Active project record

Originally reported: 2019
Last reviewed: 21 July 2026
Current status: Commercial trail proposal remains unresolved; no confirmed construction or opening timetable

This page records the development of the proposed multi-day walking experience in Watarrka National Park and its status when last reviewed. It is not maintained in real time. Significant later developments may be covered through Keep It Wild Australia’s Protected Areas Tourism Watch reports.

The original proposal

The Northern Territory Government announced plans in 2019 for a new multi-day walking trail within Watarrka National Park on Matutjara Country.

The initial concept involved a high-end walking experience supported by eco-camp accommodation. Traditional Owners were expected to work with the Northern Territory Government and the Central Land Council to identify an appropriate route, protect sacred sites and other culturally important places, and develop tourism and employment opportunities associated with the walk. (Northern Territory Government Newsroom)

The government committed $5 million through its Turbocharging Tourism program. Later announcements referred to total Northern Territory Government co-funding of $5.6 million. Commercial investment was also expected to contribute to the design, development and operation of the experience. (NT Government)

Early government material did not identify a final distance, route or number of overnight camps. It described a multi-day trail with high-end eco-accommodation and commercial opportunities developed in partnership with Traditional Owners.

Australian Walking Company selected

In June 2022, the Northern Territory Government announced that the Australian Walking Company had been selected following a competitive expression-of-interest process.

The company was expected to invest in the design, development and operation of the new trail. Its first task was to work with Traditional Owners, the Central Land Council and Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife to determine the route and the nature of the walking experience. (Ausleisure)

Australian Walking Company is associated with a number of guided multi-day walking products elsewhere in Australia. Its selection indicated that the Watarrka project was intended to become a packaged commercial experience rather than simply a new public walking track.

The announcement did not amount to development approval. At that stage, the route, accommodation sites, environmental assessment requirements, lease arrangements and operating conditions were still to be negotiated.

Project facilitation agreement

A Project Facilitation Agreement was signed in February 2023 by the Australian Walking Company, the Central Land Council and Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife.

The agreement followed on-Country discussions with Watarrka Traditional Owners and established a framework for the parties to continue developing the trail. The government said the route would need to account for the cultural and natural values of the landscape while generating economic and social benefits for Traditional Owners. (NT Government)

The February 2023 announcement said construction was anticipated later that year. No authoritative evidence located during this review confirms that construction commenced in 2023 or subsequently. (NT Government)

A project facilitation agreement is also not the same as a park lease, development consent or final environmental approval. It records an intention to work towards delivery and provides a basis for negotiations between the parties.

Current status

The current status of the proposal is unclear.

The latest project-specific Northern Territory Government announcement identified during this review was the February 2023 facilitation agreement. More recent official Watarrka National Park visitor information lists the existing Kings Canyon walks and the 22-kilometre Giles Track but does not refer to a completed new commercial multi-day trail or new accommodation camps inside the park. (NT Government)

Current park information also says that ordinary overnight camping is not permitted in Watarrka National Park, apart from arrangements associated with the Giles Track. Commercial accommodation is currently directed to established businesses outside or adjoining the park, including Kings Canyon Resort and Kings Creek Station. (NT Government)

This absence does not prove that the project has been abandoned. It does indicate that the trail should not be described as constructed, approved or operational without further confirmation from the Northern Territory Government, the Central Land Council or the Australian Walking Company.

No recent public route map, environmental assessment, tender update, accommodation design, construction contract or opening date was identified.

Proposed trail and protected-area setting

Watarrka National Park protects the western end of the George Gill Range and includes Kings Canyon, Kathleen Springs, sandstone ranges, rockholes, gorges and important plant habitat. The park was added to the National Heritage List in 2025, recognising its natural landscape and cultural significance. (DCCEEW)

The existing long-distance walking option is the Giles Track, a 22-kilometre route between Kings Canyon and Kathleen Springs. It can be undertaken as a long day walk or an overnight journey and requires walkers to be largely self-sufficient. (NT Government)

The proposed commercial trail was expected to create a different experience, potentially extending into parts of the national park not currently used by the general walking public. The final corridor has never been publicly confirmed.

Without an approved alignment, it is not possible to determine:

  • how much new track would be constructed;
  • whether existing tracks would be incorporated;
  • how many overnight sites would be needed;
  • which culturally or environmentally sensitive areas would be avoided; or
  • how vehicle and operational access would be managed.

Proposed accommodation

High-end eco-camp accommodation was part of the project from its earliest announcement.

The 2019 government description said the trail could create new commercial opportunities, including accommodation along the route, and referred specifically to a multi-day experience supported by high-end eco-camps. (Northern Territory Government Newsroom)

No later official document located for this review specifies:

  • the number of camps;
  • whether accommodation would consist of tents, cabins, pods or lodge-style structures;
  • the capacity of each site;
  • whether structures would be seasonal or permanent;
  • how water, power, wastewater and waste removal would be managed;
  • whether camps would be removed during the hotter months; or
  • whether the facilities would be available to independent walkers.

The accommodation component therefore remains a stated intention rather than an approved design.

Traditional Owner participation

The project was promoted as a partnership with Matutjara Traditional Owners.

Traditional Owners were expected to play a central role in selecting the route, protecting sacred sites, shaping cultural interpretation and developing employment and business opportunities. The Central Land Council became a formal party to the 2023 facilitation agreement. (NT Government)

The Watarrka National Park Joint Management Plan also supports Traditional Owner employment, training and commercial enterprise development. It provides for the park’s joint management committee to consider and endorse commercial and development proposals affecting the park.

No public agreement reviewed for this update sets out the final ownership, revenue-sharing, employment or governance arrangements for the proposed trail.

It is therefore confirmed that Traditional Owner participation was intended and formally incorporated into the early process, but the eventual commercial partnership model remains unknown.

Commercial tourism implications

The Watarrka proposal is directly relevant to Protected Areas Tourism Watch because it would establish a purpose-built, commercially operated, accommodation-supported walking experience inside a national park.

It differs from an ordinary guided walking permit because it may involve:

  • new trail construction;
  • dedicated overnight accommodation;
  • service and maintenance access;
  • long-term commercial operating rights;
  • packaged guided itineraries; and
  • potential restrictions or booking systems applying to the route and camps.

The project may also create meaningful economic and employment opportunities for Traditional Owners. That potential benefit should be considered separately from questions about the scale, siting, ownership and exclusivity of infrastructure within the national park.

The central unresolved issue is whether the development would remain accessible as public park infrastructure or function primarily as a high-priced guided experience controlled by one commercial operator.

What has changed

The project moved through several identifiable stages between 2019 and 2023.

It began as a government-supported concept involving Traditional Owners and an undefined high-end eco-camp walking experience.

The Australian Walking Company was then selected as the preferred commercial operator in 2022.

A project facilitation agreement was signed in February 2023, and construction was publicly anticipated later that year. (NT Government)

The anticipated construction timetable does not appear to have been met, or at least was not publicly confirmed. As at July 2026, the trail is absent from current official visitor information for Watarrka National Park, and no opening date or completed accommodation has been announced. (NT Government)

The project should therefore be described as delayed or unresolved rather than progressing according to the original timetable.

Why this project matters

Watarrka National Park is one of the Northern Territory’s most prominent protected-area tourism destinations and holds exceptional cultural, geological and ecological significance.

A new multi-day trail could provide visitors with a deeper experience of the landscape and create employment, guiding and business opportunities for Traditional Owners. It could also reduce pressure on the heavily visited Kings Canyon Rim Walk by dispersing some visitors across a longer itinerary.

The project nevertheless raises important questions because it links public investment with a private operator and proposed high-end accommodation inside the national park.

Its long period without a clearly published route, assessment process or construction update also illustrates the difficulty of tracking commercial tourism proposals once early announcements and expressions of interest have concluded.

The project warrants continued inclusion in the active archive until the government or project partners confirm that it is proceeding, substantially redesigned, paused or discontinued.

Confirmed

The Northern Territory Government announced a proposed multi-day trail in Watarrka National Park in 2019.

The original concept included high-end eco-camp accommodation and commercial investment.

The Northern Territory Government committed at least $5 million, with later announcements referring to $5.6 million in co-funding.

Australian Walking Company was selected through an expression-of-interest process in 2022.

A Project Facilitation Agreement was signed in February 2023 by Australian Walking Company, the Central Land Council and Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife.

The project was intended to be developed in partnership with Watarrka Traditional Owners.

The route and accommodation model were still being negotiated when the facilitation agreement was announced.

No completed new multi-day commercial trail is identified in current official Watarrka National Park visitor information. (NT Government)

Not yet confirmed

Whether the proposal remains an active investment priority for the Northern Territory Government.

Whether Australian Walking Company remains the intended developer and operator.

Whether the Project Facilitation Agreement remains in force.

The final walking route, length and itinerary.

The number and location of overnight camps.

The form, scale and capacity of the proposed eco-accommodation.

Whether accommodation would be permanent, semi-permanent or seasonal.

The environmental, sacred-site and cultural heritage assessment outcomes.

Whether a park lease, licence or concession has been negotiated.

The amount of public funding spent to date.

Whether private investment has been committed.

The ownership and revenue-sharing arrangements involving Traditional Owners.

Whether independent walkers would be able to use the trail or accommodation.

Whether the commercial operator would receive exclusive access or reserved capacity.

Whether construction commenced in any form after the February 2023 announcement.

A revised construction timetable or opening date.

Sources and documents

  • Northern Territory Government: New walking trails planned for Watarrka
  • Northern Territory Government: Australian Walking Company selected for Watarrka project
  • Northern Territory Government: One step closer to new outback hiking experience
  • Tourism Northern Territory: New walk for Watarrka on track
  • Watarrka National Park Joint Management Plan
  • Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife: Watarrka National Park
  • Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife: Giles Track