Listen
Boats moored at Milford Sound, Fiordland. Photo: Unsplash/ Michelle McEwen
Kirsty Pickett is in Fiordland, where feasibility testing is underway on the Milford Opportunities Project's masterplan, which could radically change the way tourists interact with the national park. The proposal includes a permit system for international visitors, removing fixed-wing aircraft and some cruise liners, and also banning foreign motorists. And in Tuatapere, the completion of the multi-million dollar upgrade on the country's next Great Walk has been delayed another year. The Hump Ridge Trace was meant to reopen in late 2022 but the date has been pushed back due to supply chain delays and bad weather.