Indholdsfortegnelse for February/March 2018 i Great Walks

FROM THE EDITOR GREAT WALKS FEBRUARY_MARCH 2018 | WWW.GREATWALKS.COM.AU | 3 BRENT MCKEAN Yours truly exploring the magical Tarkine. WELCOME to the ‘Summer Sojourns‘ issue. Our first sojourn is through Tassie's Tarkine wilderness (pg16) a beautiful part of the state. Over the decades it’s been a battleground between miners and environmentalists. I, for one, am pleased the bulldozers haven't come in. Speaking of environmental issues, the Colong Foundation is fighting to stop the raising of the Warragamba Dam in the NSW Blue Mountains. The state government wants to create a spillway to hold more water. To find out more I spoke to Harry Burkitt from the Colong Foundation. floodplains will be safe from flooding, knowing very well floods are a natural phenomenon that happen regardless of dams. What are your main…

I'VE always loved the Grampians National Park. There's a certain aura to the beautiful place that makes you feel like you're being healed, like everything in life is suddenly wonderful. So when I got the chance to go on a weekend trip with my dad last November, I couldn't be more excited. We loved what we called our “legends” road trips, and after a three and a half hour drive we arrived at the happy wanderer campground, which funnily enough is just next door to the holiday house we use to own in Wartook. We quickly set up the tent, indulged in some chocolate and spent the night playing Yahtzee before crawling into our warm snugly sleeping bags. The first day we had decided to climb Mount Stapylton, a walk…

Kuhl Renegade pants Kuhl’s new range of men’s Renegade pants include 10-inch Short, Pant and Stealth Pant, all designed for comfort and performance and have numerous pockets. They’re made from the soft yet durable softshell Duralux fabric, which feels like cotton but is stronger, more breathable and more abrasion resistant. The material offers water resistance and protection from the sun and the pants feature articulated knee construction. RRP: 10” Short – $119.95; Renegade Pant – $134.95; Renegade Stealth Pant – $129.95. Website: outdooragencies.com.au Osprey Trillium duffel Weighing 790gm, this 65l duffel bag is great for light loads. There are multiple carry options thanks to the three-position padded shoulder strap – cross body bag, shoulder bag, or held at your side. It also has lockable zips and is made of 1000D…

“I LOVE THE FEELING OF BEING STRONG AND HEALTHY AND BREATHING IN THE FRESH AIR.” I GREW up in remote areas of Nepal so I was lucky to experience the outdoors from a very young age. When growing up in my village, if we ever got sick, my father would walk into a forest and find medicinal plants to give to us or to put on our wounds. I find even now when I am on trails if I spot those plants I point them out to clients. Many years ago now, a relative of mine who managed a trekking company in Nepal suggested I would make a good guide. I didn’t know what was involved and he said I could be a ‘Sherpa’. I joked and said “but, I’m…

Roslyn Jolly Roslyn is a journalist who loves to photograph and write about beautiful places in Australia, Europe and the Pacific. Ian Trevaskis Ian Trevaskis is a regular contributor to Great Walks and when he’s not hiking here or overseas he’s writing books for kids. Dan Slater Another Great Walks regular, Dan has written several book about his global travels and works at outdoor gear retailer Trek & Travel. Michelle Ryan Freelance writer Michelle travels the world for long distance hikes and is currently making her first hiking documentary.…

At the all new Rays, their adventure experts will ensure you are ready for any outdoor adventure. With all the leading brands under the same roof offering a total solution for equipment clothing and footwear, including MSR, Sea to Summit, Patagonia and Merrell. Be camp, paddle, hike and ready to explore with Rays. Also sign up to Rays Rewards – which is FREE – and you'll get access to deals and benefits of the club. raysoutdoors.com.au To enter, send us your best hiking yarn – 450 words plus three high quality images. Email: editor@greatwalks.com.au…

Andrew Zylinski explains why the Southern Ocean has not been officially named. “The International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) is the peak world body when it comes to defining and standardising naming of the world’s oceans and seas. Unfortunately its wheels move very slowly, with updated drafts of its main publication Limits of Oceans and Seas coming out several decades apart. The 1928 edition delineated the Southern Ocean as being that body of water south of the great southern capes of the world – Horn, Good Hope and our own Capes Leeuwin in WA and South East Cape at the bottom of Tasmania. Most Australian mapping and oceanic cultural references reflect this definition. However! In the 1953 edition it was decided to abandon the idea of the existence of a southern ocean…

Helinox TL Series walking poles are fixed length, ultra-lightweight, ultra-compact, strong and reliable. (The TLA130 model adds a limited amount of length adjustment.) Through the use of DAC TH72M alloy and clever design, the TL Series – available in a choice of several model sizes to suit different body heights – is a big step forward in walking pole technology. These poles are suited for general day walking carrying a light pack. Weight: 152-184gm per pole. Online price: $156; TLA130 – $188 per pair. Website: www.helinox.com.au Email your pics to: editor@greatwalks.com.au (Subject: Picture Perfect) Try to supply an image file no smaller than 1MB. Also include a 50-word caption, your address and the type of camera you used.…

1 Boots On the trail • Pull out the insole and flip the boot to drain – well away from a fire. • During multi-day trips, apply a leather treatment to maintain its natural oils. At home • Remove the laces and insoles. • Scrub away all mud and dirt, and check the boots for damage. Repairs should be undertaken before your next trip. • Pick stones from the outsole. • Fill the boot with water to wash away perspiration and grit from the lining. • Waterproof membranes need special care: dissolve soap flakes in warm water and pour into the boots. Soap in this form lifts body oils from the membrane and rinses out completely. Rinse until the water runs clear, gently squeezing the lining as best as is…

1 Great Walks found Trail Ale at a Sydney restaurant. It was the first time we ever saw a bushwalker on a can of beer! 2 Everyone loved this photo we took on the Tarkine (see story pg 16) of a rock that looks like a seal hugging a whale. 3 Ryan Mazure of Fremantle, WA won our Sept online photo comp for this glorious picture of a Himalayan night sky. 4 Wise words from American poet and philosopher, Henry David Thoreau. 5 US boffins claim drinking two beers is more effective at relieving pain than taking painkillers. Three cheers to that!…

FROM our ancient Traditional Owners, purposeful in their nomadic walkabouts, to early colonists discovering what lay just over the hill, to botanists and naturalists fascinated with discovery, to gold miners in search of relief from poverty or explorers in search of fame; to a colony and early nation struggling with the stressors of the industrialisation of urban life, we’ve been a land of walkers. To point to the formation of walking clubs in the 1930s and their first recorded usage of the word, ‘bushwalker’, as a revolution, is to miss the key point that the development of bushwalking in Australia was an evolution that is continuing. As a new egalitarianism in bushwalking emerges, brought about through the internet and the ease of information sharing, traditional elitist views are being challenged.…

Blackwolf Hiker 500 Blackwolf’s new Hiker series sleeping bag features a contoured hood for cold nights and zips open completely for versatility in warmer weather. Weighing 1.2kg, it’s filled with responsibly sourced 700+ loft water repellent down, and has Night Glow Zipper Pulls, a Pilliow Slip in Hood and a hidden security pocket. RRP: $349 Website: raysoutdoors.com.au COOLMAX Adaptor liner The Sea to Summit COOLMAX Adaptor liner (248gm) can be used to boost the comfort or warmth of your sleep system or as a standalone option for hot climates – it wicks moisture from the skin during hot or humid nights, and provides warmth to your sleep system during cooler nights. RRP: $79.95 Website: seatosummitdistribution.com.au Klymit KSB 35 Enjoy the warmth of the 650 fill-power down in Klymit’s…

FIRST, RESEARCH! Find out all that you can about the track and where you are going. Google is an amazing tool to use. You will want to know about the track conditions, weather, terrain etc. BE REALISTIC. Be honest with yourself about your skills, pain threshold and endurance level. Don’t put yourself beyond your own personal limits. LEARN BASIC MAP-READY SKILLS. If you are planning to head out bush, whether solo or not, do have up-to-date maps and know how to read them. Don’t use maps from 10 years ago as trails do change over time. Knowing how to read a map is a useful skill, especially if something was to happen – you will then know where you are for help to find you or where the bailout points…

1 Sydney’s Best Harbour & Coastal Walks Our goods friends at Woodslane Publishing have been busy updating their excellent range of Australian hiking guidebooks and the latest offering is the 10th anniversary edition of their best selling Sydney’s Best Harbour & Coastal Walks. From sparkling harbour walks to bush-soaked foreshore trails, you’ll find the perfect day walk to experience Sydney’s natural beauty. Regardless of your fitness level or experience, the best way to experience this iconic city is on foot and this guidebook will get you there and back. RRP: $29.99 Website: woodslane.com.au Giveaway! We have five copies of Sydney’s Best Harbour & Coastal Walks to give away to the first five people who email editor@greatwalks.com.au  (Subject: Guidebook. Please include your address) 2 South Coast Track If…

“A MICROADVENTURE IS SHORT, SIMPLE, LOCAL AND CHEAP.” I USED to think flogging myself at the gym was the best way to get fit for a great walk. I’d spend hours pumping weights and bouncing around the aerobics studio in my pink g-string leotard, leg warmers and big hair. But now I know there’s a better way to fitness and health. It’s called microadventure. And not only is it more fun than the gym, it’s more social, more natural and more specific to what you need when you go walking in the wild. In spite of being a gym junkie in my early twenties, I haven’t pushed weights, smashed myself in a spin class or trudged on a treadmill for nearly 20 years. I still have muscles. I get them…