The MP and four Illawarra locals raising the bar by taking on the Kokoda Track

It will be the second time Raising the Bar, a charity that aims to remove the stigma around mental health and foster resilience, has sent a group to Papua New Guinea.

Among those undertaking the 96km challenge is Cunningham MP Alison Byrnes.

"I've been training with a lot of the crew here, up Mrs Robertson's Chair, on the ring track around Mount Kiera and also doing some of the Canberra walks," Ms Byrnes said.

Ms Byrnes says she has had the best possible preparation for the mental challenges the track offers.

"Well, I've worked in politics for 30 years. So I think if anyone's prepared mentally for this, it would be me.

"It's certainly one of the things that I'm looking forward to pushing a little bit, but also learning ... about courage, mateship and endurance and resilience."

"It's one of the things that Lachlan [Stevens] has as his benchmark for his charity work and that's one of the things I will test out for myself."

Mr Stevens helped start the Raising the Bar charity four years ago and was part of the first group to walk the Kokoda for the charity last year in March.

"We want to be examples for the broader community," Mr Stevens said.

"Not necessarily that they have to go out and walk the Kokoda Trail, but they have to go out there and embed themselves in the broader community and contribute to such a great community which is the Illawarra region."

Last year's group filmed a documentary called Walk With Us as part of their journey which goes into the history of the region and the values of the soldiers who walked the track during the Kokoda Track campaign.

Mr Stevens said they hope the documentary can help teach others about the "values of mateship, courage, endurance and resilience and how we apply those values to our own personal situations relating to mental health".

"Hopefully we've inspired and motivated people to contribute back to the community, to connect with their community and also to challenge themselves.

"To learn from such a rich history which was forged during that conflict in World War 2."

The group of five will begin their trek on Saturday, April 6, while a second group from Raising the Bar will be headed over in May. Mr Stevens will be on both walks.

The charity has helped train more than 2000 young people in the Illawarra in how to manage mental health conditions and how to recognise them. To donate to the charity visit this link.