Proceedings of an International Year of Mountains - Australian Alps ...

The Overland Track within the context of a spectrum of recreational
opportunities
The Overland Track is a significant walking experience for Tasmania, Australia and international visitors.
It provides a range of opportunities to experience the outstanding natural values and the cultural heritage
in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. It offers outstanding scenery, a safe and comfortable
walking track, and a range of infrastructure to make long distance walking accessible for a range of
walker types. It provides an opportunity to showcase Tasmania and Tasmania’s best practice national
park management.
The Overland Track has received high levels of growth in visitation which are affecting the experience
which is provided. Continued unmanaged visitation is not sustainable in terms of the environmental and
social capacity of the area and is inconsistent with demonstrating a high quality wilderness experience to
users. The Track is only one in a range of walking tracks that offer a range of levels of infrastructure,
usage, challenge and remoteness.
Management of the Overland Track has occurred as necessary to ensure environmental impacts are
managed for the increasing numbers of walkers. This has been consistent with management plans, but not
in a strategic manner addressing issues common across the track length.
The Overland Track provides a range of experiences for walkers and a range of infrastructure and
services provide different opportunities for walker experience. The recreational trip experience starts with
planning the trip and concludes with the recollection when the visitor has returned home. There are ways
in which the Overland Trip experience could be improved at all stages.
The proposal of the Tourism Council of Tasmania which is supported by the World Heritage Area
Consultative Committee that the Overland Track be developed as the 'best mountain walk in the world" is
achievable. The landscape quality and the natural and cultural values are there. It remains to ensure:
that the product is sustainable through effective management;
that best practice environmental and management standards are in place;
that the experience of the Overland Track is recognised as more than simply the walk; and
that marketing of the Overland Track is accurate and effective to ensure people’s expectations are met.
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Celebrating Mountains – An International Year of Mountains Conference
Jindabyne, New South Wales, Australia