Overland Track repair work underway ahead of busy summer
Repairs to one of Australia's most popular alpine walking tracks are underway in preparation for a busy summer.
More than 7,000 people walk the 65-kilometre Overland Track from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair in Tasmania each year.
The Parks and Wildlife Service reinvests about $1.2 million from annual booking fees to maintain and upgrade the facilities.
The track is gaining ground among Australia's most popular alpine walks, generating and estimated $8 million into the Tasmanian economy.
In the past year, a review was conducted to mark 10 years since the introduction of a track fee, a one-way walking system and a cap on daily departures.
It found the huts were no longer overcrowded, the track was in better condition and there were fewer environmental concerns.
But it also found the entry and exit points needed more work.
Contractors Rob Zanus and Rob Boyes have flown to Mount Pelion Hut for the start of the track work season.
It is the last chance to repair hundreds of metres of built walkways before summer.
Building supplies have been flown in by helicopter.
They will restore the Narcissus Hut and repair several hundred metres of built walkways.
"[We are] double planking mostly but we're pulling out some old duck boarding up here that's been here since, well it's the oldest duck boarding in the park," Mr Boyes said.
Mr Zanus said it was tough work.
"Lots of walking, heavy lifting, hard manual labour which a lot of people don't do anymore,"
The Parks and Wildlife's Nic Deka said the service was eager to improve the experience for walkers having trouble getting to and from the remote track.
"The difficulty in finding public transport in particular has been a challenge and so that's an area that we're going to be looking into in the next 12 or 18 months," he said.
Helicopters have also been deployed to resupply the eight huts along the popular track.
Old hut approaches centenary year
Plans are also underway to mark the centenary of Old Pelion Hut, which sits halfway along the track.
It was built in 1916 by the East Pelion Copper Mining Company and has fallen into disrepair.
Mr Deka said the 2016 centenary would be promoted to raise awareness of the need to preserve mountain huts, and the hut itself would get a makeover.
The work will include restoring an original mantle piece.
"We'll put that back in, we're restumping the hut to stabilise the foundations, we may redo some of the shingles," he said.
"We're not going to change the appearance of it greatly, but it'll be enough to see it through for another good 10, 15, 20 years."
The number of walkers is up seven per cent on last year and most are interstate Australians.
There was talk about improving mobile phone coverage, but walkers declared they were happy to switch off.
