Harness-free tree climbing attraction in Western Australia secures funding

The Gloucester and Bicentennial Tree climbing attraction in the Pemberton area, located 324 kilometres south of Perth, is among the natural tourist attractions to have secured Western Australian Government funding as part of the $165 million Outdoor Adventure Tourism package via the 2024-25 State Budget.

The Outdoor Adventure Tourism package will encourage more local visitation to regional tourism destinations, supporting local businesses and helping to diversify regional economies.

$3 million has been allocated for upgrades at the Gloucester and Bicentennial Trees in the Pemberton area, to allow climbing to reopen on the iconic trees.

After the closure of Western Australia's Gloucester Tree, the ABC reported in January 2024 on fears from local businesses that visitors were changing their itineraries to bypass Pemberton, resulting in the loss of millions of tourism dollars.

For decades, climbing the 60-metre tall trees has been a popular activity for tourists. The Gloucester and Dave Evans Bicentennial karri trees in Pemberton are 61 metres tall with pegs all the way to the top for visitors to climb without a harness or supervision.

The karri trees are among the tallest in Australia, and people brave enough to climb, do so at their own risk. The activity is unique in a modern, safety-first era, and offers one of the region's major tourism drawcards.

However, both trees have been closed for months as structural engineers worked out how to make the trees and infrastructure safe.

Earlier in 2023 year, improvement works were carried out at Gloucester Tree, which included re-pegging so it could be safely climbed to a height of 42 metres, but the upper platforms remained closed for further inspections.

Graeme Dearle, who runs a tourism business, told the ABC the closure has been a "real concern” adding "to have our main attractions closed, it's a serious blow to our tourism industry.

"Our international visitors and interstate visitors are keen to check these trees out. You can't do this anywhere else in the world.

"We are hearing from operators adjacent to Pemberton that they are looking at changing their itinerary and staying in other towns longer."

Tim Foley from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions told ABC that structural engineers had advised that work on the upper platforms required the whole tree to be closed.

Foley noted "we do regular inspections on the trees, including with engineers and arborists.

"The trees are exposed to the elements … so we need some time to work through some additional technical advice [and] have a very close look at the structures and how they're sitting on the trees."

WA Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti noted "Western Australia is famous for its stunning beaches and natural landscapes like our national parks and hiking trails - these are some of the key drawcards in bringing tourists to our beautiful State.

"By improving and investing in these facilities and sites, we're ensuring Western Australia remains a world-class tourism destination of choice for travellers, particularly in our regions.

"Of course, this investment will also help support our local tourism operators and workforce, who rely on these experiences and sites to keep attracting visitors."

WA Environment Minister Reece Whitby added "Western Australia's unique environment is a point of difference for our State, and the Cook Government is committed to ensuring it's accessible to as many tourists and visitors as possible.

"This investment will bolster our Government's long-standing commitment to supporting quality tourism experiences throughout WA's national and marine parks."

No doubt, the local tourism businesses will be thrilled with the $3 million funding announcement from the Western Australian Government to make the adventure activity safe for climbing to reopen.

Image. People do not use harnesses while climbing the giant trees. Credit: Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions