Trekking towards more success

By Moya Iowa
SHEER determination and hard work will always pay off if one sets one’s mind on a task.
Livingston Dominic, 34, from Oro, can testify to that. He knows the reward of perseverance when everything else seems to be going against him.
Dominic is the owner of the Oro Expeditions Trekking Company, operating tours along the Kokoda Track between Port Moresby and Kokoda Station in Oro.
He enjoys the success that not all people his age enjoy but he knows how hard it is to achieve it.
The road to success is not always easy.
“I was a good student at school although I never took my education seriously,” he said.
“I was always more interested in playing sports and hanging out with my friends.
“ This resulted in me dropping out of grade 10 due to not being able to secure a space to further my education.”
For years, Dominic did odd jobs and ended up becoming a porter or track guide with many different local tour operators in the area, a career that has spanned more than 10 years.
“I made a lot of friends on the Kokoda Track, especially expatriates who encouraged me to set up my own tour operation business,” he recalls.
“I thought about their advice and in 2011, I set up the OETC” Dominic said.
“With my extensive track experience and with the help of my friends, I was able to compete in the industry.
And to this day, I enjoy the success that comes with the freedom to do what I want.”
His company not only operates along the Kokoda Track but also provides other tourism adventures in Oro such as water rafting, village-based activities and gold panning.
In that way, he helps local communities and villages too.
Today, he is enjoying the fruits of his determination and hard work but is not stopping here. There is more adventure ahead he wants to try out and enjoy.
And he knows what it takes to get there.