Great Walks out of season

@HughvN - They zone areas for different usage. it's a balance between development for usage vs protecting natural & historical values. Different NZers want to shoot things, tramp, fly-over, or picnic at at table with a rubbish bin. "The department’s aim is to provide a range of recreational opportunities, subject to the over-riding objective of preserving natural and historical values.
 In order to manage recreation and tourism activities the park is divided into various zones or visitor management settings. Each is managed to provide different experiences for visitors. The zones .... range from the Olivine Wilderness Area – for the experienced and self-reliant, with no facilities or mechanised access – to the front country zone that caters for relatively large numbers of visitors and may contain facilities or permit forms of access inappropriate in other zones.
... This plan stipulates and/or provides guidance on what activities are appropriate in the various zones." http://www.doc.govt.nz/about-us/our-policies-and-plans/national-park-management/mount-aspiring-national-park-management-plan/6-park-objectives-and-policies/6_6-public-use-and-enjoyment/

"Great walks, Front country, Serviced huts, Back country comfort seekers, .... Game of Names." Game of Names, perhaps, but currently some of those names require bookings at $55 a night and some of them provide almost the same facilities for no bookings and at $0 a night (with an annual hut pass). ;-)

I see talk here of why there aren't more Great Walks. I seem to recall some years ago that there was a moratorium on more Great Walks. This was partly due to FMC's concern of commercialism and more restrictions, eg camping, getting more and more into the back country. An exception was made for the Waitutu, though I see this isn't on the list now. However I haven't found this policy documented anywhere. But it makes sense, I think to stick to a few high quality experiences. I think every small town in NZ would like to have their local bush walk become a Great Walk if they could.

Ah, okay @Pro-active. That makes sense. Yeah if anyone would like to see a copy of DOC's internal review (which does not specifically address the accident), flick me an internal mail with an email address, and I can send it through. I requested a copy from DOC late last year. It's titled "Great Walk Visitor Safety Review", dated July 2014.

On the bridge removal changes from DOC's report, it looks like they've analysed a heap of stuff about information people get (including informal & unofficial) and are trying to match people's possible expectations against the likeliness that it might be impossible to safely remove the bridges in some years so that all could be lost. This seems to be the most relevant part from page 32, and mentions Queens' Birthday as a point when the last people supposedly tend to use the tracks but suggests that decisions on when to actually remove them should me made on other factors: "Option 2 seems the most feasible. This would allow for a higher level of safety for the majority of out-of-season visitors who use the track between track closure and Queen’s Birthday weekend. Avalanche season typically does not start until after Queen’s Birthday weekend and so most years the bridges would be unlikely to be destroyed. However, there is always the risk of an early snowfall or adverse weather which would make it unsafe or impractical for staff to operate in the valley in May. As such the department would need to be willing to accept that in some years it would not be possible to remove the bridges at all and that some or all would be destroyed. "Given the replacement costs for the removable bridges as well as good knowledge of avalanche frequency in the Clinton and Arthur Valleys and the Hollyford Faces it should be possible to estimate the annual cost of leaving the bridges in throughout May. This information should be considered against user numbers, track standards and likelihood of a serious harm incident before any management decision is made on whether to keep the bridges in longer or not."

some of the bridges can be damaged by flooding as it is, ive seen a photo of one of the milford bridges buried by riverbed rocks...

I was watching a DVD the other day about walking the Milford Track. They were talking about one year in the late 80's when a "rain event" washed out ALL of the bridges on the Te Anau side as well as fatally damaging one of the huts and that was in early February! Are there any other places in NZ that call for a Great Walk? Possibly the Auckland Islands, maybe the Hollyford and Dusky Sound tracks? The Wangapeka Track, that could be a good candidate. Any others would just be tracks being re graded because they are getting so many visitors. How about some Great Rides: Poulter -Taramakau -Windy Point (or Lake Sumner), man that would be an awesome ride...... The Old Ghost Road will be a "Great Ride" within 5 years...

A random thought Turning the hollyford into a great walk would pretty well assassinate any road proposal.

I like the way you think Geeves.

Damn straight! They already run guided walks on the Hollyford which is already half the battle fought because they would support any fight for it to be upgraded. I don't like the whole guide walk business angle, but Im willing to put up with it if it saves an iconic track. Who about a circuit, Hollyford Track, then back via Jerusalem Saddle/Lake Wilmot/Lake Alabaster. There are tracks there already they would just need to be upgraded. Man, that would stick it to the "roading" enthusiast! What's more it could stay open all year, unlike the Milford, Kepler and Routeburn!