Slightly higher fees + extended period

[shazcol]

Locals planning to walk the overland in October this year may be in for a shock.

Came across this today. It's on a freely accessible web site by anyone so there should be no issues publishing a URL to it, Google probably has already!

http://www.education.tas.gov.au/infostr ... ing-system

[bearded bushwalker]

Not just the locals Shazcol,
Did the Overland Track in 2010 and have been promising my daughter and son in law I would take them over the track when they finished their university degree (a carrot to keep them going through the hard times). We have booked flights and hirecar and now find to do the OT, camping in tents, mid October this year(the only time they have free) we will have to pay an extra $200 each. As university students who have struggled to get through 4 years at less than the dole payments, harrassed at every turn by centerlink, they can't afford that sort of money. They have been slowly gathering gear, when they can afford, so as to be adequately equipped to do the walk and now it looks like the whole 3 week trip(including the OT) in Tassie will be called off. Tassie will lose out because they want to gouge more money to put up art galleries like Windy Ridge hut. (I much preferred New Pelion on my trip and I can bet it's cost was lower too) I personally do not go bush to look at art trying to mimic nature. I am all for user pays but not not user pays and pays and pays again.

To quote a tv advert (that is probably showing my age) "Not happy Jan."

New Zealand is looking better all the time.

[Peaksnik]

Bearded, According to the posted link, I think that you'll find that the new regime kicks off not this year but 2013. That means your group should be fee-free this coming October. But do check.

Edit: I was wrong, wrong, wrong about this as has been pointed out below (thanks). I'll admit to a bleary-eyed reading of the webpage. Sorry

[Erica]

Peaksnik - Actually I think it means the Commercial and School groups will be paying more come 2013, but independent walkers are from 2012.

Bearded Bushwalker - There are many other options for bushwalks in Tasmania that don't involve the somewhat hefty overland track fee. If you were planning on camping in tents anyway then why not check out other wonderous places such as the Walls of Jerusalem, or even parts of the Overland Track. I understand the drawcard of "walking the overland track" but there are many other wonderful places to explore. It might even be more of an adventure for yourself if you're somewhere new. Just a thought I'd hate for people to miss out on the wonders of bushwalking in Tassie due to PWS.

Cheers.

[kestert]

Not just the locals Shazcol,
Did the Overland Track in 2010 and have been promising my daughter and son in law I would take them over the track when they finished their university degree (a carrot to keep them going through the hard times). We have booked flights and hirecar and now find to do the OT, camping in tents, mid October this year(the only time they have free) we will have to pay an extra $200 each. As university students who have struggled to get through 4 years at less than the dole payments, harrassed at every turn by centerlink, they can't afford that sort of money. They have been slowly gathering gear, when they can afford, so as to be adequately equipped to do the walk and now it looks like the whole 3 week trip(including the OT) in Tassie will be called off. Tassie will lose out because they want to gouge more money to put up art galleries like Windy Ridge hut. (I much preferred New Pelion on my trip and I can bet it's cost was lower too) I personally do not go bush to look at art trying to mimic nature. I am all for user pays but not not user pays and pays and pays again.

To quote a tv advert (that is probably showing my age) "Not happy Jan."

New Zealand is looking better all the time.

I don't understand why you'll have to pay an extra $200 each. The link says the increase is $20. Or did you think it would be free to walk the track and use all the facilities?

[shazcol]

Looks like Parks have already updated their website here http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=7835 and some text half way through says:
"Please Note: The Overland Track Booking system is closed. It will open for next season on 1 July. Bookings will be required for persons walking the track between 1 October to 31 May.",

and further down:
"Bookings are required for each walking season (1 October to 31 May)".

I did not notice anything relating to the changes to alert people to the extra time the period it now covers. Maybe come July when the booking system re-opens they may promote the changes but a few like 'bearded bushwalker' and probably quite a few others will get caught out by this change. Maybe a lenient period in the first year for the extra two months?

[shazcol]

I don't understand why you'll have to pay an extra $200 each. The link says the increase is $20. Or did you think it would be free to walk the track and use all the facilities?

kestert - up until the changes this year it was free to walk the overland track in October and May and any time in between those months, now they will have to pay $200 each to walk in October as it was previously fee free in October. The only fee free time will be from June to September now. It also means you can only walk in a South to North direction from June to September now.

[gorby]

has anyone actually been fined or turned back for not abiding by the rules?

three years ago we had a parking fine attached to our vehicle that was parked in the WOJ carpark.We had come in from the other end and finished up there.( we had a parks pass for the drop off vehicle )
The carpark is not in the park area as it starts at the sign in booth as far as our maps showed.

we did not pay for an extra pass and heard no more about it.

The ticket said we may be fined if we did not buy a pass.

Is there legislation and a certain law that is being broken or is it bluff ?

[norts]

We had a similar one on our car when parked at the end of Mersey Forest Road last week. I have a 2 years parks pass, that I was carrying at the time, so as far as I am concerned it is bluff.

Roger

[Erica]

has anyone actually been fined or turned back for not abiding by the rules?

i'm not 100% sure what the rules are on paying the fines in particular, from talking to the track rangers I know that people do get turned back and fined. i assume that because they're starting the paying period earlier they're going to have track rangers on the track earlier too.

[Joel]

If a hut warden or parky tries to fine you out there, just act really surprised and tell them you are lost as hell and thought you were in the Walls of Jerusalem. What are they going to do?

[bearded bushwalker]

Booked today and paid our $600
While the main web pages state that the season is from 1st Oct through to 31st May it seems that all the fine print is still showing the season as 1st November to 30 April. As these are the terms and conditions you need to agree to and accept before you can make a booking I wonder how serious the new dates are being taken by the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment. I know that if we change any information on our webpages at work they generate reports that show where things need to be changed.

If only I had enough money to mount a court challenge (it couldn't be any more frivilous than some I have heard about)

But we are booked in and will be on our way in October (only 108 sleeps to go )