Media Release! Queen Charlotte Track
Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
Media Release
For Immediate Use
3rd June 2010
Commercial Operators Accept New Track Access Fee
Recent announcements regarding a $12 fee to walk the Queen Charlotte Track only apply to multi-day and single day users that cross private land on the track.
Twenty one percent of the track crosses private property located primarily between Camp Bay in Endeavour Inlet and Waimea Way in Waterfall Bay (around 10kms from Anakiwa in the Grove Arm). The charge does not apply for any sections that are owned and administered by the Department of Conservation and the Marlborough District Council including either end of the track from Ship Cove and Anakiwa.
It is expected that the new fee will be included in relevant ticket prices, or can be purchased individually from various agents in Picton and around the track. Operators are working with the landowners co-operative now to implement the fee smoothly.
Queen Charlotte Track Incorporated, the marketing organization representing the tourism operators, recently held a Special General Meeting where it was agreed by majority vote to support this initiative. A robust review is planned between all stakeholders in 12 months time to assess any impact of the new fee.
The new fee comes after many years of negotiation to find a workable solution between the parties involved with establishing the track – the private landowners, Department of Conservation, Marlborough District Council – along with tourism operators to secure public access to this iconic tourism attraction.
“The issue of recognition of access to private land has been ongoing for many years. The introduction of this fee will now guarantee access to private land for the next 10 years and assist with improvements and maintenance to the track. QCT Inc, as the representative body for the commercial operators, has been working with the landowner group to find a satisfactory solution to the issue and has now accepted the arrangement,” says QCT Inc. chair Juliet Gibbons.
The Queen Charlotte Track is a 71km walking and mountain biking track stretching from Ship Cove to Anakiwa in the Queen Charlotte Sound. Users can enjoy a section of the track in a day or take a multi-day option which is usually four or five days. The track is recognized as one of the major walking tracks in New Zealand but it is unique due to its land ownership arrangements being a mix of private and public ownership.
For further information please contact:
Juliet Gibbons – QCT Inc. Chair – 021 482 183
Tags: Anakiwa, Camp Bay, DOC, Endeavour Inlet, private land, Queen Charlotte Sound, Queen Charlotte Track, Ship Cove, Waterfall Bay | Posted in Walks | No Comments »