Australian Walking Company’s Kangaroo Island lodges to plug gap in ‘premium’ wilderness trail experience

Plans for accommodation in Flinders Chase National Park would meet the market for “premium” tourism experiences that parks in other states already boast, the state’s planning panel has heard.

The Australian Walking Company wants to build sleeping pods to service high-end walking tours on the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail. Pictures: Australian Walking Company

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Plans for accommodation in Flinders Chase National Park would meet the market for “premium” tourism experiences that parks in other states already boast, the state’s planning panel has heard.

The State Commission Assessment Panel today discussed Australian Walking Company’s plans for a $4 million project in Kangaroo Island’s largest national park.

Islanders will tomorrow hear whether the company’s application has been approved, denied, or a decision deferred.

Roscoe Shelton, the Environment Department’s manager of commercial operations, told yesterday’s meeting the 61km Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail only captured a portion of the market.

“Those successful operations that attract a lot of tourism and business to other states will have a premium experience, mid-range experience and bottom end experience,” Mr Shelton said. “The icon model in Australia would be the Cradle Mountain experience – you have the private element well catered for and the public element.”

Australian Walking Company’s plan to build luxury “lodge” accommodation with “sleeping pods” at Sanderson Bay and Sandy Creek has riled up islanders because of its potential impact on the park’s environment and visual appeal.

The company already operates tours in Tasmania and Victoria, charging almost $4000 for its six-day Cradle Mountain walk.

Representing the developer, Michael Osborn said the company had reduced the length of new walking trails planned as part of the project. He said high-end accommodation was “an important stage of the overall tourism vision” for the wilderness trail.

Fraser Vickery, of Kangaroo Island Eco-Action, has engaged lawyers to fight the development. After the meeting, he saidthere was already high-end accommodation outside the park.

Islanders had expected “hard-floor tents” or similar accommodation on the trail, having a much smaller impact but the Environment Department had “rolled over” and supported the company’s much larger proposal, Mr Vickery said.

If the State Commission Assessment Panel approves the development, it would also need the green light from the Native Vegetation Council.

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