But it hasn’t deterred Alicia Rakete from Wingello, who said she’d love to do it again.

Together with her aunt Trish Poole, and family friend Mary Ryan, Ms Rakete joined a group of 12 women who completed the trek in October 2008 to raise money for breast cancer research.

And while it was hard slog, both Ms Rakete and Ms Poole said the trip was a lot of fun and very rewarding.

“I think the company you go with makes the biggest difference,” Ms Rakete said.

“You’ve got to research.

“Our guides showed us what we could and couldn’t eat, where the clean water was. We couldn’t have done it without them.”

Training is also an important factor.

Ms Poole completed a rigorous routine of hiking and cycling, wearing a pack and a heavy jacket to try to prepare herself for the heat she would have to endure.

And while Ms Rakete didn’t train nearly as hard, her youth (she was 21 when she took on Kokoda) and her attitude ensured her success.

“I went in with the attitude of this is going to be fun, so it was,” she said.

“And when the other people in the group started betting on when I’d pike out, that’s when I knew I had to do it.”

The women decided to take the option of personal porters, who helped them across the terrain and carried the majority of their belongings.

And while some may view this as cheating just a little, Ms Poole said it didn’t take away from their sense of accomplishment.

“We were there to have fun and raise money for the Breast Cancer Foundation, and that’s what we did,” she said.

Provided people are sensible, and pass the necessary medical, Ms Rakete said she’d encourage anyone to give it a go.

“Lots of people do it over four days but that’s silly,” she said.

“You don’t have time to appreciate it if you rush. So I’m glad we spaced it out and did nine days.

“We had so much fun and I would definitely do it again.”