Indholdsfortegnelse for October/November 2020 i 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 one of the leading causes of people straying from designated trails was witnessing others doing it. Dr Goh, from ECU’s School of Business and Law, believes this ‘copycat’ mentality gave people a false sense of security. “We were surprised by how much people are influenced by the behaviours of others, regardless of if they believed walking off track was unsafe or detrimental to the environment,” Dr Goh said. “Wandering off designated walking and biking trails has many risks such as injury, becoming lost, falling and snakebites, not to mention the…

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 Rail Trail (BVRT), the 89km Kilkivan to Kingaroy Rail Trail (KKRT) and the 55km Link Trail (LT) which connects them. The original rail lines that make up the BVRT and KKRT were developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to carry passengers, timber, meat, and crops such as peanuts. By the late 20th century the rail lines were decommissioned as road transport became more widespread and economical. Now in the early 21st century, rail trails across the country are gaining popularity as local and state government funding is…

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 sash became one of Ned’s most treasured possessions and he was wearing it under his steel armour when he was captured at the infamous Siege of Glenrowan. It’s rollicking yarns like this that make exploring Strathbogie Shire so interesting. Situated in the heart of country Victoria, the Strathbogie Shire includes the townships of Nagambie, Avenel, Euroa, Longwood, Ruffy, Graytown, Strathbogie and Violet Town. Bordered to the east by the Strathbogie Ranges and to the west by the Nagambie Lakes district, the Shire is only a 90min drive north…

Tongariro Alpine Crossing, North Island, NZ Alana Hutton, Horsham, Vic Camera: iPhone 6 Alana: “The Tongariro Alpine Crossing was our first ever ‘major’ hike. It was the single most amazing thing I have ever done! In the roughly 20km of trail, it still amazes me how extreme and quickly the landscape changes – from rubble and rock with steep climbs, to a steep decline into a flat valley with patches of snow and the most amazing emerald lakes. So many different landscapes in a relatively small space.”…

1 Chaco Odyssey sandals 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 comfy, durable outdoor gear is my choice of clothing. And a good example is my pair of Chaco Odyssey sandals. These all-terrain closed toed shoes are perfect for day-to-day activities as well as rigorous outdoor exercises. To me they are the type of shoes I can wear all day no matter what I’m doing – from housework to driving, to going shopping or collecting the kids from school. Ok maybe I draw the line (read: Holly draws the line) at…

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 such thing as bad weather – just bad gear. It’s worth paying the extra dollars for top thermals, waterproofs and hiking boots. – Marie Barbieri IF you hear the loud hum of a drone, locate it and throw stones at it. Accidentally on purpose... – Susan Gray PRINT out a map! Don’t rely on your phone. – Karen Prince IT’S not a race... – Roslyn Storai START easy, walk/hike with other people who are more experienced. – Roland Handel WATCH…

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 on the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. Sergio Costa, Italy’s environment minister says the path will be based on the current CAI Path (Italian Alpine Club) which runs through 18 of the 25 parks already. “National parks are a treasure trove of nature: we must guarantee their conservation, but also their usability,” Costa said. The hiking trail will take walkers through the mighty Dolomites and along Italy’s picturesque coastlines like Cinque Terre. While there is no official opening date yet, $57 million…

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/2hr/ moderate) 6. Seven Creeks Walking Track (7km/2hr/easy) 7. Balmattum Hill (2.4km return/1hr/moderate) 8. Melville’s Lookout Track (10.5km/3-4hr/moderate) 9. Honeysuckle Creek Walking Track (3km loop/1hr/easy) 10. Ruffy Snow Gum Reserve (3km return/1h/easy) 11. Gooram Falls (1.9km return/1hr/moderate)…

‘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 travel-writer Don George is titled The Way of Wanderlust. I once took a travel-writing course that banned us from using such a well-worn word. Why is ‘wanderlust’ so popular? Maybe because it sounds exciting, presenting our desire to travel as a demanding and insatiable appetite. Or maybe because it recasts modern tourism – which can often be quite formulaic – as romantic and wayward and free. Or perhaps because it suggests another life-affirming quality, ‘lust for life’. In this era of COVID-19, wanderlust has taken on a nostalgic air. There’s been…

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 start with my backpack on and stopping at the base there at Nellies Glen canyon with my knees uncontrollably shaking ... looking back I don’t think my leg muscles were 100 per cent prepared for that! The time of this hike was also well before the Swing Bridge so we had to rockhop and wade through the cold Coxs River at the time to make it over to our camp spot. Growing up I always had a passion for the outdoors and it was…

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 going to carry me along a more unusual surface for bushwalkers. But more on that later. For now, the crystal-tipped, well-tended lawns of Tumbarumba are crunching from the overnight chill as I head towards Nest Cafe for a dose of caffeinated energy. While the cafe’s cinema might be temporarily on hold for COVID-19, the full-flavoured flat white delivers with gusto in these comfy, arty surrounds that bear no resemblance to country cafes from my childhood. Juiced up on java, I head across the quiet, broad streets, past the classic Union…

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 ticks all the boxes. 25 million years in its creation; 20 years as a dream and after seven years in planning and construction it has emerged as the exciting new addition to Australia’s iconic Great Walks collection. The five-day adventure joins the elite group of premium guided multi-day walks, showcasing Australia’s diverse landscapes and eco-systems and is the first recognised “Great Walk” for Queensland. Just an hour south of Brisbane and on the eastern flank of what was once the Main Range Shield Volcano,…

Rees-Dart track, Mount Aspiring NP NZ Tony Thorne, Toowoomba QLD Camera: Olympus u720SW 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 Creek joins the Dart River. Our favourite NZ tramp.” Vic High Country Jason Freeman, Heidelberg Heights Vic Camera: Nikon D3000 Jason: “Sitting in the High Country’s Bluff Hut by the fire with a cardboard sauvignon... Those were the days!”…

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 wondrous wildlife across the region’s topographically exhilarating tracks. So, lace up the boots and hit these world-class walks. Marion Coastal Walking Trail On this dramatic interpretive coastal walk, spectacular boardwalks clasp to magnificent cliffs. The journey preserves geological and archaeological history, with more than 1,700 Aboriginal stone artefacts discovered in the area, dating back to the Karta Culture era. Join the Marion Coastal Walking Trail after fuelling up at Marino Rocks Café. Or begin a little further north at Kingston Park. Walking south, you’ll be welcomed to the Kaurna Coast. Find the…