South Island High Country Access Cover 8691346288
Photo by Bernard Spragg NZ

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South Island High Country Access Report

Tourist numbers are rapidly increasing throughout New Zealand, but particularly in the central southern South Island, from the Mackenzie Country down through Queenstown Lakes and across to the Waitaki and Central Otago.

These increasing numbers, combined with population growth in the Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago districts, are bringing unique pressures to the people who live, work and play in these areas, and to the central and local government agencies that support them.

The Walking Access Commission Ara Hīkoi Aotearoa is the Crown entity responsible for public access to the outdoors, and in particular for access across private land, and access that crosses multiple land tenures (e.g. mixes of private, Government, local authority and/or Māori land).

Through its work on the ground helping to create new access and resolving access disputes, the Commission began to hear concerning messages about the potential for withdrawal of access to private land by landholders due to problems and pressures created by these increasing numbers. 

As part of working towards solutions to these issues, the Commission decided to investigate exactly what was going on for the people who live, work and play in these regions. This report is the first step in this process, based on 36 hours of meetings with 55 people, from May — August 2017.

The people interviewed, whose thoughts, hopes and fears are noted throughout this document, range from newcomers to the area to long-time locals. They include landholders and farmers; central and local government staff; recreationalists; community groups building, maintaining and using tracks and trails; tourism operators and agencies, and others.

The Commission would like to thank all those who have spoken with us throughout this project for so generously giving their time and their thoughts. We hope this report does you justice, and we look forward to working alongside you to implement solutions to many of the issues raised.

Asher Wilson-Goldman
Communications Manager
NZ Walking Access Commission Ara Hīkoi Aotearoa

Canterbury

Numbers bring problems, but also opportunities

Everywhere we met people, they talked about numbers. In the Queenstown Lakes district, these numbers were international tourists. In the other areas, they were still domestic
tourists
Doubtful Sound

An infrastructure deficit

The lack of appropriate infrastructure to go along with tracks and trails was noted repeatedly, in particular a lack of toileting facilities and the impact that has on the environment
Mount Aspiring Blue Pools Walk

Too many places to look, not enough reliable information

A number of recreational walkers, cyclists, mountain bikers and horse riders we spoke with discussed the need for a single point of information on where people can go in the outdoors.
Evening Lake Tekapo NZ

Bad behaviour: a small minority, but a significant impact

Most people are well behaved in the outdoors, but a small minority are not, whether through ignorance or a lack of caring about how their behaviour impacts others.
Walking access commission small logotype

Connections – turning isolated tracks into networks of trails

Interconnected trails give agencies the ability to move people towards routes that are under capacity, and give users the option of mixing and matching trails.
Mountain biking at Bottle Lake Christchurch

Users

Cycling, mountain biking, day walking, tramping, horse riding, hunting and fishing.
South Island High Country Access Cover 8691346288

Summary

A focus on public access, and the associated infrastructure, is necessary to ensure that locals and domestic tourists can experience and enjoy New Zealand’s great outdoors.