Lawrie Horder completes Kokoda Trek at age 70
Seventy-year-old Ballina man Lawrie Horder has completed his trek of the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea.
Accompanied by his son Adam and Ballina locals Steve Gassiner and Andrew Smith, and Stuart O’Keefe, of Sydney, Lawrie set off on the Track on his 70th birthday on May 29.
That’s the crew pictured at Owens Corner at the completion of the trek, with Lawrie on the right.
“This is where the Owen Stanley Range starts and where the Aussie troops stepped off to advance towards the Japanese,” Adam said.
“I have had a lot of enquiries about the trip, training, prep and time of year to go.”
Adam, a local fireman who also owns Ballina’s Intershape gym, praised his father’s effort.
“Lawrie Horder was a champ to do a seven-day Kokoda trek at 70, an average of 8.5 hours humping a day,” he said.
Lawrie is ex-army, making two tours of Vietnam during a 21-year military career.
He spent time in PNG as a training instructor, but never got the chance to do the Kokoda Track.
He vowed to do it in his 70th year, and has made good on that pledge!
June 28th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
Congratulations guys!