Coroner claims tour group blind to danger which led to British backpacker’s cliff death at Kings Canyon

British backpacker Zoe Woolmer was killed after she fell at Kings Canyon in June last year while preparing to have her photograph taken

A family photograph of Zoe Woolmer, the British backpacker who died at Kings Canyon PICTURE: Steve and Dawn Woolmer

DIRECTORS of Alice Springs business The Rock Tour have been accused of “wilful blindness” by the NT Coroner for harbouring a culture which encouraged dangerous posed cliff-edge photographs during guided tours.

British backpacker Zoe Woolmer was killed after she fell at Kings Canyon in June last year while preparing to have her photograph taken.

Findings from Coroner Greg Cavanagh’s inquest into Ms Woolmer’s death were handed down yesterday.

Mr Cavanagh said there was “sufficient evidence to suggest that if the directors (Jolyon George and Robert Cowan) had paid any attention they would have known their guides were involved in these dangerous practices”.

“On all of the evidence I find that at the very least suspicion would have been, and was, raised … and it was convenient for them not to resolve those suspicions,” he said.

During the inquest, both Mr George and Mr Cowan had denied they knew of the practice, even though the court was shown similar pictures obtained from The Rock Tour’s Facebook page.

According to one witness, such photographs were encouraged to portray the tours were “fun” and to help market a “point of difference”.

Ms Woolmer’s parents, who had travelled to Alice Springs for the inquest, told the NT News they were “pleased” Mr Cavanagh’s findings had been handed down.

Speaking outside court after the hearings, Zoe’s parents explained the “hell” they faced every day without their daughter.

“The company has not put its hands up and said ‘sorry, we failed in our job’ … and that’s something I can’t accept,” ­father Steve Woolmer said.

In his recommendations, Mr Cavanagh urged The Rock Tour to continue with strategies for better control and understanding of their systems, as well as offer improved training for guides.

Such strategies, which were raised by the company during the inquest, included new signs in all tour buses prohibiting people from going within two metres of the cliff edge at Kestrel Falls, where Ms Woolmer died.

The Parks and Wildlife Commission NT, which also gave evidence at the inquest, said it had implemented a “six-point plan” to improve public safety in the area.

The plan included outlawing dangerous photos being taken for “marketing purposes”.

“Listening to the evidence given at the hearing provided valuable information and has allowed the commission to review and improve its processes and procedures to help minimise the chance of an incident like this ever happening again,” said chief executive officer Andrew Bridges.

The Rock Tour directors were contacted for comment.