The South East Arnhem Land 4WD Adventure Track was proposed by Traditional Owners to generate employment and sustainable economic opportunities through cultural tourism. The track would run between Roper River and Gapuwiyak, featuring campgrounds at Indigenous outstations. A corporation was formed to manage the track for the benefit of local communities, with a goal of hosting 150 guests in the first year who would participate in cultural activities led by Traditional Owners and stay an average of 5 nights. The track aims to showcase Indigenous culture and law while protecting lands and generating long-term economic growth for the region.

1. SEAL Track
2015BUSINESS OUTLINE

2. The South East Arnhem Land 4WD Adventure
Track is an initiative of the Traditional Owners
of the lands between Gapuwiyak and Ngukurr
in East Arnhem Land
THE CONCEPT
Discussions about the South East Arnhem Land
4WD Adventure Track had their beginnings
over five years ago. The concept came directly
from the Traditional Owners (TOs) within
the South East Arnhem Land IPA (SEAL IPA)
who saw a need to generate employment
opportunities and develop a legacy for the
future of their people.
It was agreed to set up the 4WD Adventure
Track, associated campgrounds and cultural
tourism opportunities at outstations along
and off the main track from Roper River in
the south to Gapuwiyak in the north. The
“We are sick
of talking,
it’s time for
action”

3. A point of difference
Indigenous cultural tourism has, for many years, been identified as a key
‘point of difference’ for the marketing and promotion of the Northern
Territory as a quality, experiential tourism destination. This type of
product is envisaged to be provided by some or all of the Campground
Operators as “Cultural Mentoring”.
concept would stimulate economic growth
in the region and provide for structured
opportunities for Traditional Owners to
capitalise on their natural assets, creating
a sustainable tourism industry for this and
future generations.
Traditional Owners and/or their family
groups will also be able to offer ‘value-
added’ products for visitors by providing
their services as “Cultural Mentors”, a
concept they have developed, which is
above and beyond what may be expected
from an Interpretive Guide.

4. Sales Goals
The sales goals for the 2015 season can be
expressed in the following simple terms:
• To achieve 150 guests staying an average
of 5 nights
• To achieve total campsite sales of $67,500
The sales goals for Year 2 & Year 3 (the 2016
and 2017seasons) are to grow the visitor
numbers by 50% per annum.
BUSINESS STRUCTURE
South East Arnhem Land Track Aboriginal Corporation (SEAL Track Corp) is the
company formed to manage the combined interests of the organisations that are
involved in this venture. The following Business Names should be registered by
the Corporation - “South East Arnhem Land 4WD Adventure Track” and “SEAL
Track”. The suggested Domain Name is “SEALTrack.com.au”.
It is a Corporation established under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander) Act 2006 (CATSI). It has a Board of Directors which endeavours
to be both representative and skills-based.
To be eligible to be a Member of the Corporation a person must be:
• at least 18 years old
• an Aboriginal Person
• a traditional Aboriginal owner from a Homeland
To become a Member of the Corporation a person applies in writing, with the
application to be signed by the applicant and a Senior Elder(s) of the relevant
Homeland.
To be eligible to be a Director of the Corporation a person must be a Member.
The selection of each director appointed to represent a Homeland shall take
place according to Aboriginal Tradition. The members shall, in selecting directors,
endeavour to select an equal number of directors from each Homeland.
The South East Arnhem Land Track Aboriginal Corporation will enter into a
Deed of Agreement with the following organisations for the provision of certain
services to the Corporation.
• Yugul Mangi Development Aboriginal Corporation
• Numbulwar Homelands Council Association
• Laynhapuy Homelands Aboriginal Corporation
• Gong-Dal Aboriginal Corporation

5. Sustainable Competitive
Advantage
East Arnhem Land 4WD Adventure Track
is the only place in the NT where travellers
can spend a week travelling across remote
aboriginal lands staying at prepared
campsites each night as guests of the
Traditional Owners.
Aboriginal people have always had a system of law covering criminal,
corporate, resource sharing and sanctions that apply to the breaking
of these laws. These laws are underpinned by good government,
consistency of laws and consensus among the people. They protect
the people and their personal or corporate rights. Decision making
for the use of Clan estates follows a process that has been in place for
tens of thousands of years. South East Arnhem Land Track Aboriginal
Corporation whilst conforming to Australian corporate laws is also
structured to recognise these laws and the rights of all Clan groups and
individuals to who these rights apply.
There is strong support for a “united approach”
to all business initiatives in the region.

6. “We need to take a long
hard look at tourism and
open up our land”
Like all of Australia’s Indigenous
Protection Areas, the Laynhapuy
and SEAL IPAs are part of the
National Reserve System. They
are supported by the Australian
Government through the
Indigenous Protection Areas and
‘Working On Country’ elements
of the ‘Caring For Our Country’
initiative.
Some key activities of IPA’s are:
• Managing Visitor Activities
• Protecting Cultural Sites
• Conservation management
• Land and Sea management
• Maintaining and protecting
cultural values
Indigenous Protected Areas
Campgrounds
There are 15 campgrounds along the track and at outstations on side
tracks ranging from 60 kilometres to just a few kilometres off the main
track. These are located at Urapunga Homestead, Yellow Waters (near
Ngukurr), Wayagibar, Mampu Mampu, Burrungdu, Flat Rock (near
Numbulwar), Miwul, Dharrni, Alharrgan, Marrkalawa, Balma, Baygurrtji,
Koolatong River, Balararra (near Gapuwiyak) and Lake Evella foreshore
(adjacent to Gapuwiyak township) in the Katherine Region of the NT,
which attracts around 225,000 visitors annually.

7. Value Adding
The track and campgrounds give the TOs and their families a unique
opportunity to “value add” to the experience that travellers are exposed
to in the area.
Negotiating directly with Tour Operators, TO’s are able to set up their
own add-on business on their country. As cultural mentors there are
many options available. Interpretive walks, side trips to sites of interest,
campfire talks, teaching traditional uses of local plants, fishing trips, crab
handling lessons are but a few of these.
FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Establishing the East Arnhem 4WD Adventure Track and associated
campgrounds lays the foundations for future tourism opportunities.
The campgrounds at Ngukurr, Numbulwar and Gapuwiyak will allow
visitors to these major centres an accommodation option for short
stays. Travellers on the Central Arnhem Highway may choose to
stopover at Gapuwiyak on the way to or from Nhulunbuy. Short stay
trips will be possible from either end of the track for Free Independent
Travellers (FITs). School groups and special interest groups could be
catered for. Campgrounds in major towns could allow for camping
during special events or festivals. Other business opportunities
could follow. Fishing Charters, Motor Bike Tours and Special Interest
Group activities are but a few that have come up in discussions with
stakeholders.

8. Contacts
Middle Star Pty Ltd
Rick Murray and Graham Cook, middlestar@bigpond.com
Yugul Mangi Development AC
Bill Blackley, william.blackley52@gmail.com
NT Gov’t Dept of Business
Wayne Turner, wayne.turner@nt.gov.au
Stephanie Hawkins, stephanie.hawkins@nt.gov.au
Further information: Refer to SEAL Track Business Plan 2015
The aspirations that underpin this project are in keeping with the
sentiments expressed in several guiding documents, plans and
initiatives involving the NT and Commonwealth governments, the
communities and the people of the region. These include:
• Local Implementation Plans for Ngukurr, Numbulwar and
Gapuwiyak
• Indigenous Protected Areas that cover much of the land along
the Track
• Tourism NT Scoping Study 2009
• Yolngu Tourism Masterplan
• Tourism Vision 2020
• National Stronger Regions Fund Programme (DPM&C)
• Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program (RDA)
South East Arnhem Land 4WD Adventure Track