Displacement of New Zealand trampers from the Great Walks track network, New Zealand

Abstract

The Great Walks are among the most popular tramping tracks in New Zealand. They are also the most developed in terms of facilities and services. This popularity and development has led to crowding and dissatisfaction among some users of the backcountry. As a result, trampers employ coping strategies, including displacement.

This dissertation has been undertaken to examine displacement trends from the Great Walks, along with the importance of crowding and management structures as the determining factors. New Zealanders traditionally expect free and open access to the backcountry, and there are indications that there are components of the current Great Walks setting that may compromise this expectation. A series of interviews was conducted 'off site' in Christchurch to investigate these issues.

The Department of Conservation (DOC) is responsible for the management of conservation lands, which include all nine of the Great Walks. Management structures presently in place to deal with the high numbers of users of the Great Walks include booking systems, and elevated hut fees. Booking systems were the most favoured management option among interviewees in this research.

This study found that displacement is occurring on the Great Walks, primarily taking the form of temporal displacement. This allows trampers to continue to visit the Great Walks without compromising their overall satisfaction levels. Spatial displacement and activity substitution is also occurring, but to a lesser extent than temporal displacement.

This research has found that the primary determinant for displacement on the Great Walks is crowding. This is occurring mainly around huts, although there are a number of prominent crowding 'hotspots' on some tracks. Also cited as determinants of displacement by the interviewees were perceived over-development of facilities and services, hut fees, and cultural differences between New Zealanders and overseas tourists.