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Grampians Peak Trail Master Plan |
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28-May-2014 8:13:28 PM
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On 27/05/2014 gfdonc wrote:
>More time & effort justified on this one peeps .. just so you understand
>I'm in support of the proposal but guidance is warranted.
I'd agree.
There is a lot of proposals in the master plan including 'Hiker Lodges' at 9 different locations including Mt William, mt Rosea, Barbican Rocks, Pohlners Rd, Stayplton. Pg 48
Apparently private investment in National Parks is just what we need.
There seems to plenty of potential conflict with rock climbing areas at these locations and I am sure paying customers will get priority regarding the future of these area.
It's my understanding they will be seeking private investors to develop and manage these sites.
I am not sure the $375 a night high end guided hike includes the cost of accomodation at these sites.
To me the track is a great concept, but I am not sure high end hiker lodges are a welcome addition.
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28-May-2014 8:48:26 PM
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Exactly who are their clients around $200 for cradle mt for unlimited nights (usually 5 to 6 ) with huts for most people . Or they high end guided with no need to carry anything except for personal gear with all meals and showers each night for around $3000 . Between May and September is free a present but may well change as last year 600+ people left in the first 10 days of May which overloaded the facilities. Can not see many people lining up to go through an area burnt out within the last few years , plus weather can be extreme along with fire danger and water isn't exactly plentiful in the warmer months . I can't see anyone funding their lodges unless huge concessions are given
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28-May-2014 9:26:17 PM
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On 28/05/2014 lacto wrote:
> plus weather
>can be extreme along with fire danger and water isn't exactly plentiful
>in the warmer months .
Water supply was discussed at the community meeting. Parks is not intending to provide potable water or guarantee water supply. Water will be collected from roofs of huts and the communal shelter (I think there is to be a roofed, but not walled, shelter at each campsite). So if there's water in the tanks people can use it with purification tablets. It sounds like people are going to be encouraged to pre-stash drinking water in lockers at the campsites. So there would be considerable logistics involved in walking during the drier months.
I think (and hope) that it's unlikely that private huts will get off the ground. It is more likely that local tourist businesses will provide pre-erected tents and food for clients in the more isolated camps and/or shuttle services to take clients out for a good meal and shower every second or third day.
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28-May-2014 9:31:44 PM
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It is quite clear that Parks Victoria seems desperate to monetise their parks. But in more cases than not there simply isn't enough demand nor enough drawcards in most of the Victoria's National Parks.
This is all pie in the sky stuff that is unlikely to proceed in to the extent envisaged. I simply don't see the demand for it nor do I see any sane private organisation wanting to invest that sort of money until it is clear that there is a demand.
Most of the great walking tracks have grown organically. Once numbers increase then extra track work and facilities are both necessary and supported by the numbers. Trying to manufacture a track and demand for it is a difficult process. All that said they DID manage to manufacture The Great Ocean Walk but that was already a very popular tourist destination.
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29-May-2014 9:06:37 AM
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On 28/05/2014 patto wrote:
>Most of the great walking tracks have grown organically. Once numbers
>increase then extra track work and facilities are both necessary and supported
>by the numbers. Trying to manufacture a track and demand for it is a difficult
>process. All that said they DID manage to manufacture The Great Ocean
>Walk but that was already a very popular tourist destination.
The problem with doing a long walk in the Grampians has always been linking the key bits. The Stapylton, Mt Difficult, Wonderland, Rosea and Mt William sections have all grown organically but the current link options aren't good. These require either a lot of time on 4wd or 2wd tracks or bashing through unpleasant scrub. It's one thing to bash a route to an attractive destination, quite another to bash for hours to link 2 points when there are easy alternatives.
Quite a lot of people already do the trip from Stapylton to Halls Gap but there's a lot of boring road-walking between the interesting bits. A carefully routed walking track could make it a much more memorable trip. Now, with the bush burnt out, is actually the time to work on this section.
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