Trails of Tomorrow: How the Watarrka Walking Track is Empowering Indigenous Youth Leaders

Posted: November 25, 2025 | By Luke Johnston, Board Member & Discovery Resorts Kings Canyon GM

Watarrka National Park isn't just a destination—it's a classroom, a cultural vault, and soon, our vision is it be a launchpad for Indigenous careers. As the Watarrka Walking Track inches toward groundbreaking (with final track alignments nearing approval), the Foundation along with Discovery Resorts is weaving youth empowerment into its future planning. Building on our "News and Events" history of collaborative gatherings, like the 2020 Reconciliation Week reflections amid COVID resilience, we're turning reflection into action.

Partnering with the Local Govt Agencies, Schools and SME’s, our Dec 5-6 Annual Community Meeting at the Resort will roadmap future internships for school leavers: eco-tourism ideas being considered are things like Guiding multi-day hikes that blend Luritja lore with low-impact eco-practices. Picture a Year 12 grad from Areyonga leading a group through Kings Canyon's rim, sharing stories of ancestral waterholes while monitoring biodiversity via a new National Parks app.

This aligns with the NT Government's $5.6M investment: Jobs in trail maintenance, cultural interpretation, and even app development for virtual previews. It's regenerative tourism—guests offset footprints by funding youth enterprises, like Alpitye Art Studio pop up sales at trailheads.

As someone who's called Watarrka home since 2018, I've seen how these paths transform lives. One intern turned guide now mentors her siblings, proving: On country, we don't just walk trails—we forge legacies.

Step Into the Future: Fund a graduating student for an internship pilot: Donate to Youth Training - DONATE