Luxury huts planned for high country :(

[Bird]

There goes the bush...**** the regulars and people who care for the bush,  for the latte sippers...

A section of Victoria's pristine high country would be developed with luxury accommodation run by private operators under a plan to create an "iconic" five-day walk for "high-yield" ecotourists.

Parks Victoria and Regional Development Victoria have drawn up a master plan to create a multimillion-dollar walking track between Falls Creek and Mount Hotham that will include luxury huts along the way serviced by commercial operators.

The controversial draft proposal, which has alarmed national parks and bushwalking advocates, would also ban low-spending hikers from casual camping anywhere within 100 metres of the paid sites.

Signalling an extraordinary change of direction for the Alpine National Park, the strategy predicts the area could be opened up to 65,500 "walker nights" a year by 2026, compared with just 17,000 currently.

....
"With implementation of the master plan, this latent demand can be tapped, although it can be expected that around 50 per cent of the adventure-seeker market will be lost as these walkers seek more remote and physically challenging experiences," the report says.



http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/falls-creektomount-hotham-alpine-trail-plan-aimed-at-luxuryseeking-bushwalkers-20161222-gtgbyb.html

[Foo]

 

Foo

[tracker]

Only in Victoria........

[scrapsD40]

Only in Victoria........

Really nothing like this in Qld
http://www.hinchinbrookresort.com.au

[tracker]

Really nothing like this in Qld
http://www.hinchinbrookresort.com.au

   Yea ..mate ...But.....It's bloody cold down there........Warm up here .....

[scrapsD40]

   Yea ..mate ...But.....It's bloody cold down there........Warm up here .....

Lol......temperature is only relative to location

[Fizzie]

create a multimillion-dollar walking track between Falls Creek and Mount Hotham that will include luxury huts along the way serviced by commercial operators

& those commercial operators will then require vehicle access to "their" huts, so they'll have to put in a road to service the walking track.

Then how long do you think it'll be before the first high-yield eco-terrorist get's tired walking the 5k between huts, so wants to be picked up & driven there?

[alnjan]

Whats the bet the 'walking' track will be an existing road which will be closed to all but authorised vehicles only

[Alan Loy]

I quite like this idea IF it's well planned.  It could also spill over to Falls and Hotham and provide more jobs in Summer for the locals.  The job creation of high end tourism is much more that what we produce as we bring most things with us.

[scrapsD40]

& those commercial operators will then require vehicle access to "their" huts, so they'll have to put in a road to service the walking track.

Then how long do you think it'll be before the first high-yield eco-terrorist get's tired walking the 5k between huts, so wants to be picked up & driven there?

Helicopter landing pads part of the design

[Bird]

& those commercial operators will then require vehicle access to "their" huts, so they'll have to put in a road to service the walking track.

Then how long do you think it'll be before the first high-yield eco-terrorist get's tired walking the 5k between huts, so wants to be picked up & driven there?

read my mind.

Helicopter landing pads part of the design

too expensive



I also wonder which politicians cousin/brother/sister will get the contract to run them....

[macca]

They have been talking about it for quite some time on Bushwalk Australia,  their not happy about it either. There is some links and such that could fill in a few gaps if your interested.  Dunno how to do url  links

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[loanrangie]

I quite like this idea IF it's well planned.  It could also spill over to Falls and Hotham and provide more jobs in Summer for the locals.  The job creation of high end tourism is much more that what we produce as we bring most things with us.

I agree, it could be a bit like those semi permanent tents they use at Uluru etc. I doubt the operators would get permission to change much as far and road access goes, but again it comes down to planning and execution.

[jkwpajero]

Whats the bet the 'walking' track will be an existing road which will be closed to all but authorised vehicles only

Walkers and mountain bike riders already access the trail from Falls Creek to Mount Hotham http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/alpine-national-park/things-to-do/falls-to-hotham-alpine-crossing. So will the luxury huts supplant those already there? Sounds like a money grab to me, and that's unusual from ParksVic 

JamesW

[Tweekin]

Same thing exists in Tasmania on the overland track

[Bird]

So will the luxury huts supplant those already there?

"The controversial draft proposal, which has alarmed national parks and bushwalking advocates, would also ban low-spending hikers from casual camping anywhere within 100 metres of the paid sites."

[weeds]

Same thing exists in Tasmania on the overland track

And the three capes track.

Re: helicopters, On the overland everything gets helicoptered in and out including the waste from the toilets. I imagine heli pads will be installed in the high country to both service the huts and for rescue.

The guided walks using the private huts on the OLT seem to have no shortage of people shelling out $3500 p/p for five nights fully catered and only have to carry 9.5kg.

The three capes of $500 p/p for three nights? From memory....but carry your own food

[SEADOO]

Didn't the greenies try this at Fraser Island?

They painted trees along the pristine beach at Lake Mcenzie that Mother Nature created and completely FKD the beach with all these fenced off places along the beach now.

Then wanted to ban the public and keep it open for paid tourists.

That was a rumour I heard a while ago?