areas accessible to those who are open to the spirit of adventure.

Our leaders were among the first to establish the historical Kokoda Track as an adventure/discovery trip. Till 1980, the World War Two battlefields of Papua New Guinea were only accessible to the most hardened traveller. We took the initiative to use a combination of local guides and young village people to develop a trekking culture similar to what is found in the Himalayas but unique to the culture of Papua New Guinea. In many ways it replicates the spirit of the "Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels". These were local village people who took on the role of assisting wounded Australian soldiers back along the rugged mountain ridgelines and across the raging flooded streams in the Owen Stanley Range. Today our team members get to know each client, care for them and assist when the going gets tough. Consistently we receive client feed-back from even the most seasoned of trekkers that say our local guides and carriers were instrumental in helping them achieve their goal on this difficult and demanding track.

We are among the first to establish cultural immersion as an integral part of the adventure travel experience. This has been done using local villages in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, where for short periods of time the traveller becomes part of local village life. This allows an adventurer to understand another culture without feeling they are just another tourist. It also gives the local people a sense of value, inspiring self respect. A good example of a village we stay in is Buna Village on the north coast of PNG. Our clients often list their time in this village as the defining part of their overall experience on the Kokoda Track.

Whether it is tribal dancing in Buna, Lagatoi (traditional watercraft) trips over pristine coral reefs in the fiords of Tufi, exploring floating grass islands in the Sepik or gathering bush tucker in the misty mountain valley's high above Myola, your experiences with our team will always insure fond memories.

Northern Distracktions, over the years, has developed a set of well established guidelines that reflect responsibility and accountability when it comes to caring for the environment and local people. We provide our local employees with higher than average wages and working conditions that make them proud to work for us. We also pride ourself in caring for our employees long after the work has finished. When the devestating Cyclone Guba tore through Buna village and along the rest of Oro Province, we raised money by contacting all of our clients who wanted to help, and personally delivered life saving food supplies and water purification to Buna village. We were the ONLY company who helped Buna village in this time of need even though many other company's visit with their clients on a regular basis, in their time of desparate need no one else responded, including the government!

The safety and well being of our clients is always a primary concern, travelling in this challenging country. For this reason we do not cut corners. We always use the most reliable local transport and operators. Our leaders are all trained in first aid and carry with them the latest satellite phone to obtain help if there is a major injury that necessitates evacuation. We pride ourselves in preparation and are pleased to say that in over 25 years of running trips, we have never had any major accidents or incidents. We also try to best prepare all of our clients for what they may expect from Papua New Guinea and the challenges the country offers travellers.

The essence of true adventure travel is a unique experience for every client. For this reason our trips are well planned but not over structured. This gives individuals the freedom to personalise their adventure. In reality the remoteness and the developing nation status of the countries we operate in make the operation of highly structured trips difficult. But this is what defines the difference between adventure travel and your average brochure tourist trip. Our trips are excellent value for money. Why not step out of the comfort zone and join us on a route less travelled. We have one to suit most people......