Tasmanian Walking Company to operate guided walks on Three Capes Track

ONE of Tasmania’s best-known eco-tourism companies has been named the exclusive operator for guided walks on the Three Capes Track.

Walking the Three Capes Track. Picture: Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service

ONE of Tasmania’s best-known eco-tourism companies has been named the exclusive operator for guided walks on the Three Capes Track.

After more than six months of ­negotiations with the Parks and Wildlife Service, the Tasmanian Walking Company has won the contract to build and operate new lodges and a private walk on the track.

Environment, Parks and Heritage Minister Matthew Groom said the Tasmanian Walking Company’s ­offering would open the Three Capes Track to new markets.

“The new walk will involve new high-quality huts and a guided bushwalking experience that will ensure the track provides a walking experience for a wide range of ages, abilities and comfort requirements, giving it a wider market appeal than most other bushwalks in Tasmania,” Mr Groom said.

“The new walk will further cement the Three Capes Track as one of the top bushwalking experiences in Australia.”

Walking company owners and Virgin Australia co-founders Brett Godfrey and Rob Sherrard said they were excited to offer a walk on the Three Capes Track.

“We are honoured to have been entrusted with this amazing opportunity to provide ­access to such a spectacular part of Australia,” Mr Godfrey said.

It will not start taking groups on the track until October next year and a spokeswoman said the price was yet to be determined.

The multi-award winning company’s established offerings in the Wineglass Bay and Bay of Fires regions and on the Overland Track cost $2000 to $3000 a person.

The new walk on the Three Capes Track will offer a similar experience: Small groups ­led by two guides, with clients ­enjoying Tasmanian produce, wines and craft beers.

As part of its deal to operate within the Tasman National Park, it will build two lodges along the Three Capes Track close to but separate from the three public hut sites.

The lodges are in the blueprint phase and the company says they will have a “soft footprint”.

The placement of more huts along the Three Capes Track, as well as the track itself, has attracted controversy.

In December, the Tasman­ian Conservation Trust ­released photographs of one hut showing burnt and cleared vegetation around the site.

The image was evidence the area was being trashed in the name of tourism, they said.

Environment groups have said if the track is an example of “sensitive” development under the Liberals’ expressions of ­interest process, its wilderness values are under threat.

More than 6000 people have booked for the Three Capes Track since December.

The standard Three Capes Track walk using the public huts costs $500.

The track remains technically a two capes track, with the final section to Cape Raoul yet to be built, but construction is due to start later this year.