Tourism operator gets go-ahead for South East Cape guided walk project to move forward

Award-winning tourism operator operator Ian Johnstone has been given the green light to progress plans for a South East Cape guided walk.

RUGGED BEAUTY: Hikers may soon be able to make guided tours to South East Cape, in Southwest National Park. Picture: DPIPWE

TOURISM  operator Ian Johnstone has been given the green light to progress plans for a guided walk to South East Cape, leading visitors to Australia’s southernmost accessible­ point.

Mr Johnstone, right, the man behind the multi-award winning Maria Island Walk, will now be able to negotiate lease arrangements and licences­ for the walk inside Tasmania’s rugged Southwest National Park.

The walk will start from the renowned 85km South Coast Track before heading off on an existing walking track to South East Cape.

The overnight walk would include an environmentally friendly-designed hut for accommodation­.

Mr Johnstone said the new walk would join other must-do journeys, such as Cape York in Far North Queensland, Cape Byron in NSW, and Shark Bay on the West Australian coast.

“There is a huge demand for quality experiences in today’s world,” Mr Johnstone said.

“There is something mystical about being able to walk to the extremities of a continent, especially in such a dramatic­ and beautiful landscape as Tasmania’s southwest wilderness.”

Mr Johnstone expects the walk to contribute to a “snowball effect” helping develop­ South East Cape as a walking destination both domestically and internationally.

Tasmanian Environment Minister Elise Archer said the project, if approved­, would entice tourists to spend more time in Tasmania’s deep south and provide an economic boost to businesses in the region.

She said the hut would be located discreetly away from the view of other park users.

The South Coast Track attracts­ 1200 walkers each year, and the area has recently benefited from a four-year, $2 million upgrade.

“It’s a prime example of how the Government is opening up the natural wonders of Tasmania to locals and visitors alike, delivering jobs and an economic boost to our regions, while preserving our natural areas for future­ generations,” Ms Archer said.

Eleven new proposals were received by the State Government as part of its wilderness tourism expressions of interest process this year.

West Coast Yacht Charters’ multi-night Gordon River eco-cruise has also been progressed to licence negotiations.

Huon Valley commissioner Adriana Taylor hopes the walk will attract local and international visitors.

“This will be another significant experience for visiting and local walkers and an opportunity for people to see first-hand the natural beauty of the Huon Valley,” she said.