Cost of hiking the track

[corvus]

Much as I love New Zealand, I hate their style of 'Great Walks' with the massive emphasis on on huts and facilities. I wouldn't want to walk that way - too many people, too much like being at home and going for a short daywalk.

There's also a completely different mindset. In New Zealand, it seems to be more about making things as pleasant as possible for the walkers. The set-up is, essentially, more to benefit walkers than anything else. In Tassie - especially on the Overland - the huts and other facilities (including platforms and dunnies in places like the WArthurs) are there to protect the environment from the impact of so many visitors. The fact that the huts make the OT a bit more comfortable for many is a side-effect.

G'day NNW ,
Just read that post and agree 150%
corvus

[wayno]

Much as I love New Zealand, I hate their style of 'Great Walks' with the massive emphasis on on huts and facilities. I wouldn't want to walk that way - too many people, too much like being at home and going for a short daywalk.

There's also a completely different mindset. In New Zealand, it seems to be more about making things as pleasant as possible for the walkers. The set-up is, essentially, more to benefit walkers than anything else. In Tassie - especially on the Overland - the huts and other facilities (including platforms and dunnies in places like the WArthurs) are there to protect the environment from the impact of so many visitors. The fact that the huts make the OT a bit more comfortable for many is a side-effect.

G'day NNW ,
Just read that post and agree 150%
corvus

read my reply on this, the great walk tracks are a small percentage of the total tracks in nz, there are thousands of kilometres of rough tracks and thousands of square kilometres of trackless wilderness in the nz parks, it's just that the great walks geet all the publicity , doc arent increasing the no of great walk style tracks although the odd track and hut is being upgraded , it still is only small proportion of the total huts, a great deal of huts in nsz are a lot more basic, being galvanised iron stretched over a basic wooden frame....

[Erica]

According to their web site Cradle Huts Guests do not carry Tents or Sleeping bags so you have made a very good point Ent and the Guides as good as they are cannot possibly carry full shelter for all between Huts I believe.
corvus

The guides are however experienced, carry sat phones and an emergency shelter should a walker become injured, this is not the case in a free walker NZ model. Best not cherry pick facts.

All CMH groups have two sleeping bags between them whilst on track (carried by the guides) and do have an emergency shelter, thanks SBS

[cjhfield]

I walked the track last year with my family. I was pretty stunned at the total cost of the fees - I dont think I got much change out of $1000 for 2 adults and 2 kids. The current policy is certainly anti family and I believe is something parks should have a look at. Much of this thread has been a comparison with NZ and they have a specific policy to encourage young walkers so do not charge them anything.

But I would take issue with those that say "we should get something for all that money". I walked the track a few times in the 1970's and it was a much tougher ordeal back then. I was amazed by the standard of the track we have now. Its fantastic. After the walk last year I asked myself if the improved track had been worth $30 per day and ultimately I thought it was. Only on Mount Oakleigh was there a reminder what it used to be like with some waist deep mud sections through the button grass if you stepped in the wrong place.

Just like NZ Tassie markets itself in Australia and the rest of the world as a Wilderness destination. There has been a boom in Backpacker tourism and these people spend more money than regular tourists overall. Its great for the Tas economy but these tourists want a taste of wilderness and they do not have all the gear they should have but they are going to go anyway. Both NZ and Tas have this problem. Last year I met a large group that had no tents and slept around the stove each night as there sleeping bags were too minimal for even summer use in Tas. In NZ I met a fellow on the Milford with no raincoat, shorts and sandals. He crossed the McKinnon Pass with snow on the ground and driving sleet with only his socks and plastic bags to keep his feet warm. So what does parks do? They provide excellent quality huts that have the space to keep quite large numbers alive if push comes to shove and the weather turns diabolical. Its a responsible attitude.

The parks do a great job with limited funds. I just wish they had a family pass with a bit more modest fee...

Chris

[forest]

I just wish they had a family pass with a bit more modest fee...

I think a family pass would be well received. Why would they NOT do this. I'd have to question paying $160 fee's for a 10-12 yr old when we could just do other walks.
Afterall getting young people involved is what it's all about.

[steveh72]

As I have raised in other forums I totaly agree re a family pass.

I would love to do a family walk take myself / wife & 3 kids on the O/T but the cost is too steep.

We have done Walls & other tracks instead.

Whilst as others have said I can either pay up or go elsewhere I guess the ultimate loser is Parks as they miss out on my hard earned cash for I have choosen to go elsewhere.

I do agree with the need to pay something for huts etc don't maintain themselves but near enough to $1000 to walk a track as a family????

Perhaps a reduced fee and no access to huts (unless emergency) may be a compromise that parks would consider.

Just my 2 cents worth

Cheers

Steve

[bearded bushwalker]

I would be happy to pay less for not sleeping in the huts. Beats the snore factor and (while I'm a Queenslander) I found people were firing up the heating too much for me when I was down there. (That is in those huts that had heaters or gas left) This forum and other information on the web caused me to be prepared for low temperatures (my thermals stayed in the bottom of the pack all the way) and I found my synthetic sleeping bag was too hot most nights at its -5 rating.

Next time I will have my WM down bag and will be tenting to allow its use, so having a lower fee with less services provided would be great.

I would also support a reduced fee for families with children (even though my youngest is 21 and I would not qualify) Children gain more self confidence from completing a great track like this than from sitting on the couch watching it on the screen with a controller in their hand. Encouraging an appreciation of nature in the young will help give us the bright new ideas we need to solve the pressing questions faced by humans existance on this planet.

A range of pricing for different options is helping the online sales boom, but some sectors stick to the belief that only having a high price will ensure survival in the marketplace. It is way past time for more innovation rather than just bumping the price up.

Just my 2 cents worth +GST