Great Walks

AS many parks and bushwalking tracks reopen, research from Edith Cowan University has revealed the risky behaviour of visitors that’s placing their safety in danger. Lead author Dr Edmund Goh surveyed visitors at Blue Mountains NP in NSW and found on

If we needed an excuse to get back to Italy, then this planned hiking route should be just the ticket! The Path of Parks or Sentiero dei Parchi will be a whopping 7,000km long and will take in all of the country’s 25 national parks – including those

EVERY summer, my son and I plan a walking trip in Tasmania. This year was our most ambitious plan to date – the Western Arthurs traverse. Chris has done less bushwalking in recent years mostly due to memories of heavy packs when he was a guide. I am

TWELVE days, 12 hikers, 12 months in the planning. Our Great Queensland Rail Trail Adventure began in Kilkivan (100km north-west of Noosa) and ended at Ipswich (45km south-west of Brisbane). The 305km we walked consisted of the 161km Brisbane Valley

Time: 12 days | Distance: 305km | Grade: moderate Day 1. Kilkivan – Goomeri: 29km Day 2. Goomeri – Wondai: 30km Day 3. Wondai – Kingaroy: 30km Day 4. Kingaroy – Nanango: 34km Day 5. Nanango – Yarraman 21km Day 6. Yarraman – Benarkin: 24km (*acc

IT’S a crisp August morning in Tumbarumba as I slide my feet into my favourite, well-worn walking shoes. If only these shoes could talk. They’ve crossed rivers, held me against steep, rolling scree, hugged boulders for scrambling and today, they’re g

WHEN Ned Kelly was eight his family moved into the town of Avenel in Strathbogie Shire, north of Melbourne. Three years later Ned rescued seven-year-old Richard Shelton from a fast-flowing river and for his bravery Ned was awarded a green sash. The s

1. Avenel Heritage and Nature Trail (5.5km loop/2-3hr/easy) 2. Cleo’s Track (7km loop/2-3hr/moderate) 3. Golden Mountain (4km one-way, 2.5hr/easy-moderate) 4. Bridge to Bridge (2km return/1hr/easy) 5. Mt Wombat Flora & Flora Reserve (5.5km return

THERE is a saying in the Himalaya, that the holiest of mountains, Mt. Kailash, isn’t somewhere you can just decide to visit, Kailash will decide when to let you come. For many years, I had wanted to make a pilgrimage to Kailash, but had never found m

‘WANDERLUST’ is a buzz-word of modern travel. It’s everywhere in the media, from advertising and press releases to blogs and newspapers. One of the U.K.’s most successful travel magazines is called Wanderlust, and a collection of stories by legendary

OSCAR Wilde said “If a thing is worth doing, it’s worth doing well. If it is worth having, it’s worth waiting for. If it is worth attaining, it’s worth fighting for. If it is worth experiencing, it is worth putting aside time for.” Spicers Scenic Rim

Time: 6 days (4 days walking) | Length: 60km | Grade: Medium. Day 1: Perhaps 1-2km walking while looking for koalas and exploring Spicers Hidden Vale. Day 2: 10km 7-8 hours and 550m steady ascent up Mistake Mountain Range as well as ladder climb.

IF you’re looking for an inspiring read we’ve got just the book, From Snow to Ash. In the fiery Australian summer of 2019/20, Walkley Award-winning journalist Anthony Sharwood abandoned his post on a busy news website to clear his mind. He embarked o

Tony: “The threat of rain carried the risk of rising river levels and journey interruption. Day 2 having left the Rees River valley and crossed Rees Saddle, we are following Snowy Creek heading towards Dart Hut for the night. In the distance Snowy Cr

HERE at Great Walks we love banging on about awesome hiking equipment, but there’s something you’ll need before you start thinking about the loft of your down or the R-value of your mat. Yes, apart from one day of the year (World Nude Hiking Day – Ju

My partner Holly jokes that I only wear hiking clothes and footwear no matter where we go. Now that’s a little bit of an exaggeration. I do have a pair of fancy shoes, and a shirt that isn’t specifically designed for wicking but she’s right that comf

MY earliest memory of a bushwalk that remains one of the more challenging is way way back when I was about 12 and with some mates doing the Six Foot Track from Katoomba to Jenolan Caves, NSW. I’ll always remember heading down those stairs at the star

Most people travel between countries on a bus or plane. From El Chaltén in Argentina, however, it’s actually possible to get to Chile on foot. The adventure lasts 2-3 days and has travellers walking through wild forests and along pristine lake shores

SOUTH Australia comes carved in a trellis of walking trails. It rewards ramblers with a motley collection of enticing day walks offering year-round fun and fitness. And on the Fleurieu Peninsula you’ll find Aboriginal heritage, colonial townships and

1. Marion Coastal Walking Trail 7.2km/3.5hr/easy (challenging on steps) 2. The Shiraz Trail 8km/4hr (variable with winery diversions)/easy 3. Yankalilla Heritage Trail 4.5km/2hr/easy 4. Granite Island 2.6km/1.5hr (longer if also traversing the

DON’T wear jeans on a bushwalk. Ever. – Brent McKean WHENEVER you arrive at the top of a hill, turn around, sometimes the best view is behind you. – Bill van Riet I learned the hard way, when starting out many years ago. Now I know that there is no