Myth 18: Wilderness is the recreational preserve of yuppie bushwalkers

Myth: Wilderness is the recreational preserve of yuppie bushwalkers (Recher and Dunney 2003).

Truth: Wilderness is for nature, the alleged benefit to walkers is a by-product of travelling there without building damaging roads. Walkers cause less impact than horses and mountain bikes, and much less than 4WD vehicles or roads. It is possible to have too many walkers in some areas, and then numbers also need to be regulated (as at the Grand Canyon). 95% of the state of NSW is roaded for non-walkers, leaving only 5% as wilderness is hardly ‘unbalanced’.