A $15 million project, due for completion mid-next year, is examining access and use of existing and new trails and huts in Fiordland National Park.

Concerns raised over proposed walking trails in Fiordland National Park show the value of getting feedback from the tramping community, says the Milford Opportunities Project director.

Chris Goddard is leading a $15 million programme to test the feasibility of recommendations in the project master plan.

The project was set up by local and central government agencies in 2017 to address tourism pressures in Milford Sound/Piopiotahi and preserve the area’s natural and cultural heritage.

Several new trails have been proposed around Milford Road, including an overnight tramp to an 80-bunk hut up Mistake Creek Valley.

But feedback from recreational groups earlier this year revealed potential problems with the route, which would link to an extended Hut Creek Track via U Pass.

It was suggested people could get into trouble on what would be a technically challenging tramp and that shade would be an issue at the hut in winter.

A hut on nearby Countess Range was preferred by New Zealand Alpine Club members.

“We’ve got people who have spent all of their lives in Fiordland and pulling out that wisdom and experience is absolutely essential to a good [feasibility] test,” Goddard says.

Final recommendations are to be presented to Cabinet ministers in mid-2024.

Other proposals include turning the Lake Marian Track into a loop, although feedback from a meeting of recreational groups indicated the new track section would be on unstable land.

This is vital intel, Goddard says.

Chris and (wife) Donna Goddard enjoying the traditional view from Ōmanui Mackinnon’s Pass, Milford Track

“Let’s build infrastructure that’s resilient for tramping, rather than infrastructure where DOC has to come and rebuild things every few years.”

A trail from the Routeburn Track into the Lake Marian area will also be tested.

It’s a path Ngāi Tahu once used to get greenstone from Anita Bay, near the entrance to Milford Sound.

“It’s quite a challenge to go up but it may be an option for people going down,” Goddard says.

A shared trail for walkers and cyclists is proposed between Te Anau Downs and Cascade Creek.

This trail would be accessible through a new hop-on, hop-off bus service between Te Anau and Milford Sound, with stops at various trailheads, including Cascade Creek, The Divide and the Lake Marian Track.

The bus will be an option for those without permits to take their vehicles into Milford Sound.

Goddard says access by permit to the Milford Road corridor north of Eglinton Valley is about managing – not  capping – visitor numbers, which peaked at 946,000 in 2018.

“If there were 60 spots and you were the 61st vehicle, you’d be given the opportunity to go in by public transport, as one option.”

Access will remain free of charge for New Zealanders, but international visitors may face an entry fee.

Goddard wants to make sure that “whatever system we put in place doesn’t get in the way of recreational users enjoying the place … that’s not the intent of the master plan at all”.

To view the plan and provide feedback, visit www.milfordopportunities.nz.