Overland established: 1931 distance 65km length days difficulty easy-moderate high season october-may direction north-south no. per year 8000 summary Location: The Overland Track is positioned in western Tasmania, starting from Ronny Creek in Cradle Valley and finished at Lake St Australian’s deepest lake. The track includes Mt Ossa which is the highest peak in Tasmania. Landscape quality: The track passes through ancient rainforests, fragrant eucalypt forest, golden bottongrass moorlands and alpine meadows. Setting: The Overland Track is a premier alpine walk which traverses mountain summits, temperate rainforest, wild rivers, waterfalls and alpine plains, all included within the Tasmania Wilderness World Heritage Area. logistics Trek details: No grading has been placed on the different sections, just a description of the walking experience; The track must be walked from north to south during peak times and is dual way in non-peak times; and Bus services provide access along the track. Cost to walk the trail: The Overland Track Fee is $200 which only applies during peak season only. Booking system: The walk needs to be booked during peak time in order to manage the departure of 60 people per day during. This includes: 34 independent walkers; 13 members booked using the group tent platform sites; and 13 walkers in commercial tour using private huts. Management system: The trail is managed by Parks and Wildlife Services but type and of trail Trail sections: Day 1: Ronny Creek car park to Waterfall Valley (10km); Day 2: Waterfall Valley to Lake Windermere (8km); Day 3: Lake Windermere to Pelions Plains (17km); Day 4: Pelion Plains to Kia Ora (9km); Day 5: Kia Ora Hut to Windy Ridge (10km); and Day 6: Windy Ridge to Lake St Clair (18km). related services There are a number of walking tours that run the Overland Track. They range from Single Day tours, Multi-Day Trous, Accommodated Walking Tours, Safari Camping Tours etc. a number of private operations along trek such as accommodation. Land Tenure: Public land restrictions As there is no booking system for huts, walkers must carry tents in case no huts are available. accommodation There are a number of huts located along the trail with no booking system. Cradle Mountain Huts are privately operated along the Overland Track which costs between $2,850 and $3,050 for the walk.
OPTIONAL & EXTENSIONS EAST TASMANIA TRAIL mount william summit start 1: 9.9km stage 2: 9.6km (9.9km - distance from start) (19.5km) musselroe bay stumpys bay deep creek 3: 17.2km stage 4: 12.2km 5: 14.2km (36.7km) (48.9km) (63.1km) ansons bay policemans point the gardens optional short-cut: optional day walk: st helens point optional day walk: henderson lagoon optional 2 day walk: shelly point to four mile creek via st mary and st patricks head optional day walk: seymour to long poing optional 7 day walk: shelly point to bicheno via st marys and leeabarra track optional day walk: to moulting lagoon optional short-cut: freshwater lagoon to coles bay 2 day extension: coles bay to swansea stage 6: 13.2km stage 7: 15.4km 8: 7.1km 9: 14.5km stage 10: 7.5km 11: 15.1km stage 12: 20.9km stage 13: 11.7km stage 14: 17.4km stage 15: 17.6km stage 16: 11km stage 17: 9.9km stage 18: 12.7km (76.3km) (91.7km) (98.8km) (113.4km) (120.9km) (136km) (156.9km) (168.6km) (186km) (203.6km) (214.6km) (224.5km) (237.2km) binalong bay moulting bay st helens dianas basin shelly point four mile lagoons beach seymour bicheno friendly beaches freshwater lagoon whitewater wall coles bay extension: bay to the fisheries finish Preliminary ECTT alignment
ECTT experience The present proposal is for an iconic walk that is accessible to all; that can provide a range of different experiences, from day walks and multi-day walks on remote coasts and uplands to afternoon strolls around seaside towns. This would be a walk in which almost everyone who visited the East Coast would step on at some point in their travels. Broadly, the walk could be used in many different ways: Providing a challenge for committed walkers to complete the whole route, which could take 18-20 days, depending on the route alignment; Bringing weekend walkers back time and again to complete the route; Providing day walks for visitors to the area; Providing walking connections between settlements for visitors and residents alike; Providing short walk opportunities people with limited time or capacity; Providing local walking tracks for exercise and fitness for local people; and Enabling, in some sections, shared use with cyclists and horse-riders. Taken as a whole, the walk would provide step on - step off opportunities that other iconic walks in the State are not well able to provide. As noted in the work by the Tasmanian Land Conservancy (2012), this is a model that is common in Europe and North America. It provides for a range of different experiences and opportunities for accommodation along the way. The following is a short description of each 'day stage', providing a summary of the start, finish, distance, overnight accommodation and key features along the preliminary ECTT. This gives an over arching illustration of the walking experience from north to south, outlining any optional walks and extension along the route. Northern Segment The Northern segment of the walk will appeal to the following: Multi-day walkers wishing to experience the wilderness coast and the Bay of Fires; Day walkers holidaying or resident in the region; People camping in the area (reportedly up to 30,000 people per year); Travellers and residents seeking walk opportunities, particularly at key attractions such as Musselroe Bay, Larapuna Lighthouse, The Gardens and Binalong Bay; People who regularly travel between Binalong Bay and St Helens (a cycle route or boat connection would have potential); and Residents of the settlements seeking walking health and fitness opportunities. STAGE 1 Musselroe Bay Finish Stumpys Bay Distance: 9.9km Accommodation: Stumpys Bay camping 4 Key features: Musselroe Bay Cape Naturaliste Mount William National Park OPTIONAL Day walk from Stumpys Bay to Mount William Summit (11km return loop)
Stumpys Bay Finish Deep Creek Distance: 9.6km STAGE 3 Start: Deep Finish Ansons Bay Distance: 17.2km 4 Start: Ansons Bay Finish Policemans Point Distance: 12.2km STAGE 5 Start: Policemans Point Finish The Gardens Distance: 14.2km Deep Creek camping Key features: Boulder Cod Bay Purdon Bay Picnic Rocks Mount William National Park Accommodation: Proposed camping Key features: Picnic Beach Picnic Larc Beach Larapuna Lighthouse Bay of Fires Accommodation: Policemans Point camping Key features: Ansons Bay Ansons River Accommodation: Proposed camping or cabins Key features: Bay of Fires Gardens lagoon STAGE 6 Start: The Gardens Finish Binalong Bay Distance: Accommodation: Proposed camping or: Sloop Reef camping Cosy Corner camping Key features: Swimcart camping Jeanneret Beach camping 13.2km The Gardens lookout Big Lagoon, Sloop Lagoon and Grants Lagoon Sloop Rock
Binalong Bay Finish Moulting Bay Distance: 15.4km Moulting Bay camping or Dora Point camping Key features: Skeleton Bay Skeleton Point and lookout Grants Point and lookout Little Elephant Humbug Point Humbug Point Nature Recreationa Area OPTIONAL Short-cut from Binalong Bay to Moulting Bay (10.6km) or St Helens (17km) via C850 STAGE 8 Start: Moulting Bay Finish St Helens Distance: 7.1km Central Segment Accommodation: Existing accommodation in St Helens Key features: Moulting Bay Bayview Georges Bay This segment of the walk would appeal mostly to: Walkers seeking to complete the whole trail (including those completing the trail piecemeal); Local residents and visitors seeking to move between towns; and residents and visitors seeking opportunities to improve health and fitness. STAGE 9 Start: St Helens Finish Dianas Distance: 14.5km Accommodation: Dianas camping Key features: St Helens Georges Bay Fairlea, Parkside and Parnella Windmill Lagoon and Jocks Lagoon Dianas Basin OPTIONAL Extension from Stieglitz to St Helens Point (16.2km return)
Lagoons Beach Finish Seymour Distance: 11.7km Proposed camping at Seymour Key features: Lagoons beach Piccaninny Point Templestowe Beach Templestowe Lagoon OPTIONAL Extension loop from Seymour to Long Point (5.1km return) STAGE 14 Start: Seymour Finish Bicheno Distance: 17.4km Southern Segment Accommodation: Existing accommodation in Bicheno Key features: Seymour Beach Long Point Douglas River Denison Old Mile Lagoon This segment of the trail will appeal to: Multi-day walkers wishing to experience the wild Freycinet coast; Day walkers holidaying or resident in the region (with more than 190,000 people visiting Freycinet National Park each year); and Residents and visitors seeking short walk opportunities. STAGE 15 Start: Bicheno Finish Friendly Beaches Distance: 17.6km Accommodation: Friendly Beaches camping Key features: Bicheno Whale Lookout Walk Governor Island Rice beach Farm Cape Lodi Courland Bay Freycinet National Park Friendly Beaches
ECTT accommodation Types of Accommodation Camping Camping is the traditional form of accommodation for walkers on the East Coast and will likely continue to provide the majority of accommodation for the ECTT. There is a chain of existing camp sites with only a few gaps along the length of the potential route for the East Coast Tasmania Trail (Ansons Bay, The Gardens, and a possible site between St Marys and the Leeabarra Track). It may be desirable to designate some of the existing campsites for walkers in order to meet the desires expressed by overnight walkers for quiet and isolated conditions (see section 1.4), or else to designate parts of existing camping areas for walkers (as happens in some campsites on the Great Ocean Walk, for example). There is an expectation that walkers’ campsites can (and should) be booked in advance to ensure that walkers have access to accommodation. They should be provided with basic, well-designed services in secluded areas and, where possible, should be provided with water. There is a general expectation that such bookable sites will attract a fee. Walkers’ Huts In other long distance walks in Tasmania, walkers’ huts are the norm, with one hut accommodating up to 40 people. These provide basic shelter and facilities, with the cost covered by the walk fee. There are also private trail huts operated by the group walking companies that are a little more luxurious. These kinds of huts are not present on the East Coast, except as part of the privately operated Bay of Fires Walk. The scope for publicly provided walkers’ huts in this area is limited. The weather is generally mild and the East Coast Tasmania Trail will be unrestricted and unlikely to attract a fee that would pay for such facilities. However, in the future, given sufficient demand, there may be opportunities to establish huts in key locations. Privately provided huts are a possibility, given adequate demand. Broughton Island campgrounds, NSW Pelion Plains Walkers Hut, Overland
Accommodation gaps There are a number of gaps in the provision of accommodation to support the potential ECTT alignment. Based on the day stages shown in the alignment, accommodation (camping and/or alternative) is required in the following towns: Ansons Bay; The Gardens; Binalong Bay; Falmouth; Four Mile Creek; Seymour; and Stieglitz or Akaroa- to allow for the extension up to St Helens A camping ground has also been proposed on the optional 6 day trail alignment between St Marys and the Leeabarra Track camping grounds. Private accommodation (eg. cabins) be encouraged and/ or strengthened in the following towns to support the alignment and to strengthen overnight tourism stays, particular where short walks or trail options and extensions are shown: Musselroe Bay; Scamander; Bicheno; Coles Bay; St Helens; Swansea; Friendly Beaches; and St Camping platforms at Coles Bay
Management costs For the purposes of this analysis, the management of the trail is assumed to be undertaken by the Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) and by local Councils. These institutions have structures in place that are capable of managing the trail through incremental additions to their capacity and budget. For example, the existing maintenance crews employed by PWS and Councils could be expanded slightly to maintain the trail. Similarly, the duties of Park Rangers could be extended to manage trail user issues. This will be less expensive than establishing new structures to maintain and manage the Trail Maintenance Trail maintenance will include: Repairing minor track sections that have been affected by accidents, storms, minor fires, fallen trees or foot traffic; Repairing or replacing signs; and Ensuring that campsites and toilets are in working order. It does not include events or wholesale reconstruction. The economic life of the trail is assumed to be 20 years although some elements will last much longer. A total of 1% of the capital cost has been allowed for maintenance each year, amounting to $193,000 per year. This figure is consistent with good practice in construction costing. It is equivalent to two additional full-time equivalents and materials. This cost is assumed to be spent on the various segments of the track in proportion to the track length. Management Management of the trail will form part of the workload of a number of existing staff, with the need to incrementally increase the number of such staff. These include: PWS and government facilities managers who must plan and budget for the new asset; and Rangers who will need to monitor and manage the use of the trail, responding to requests from users, directing maintenance and managing the walkers’ campsites. The trail as described here will require bookable campsites to ensure that walkers can be guaranteed a place to sleep. The campsites will therefore need to be monitored by Rangers so that bookings can be honoured. (Bookable campsites implies, but does not mandate, a charging regime. Any such charges would offset the costs of trail management. However, they are considered as part of the expenditure by visitors in the later chapter on benefits in order to avoid double counting.) management has been costed at $140,000 per year. This allows for approximately 2 additional full-time Park Rangers or equivalent staff. Maintain or upgrade existing toilet facilities Maintain existing camping grounds, Deep Creek camping area