Tasmania’s Parks and Wildlife Service website experienced a major hike in traffic today as walkers rushed to secure bookings for the popular Overland Track.
On Tuesday morning at 9am, bookings for the 2023/24 season of the Overland Track opened, but the high demand caused significant headaches for those attempting to secure their spot – with some frustrated hikers comparing the hours-long queue to the recent Taylor Swift ticket frenzy.
Tasmania’s Parks and Wildlife Service earlier warned hikers that popular dates could sell out rapidly due to the limited availability of only 34 places per day and advised hikers to have alternate dates in mind to avoid disappointment.
“Once again, there has been very high demand from walkers wanting to book the Overland Track which has caused some delays in the queue system,” a spokesperson told Pulse.
“This popularity reflects the quality and uniqueness of the experience and the recent investment in world-class visitor facilities including two new huts at Windermere and Kia Ora.”
Despite the heavy load, the Parks and Wildlife Service said the booking system remained active throughout the day.
“As at 3pm over 3,000 walkers have made a confirmed booking.”
The Overland Track allows for a maximum of 8,296 walkers over the entire season, a total of 34 places per day.
“PWS will review the effectiveness of the system after this year.”
