Great Walks to be cheaper for under 18s

Great Walks to be cheaper for under 18s

Hut and campsite fees for children and young people aged under 18 will be free from July next year on NZ’s nine Great Walks, including the Whanganui Journey.

Conservation minister Chris Carter announced the initiative on the Abel Tasman Coast Track last month.

“This initiative is designed to reduce the barriers to more young people walking NZ’s most spectacular tracks with their family, their friends or with school groups,” Mr Carter said.

“As our population becomes more urbanised, it is crucial we make it as easy as we can for young people to switch off the TV and the playstation and discover the outdoors.

“Only through first-hand experience will young NZers fully appreciate the importance of preserving our natural environment, and its significance to our national identity.

“By abolishing fees for those under 18, we can reduce by a third the cost of walking the Abel Tasman Coast Track for a family of two adults and two teenagers. The cost of three nights in huts on the track drops from $270 to $180. The savings are even more pronounced on more expensive Great Walks like the Milford Track,” Mr Carter said.

“This initiative fulfils a key recommendation from the NZ Outdoor Recreation Summit last year to improve access to the outdoors, and it also complements the Labour-led government’s wider work to tackle obesity, foster recreation and tourism, and enhance the time working people have to spend with their families.”

The nine Great Walks are: Lake Waikaremoana; Tongariro Northern Circuit; Heaphy Track; Abel Tasman Coast Track; Kepler Track; Routeburn Track; Milford Track; Rakiura Track, and the Whanganui Journey.