Inward (and to) Milford Sound transport in New Zealand is characterized by the remoteness of the area in which it is located. As a popular tourist destination on the South Island, it receives very many visitors. It tends to arrive and depart only in a few hours each day, as there is little accommodation in Sound, leading to a peak of strong demand for tourism services during the afternoon and early afternoon periods. The journey from Te Anau is rated as one of the most photographic drives in the world.
To mitigate this peak and to allow for further expansion without affecting the environment or reducing tourism convenience, various schemes have been proposed over the years for better links to Sound, including new tunnels, monorails, and gondola lifts.
Video Transport in Milford Sound
Overview
Remote location
Milford Sound is a fjord on the southwest of New Zealand's South Island, located in the most remote and least populous region of the country (Fiordland). Divided from a more populous area to the east by the southern high spurs in the Southern Alps, the only entrance which is separated from the difficult (though very scenic) mountain roads is the narrow channel to the Tasman Sea, which even the notorious explorer Captain Cook did not enter during 1769/1770 his journey, because he considered the entry too dangerous and not aware of the large body of protected water behind it.
Tourism barriers
Based on its incredible natural features, Milford Sound has long been a major tourist attraction, receiving an unprecedented number of visitors to such remote locations, over 550,000 per year. This is expected to increase to 750,000 in 2012. The expected increase in the number does not occur as a result of the recession and other unknown factors. A study has found that of all travelers traveling to New Zealand's South Island in the summer, 54% travel to Milford Road at some point.
Increasing the difficulty for tourism to Sound is the location within Fiordland National Park, which prevents large accomodations being built - about 90% of all tourists are therefore only on a day trip, and about 80% return in the afternoon to Te Anau, or Queenstown, 12 hours round trip. Due to the long journey from Queenstown, most tourists arrive and depart quickly, heading to the peak of great demand at the day-cruises terminal where large tourist boats abandoned most of the day, becoming very active for only 3 days. -4 hours around and past noon.
The above difficulties in achieving this very popular goal have led to a number of serious proposals on how to better connect Milford Sound attractions throughout New Zealand, and how to improve tourism without reducing sustainability for this national natural wealth. In connection with this plan, proposals are also being considered to improve existing roads to Milford Sound.
Maps Transport in Milford Sound
Existing travel method
Motor vehicles
Tourists to the Voice arrive mainly through the top coach of Milford Road State Highway 94, a high mountain road that is prone to an avalanche in the winter. The road was only opened in 1953, after Homer Tunnel finished after nearly 20 years of disjointed work. This road is one of the more dangerous public roads in New Zealand, with an accident rate of about 65% higher than any other New Zealand network, and a fatal accident rate of nearly twice the average (per kilometer of vehicle traveled), making it the third most dangerous network of State Highway New Zealand (in 2008).
Stop is prohibited on long stretches due to avalanches of rock or snow, and roads are often closed in the winter, carrying mandatory snow chains during snow conditions. Helicopters are used during the winter to drop explosives into snow-capped zones over roads to cause controlled landslides, and this avalanche control program is world-renowned. However, even this does not completely eliminate the danger that road traffic can be hit by uncontrollable events, especially in the Homer Tunnel portal area. The last known death of an avalanche on the road was in 1983.
Drivers are encouraged to begin the journey from Te Anau with a tank full of fuel, as there is a very limited choice to refuel afterwards. All this does not dampen up to 50 trainers and hundreds of private cars daily from making 608km round trip from Queenstown (slightly less than Invercargill). Nearly 60% travel through coaches.
Future traffic improvements must take into account the limitations of existing roads, featuring areas that lack the passing lane (especially problematic if cars are held behind slow trainers in steeper sections), a number of one-lane bridges and narrow traffic lanes. Homer Tunnel is a one-way traffic-controlled route during peak summer periods, because it is not wide enough to allow trainers to pass each other (even though the bay is provided). Homer road and tunnel repairs are planned by Transit New Zealand, although tunnel widening is considered unlikely due to the high costs involved.
In the 2010s, the road received a variable message alert information system (VMS) to inform travelers on incident and closing roads, in a more timely manner than the old signs that changed hands. The system receives the New Zealand Excellence Engineering Award 2012, in part because information systems use satellite links as their primary communication system that makes unnecessary communication cables more expensive along the way. Message signs are powered by a small hydropower system with a spare battery.
Boat
A small number of travelers arrive via long distance sea journeys, such as small cruise ships entering Sound while stopping in New Zealand from abroad or traveling from (relatively distant) New Zealand harbors, or alternatives on private yachts. However, some such ships currently travel along the rugged southwest coastline of the island.
Planes
The number of tourists arrives via a small plane or helicopter, or use it to spill the Sound as part of the trip. In 2004 Milford Sound Airport had about 16,000 aircraft movements, mostly related to flights to and from Queenstown. Approximately 35 aircraft can operate at airports at a time, although this level has not been reached. Because flights can be spread better days than coach trips, only about 25 planes operate here during rush hour on the day of 2004.
The Department of Conservation has noted that the noise and activity of aircraft in Sound is often commented upon by tourists as something extraordinarily large (especially at the nearby Milford Track). DOC therefore encourages the use of larger aircraft and less noise. In 2007, flight restrictions were announced, limiting the number of flights in the Fiordland region and the number of operators to the levels 2004-2005 through the concession system, with 23 licenses only (number of operators in 2004-2005). Operators are also required to pay for flight monitoring, and further restrictions may be expressed if more than 25% of National Park visitors consider aircraft noise to interfere. Some operators have complained about the restrictions, and the DOC has noted that flight numbers can be imagined to increase if noise emissions will be reduced.
Walk
There is one main line to Milford Sound from the east side of the main range of the Southern Alps, the Milford Track. Beginning on the northern edge of Te Anau Lake, a 53-km line takes four days to complete and includes a mountain jump and many flood-prone areas. Due to concerns about degrading the landscape, the tracks can run only by a quota system (and only to the west, with pedestrians having to stop at designated huts every night). With only a few dozen pedestrians allowed on the track each day, places within the quota system are usually booked months earlier from the New Zealand Department of Conservation Administration.
Suggest an increase
Bus pooling
In winter, during those times the road remains open, the number of coaches at Milford Road has been observed as not decreasing in the same degree as the number of visitors, with often traveling coaches mostly empty. It has been proposed that initiatives be considered to force or attract tourism operators to collect their transport resources for greater efficiency.
Parks & amp; up
It has been proposed that park & ​​amp; shuttle bus facilities should be established at locations such as Te Anau, Te Anau Downs or Eglington Valley. Access to Milford Sound will be limited to buses operating from here (and private vehicles during off-peak times). Shocking departures will help ease congestion on the road as well as in viewing places. However, the proposal is considered to reduce tourism operators and freedom of tourists, as well as increase the transfer time to a trip that has been very long. Finally, it will take free access rights. As such, it is reviewed negatively and is unlikely to proceed.
More options
Expanding Milford Sound Airport to allow larger aircraft to fly tour groups inside and out of the sound is also considered, but is considered problematic for ease of sightseeing in Sound, and for reasons of high travel costs.
Other options to consider are limited access to certified/appropriate users (ie bus companies, similar to 'park & ​​amp drive' options), introducing a booking system for 'road slots', or placing tolls along Milford Road. All of these methods share access restriction issues, thus making a visit to Milford Sound more complicated and expensive.
Propose a new method
Haast-Hollyford Highway
Haast-Hollyford Road or Haast-Hollyford Highway is an old proposal to connect Haast, a coastal town north of Milford Sound, through the Hollyford Valley to Milford Sound and Te Anau on New Zealand's South Island. Proposals for this road have been disputed since the 1880s. This will allow multi-day trips, from Queenstown to Te Anau to Milford Sound to Haast and back to Queenstown. However, the high costs associated with building about 120 km of new roads in remote areas (estimated at NZ $ 165-275 million) and problems with building new roads through Fiordland National Park are recorded, in addition to new routes that are likely to increase congestion in shared parts of the route (from Hollyford Valley to Milford Sound).
In April 2001, a tabloid publication was circulated through a daily newspaper on the South Island by supporters of plans for links Haast-Hollyford and Karamea-Collingwood. This publication is widely criticized by environmental groups, including New Zealand Fish and Game, Royal Forest and New Zealand Bird Protection Society and the Green Party.
Prior to the 2002 elections, Don Brash National Party Leader and others were given helicopter reconnaissance flights along the route; all are very receptive to concepts and proposals.
In 2004, Ted Loose, Chairman of Southland Environment, said in an editorial that "since [Haast-Hollyford's] road was first debated, progress has been hindered by people who claim to be concerned about the social, economic, and ecological impact of building a road through National Parks And so far, the problems associated with congestion on, and on the road to Milford have improved. "
The re-elected mayor for the Southland District, Frana Cardno, said in an editorial to the Southland Times on Oct. 9 that Haast-Hollyford's proposed road needs to be revived.
In 2005, the Conservation Department called for a submission to a new conservation plan. The old plan says the road through the Hollyford Valley is "impossible". More than 800 submissions are accepted in many cases, but most (over 500) support the connecting road.
Submission to the Westland District Council 2009-2019 The long-term Community Council plan in 2009 supported the opening of the road. The board delivered a support motion for the proposed road and allocated $ 100,000 to repair the rocky road from Jackson Bay to the Cascade River.
In 2010, Christchurch businessman Earl Hagaman commissioned a report (Octa Report) stating that toll roads could be built for $ 225-315 million. Hagaman, founder of the Scenic Circle Hotels network, argues that the road will be of national significance, boost the tourism industry worth 21.7 billion dollars and significantly reduce driving time to Milford Sound. Construction is estimated to cost up to $ 315 million (and annual maintenance of more than $ 1 million). According to the study, costs will be acceptable because of local benefits and additional tourism revenues to be provided, although conservation groups oppose the project.
In March 2010, the Economic Development Minister Gerry Brownlee met with Westland and Southland district councils and with Hagaman, saying "I personally support [road] but it's not something that is actually considered by the Government at the moment." The Ministry of Economic Development briefly considered new proposals for roads in the same year, but did not see a net profit from an economic standpoint.
Rejected the proposed new method
Fiordland Link Experience (rejected by the government NZ 2014)
This proposal is intended to combine a number of innovative transportation options into one trip (hence 'Experience'), while still cutting the time of the trip to Sound about an hour away (previous expectations of longer savings are unlikely to happen). In Queenstown, tourists will ride a catamaran boat with a capacity of 25 meters capable of carrying up to 240 people. It will cross Lake Wakatipu to the southwest coast, 20 km away. There, passengers will travel up the mountain on the back road of an existing country, using a special all-terrain trainer on balloon tires (to reduce the impact on the road).
Arriving at the Kiwi Burn bridge terminal, travelers will continue the mechanical monorail ride (as opposed to maglev) for 35 minutes through the original high state and shrub for a distance of 41 km, which will be the longest monorail connection in the world before joining the park and ride bus facility on the existing road to Milford Sound in northern Te Anau. Three rounds along the line will allow four trains to run, at speeds of up to 90 km/h. Kiwi Burns Saddle, the highest point of the journey, is 675 m above sea level, and a higher altitude part of the rail will be heated to prevent snow buildup in winter. Each monorail train will accommodate 160 passengers, consisting of 16 parts of the articulated width of 2.6 m with a total length of 66 m. Only one train will be built initially.
The proposal, which will cost up to NZ $ 132 million, should reach about 220,000 two-way passengers per year in order to survive. Compared with the project Milford Darts, advocates, Infinity Investment Group, believe that they will have an easier time to get approval, because the proposal does not touch the National Parks anything, and the process of construction and operation are considered very ecologically, such as the use of pile relatively small for a monorail to be bored and placed from a vehicle working forward on the rail being built, thus making the construction path unnecessary. Initially expected the approval process will begin in mid-2007, with commercial operations starting in 2011. However, it did not happen. In October 2013 it was reported that the New Zealand Conservation Minister supported the project. "On May 29, 2014, Conservation Minister Nick Smith rejected the proposal saying the plan $ 240 million" does not stack up both economically and environmentally. "
Milford Dart tunnel (rejected by the government of NZ 2013)
Combining a new tunnel with a special purpose bus to avoid a detour south to Te Anau on a route from Queenstown to Milford Sound, this proposal will provide the shortest possible route. Proposed by a group of South Island entrepreneurs who also have an interest in several tour operations in Sound, this scheme will capitalize on the fact that the Hollyford Valley, where the existing road to Milford Sound from Te Anau turns west to Homer Tunnel, is only a few dozen kilometers from Routeburn Valley (from Routeburn Track fame), is in turn easily reached by existing roads.
The proposal will make the 11.3 km tunnel through the mountains and connect existing roads with short extensions, cutting the journey distance from 304 km in one direction to only 125 km, with travel time reduced from 5.5 hours to 2 hours. Inside the tunnel, the bus will use guidance technology (side-facing wheel) to allow them to travel in tunnels of a much smaller diameter than usual, thereby reducing construction costs. Speed ​​in the tunnel is expected to be up to 80 km/h at frequencies up to 2.5 minutes. The tunnel is expected to take at least 200,000 passengers per year to operate commercially, and will cost about $ 150 million. These costs are based on very little research, the ground has not had enough surveys to calculate the accurate cost. The cost may be much higher, considering the tunnel is passing through five known fault lines.
The proposed tunnel faces a number of criticisms. One major obstacle is the location of both entrances in national parks, Fiordland National Park to the west and Mount Aspiring National Park to the east. While the proposed new road sections will be very short, they have led to criticism from the Forest and Bird environmental groups noting that the general Conservation General policy prohibits the construction of new roads in the Park. Disposal of up to 250,000 cubic meters of soil from tunnel excavations is also considered problematic. The business interests of Southland and Te Anau are also concerned that the tunnel proposal will lead tourism to pass Te Anau and master Glenorchy.
In December 2007, the New Zealand Conservation Authority decided not to approve amendments to the Management Plan of Mount Aspiring National Park that would allow the tunnel to be built in Mount Aspiring National Park. The amendment of the plan has been supported by the Conservation Council of Otago and Director General of Conservation.
Royal Forest and the New Zealand Bird Protection Society said that the proposal was inconsistent with the National Parks Act, Conservation Act, and the Fiordland National Park Plan and Mt Aspiring and that it was also inconsistent with the General Policy for National Parks.
In January 2012, Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson gave notice of his intention to grant concessions to Milford Dart's proposal, which is subject to submissions and public hearings.
The mayor of the Southland District Council Frana Cardno said that the Conservation Department's support for the proposal was inconsistent with World Heritage status values ​​associated with Fiordland National Park. In June 2012, the controversy and unpublicity of the tunnel proposal were reported in the British newspaper Daily Mail .
In mid-2013, the permit for a tunnel permission was rejected by the Minister for the Environment, for three reasons - the need to dispose of half a million tons of damaged tunnels, the impact of new roads and tunnel portals in parks and the Routeburn Routes, and because his work was inconsistent with park management plans. The minister also noted doubts about the economic feasibility of the $ 170 million project.
Sky Trail Milford (rejected by government NZ 2004)
The third option, previously proposed around 2001, will create a gondola route between the Valley of Caples and the Hollyford Valley. The proposal is a partnership between Skyline Enterprises of Queenstown and Rotorua, and Ng? I Know iwi, and spend about NZ $ 100-110 million. With a length of 12.6 km, Skytrail will be the longest journey in the Southern Hemisphere, and is intended to carry 900 passengers per hour. With a 35 minute duration for a one-way trip, the gondola is to reduce travel for 12 hours about 3 hours.
The project was suspended after the Department of Conservation refused permission based on the expected impact on pure wilderness to be crossed. Critics such as the Forest and Bird Society, among other reasons, protested the destruction of the beech for 85 towers and 2 transfer stations, bus traffic on previously unused roads, and weathering of landscapes by gondola traffic. There are also some concerns about the location of Skytrail in areas of strong seismic and wind activity.
Other options
Further options considered at some stage in the last decade include the new one-way route (Queenstown-Milford Sound) via Glenorchy (northwest of Queenstown) and through a tunnel in the Darran Mountains (reducing one-way trips to Voice from five hours to two hours). This scheme has some similarities to the 'Milford Dart' scheme, but it does not seem to be going forward due to the high difficulty encountered by building new infrastructure in the two national parks.
See also
- Homer Tunnel
- Real Travel
References
External links
- Milford Dart (official project website, including map)
- Fiordland Link Experience (official project website, including maps)
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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