Australian dies walking for charity

A father of four has died midway through completing a walk along the Kokoda Track to raise money for his ill daughter's charity.

Paul Bradfield, 38, is believed to have suffered breathing difficulties early yesterday morning, said Simon Rountree, CEO of children's cancer charity Camp Quality.

Mr Bradfield was one of 16 people who set off on September 20 to walk the Kokoda Track for the charity.

He had spent six months preparing for the walk for Camp Quality, which had assisted the family in helping their youngest daughter Haidee battle leukaemia.

Mr Rountree told AAP he had spoken with team leader Mark McGregor, who shared a room with Mr Bradfield and awoke to find his room mate struggling to breathe.

"At this stage, until an autopsy is done, it looks like Paul had a heart attack in his sleep," a devastated Mr Rountree said.

"He had finished the day's walking, he had eaten dinner and there were no signs of any trouble whatsoever.

"Mark woke up about one o'clock to find that Paul was struggling to breathe and called on the nurse.

"Between a number of people they tried to support him and revive him unsuccessfully.

Mr Rountree said the Kokoda Track was a popular charity fund raising activity and they provided extensive training for the walk.

"We're very conscious how difficult it is and we give all of our participants a very strong fitness regime beforehand," Mr Rountree said.

He said Mr McGregor and Mr Bradfield's brother-in-law Derrick Davies had accompanied Mr Bradfield's body to the Papua New Guinea capital Port Moresby.

Mr Bradfield had on Saturday posted a happy birthday message to his wife Cassandra on the Townsville Bulletin website.

"Happy Birthday to my wife Cassandra and hello to the girls. Everything is OK with me, I'm enjoying it," he wrote.

He wrote on his Camp Quality profile that he was proud to be giving something back to the charity.

"An opportunity became available for me to give back something to the community for the assistance my family received during Haidee's treatment. What an opportunity, to walk the Kokoda Track!" he wrote.

In the lead-up to the walk, Mr Bradfield spoke of his training and how he was looking forward to the challenge.

"I'm self-doubting now. I guess fitness is the main thing on my mind but I know I've done all the training," he wrote in the Townsville Bulletin.

"I'm excited though, don't get me wrong. I think we've got a great group of people and I'm looking forward to the camaraderie that will develop with us as a group."

Mr Rountree said the remaining 13 members of the walking party would continue on in Mr Bradfield's honour and are due to to finish the walk on Wednesday.

Mr Bradfield is the third Australian to die this year while tackling the steep and muddy conditions of the Kokoda Track.

A 26-year-old NSW man and a 36-year-old Victorian mother died in the lead-up to this year's Anzac Day.

Last month nine Australians were killed in a plane crash en route to Kokoda.

The Kokoda Track, a single-file foot thoroughfare running 96 kilometres overland through the Owen Stanley Range, follows the path used by diggers in World War II and has become popular with Australian tourists.

- AAP