Don't blame National Parks

One can hardly feel sorry for this group of bushwalkers getting lost recently ("Walk becomes 13 hour ordeal", Peninsula News, February 11)

Firstly, anyone who regularly walks in this area will know the NPWS has not maintained these outlying paths for many years,

Secondly, walking into unknown territory and at such a late time in the afternoon with very little window for the actual journey and not allowing for track deviations or weather changes is foolish.

Thirdly, once lost as night fell and it began raining, the group should have found a cave or made a shelter and bunked down for the night - especially when one of the group was obviously distressed.

Someone should have been notified of the intended route and estimated return time before leaving and the NPWS should have been contacted to validate the track condition - a must when travelling into unknown territory.

Passing any blame onto the NPWS is not valid when several of the most basic rules of bushwalking have been broken.

Steve Spillard Woy Woy