OT Fee for May should be scrapped immediately

[icefest]

Taztrax, what about people who walk into Kosciusko NP, what are they expected to pay?

Exactly the same from what I can gather - http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/annua ... ldIBuy.htm

NSW passes are issued for vehicle entry only, walk in access is free.

All the more reason to forego the Bogong High Plains then

[north-north-west]

Taztrax, what about people who walk into Kosciusko NP, what are they expected to pay?

Exactly the same from what I can gather - http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/annua ... ldIBuy.htm

NSW passes are issued for vehicle entry only, walk in access is free.

Yes. If you want to walk from Limestone Rd to Alpine Way and back, it's free. Go in the other direction and pay.

Walk from Tharwa to Charlotte Pass & back - free; other direction - pay for vehicle access.

The really daft thing is that you don't have to pay if you're parking and walking from some places, such as Kiandra or Pocket Saddle. You can do the K2K return without paying as long as you drive in and out from Kiandra. I always did my annual Snowy Mountains Ramble from Round Mountain as there are no vehicle access fees in that section of the park - I'd be walking for as much as two weeks, going as far as Dead Horse Gap & Chimneys Ridge before looping back, and at no cost. Totally illogical.

And then there's the fact that you're charged extra just to park your car if you're walking cross country & overnight in winter, when your activities are not benefiting in the slightest from the extra expense of seasonal maintenance.

[sthughes]

Perhaps they should auction off the 34 spots per day. So around Christmas they might be $500 a spot, and in August $1 a spot

I'd like to see transparency from Parks. If people could see where the money went they might not complain so much. Or perhaps Parks are worried more people would complain if they knew the truth?

[icefest]

Thank you for the invaluable information NNW.

With this and the water info you have given me, I'll be set for next winter.

[stry]

Thank you for the invaluable information NNW.

With this and the water info you have given me, I'll be set for next winter.

Add my thanks

There is a toll point at Kiandra on the road up to Cabramurra though. I have never seen it open. Depend where you jump off from (and when).

[icefest]

So, only no toll at Kiandra if you come from the coast?

[Nuts]

I'd like to see transparency from Parks. If people could see where the money went they might not complain so much. Or perhaps Parks are worried more people would complain if they knew the truth?

Its been a while since number surveys have been done (and made public), wouldn't be hard to keep track of those covered by the public booking system. It's quite a simple equation. If the numbers are falling the price capacity has been reached (or exceeded) regardless of costs rising.

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

Parks Tas do a remarkable job in the circumstances. Dwindling funds and competing priorities mean tracks and facilities will never be perfect. Most people know and accept that (as is evident in this thread) but there will always be the "I have a first world problem" brigade attributing this reality to mismanagement . Working in a $$$-constrained service industry must be a lonely place.

And pleeeeeaaaaaassse let's not start the "it should be cheaper for locals" cr@p again....

[stry]

So, only no toll at Kiandra if you come from the coast?

There is no toll gate on the Snowy Mtns Hwy to get to Kiandra from either Adaminaby or Tumut (at least my struggling neurons don't remember one)

The toll point on the Kiandra Cabramurra road is only half a k in from the Snowy highway. There is no other toll point on this road. Approaching from the south, there is zip until this gate near Kiandra. Remember the powers that be are pretty quick to gate off this road - it actually has, I think advertised closure dates.

You may well be able to walk into some good country from the S/M/H around or before Kiandra. If I recall correctly NNW likes walks up to two weeks in duration, and this time frame would allow access from many points outside the toll net. Certainly his suggestion of entry via Limestone would see you miles from anyone with a uniform.

(We are wandering a bit off thread here, which doesn't concern me particularly, but feel free to start elsewhere if you wish)

[dazintaz]

Daz - you seem quite an angry person - perhaps you should go walking more.

No Mark, certainly not angry. Just very frustrated. Thank you for recommending i walk more, i do.

There seem to be 37 bookings for OLT in May as of this evening (not your 25-30) and it is reasonable to assume that this number will increase to 50+. While this is economically marginal it is no doubt the political masters and Treasury boffins who call the shots - not so much the parks service itself. You seem to be suggesting that the shorter daylight hours means you are getting less for your money - even the parks service can't sort this out so pay your money and make sure you are in the park on 21/22 December for the longest day. As for frozen taps - sorry that's really going to ruin anybody's walk. And could you name a few businesses that give all Tasmanians a discount while charging others full price.

let me see couple prime tourist destinations namely Barnbougle Dunes, Lost farm Golf Course and MONA.

Regarding the matter of you paying for it through your taxes as a Tasmanian, could you please provide your taxable income for last year so we can see how much you actually contributed. You need to be aware that all Australians contribute to the Tasmanian economy through fiscal balancing as Tasmania receives a somewhat larger share of Commonwealth revenues compared to the amount collected from Tasmania.

Every state has costs associated with enjoying our national parks. Here in NSW my annual park entry pass is $190 compared to $96 in Tasmania, while Victoria is looking at the imposition of remote area camping fees. The OLT is only one walk in a state blessed with so many wonderful walking opportunities - get out and enjoy them and stop wingeing.

Gees you're quite personal with your attitude, maybe you need to unwind a bit? I'm very glad to hear you are up there and i am down here, so while you can enjoy my state with your 4 weeks annual leave I can enjoy it every week, i love it!!!!!

[Scottyk]

Frog flats has no mud to speak of now, all board walked.

Wow.

How far north does the DB go from FF??

Sorry for the late reply
We walked to the Pelion West turn off from Pelion hut the other day. The hill down into frog flats going north has large sections of new DB and lots more under construction. The section through Frog Flats itself is mall DB now. After frog flats heading north there wasn't too much but the track was pretty good there, hard pack and rocky etc. Interestingly they had a lot of the fibreglass grating laying by the track ready to be used for DB, that is an expensive product but will last forever.
Maybe the fees for the May through walkers have help to build this
If you don't like paying fees for walking the OLT then..........don't walk it

[icefest]

I remember the hill down to FF being a well over ankle deep creek. I might have to come see it again

[north-north-west]

Thank you for the invaluable information NNW.
=With this and the water info you have given me, I'll be set for next winter.

Add my thanks
There is a toll point at Kiandra on the road up to Cabramurra though. I have never seen it open. Depend where you jump off from (and when).

The Kiandra toll point is for the winter only and, as far as I know, only for south-bound vehicles (ie, heading for Selwyn). Ski season, just about everyone pays just about everywhere.
Plus, getting to Round Mountain is usually impossible once the snow starts because the road is closed at both the Cabramurra and Khancoban ends.
Plenty of good country accessible from Cabramurra and Kiandra.

[cjhfield]

I don't think the online booking system tells you how many will walk the track in May. There is little incentive to book ahead at that time of year. I would book in the last few days depending on the forecast.

Chris

[dazfromtaz]

At least introduce a shoulder season fee to get people onto the OT, i mean 42 walkers in 21 days 10/5-31/5 ?? This is clearly a message by the people that its just not fair! Last weekend, no one walked the OT. UNREAL!!!!!!

[Mark F]

103 walkers booked for May (so far) - a few more than the the 25-30 originally suggested. The more interesting question is how many people walked the full olt in the average May before the fee was introduced.

[GPSGuided]

No one is walking the track in the "shoulder season" hence reopen for locals to enjoy.

Are you advocating the view that the cost of entry be scaled according to one's proximity? As example, Tasmanian free, VIC $50, NSW/SA $100, QLD/NT/WA $150, non-Australian $250?

From a a recent thread on OLT, on how magical it is 365 days if the year. I'd suspect there'll soon be fees year round for the huts, conveniences, experience and the snow scenes.

[geoskid]

103 walkers booked for May (so far) - a few more than the the 25-30 originally suggested. The more interesting question is how many people walked the full olt in the average May before the fee was introduced.

Yes, hard to know much without looking at the numbers and the rationale behind the decision.

If the fee was removed from May, not only would you pull back some numbers from June (?), but you would bleed numbers from April into May.
Perhaps it's about protecting April (?) Who knows.

[stepbystep]

Or…

May now creates an income of sorts. Less people walking the track in May causes less damage therefore saving money in maintenance.

It's a win win

[Nuts]

Some level of standby rate might work. In effect this could mostly result in a reduced rate for locals (without the need to call it so). Any involvement in pushing walkers into winter should be avoided if there are unused 'summer' places remaining imo. Even taking into account other costs in travel, I'd doubt any huge profit is generated by the OLT in May or October.

[north-north-west]

Given there are still some track/hut rangers working, I'd be surprised if there was any profit out of the May fees. Most of last week there wasn't enough demand from walkers for the ferry to be running.

[stepbystep]

Agreed, just throwing stuff out there. How about...???

A lottery. On completion, a percentage of the May walkers receive a refund and/or a nights accommodation at LSC + burger and chips?
Or random surprise rewards? Or half the fees go to a conservation project? Or a complimentary OLT pass to be used another year? Or..??

I guess my point is, if we want to 'sell' the shoulder season PWS should be more creative. I suspect some are working on this stuff already

Thought bubbles. ...

[north-north-west]

Half-price shoulder works for me. You're still using the facilities after all, and walking in wet conditions does more damage to some areas.

[Nuts]

Outside 6/8 weeks of high summer there were many vacant spots in the public system. A focus on filling these would seem ideal.

[freemandale]

Walked the OT in May for the second year in a row. Last year it was just us, this year a group of approx. 10 each night. I do not have a problem paying the fee - it was apparent all along the track where this money is being spent. This year, even though it rained every day vs last year's sunshine, it was a much easier walk. Appreciated the DB leading into Pelion (cut that stretch by a good hour).
Where else in Australia can you holiday for under $50/day? Much less than that, depending on how long you take and what type of pass you purchase.
BN hut is a bit of a mystery....something that has obviously cost so much money should be so much more environmentally friendly (lower the ceiling!) - might be nice on a hot summer day but other than that.....???
Was nice to know that there were rangers looking out for us. We had paid our fee so it wasn't like they were hunting us down, rather that they expected to meet us somewhere along the way. And I'd like to think that if they didn't then they may have wondered where we were...
As always, met some great people, enjoyed the views, the weather, the feeling of remoteness, gained some fitness and escaped reality for just a little while...
Money well spent.

[north-north-west]

Think I might hit the track come June/July. A winter crossing would be interesting - and it's not like I've ever had much good weather on it any other time of year.

[Tassie Jack]

Confuses me how when i stay at Cradle Mountain i can get a local Tasmanian discount but when i want to walk there i have to pay a full fee.

[Strider]

Confuses me how when i stay at Cradle Mountain i can get a local Tasmanian discount but when i want to walk there i have to pay a full fee.

are you staying inside the National Park, or outside?

[Tassie Jack]

when i on overland track i am in the park, when up at visitor centre staying in accomodation its outside the park.
What is the fee to walk the tracks in snowy mountain national parks? seems a money grab here by the federal government again.

[stry]

Well I've coughed up for a Parks Pass again. $60 if I recall for me and vehicle.

Went into the walls and nibbled at the edge of the OLT/Ossa/Pelion East. No complaints and happy to pay.