Date:  28 April 2023

DOC Director of Heritage and Visitors Cat Wilson says DOC apologises to all those who tried or planned to book a Great Walk this week for the delay.

“We are very sorry for the frustrations people have met with when using our booking system recently, and the delay of Great Walk openings until mid-June.

“We understand how much our incredible Great Walks network means to people, and how keen they are to book their spots. We are very disappointed with the issues experienced with our booking system and we’re working closely with our IT vendor to fix it,” says Cat Wilson.

“After detailed analysis our IT vendor has identified a new and specific fault linked to an availability search function. While they are working to fix this, we have also asked them to review every change they made to the system from last season, when it all ran smoothly.

“The 2023/24 bookings for Great Walks, huts and campsites will now open around mid-June. We will confirm the new opening dates on the DOC website on 31 May.

“We need to take this time to gain complete reassurance from our vendor that all issues are resolved.”

The Milford Track Great Walk bookings opened on 20 April with 10,000 people logged in from New Zealand and overseas, only to find themselves subject to lengthy delays due to technical issues.

Editor’s Note

Current bookings for Great Walks, huts and campsites in this season, ending 30 June 2023, remain unaffected and these can still be booked where there is availability.

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