January 03, 2013
Gondola plan best solution for Milford access
A controversial Ngāi Tahu-backed plan to build a gondola to Milford Sound may be revived after consultants working for Environment Southland regional council ranked it the best option for accessing the world famous scenic spot.
Two proposals now under consideration by the Department of Conservation, a monorail and the Milford Dart Tunnel, ranked third and fifth respectively.
Second was making visitors park their cars and travel over the mountain in a shuttle bus.
Sky Trail Milford Gondola was initially proposed by Skyline Enterprises Ltd and Ngāi Tahu in 2001, when it was estimated to cost $110 million to build and could take up to 900 visitors an hour on the 12.6km journey, cutting three hours off what is usually a 12-hour round trip.
Skyline Enterprises managing director Ken Matthews says in light of the report it may be worth having another look at the project.