People walking the Queen Charlotte Track are very satisfied with the experience, says a Department of Conservation commissioned survey.

Marlborough Boys' College teacher Peter Sutton carried out the survey that took place from Easter 2004 to Easter 2005.

He did the work for DOC under the New Zealand Science, Mathematics and Technology Teacher Fellowship scheme.

To find out levels of satisfaction by those using the track he surveyed 2500 walkers using questionnaires, visiting them before they tackled the track and afterwards.

He said a high proportion of people doing Queen Charlotte Track were "comfort seekers" with a low number having any kind of wilderness experience.

"A key motivator for using it is the range of accommodation from those carrying their own gear to four star places.

"They like good quality meals and knowing that at the end of day there is something waiting for them gives them confidence and security," he said.

They were unlikely to go into a remote area preferring to walk in a place perceived to be safe.

These comments came particularly from single women and single women backpackers, Mr Sutton said.

A significant number of older people walk Queen Charlotte Track because of the combination of good accommodation, transportation and comfort.

People enjoy walking in relative isolation, which the track offers as it's unidirectional from Ship Cove to Anakiwa reducing the contact they have with other walkers.

It was ideal as it gave them relative isolation walking during the day but they had social contact when they got to their accommodation, Mr Sutton said.

The perception of crowding on the track is low even at busy times of the year, at Easter and in summer.

Mr Sutton said few considered the track unduly crowded, which was a contrast to the Abel Tasman experience where statistics indicated people felt crowded.

Many walkers perceive mountain bikers on the track to be dangerous but in the 12 months of the survey there were no reports of anyone being hit by one.

He said if a walker spent time worrying about the perceived risk of mountain bikes it could detract from their track experience.

The survey findings indicated there were not significant factors in management of the track.

"There are very high levels of satisfaction as it currently stands," he said.

He said with other environmental factors aside, which were not in his brief, it would seem the track could sustain a higher use than currently.

But walkers' experiences could not be taken in isolation as biophysical factors and the needs of private landowners along the track would need to be taken into account when questions of higher usage were raised.

"These are also outside the limits of the work I've done," Mr Sutton said.

The findings of this survey will be published through DOC's science and research division.

by DEE WILSON