Two of Tasmania’s most famous wilderness walks are set to become more expensive from July 1st.
The fees for the popular Overland and Three Capes tracks will increase for adults from $200 to $285 and $495 to $595 respectively.
Parks and wildlife say the “carefully considered” price hike is needed to ensure both tracks are maintained as ‘world-class’ hiking destinations well into the future.
“The new fees were carefully considered to ensure they represented value for money while supporting ongoing investment into Tasmania’s signature tourism experiences,” they said.
“Revenue from the fees will be reinvested into the existing tracks and associated infrastructure.”
“This will help PWS to ensure the experiences are maintained at a high standard in a complex operating environment of increased maintenance costs in a remote and harsh landscape.”
In March, the government announced that 11,000 walkers had already booked to do the 65-km Overland Track in 2022, which is higher than pre-pandemic levels.
This increase in visitors has led to the need for an increase in fees to maintain the tracks to a high standard.
But some aren’t happy, with one person calling the increase is an “insane amount of money”.
“Poor people are not allowed,” another wrote.
Runners are also questioning the increase for users who just want to access the tracks for a day.
“Charging $285 for single day access to the track is difficult to justify,” one runner wrote.
Meanwhile another said the increased costs will continue to be “worth every cent”.
