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Tarkine hiking : Comments
By Peter Tapsell, published 21/4/2009Just because we can improve access to an area doesn’t mean we should bulldoze a road through it, or to it.
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When I talk about balance...I mean that some areas should be put aside for different types of activity. It's not about trying to fit all types of activity, or access, into one area - that approach merely dilutes the experience for all.
In my opinion, balance is saying that - OK, this area can be put aside for wilderness, and another area can be developed for beach resorts, another for semi-rural activites such as wine and food tourism, another for cultural tourism, another for urban development, another for agriculture etc. Many of of these may be able to co-exist too.
However, the trick is to understand that some activities do not co-exist very well. For example, a walk track through a forest is unlikely to impact on the enjoyment of car drivers driving through the forest, however, a road will impact on the enjoyment that bushwalkers get from being out in the wilderness. If you put the two together you are impacting far more on the walkers than the drivers. That is why many are so passionate about keeping roads out of wilderness areas if this is possible.
I don't do much walking any more, but I want there to be wilderness areas for others to go walking in. Perhaps it is a losing battle...but it is a battle worth fighting.