Cashing in on tramping bonanza
It’s a quaint rural town in Southland that has had its fair share of hard knocks. But the attraction of the new Hump Ridge Track may be a turning point for Tuatapere. Georgina Oldfield reports.
Scottish trampers Jo and Martin Jeffrey made their way to Tuatapere in Southland not knowing much about the place. But for community leaders, they are exactly the type of tourists needed to provide an economic boost to a town that has suffered its fair share of hard knocks.
The Jeffreys have come to walk the Hump Ridge Track, which was announced in July as the next route to gain Great Walk status. That honour will eventually be bestowed on the track in 2022, once the upgrades have been finished.
Jo Jeffrey says they found out about the route from their daughter who is an avid Great Walk tramper but adds that the primary appeal for them was that bedding and food are provided along the threeday walk.
The couple – as they put it – are ‘‘greater than 60 years old’’, and say they didn’t want to have to carry a lot of gear.
‘‘We like quiet, we like remote. If there’s two people on the mountain that’s one too many,’’ Martin Jeffrey says.
Situated 85kms west of Invercargill and home to just over 500 people, Tuatapere is known as the sausage capital of New Zealand, a gateway to the Fiordland National Park and a stop-off on the Southern Scenic Route.
It’s a rugged town steeped in a history of sawmilling, farming and logging but which has suffered from declining employment opportunities.
The Hump Track Charitable Trust runs the track, which is a three-day loop through sub-alpine terrain and rugged coastlines. It even hosted a 24-hour Stump the Hump challenge to attract people – although that was stopped three years ago.
Every year 3000 people walk the track but it’s hoped the additional publicity from becoming a Great Walk will turbo charge visitor numbers.
Trustees, town leader, DOC and Iwi have met to discuss what the Great Walk status will mean for Tuatapere. Trustee Don Brown says he understands DOC may provide funds for another accommodation complex on the track but there is still more work to be done to get the track up to status and upgrading of existing amenities is needed, he says.
There are signs more people are moving to Tuatapere to start up new businesses, hoping to capitalise on a tramping tourism bonanza.
Bernie Lagan runs the only sawmilling company left in the town, Lindsay and Dixon Ltd and believes the Great Walk status can bring a lot of tourism potential to the town but there is still more work to be done to stop people shifting away.
In the 20 years he’s worked in the milling industry he hasn’t seen much positive change in the rural Southland town, and Lagan says he’s had difficulties recruiting staff, with many youth in the town affected by drug and alcohol problems. ‘‘I think there’s some great opportunities down here. But you’ve got to have the infrastructure around as well and I don’t see that.’’
The potential tourist influx could have an enormous impact on the town, he says. ‘‘It’s a stunning part of the world but it needs regional development with a clear plan, but I don’t think the people here have the capacity to achieve that on their own right.’’
Tourism operators Johan Groters and Joyce Kolk have been running Wairaurahiri Jet since 2002, taking tourists from the stunning Lake Hauroko through the ancient, untouched Fiordland forest to the south coast.
They have since expanded the business, purchasing Lake Hauroko tours, Southern Scenic Jet, a food caravan at Clifden Suspension Bridge and another two boats to run another business on the Waiau River.
They are also trustees of the Hump Ridge Track trust, and believe Great Walk status can be hugely beneficial to the town.
With the Milford Track often booked out, people are looking for an alternative Great Walk, says Kolk.
They say it’s unlikely Tuatapere will ever be taken over by the kind of mass tourism seen in Queenstown and Wanaka due to the lack of big investment in the area.
‘‘Nobody is going to build a hotel because the bank won’t give them the money. The bank will say build it in Te Anau or Queenstown,’’ says Kolk.
Spud farmer Les Kollat knows Tuatapere like the back of his hand.
His family arrived from Hungary in the early 1900s, he was born in the town in 1939, and he keenly remembers the harder times.
‘‘When the forestry left it had a big effect. Things struggled for a while but it seemed to pick up after. The 1980s were a pretty tough time.’’
But Kollat thinks Tuatapere is now poised to cash in on its proximity to the Hump Ridge Track . Kollat’s daughter, Lea, together with James Garthwaite are the co-owners of Tui Base Camp in the town.
Since purchasing the business in September they have been amazed by the friendliness of the people and the increased interest in walking the track.
‘‘As soon as it was announced on social media, there were people saying we need to walk the track before it gets too busy.’’
Garthwaite says the Great Walk status will put Tuatapere on the map as a positive destination rather than just a place to pass through.
‘‘When the forestry left it had a big effect. Things struggled for a while ... The 1980s were a pretty tough time.’’ Les Kollat