A Proposal for a Path to Port Arthur

Kim Peart, in “Moreton Bay to Port Arthur”, supports a proper path which, as he rightly notes, would be a boon to walkers and cyclists:

After some years living in Queensland and now resident in Roſs, I find there is no safe footpath between Roſs and Campbell Town along the busy Midlands Highway, where giant trucks roar along and cars speed past.

When researching the life of the Danish adventurer, Jorgen Jorgenson, 1780-1841, I found his tale included walking the roads of many countries, including Van Diemen’s Land.

In her 1986 book, Life is for Living, Marjorie Bligh described how her father would frequently walk from Roſs to Campbell Town to play his piano accordion at dances.  Marjorie would also walk between the towns to go shopping and later ride her bicycle along the highway.

I have raised this matter of a footpath between the towns with the Council, but there is no sign of action or planning yet.  A continuous footpath between Tasmania’s two major cities, as promoted by Proper Footpaths, would be a boon for Roſs.  Such a footpath would also be a boon for the 30,000 cyclists who ride their way around Tasmania each year.  [...]

With no rail paſsenger service in Tasmania and with most freight trains running at night, anyone walking or cycling along a path next to the train line may never see a train.  Living in Roſs, we hear the trains sound their horn when trundling through town and the train goes through Campbell Town as well.  Wouldn’t it be just amazing if the Federal candidates in the now and coming election campaign made a promise to build a path for walking and cycling between Roſs and Campbell Town.  If this were to happen, why not have a walking and cycle track all the way from Launceston to Hobart, which could follow the train line.

With 30,000 visiting cyclists arriving in Tasmania every year, each looking for somewhere to ride, why not run the trail from the ferry to Hobart and Port Arthur?  Would that be a Federal vision worth funding, creating much needed work for Tasmanians and improving the visitor experience?

Do read the whole article in the Tasmanian Times.

Wilkie Will Walk the Walk

A report from Informal, the President/Secretary of Proper Footpaths:

I had a productive, half-hour meeting today with my local, federal member, Andrew Wilkie MHR, the independent member for Denison.  I am pleased to record that he listened attentively to our proposal for, inter alia, a proper, continuous footpath between Hobart and Launceston, to my hope that much of the appropriate facilities and infrastructure—of paved paths and even avenues and covered walkways, for instance—could be furnished through sponsorship from local busineſses and private citizens and with minimal funding from taxpayers, and to other, related ideas.  He expreſsed his general support; he also aſsured me that he will, within the month, write to the Tasmanian Premier and Minister for Tourism, to local councils, and perhaps to the local media, endorsing the general concept of proper footpaths and explaining, for example, how properly planned and marketed walking tours could be a boon to the economy—even with existing pathways.

We shall publish Mr. Wilkie’s submiſsion as soon as we receive our copy.

UPDATE I (18 September):  Here is Mr. Wilkie’s letter to Hon. Will Hodgman, Premier of Tasmania and Minister for Tourism:

UPDATE II (5 November):  Here is Mr. Hodgman’s reply*:

* note that Mr. Hodgman refers to the Tasmanian Trail as suitable for walking.  The Tasmanian Trail is not a path—as is evidenced by its name—and, at times, it is not even a trail; in many places it is quite unsuitable for walking and in some places it is even barely suitable for hardy horse-riders.  Furthermore, the trail avoids both Launceston and Hobart.

Our Proposal

Over a hundred and fifty years ago, visitors and residents could walk from Hobart to Launceston more easily than modern, enlightened folk may do so now.  At some places, on modern, major Tasmanian highways, no pedestrian acceſs exists.  This is a lamentable, retrograde situation.

We believe that we need paths between cities and that such paths would, at a slight added expense (compared with the cost of constructing highways) provide manifold benefits to residents, visitors and busineſses and to the entire State.  The paths, ideally, would feature bridges and ramps to allow maximal acceſs for elderly and disabled travellers and cyclists as well as occasional colonnades or covered walkways (and even pavilions, pagodas, gazebos, loggias and belvederes) and, at convenient intervals, camping facilities, public lavatories, kiosks, windbreaks, playgrounds, and well-directed acceſs to various local attractions and subsidiary services.

A pleasant way to travel the two hundred kilometres or so from Hobart to Launceston would be to amble, by easy stages, between towns, enjoying the diverse, delightful views, perhaps carrying (or arranging to collect) a packed picnic basket each day for leisurely lunches, and staying overnight at various, welcoming hostelries or camping sites, over the course of a week.  A slightly more relaxing trip could involve riding some days in a rickshaw or pedicab or even on a hired Segway.  (Someone in a hurry, if reasonably fit, might comfortably walk from Hobart to Launceston, on a smooth, well-maintained path, within four days.)

We call upon our political representatives to support this proposal.