Tanaya with Jeff and Harry McDonald in Papua New Guinea.

Tanaya, 18, and Butch, 17, recently returned from Papua New Guinea where they were among eight young people selected to hike the Kokoda Track as part of their involvement with Operation Flinders.

Tanaya, who is part of a foster family, said the life-changing experience included climbing a hill so steep it’s known colloquially as “The Wall”.

“Every time I get to the top of one of those mountains, it definitely fills my bucket – it’s just amazing,” Tanaya says.

“When we walked through the arches at the end of the track, we, said, ‘Alright, time to turn around’.”

The young trekkers were challenged by the difficult terrain and hot and humid conditions, and rewarded by mountain-top vistas and experiences such as meeting and playing with school children and watching a local choir perform.

For both young people, the experience followed a longer association with Operation Flinders, which helps youth affected by issues such as school disengagement and challenges with authority or addiction, to build important life skills.

Tanaya and Butch have both become peer mentors through the initiative, which involves small groups of young people heading to the northern Flinders Ranges for eight-day treks through the mountains.

Tanaya had previously experienced anger issues and was disengaged from education – but after tackling the peaks of Yankaninna Station as a program participant, she learned what she was truly capable of and her school grades and attendance improved.

“They (Operation Flinders) assure you that you can do anything you put your mind to, and it’s true,” she says.

“One day at the bottom of one of the hills I started crying, and I said ‘I can’t do this, this one’s too hard’.

“The team leader stopped in his tracks and said, ‘How about we walk to that log, and we’ll sit down for a bit’. We got there and he said, ‘Do you want to sit down?’ and I said, ‘I think I can keep going’ and I kept walking bit by bit.”

Operation Flinders chief executive officer David Wark says among the initiative’s key aims is battling young people’s misconceptions about what they can achieve.

“In so many instances they’ve been told, ‘You can’t, you’re not good enough’. But our message is that the sky’s the limit and let’s see what you’re capable of.

“For so many of them, it’s like an awakening – that a week ago, there’s no way I would have been able to do this, but they realise you take one step at a time and you get there.”

After finishing their own initial Flinders Ranges treks, Butch and Tanaya joined the Next Steps program, which offers young people the chance to take part in other camps and outdoor activities and complete qualifications in hospitality and barista work.

Through their roles as peer mentors, they guide other young people through Operation Flinders treks, learning leadership skills and identifying new passions.

Both Butch and Tanaya are in the final throes of completing Year 12, and hope to move into youth work where they can support other young people.

Butch, who was a finalist in the ‘Outstanding achievement of a child or young person’ category of the recent SA Child Protection Awards, says tackling his first Operation Flinders journey was “probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done”, having never hiked before.

“It taught me so much about integrity,” he says.

“My work ethic has definitely gotten better.

“Operation Flinders teaches you not to procrastinate….(and) to get the hard stuff out the way first so you can relax later.”

Butch says while the Kokoda Track was physically tough, it was “more of a mental challenge sometimes”. “We had two days when it was non-stop raining,” he says.

The eight young Kokoda Track walkers were able to participate through support from the Duke of Edinburgh Award and Flight Centre, which partnered with Operation Flinders to fund the trip.

Minister for Child Protection Katrine Hildyard said it was “a joy” to hear about Butch and Tanaya’s experiences with Operation Flinders.

“I particularly loved hearing about how, as part of their journey, they understood and embraced how strong they are and what they are capable of,” she said.

“These young people have traversed some difficult times throughout their lives and have developed their mental and emotional resilience and determination in a really inspiring way.  Their desire to now support and empower other young people is an inspiration.

“I wish both of them the very best as they continue their journey; I know that they will make a difference in all that they do.  I thank Operation Flinders for their enduring work and focus on enabling young people to grow, thrive and reach their potential.”