Hikers hit with $270 fines for breaking rule at famous Aussie site
A handful of visitors to Hobart's Mount Wellington have been ignoring restrictions imposed during 'dangerous' conditions.
While the views from the top of Hobart's Mount Wellington are spectacular, they're probably not worth $271.
That's the price a handful of rule-breaking hikers have paid, and others will pay when they're tracked down by authorities who vow to hand them fines for breaching temporary restrictions placed near the peak.
The primary route to the top of Mount Wellington involves taking the Zig Zag Track, however it was closed late January for the second stage of urgent repair work and will remain shut until the middle of the year.
"For more than a century the Zig Zag Track has been a major walking route to the summit of Kunanyi/Mt Wellington, but the elements have taken their toll, and the track needs considerable work to repair erosion and make it safer for walkers and runners," the City of Hobart explained.
Council has advised walkers to take the longer Pinnacle track to the top, however warned it was not suited for inexperienced hikers.
And while signage informs visitors of the Zig Zag track's closure, several walkers have ignored the restrictions and still taken the shorter route.
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It's led to a number of people receiving $271.50 fines, while authorities are looking for further rule-breakers after secret cameras were set up on the track, Pulse Hobart reported.
“Images are HD and Hobart is a small place, so if you’re one of the unlucky few, expect a knock at your door or a letter on your floor,” the Wellington Park Trust said. “The trackies are doing highly skilled work. Conditions are difficult and dangerous.”
Warning signs ignored by walkers near Sydney
Ignoring restrictions in national parks and reserved areas is nothing new, with repeated pleas to visitors to the Royal National Park's Wedding Cake Rock, south of Sydney, often ignored.
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service has warned on-the-spot fines of $300 will be issued to those caught scaling a newly-improved fence to take photos on the rock, which they say is unstable and such behaviour puts lives at risk.
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