Indholdsfortegnelse for August/September 2017 i Great Walks

I’VE lived in Australia for 20 years and my last two jobs have allowed me to explore this amazing country. Before I was editor of Great Walks I was deputy editor of a 4WD magazine and I got to explore the outback in brand new Range Rovers and Audis a number of times. I liked the fact that these big diesel cars took me to remote places like the East MacDonnell Ranges in NT and SA’s Strzelecki Track but – just between you and me – the best part of those trips was getting out of the car and exploring the area by foot. My most recent trip for Great Walks was to the Kimberley (see next issue) and what was great to see was how many Australians were exploring…

THERE WILL SOON be another way to get to Kangaroo Island and the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail: Qantas will be offering direct flights to Kangaroo Island from Adelaide and Melbourne from December 2017. There will be three flights from Adelaide per week, increasing to five during the peak summer period through to Easter. For those flying in from Melbourne, there will be three flights per week during summer. qantas.com THE FOUNDATION FOR National Parks & Wildlife (FNPW) is appealing to the public to raise funds to protect our national parks. FNPW has been buying strategic parcels of land to create wildlife corridors for the last 47 years. “Australia’s national parks and rainforests are irreplaceable and need to be preserved,” Ian Darbyshire, CEO of FNPW, says. “FNPW works to protect habitats…

 THE oyster in my palm is a dubious prospect. I despise them, but today’s circumstances – which have already involved a private boat ride from Hobart to Bruny Island, a coastal walk and an invigorating dip in the Southern Ocean – inspire adventure, even on the palate. “ IT’S SO IMPORTANT HOW A TRIP STARTS AND ENDS IN FORMING AN IMPRESSION OF A PLACE” And not only is this bivalve mollusc freshly shucked, it’s also just been harvested. Five minutes previously Dave, one of my guides, waded into Great Bay’s half-metre-deep waters to collect a bag of Pacific oysters on North Bruny’s western side. Regarding the shell’s contents hesitantly, I wonder about proper oyster-eating etiquette. “Just let it slide in,” says Ange, my other guide, also suggesting I hold it…

THIS MONTH’S WINNING PHOTO Great Ocean Walk, VIC Jason Freeman, Melbourne VIC Camera: Nikon D600 Jason: "This scenic boardwalk in the Great Otway National Park winds down 1.2km through tall gums and damp rainforest to the secluded Shelly Beach. Situated between Apollo Bay and Blanket Bay on the Great Ocean Walk, the Shelly Beach track gives a short, but worthwhile, detour from the main track. On all but the busiest weekends, you should be able to find some untouched peace here." Grampians, VIC Madeleine Bergmeier, Mt Lawley WA Camera: iPhone 5C Madeleine: "My boyfriend Max walking up the narrow canyon called Silent Street on day one of the three-day Grampians Peaks Trail. The trail offered lots of spectacular and expansive views, but the interesting geology and confined atmosphere of this…

1 Mini Lifejacket III portable speakers Over the last long weekend I went camping at Killalea State Park, 90km south of Sydney with six families. The campsite was well looked after and there was plenty of space for the kids to go feral. After a day at the beach it was time for the little ones to eat dinner and melt marshmallows. Suddenly someone yelled out “kids’ disco!” and that’s when the Mini Lifejacket III portable speakers came into their own. For their size, these speakers from Altec Lansing pack a punch. The sound is clear with plenty of base and were able to be heard over a dozen excited kids bopping to Bruno Mars. The speakers are ideal for the outdoors as they’re waterproof, dust-proof and shock-proof, and come…

 A few years ago a good friend of mine made a confession: she finally ‘fessed up to the reason she always had an excuse for not coming on a bushwalk. It seemed strange that every time I’d suggest we go on a walk together, a vagueness would descend. Instead of stepping into nature, we’d end up going to the movies, enjoying a good meal or heading to the pub instead. “ IT’S IMPORTANT TO REMIND OURSELVES HOW SPECIAL OURLAND AND ITS COLOURS ARE." It wasn’t that she’s not outdoorsy; on the contrary, she’s an active mountain biker and tramper from NZ and had been living in Australia for 10 years. She trusted me as a guide and experienced bushwalker, so it wasn’t a concern for personal safety either. Finally, after…

 "GROWTH happens when you step out of your comfort zone to achieve bold ambitions. Magic happens when you do it with others": Sir Richard Branson. For some people, exercise is fun. For others, it’s torture. Whether you love it or hate it, exercise is often a chore that requires considerable motivation, especially the getting-out-the-door part. “ THE KIDS PREFER NETFLIX TO NATURE... BUT WE CAN FIX THIS.” If you’re reading this magazine, you probably fall into the ‘love it’ camp. Great Walks are hikes and hiking is exercise. You might like the natural exhilaration of adventure, the excitement of planning walks in the wilderness or the feeling you get from the endorphins and fresh air. But you probably know there’s more and more evidence-based research proving that hiking is one…

One step at a time I am recovering from recent back surgery and intend to be back doing full pack walks in the near future. It’s incredible how you miss something even more when you can’t have it. Meanwhile a positive attitude is the gun and the latest edition of Great Walks as well as your past editions are keeping me pumped, focused and driving for a speedy recovery. I am yearning to be back out in the wilderness and this photo from my last full packer in the West MacDonnells is also inspiring me to greater heights. Thanks Great Walks for a top mag and being part of my rehab routine. Nigel Skyring, via email The pleasure’s all ours Nigel! – Ed…

WITH a history dating back to 1936, the NSW Bushwalkers Wilderness Rescue Squad have announced a change of name to Bush Search and Rescue NSW. Squad President Keith Maxwell explains, “Over recent years, it’s become apparent that our previous name was not only a mouthful to say and remember, but didn’t accurately reflect the broader range of services that we offer to the police and people of NSW in our capacity as volunteers.” Bush Search and Rescue’s skills include a high level of bushcraft and self-sufficiency in a wilderness setting, vertical rescue and roping techniques, wilderness first aid, land search techniques and remote area transport. “The truth is, we don’t only search for missing bushwalkers. Our more recent work has included looking for canyoners, dementia patients, small children or tourists…

 EIGHT turquoise-blue emu eggs sit on their bed of twigs, glowing in the sunlight like beads for a gigantic necklace. A male emu lurks behind the encircling wall of grass and lignum, ready to get back on the nest as soon as we have gone. “THIS IS AN ENVIRONMENT THAT REQUIRES INTERPRETATION TO YIELD ITS FULL VALUE TO THE VISITOR” The eggs’ burst of vivid colour is an intense contrast to the grey-brown-green of the surrounding landscape. Over our three days of walking there’ll be other such pops of vivid colour: the royal-blue sheen of purple swamphens glimpsed among wetland reeds; ringneck parrots displaying the traffic-light green of their tail feathers to potential mates high in the trees; spots of flaming scarlet dancing before our eyes as red-capped robins flit…

 “THERE it is!” I exclaim, pointing rapidly at the distant monolith that appeared in front of the windscreen. “Doubt it,” says my husband. “We’re more than 100 kilometres away, as if you could see Uluru from here.” And he was right, I had been fooled. You see, Mt Conner, or ‘Fooluru’ as the locals call it, has been conning tourists for decades. “ IF YOU’RE LUCKY YOU MIGHT EVEN BE DISHED UP SOME CURTIN SPRINGS BEEF.” We continue past Mt Conner on the Lasseter Highway and before long we pull into Curtin Springs Cattle Station to break up our 460km journey from Alice Springs to Yulara. I’d read about some paper making tours and wanted to book into one on our return leg from visiting Uluru. While at the bar…

Wine Glass Bay, Tas. Issue 20, Annual 2010 “How often, in the humdrum of ordinary life, does one find a place so evocative it sends a shiver of goosebumps down the spine? On Tasmania’s east coast, on the gorgeous Freycinet Peninsula, there’s just such a place. This was the territory of Tasmania’s Oyster Bay tribe, the area’s original inhabitants, and the path we are following was once trodden by their feet. There’s no one else around and the bush is whisper-quiet. Flitting wrens and our breathing are the only movement and sound. To be here in this quiet feels like it must have to its first inhabitants: just a breath away from Garden of Eden perfection.” – Gabi Mocatta Burke and Wills walk, SA-NSW-Qld.Issue 52 Feb-Mar 2015 “It is not…

ONE of the best feelings in outdoor adventuring is, at the end of a long day, to pull out a small bundle from your backpack and somehow unfold it to make a shelter into which you can, Tardis-like, fit yourself and all your gear for the night. The smaller the bundle and the more spacious it is when set up, the greater the feeling. This is the essence of the modern tent manufacture game – to see who can produce the best Tardis. And we’ve come quite a way since the early days of tents: whopping great canvas marquees with tree trunk poles and hundreds of hemp guy ropes. Legend has it that it took 17 native porters to carry David Livingstone’s spacious bathing palace through the jungles of the…

“ AUSTRALIA’S WILDERNESS...NOWHERE ELSE I’D RATHER BE." “ AUSTRALIA’S WILDERNESS...A BREATHTAKING EXPLOSION OF NATURE." “ AUSTRALIA’S WILDERNESS...A SPIRITUAL WILDERNESS ALL SHOULD DIP THEIR TOES IN." “ AUSTRALIA’S WILDERNESS...ANCIENT LANDS, LIKE NO OTHER." “ AUSTRALIA’S WILDERNESS...LOSE YOURSELF IN THE MOMENT." “ AUSTRALIA’S WILDERNESS...ADVENTURES FOR THE SOUL." “ AUSTRALIA’S WILDERNESS...SEEK, AND YOU WILL FIND." “ AUSTRALIA’S WILDERNESS...A SPECTACULAR FEAST FOR ALL YOUR SENSES!" “ AUSTRALIA’S WILDERNESS...RAW, WILD BEAUTY. PURE WONDER." WE posed this challenge to our Facebook friends: “Describe Australia’s wilderness areas in a few words for the latest Tourism Australia campaign.” We received dozens of great answers. Here are our favourites, which we’ve placed in mock-up tourism posters.…

1 The cardboard KarTent was a hit on our website. 2 Everybody on our Facebook page agreed with this sentiment. 3 This photo won the May photo comp. The theme was flora and this was taken by Jason Freeman of Melbourne, Vic. 4 The curious-looking Nakefit adhesive foot pads divided readers. 5 During the French Open you could ride a fying fox off Paris' Eiffel Tower. Oui oui! 6 With the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere came World Nude Hiking Day and some ‘cheeky’ photos on our Facebook page were viewed 200,000 times! 7 Everyone loved the April photo comp winner. The theme was water and this was taken by Caitlin Lennard of Townsville, Qld. 8 Great Walks spotted this at an airport in WA. Say no more. 9…

Hinchinbrook Island is renowned for its range of habitats including misty, heath-covered mountains, sandy beaches, paperbark and palm wetlands, and extensive woodlands. Protected since 1932, Hinchinbrook is one of Australia's largest island national parks (39,900ha). It is within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and separated from the mainland by the scenic Hinchinbrook Channel. As for walks, you can't go past the Thorsborne Trail, recognised world-wide and named after local naturalists Margaret and Arthur Thorsborne. The 32km walk explores the eastern side of the island and there are plenty of campsites to stay at. Over four days you'll traverse cloud-cloaked mountains, jungle-like rainforest, melaleuca swamps and pristine white beaches. npsr.qld.gov.au…

I decided to tackle the bushwalk from Falls Creek to Mount Hotham as a good reintroduction to carrying a large pack. The sign at the start of the walk rated it as difficult. How can this be difficult – mainly flat and only 37km over three days? (note fateful words). The first day’s target was the Ryders Yards campsite, but I decided to stop before there as I was knackered; plus there was a large group ahead of me targeting the same campsite and I wanted a peaceful night (note fateful words). I found a nice sheltered spot (note fateful words) with views across the plains. The sky was clear with a light wind. I got into the tent about 8pm as it was getting cold. I awoke at 11pm…

WALKING tour operator Tasmanian Expeditions has launched a unique wilderness experience – a five-week traverse of Tasmania combining five iconic adventures. The Great Tasmanian Traverse offers travellers the opportunity to cross the Apple Isle almost entirely under their own steam and cover the entire length of the island over 38 days. The inaugural fully-guided traverse will start in northern Tasmania at the beginning of the Coast to Cradle Trail and finish at Cockle Creek, Australia’s southern most town. The Great Tasmanian Traverse combines five of the operator’s most popular adventures: Penguin to Cradle, the Overland Track, Frenchmans Cap Trek, Franklin River Rafting and the South Coast Track. Tasmanian Expeditions Manager Field Manager Scott O’Leary says this is the company’s most ambitious wilderness adventure ever. “Highlights of the adventure include a…

 LORD Howe once flew under the travel radar. But the secret is now out, with the go-to travel site Trip Advisor rating Pinetrees Lodge Australia’s No.1 Hotel. Pinetrees have packaged the ultimate guided island experience with the Seven Peaks Walk, which was recently added alongside the 10 signature Australian Tourism Great Walks of Australia (see pg22) and the first NSW entrant. “SO AFTER THE FIRST DAY WE HAVE ALREADY CLAIMED TWO PEAKS AND WALKED JUST OVER 10KM.” It’s a guided adventure for everyone, even catering for the non-walkers in your life with only a reasonable level of experience and fitness required for the wide array of activities. The Mount Gower climb at the end of the week is purely optional. Pinetrees make your stay unforgettable, excelling in personalising their service,…

DOMINATED by deep valleys, canyons, cliffs and waterfalls, formed by the weathering of sandstone and claystone, Wollemi NP is true Australian wilderness. The 487,000 hectare park forms part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area offering walkers a huge variety of trails. And with its colourful pre and post-colonial history, there’s plenty to experience on foot. One place to base yourself is the old town of Newnes in the Wolgan Valley, 47km north of Lithgow. Geologically speaking, Wollemi NP is located on the western edge of the Sydney Basin – a basin filled with near horizontal sandstones and shales dating back over 300 million years and covering almost 5% of the state. The park sits on four strata of sedimentary rock; the Narrabeen and Hawkesbury sandstone and shale, the…

Top hat Buff is now making lightweight hats. Website: spelean.com.au Sleep well Also watch out for Nemo’s new range of comfy sleeping mats. Website: outdooragencies.com.au Light the way This Hydra Light mini torch is powered by salt water! This could be a gamechanger. Website: spelean.com.au Pack ‘n go We love Deuter’s range of Speed Lite packs for bushwalkers on the move. Website: velovita.net.au Walk support Leki’s Black Series of poles features a new quick release catch. Website: velovita.net.au What’s cooking? The MSR Reactor series now comes with the burner separated from the fuel cannister by a flexible hose. Website: spelean.com.au No more thirst Nuun’s range of electrolyte tablets will replace lost fluids and minerals. Also look out for their range of vitamin supplements next year.…

 ONE of my crusty old NCO instructors once told me a “jungle myth” about a young digger in Vietnam, who went outside the wire for a poo. Unbeknownst to him, his platoon sergeant “snuck” out after him and noiselessly placed an entrenching tool in the “drop zone”, withdrawing it and disappearing when the private was done. The consternation on the digger's face was a source of hilarity in his unit for weeks, until he was told how it occurred. “I FOUND NEARLY 50 CLUMPS OF TOILETPAPER WITHIN 20M OF CAMP" This incident poses a serious question, though. Where did said sergeant dispose of the soldier's poo? By now we all know that the offending package should be taken at least 50-100m away from campsites and water sources, mixed around with…

1 Arnhem Land, NT, Ten Canoes (2006) Rolf de Heer’s opus revolving around the drama of an Indigenous community pre-colonisation was filmed wholly in Northern Territory’s’ Arnhem Land. It was also the first film to be completely filmed in Australian Aboriginal languages. Main locations include Kakadu NP as well as the Arafura Swamp and the nearby Raminganing community. Arafura is unique in that it is a vast 700km-square perennial freshwater basin with no continuous river channel to the sea. It is also home to a myriad of different waterbirds and fish, and is known to harbour crocodiles. Cruise tours are available. The 62km Jatbula Trail takes you up onto the Arnhem Land escarpment following an ancient Jawoyn songline in Nitmiluk NP. You’ll walk through shady monsoon forests, past spectacular waterfalls…