Glover's Bluff

[Gargie]

It is with vehemence I am writing about an experience, which has deeply affected me.
On Monday January 11, 2016, my family and I set out on a BBQ picnic trip to Glover's Bluff, Southern Tasmania. It is an enchanting place, we've visited on numerous occasions. On our arrival, instead of being met with it's usual soulful embrace, we found it desecrated. The first thing we noticed, to our disbelief and shock, was the bare concrete slab, where there once stood an inviting picnic shelter.
As if this wasn't upsetting enough, we were assaulted by noxious fumes of burnt tyres, evidence of a 'burn out' on the concrete slab. Pure vadalism! An old burnt tyre and litter was left behind, as well as a large tree, senselessly, but suspiciously expertly cut down, which was blocking the path to the Bluff look-out. Very contrived wouldn't you say? At the look-out the information boards had been dissassembled, and taken away too.
It is our impression this was a deliberate attempt to deter visitors to the area. Yet another place of great beauty and inspiration will become inaccessible, and forgotten, which in my opinion is a shame and a great loss in every respect.
It has also become apparent that within the last two to three years, many other worthy bushwalking tracks have deteriorated, leading to an increase in lost bushwalkers needing to be rescued. We suspect a significant number of other tracks are no longer being maintained, possibly diverting tourists away from areas targeted for future exploitation.
It would appear this worrying phenomenon is happening nation wide. Unfortunately if this trend continues, we run the risk of an increasingly "user pays" system, just to gain access to National Parks, that were once something to be enjoyed by everyone, not just the "well-heeled". This prospect is sobering, because, not only could National Parks users eventually be perceived as elitist, but could likely be a retrogressive step for the environmental cause. Consequently I can foresee a general decline in interest and concern for the preservation of the natural environment, also partly as a result of current tourism trends in Tasmania, and Australia wide.
As far as I'm concerned, tourism is being reduced to a bland homogeneity (with an element of unnecessary gentrification eg. The Three Capes Walk), where travelling "off the beaten track" is being rather blatently discouraged. Afterall, what would peoples' real impression be if there was the incentive to freely explore Tasmania, avoiding the tourist traps?
We aim to show people some of the wonderful places, which have only fairly recently, become difficult or impossible to access.

[flyfisher]

Any photos??

FF

[Beeper]

My understanding is that this site was a former Forestry Tas visitor site that was transferred along with the land to PWS as part of the TFA a few years ago.

Not sure if the vandalism would be anti Forestry or anti Parks, or just bored locals having some fun?, hope they get caught. A few photos could help. Have you reported it to PWS? I hate our natural areas being desecrated by mindless behaviour.

Unfortunately this and many other visitor sites (including walking tracks) have landed in Parks' lap, who seem to have little resources to check up on them let alone maintain them including the access roads.

The comment about sites being deliberately un-maintained so as to push people towards fee paying sites is an interesting one. If that is the case it would more seem that limited govt funds are only going toward the promoted areas or front country at the expense of the backcountry or little known areas.