1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: We know that a popular Litchfield campground, it's going to 2 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:06,080 Speaker 1: be closed for several weeks to make way for new 3 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:09,560 Speaker 1: campsites and tracks. Surprise Greek Falls is going to be 4 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:13,119 Speaker 1: off limits from Sunday to allow for twelve campsites to 5 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:15,760 Speaker 1: be created. Joining me on the line to tell us 6 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:20,160 Speaker 1: more about the project is the Director of Northern Australian Parks, 7 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: Dean McAdam. Good morning to you. 8 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 2: Dean, Good morning Katie. 9 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:27,080 Speaker 1: Thanks so much and apologies that we're running a little 10 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:31,159 Speaker 1: bit late this morning. Dean, tell us what exactly is 11 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:34,640 Speaker 1: Surprise Creek Falls? Firstly? Or where is it? I should say? 12 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,480 Speaker 2: So, it's on the Reynolds River track if you head 13 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 2: towards Sandy Creek. If you go past Standy Creek you'll 14 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 2: find Surprise Creek. It's a small campground seven sites currently. 15 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:53,640 Speaker 2: This development has been in train and planned for a 16 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 2: number of years is finally being delivered. So there's twelve 17 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 2: additional campsites which will take the campsite total to nineteen 18 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 2: for the Surprise Creek campground. 19 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 1: How popular is this spot? Is it one that we 20 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 1: have plenty of people. 21 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 2: Frequent The online booking system shows that weekends in particular 22 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 2: is very very popular. It's always booked out when it's open. 23 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 2: Weekdays are less popular, of course, so that sort of 24 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 2: tells me that it's really popular with locals. And by 25 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 2: increasing the number of campsites from seven to nineteen, it 26 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 2: means that more people will get an opportunity to experience 27 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 2: the camping out there. 28 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: So what kind of work has to go into, you know, 29 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:44,960 Speaker 1: into creating these camp sites and what will be out 30 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 1: there for those listening that are maybe keen once it's 31 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: complete to head on out, So you. 32 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 2: Know, it's a contracted thing. Dipple engage the contractor that 33 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 2: will do the work over the next few weeks. The 34 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 2: twelve campsites, how hard stand areas, So there are areas, 35 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 2: you know, maybe ten by ten meters roughly in size, 36 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 2: and at each site there will be a pit, barbecue 37 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:14,359 Speaker 2: and a picnic table and chairs for people to be 38 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:18,119 Speaker 2: able to camp at. And all those additional campsites means 39 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 2: obviously there's more need to go to the toilets, So 40 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 2: there's two additional pit toilets that will be built in 41 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 2: the vicinity, and linking the camp sites will be a 42 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 2: loop road that links all the campsites, so It's quite 43 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:39,079 Speaker 2: a bit of work, involved quite a bit of planning 44 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:42,119 Speaker 2: over a number of years to get this added attraction 45 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:43,919 Speaker 2: for the southern part of Literal National Park. 46 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: Does it mean that there'll then sort of be enough 47 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 1: space for campers out there. 48 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 2: Yeah. We've tried to maintain the camp spacing, so it's 49 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 2: very very similar to what was existing there. That doesn't 50 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 2: mean people are jammed in. It's for those people who 51 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 2: have been the Central Valley, they will know that we've 52 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 2: spaced out the campsites and this will be similar sort 53 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 2: of arrangement. 54 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:13,960 Speaker 1: How long do you expect it's going to be until 55 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 1: it reopens and are you concerned the wet season is 56 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 1: going to be an issue or is that why you're 57 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:21,519 Speaker 1: sort of trying to get in now before the rain arrives. 58 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:24,799 Speaker 2: Yeah, we really need to get in before the rain 59 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 2: rise so we can get it delivered. We're hoping that 60 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 2: it'll be open before the end of September, which will 61 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 2: give it about another month before it closes seasonally anyway, 62 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 2: So we're hoping that people will get to go down 63 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 2: and have a look before the end of the visitor season. 64 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: Oh that's good to hear. And is there much else 65 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 1: going on that we should be aware of in terms of, 66 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 1: you know, other campsites or other bits and pieces. 67 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 2: At the moment, no, I can report that that fire 68 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 2: that closed Central Valley last week is still being monitored, 69 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 2: but it's not threatening anything or any of the camp sites. 70 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 2: All our campgrounds are really busy still on weekends at 71 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 2: this time of the year, and it's starting to get 72 00:04:06,480 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 2: a bit hotter. So Lichial, it's a really popular destination 73 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 2: at this time of the year. 74 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, no doubt. How's the booking system going for those 75 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: camp sites as well? Has it made things a little 76 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:17,680 Speaker 1: bit more seamless? 77 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:24,279 Speaker 2: Yes, the booking system has been a really positive step 78 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:28,280 Speaker 2: for us. It gives us the opportunity to check people 79 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 2: are doing the right thing, it gives us the revenue. 80 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 2: I would remind people that, you know, when this site 81 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:36,320 Speaker 2: reopens that you have to go into the online booking 82 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:39,840 Speaker 2: system to book the sites. If you're an interstate visitor, 83 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:42,599 Speaker 2: you'll have to get a park's path to visit the site. 84 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 2: So yeah, the booking system has been a real boon 85 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 2: for parks of my life. 86 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:50,240 Speaker 1: What about that interstate you know permit? Has that been 87 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:52,520 Speaker 1: like of people found that quite easy as well? To 88 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 1: be able to get and have there been any issues. 89 00:04:54,640 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 2: There the parks past has been a positive initiative. I 90 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:06,600 Speaker 2: think there may have been some issues with people who 91 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 2: are not very technologically savvy. Yeah, Ran, so you know 92 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 2: you have to get onto a computer. For gray nomads 93 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 2: who may not have that capacity, we can help them 94 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:22,479 Speaker 2: with that sort of functionality. But yeah, look, I think 95 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 2: the online booking system has been really positive well. 96 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:29,479 Speaker 1: Director of Northern Australian Parks Dean McAdam, I really appreciate 97 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:31,400 Speaker 1: your time this morning. Thanks very much for having a 98 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:32,239 Speaker 1: chat with us. 99 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:35,159 Speaker 2: No worries. Thank you, have a good week nding you too. 100 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:36,160 Speaker 1: Thank you.