New Zealand Tour Map Travel Blog

The official coroner’s report into the death last year of an inexperienced tramper has recommended New Zealand’s Department of Conservation review the branding of its “Great Walks” tramping tracks.

The 35 year old Israeli veered of the South Islands Routeburn Track onto an unformed Department of Conservation emergency avalanche route. She subsequently fell on slippery boulders, breaking her neck.

The coroner has raised with the department whether the expression “Great Walk” adequately describe the tramping trip through difficult and potentially dangerous, rugged back-country terrain, with often unpredictable weather conditions. Coroner David Crerar was concerned that “inexperienced tourists – especially who spoke English as a second language – saw “walk” and discounted the seriousness of the situation”