Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

Accessing public places through private land 30-Jun-2018 At 7:07:07 PM Chockstone Moderator

Message

The remaining portion of the original post has been retrieved from the site linked within it, and is now posted here to complete the Chockstone archive...

If at all possible, plan your route so that it avoids private land. For the example of the canyons in the northern Wollemi, access the region from Glen Davis, or from the north via Dunns Swamp. Neither route requires you to cross private land. Going north in particular allows you to access vast swathes of the region via publicly owned State Forest.
If you must cross private land, make every effort to contact the landholders first to ask for permission. (If you can’t find a phone number, send a letter). If all else fails, make an approach directly by driving up and knocking on the door of the house.
Respect the wishes of locals. If you request access, and it is denied, don’t go sneaking in. It might get you through this trip, but it will make it so much harder for future groups. Make sure you have a fallback plan.
When you finish the trip, take a few minutes to drop in, let them know you have returned safely, and thank them for their hospitality. It doesn’t take much effort but it is appreciated. If they’re not home, put a note under their door. At least that saves them any worry.
Do not publish names, contact details, or other personal information relating to private landholders. If you want to visit an area, find someone who has been there and discretely ask for a contact.
Leave gates as you find them. If it was open, leave it that way, and if it was closed, re-close it.
Make sure you don’t leave any rubbish behind. Also take the effort to pick up any rubbish that you see, leaving the property cleaner than you found it.
Avoid making toilet stops on private property. Often the land will be part of their water supplies. If you absolutely must go, ensure you do it away from watercourses and bury your waste at least 15cms down (as per the Bushwalkers Code of Ethics).
Limit the noise of your group. Even loud voices can ruin the tranquility that many people living in these areas are seeking. Be even more aware if you are camping near private property, and planning to have a rowdy night around the camp fire!
Keep on existing tracks. Whether you are driving or walking, avoid making new tracks or eroding the sides of existing tracks. Causing visible damage to the land provides a perfectly valid reason for owners looking to close off access.
If you happen to find a locked gate open, that isn’t an excuse to drive further than you know you are permitted.
Ensuring future access for canyoners and bushwalkers requires us to all play our part. Being respectful and showing some simple consideration will see us all far more welcome when we head out to explore these amazing parts of the world. On the other side of the coin, failure to get this right will only mean we will all lose out.

I’ll finish with some feedback from Joe Mack — an old time SUBW member now living in the USA. He was planning an amateur geology field trip recently, and on his reconnaissance he discovered a great spot just below a dam on a farm where erosion had exposed the junction between two layers of rock. He went to the nearest house to ask permission, but found it was a B&B that was closed for the winter. That was the last he thought of it.

Then, after receiving my initial email discussing this issue, he realised he hadn’t made a good enough effort to ask permission and decided to have another go contacting the owners. He eventually tracked down the owner’s daughter-in-law and explained who they were, and why they wanted to go on the farm. It turned out that on the day they were planning the trip, the owner’s son-in-law was due to be there, working on a barn, so had they turned up unannounced they would certainly have been spotted, and likely kicked off the property. Instead they had the opportunity to explain why the areas was so significant, carry out some public education, and build good will for future trips by amateur geologists.

I was really encouraged by this summary of the situation from Joe:

“I’ve never had to deal with private land before. I’m mortified to think that except for your e-mail, I wouldn’t have done anything, risking getting us thrown off the land, giving me a black eye with the people in the club and creating ill-will with the locals. This has been an interesting positive lesson for me.”

In the end, it turned out he had actually been seen on the initial reconnaissance trip, but that by doing the right thing and making contact with the owner’s family, everything worked out fine.

As someone who has sailed a little close to the wind at times on access issues, these recent experiences have really cemented my views about the importance of doing the right thing when it comes to access. Sure, you might get away with it on this trip, but as a canyoner who passionately believes in ensuring my pursuit is sustainable — both environmentally and socially — doing the right thing by the humans we come across is also an absolute necessity to guarantee others can have the same experiences in future.

* * * * *

Do you have any other tips for maintaining good relationships with private landholders? What have your experiences been — both with what works, and what doesn’t? And are you aware of access issues that threaten to close off canyoning or bushwalking regions?