A few questions.

1. Should we deface one of natures wonders with such a walkway, the mark of man across the landscape.
B. Should we build it so that thousands, ye millions, can see the wondrous beauty of God’s work first hand.
III. Allow only naturalists in to study it and film crews to capture it’s beauty for the small and large screen.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-15/skywalk-planned-over-nitmiluk-gorge/7415712?section=environment

One concern would be rubbish people throw away, cigarette butts and so on.

I do it strange that an unspoilt natural wilderness requires some sort of human construction built on or near it so everyone can gawk at it. Some things should be left alone as even with the best of intentions you can bet it will get damaged or ruined

Cymek said:

I do it strange that an unspoilt natural wilderness requires some sort of human construction built on or near it so everyone can gawk at it. Some things should be left alone as even with the best of intentions you can bet it will get damaged or ruined

I’m of that mind also.

have they worked out to prevent erosion

I’d love to be a Nitmiluk Skywalker.

300 metres is a very small part of that gorge, plus there are heaps of tour boats going up and down it almost every day. The walkway would need to be built near the tourist centre, where there is already foot traffic to the top. Personally, I think it would be ok and not cause much damage.

So it’s not cool to climb Uluru but It’s OK to build a bridge over Nitmiluk?

How does that work?

Teleost said:

So it’s not cool to climb Uluru but It’s OK to build a bridge over Nitmiluk?

How does that work?

Details of the where the second skywalk is to be located may be announced in the NT budget on May 24.

Traditional owners of the park, the Jawoyn people, have indicated support for the move.

Chair of the Jawoyn Association Aboriginal Corporation, Lisa Mumbin, said in a statement that her people welcomed opportunities and investment.

“Our elders say we should always keep thinking about what we can do for visitors,” she said.

“We need to dream more and be open always to possibilities.”

===

what we can do for white people?

take their money

Teleost said:

So it’s not cool to climb Uluru but It’s OK to build a bridge over Nitmiluk?

How does that work?

Maybe a difference in local customs.

Teleost said:

So it’s not cool to climb Uluru but It’s OK to build a bridge over Nitmiluk?

How does that work?

The indigenous occupants don’t want people to climb the rock, whilst the people of the gorge see no problem.

Michael V said:

Teleost said:

So it’s not cool to climb Uluru but It’s OK to build a bridge over Nitmiluk?

How does that work?

Maybe a difference in local customs.

money, or

scared spot or

secret business or

tourism

CrazyNeutrino said:

Teleost said:

So it’s not cool to climb Uluru but It’s OK to build a bridge over Nitmiluk?

How does that work?

Details of the where the second skywalk is to be located may be announced in the NT budget on May 24.

Traditional owners of the park, the Jawoyn people, have indicated support for the move.

Chair of the Jawoyn Association Aboriginal Corporation, Lisa Mumbin, said in a statement that her people welcomed opportunities and investment.

“Our elders say we should always keep thinking about what we can do for visitors,” she said.

“We need to dream more and be open always to possibilities.”

===

what we can do for white people?

take their money

Hey, it’s what everybody else does. It’s (mostly) how the world works. Why use a disparaging tone?

PermeateFree said:

Teleost said:

So it’s not cool to climb Uluru but It’s OK to build a bridge over Nitmiluk?

How does that work?

The indigenous occupants don’t want people to climb the rock, whilst the people of the gorge see no problem.

Different Rock?

CrazyNeutrino said:

PermeateFree said:

Teleost said:

So it’s not cool to climb Uluru but It’s OK to build a bridge over Nitmiluk?

How does that work?

The indigenous occupants don’t want people to climb the rock, whilst the people of the gorge see no problem.

Different Rock?

Different mob. Different law. Different rules. (And yes, different rock.)

CrazyNeutrino said:

PermeateFree said:

Teleost said:

So it’s not cool to climb Uluru but It’s OK to build a bridge over Nitmiluk?

How does that work?

The indigenous occupants don’t want people to climb the rock, whilst the people of the gorge see no problem.

Different Rock?

No, Uluru, as per the original question.

PermeateFree said:

Teleost said:

So it’s not cool to climb Uluru but It’s OK to build a bridge over Nitmiluk?

How does that work?

The indigenous occupants don’t want people to climb the rock, whilst the people of the gorge see no problem.

That’s fair enough.

I still wouldn’t want it. I go to natural places to see exactly that. Experience has shown me that I am in the minority though.

Teleost said:

PermeateFree said:

Teleost said:

So it’s not cool to climb Uluru but It’s OK to build a bridge over Nitmiluk?

How does that work?

The indigenous occupants don’t want people to climb the rock, whilst the people of the gorge see no problem.

That’s fair enough.

I still wouldn’t want it. I go to natural places to see exactly that. Experience has shown me that I am in the minority though.

Well if you are prepared to walk that extra kilometer or two along the top of the gorge, you should not be able to see the walkway. So all good.

Teleost said:

PermeateFree said:

Teleost said:

So it’s not cool to climb Uluru but It’s OK to build a bridge over Nitmiluk?

How does that work?

The indigenous occupants don’t want people to climb the rock, whilst the people of the gorge see no problem.

That’s fair enough.

I still wouldn’t want it. I go to natural places to see exactly that. Experience has shown me that I am in the minority though.

This way makes it more accessible to a larger number of people

Michael V said:

CrazyNeutrino said:

Teleost said:

So it’s not cool to climb Uluru but It’s OK to build a bridge over Nitmiluk?

How does that work?

Details of the where the second skywalk is to be located may be announced in the NT budget on May 24.

Traditional owners of the park, the Jawoyn people, have indicated support for the move.

Chair of the Jawoyn Association Aboriginal Corporation, Lisa Mumbin, said in a statement that her people welcomed opportunities and investment.

“Our elders say we should always keep thinking about what we can do for visitors,” she said.

“We need to dream more and be open always to possibilities.”

===

what we can do for white people?

take their money

Hey, it’s what everybody else does. It’s (mostly) how the world works. Why use a disparaging tone?

everybody likes money

maybe not some others

and 300m of Katherine gorge still leaves many kilometres of gorge without walkway.

They both need a cable-car type of set up.

In one of Bill Brysons books he says that in American parks anything 500 meters from a car park is deserted and pristine and no people.

Plus Umbawarra gorge is a lot nicer and quieter. and closer to darwin.

have they done an environment impact study?

if everything has been checked and its ok

I see no problem except for the rubbish, which will begin to spread out

what toilets will they be using ?

compost ones?

how about no smoking at all

to reduce cigarette butts getting into the environment

maybe look at biodegradable food and coffee containers for the whole area

stuff like that

no mammal/animal/bird kidnapping

CrazyNeutrino said:

have they done an environment impact study?

if everything has been checked and its ok

I see no problem except for the rubbish, which will begin to spread out

what toilets will they be using ?

compost ones?

how about no smoking at all

to reduce cigarette butts getting into the environment

maybe look at biodegradable food and coffee containers for the whole area

stuff like that

no mammal/animal/bird kidnapping

I think they have now made it a National Park, plus it is not a wilderness area where the tourists go to catch a boat trip up the gorge. So I would imagine there would be facilities available, as it is a popular tourist destination.

The article states:

The walk is to be designed to blend in with the gorge’s natural scenery.

I have seen numerous major works to improve accessibility for tourists in the NT that were done so well, so harmoniously and in keeping with the natural surroundings that I think they won’t get this wrong.

The gorge at Katherine is long. The section of the river where they want this skywalk thing already has a Visitor Centre, boat launcher, canoe hire facility and people crawling everywhere. It won’t make that much difference if they don’t get it just right. For those wanting an experience like the old one, they will need to get past the boardwalk and move to the next section of gorge around the corner and out of sight. IMHO, it’s nicer there anyway.

As far as Uluru goes, it was a meeting place for different tribes who came from far and wide. I think only one representative from each tribe was allowed to climb the rock for some kind of ceremony that was held. Although many other places (especially those with water) in the NT were respected as special places, they were never what Uluru was. The traditional owners are very concerned about people dying on their land as it curses them (or something like that). See the metal box in the image below? They told us when we were there that it’s to store tourists’ bodies before they can be collected and taken away and I’m sure it can be. It can also be stored elsewhere very easily, but it’s a good dissuader for many.

Peak Warming Man said:

A few questions.

1. Should we deface one of natures wonders with such a walkway, the mark of man across the landscape.
B. Should we build it so that thousands, ye millions, can see the wondrous beauty of God’s work first hand.
III. Allow only naturalists in to study it and film crews to capture it’s beauty for the small and large screen.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-15/skywalk-planned-over-nitmiluk-gorge/7415712?section=environment

Don’t get me started. The educational value far outweighs the damage.

Tough sub

dv said:

Tough sub

These days no one needs to walk anywhere a drone can go.