Innehållsförteckning för October/November 2017 från Great Walks

WELCOME to the 70th issue of Great Walks, our 10th year anniversary special. I’m so proud to have been at the helm of Australia’s only dedicated bushwalking magazine the whole time and there are some people I need to thank. Firstly, my publishing director Tracy Yaffa, who employed me in the first instance. Admittedly I wasn’t her first choice. After a round of interviews for the job as editor of a “travel magazine” the choice came down to myself and a woman I never met. She got the job, but then had to turn it down. So after being told I didn’t get the job I was invited in for another interview and it was then that I found out this mystery mag was to be all about hiking –…

Ultimate list I’ve recently discovered your magazine after retiring and going to my local library. My wife and I used to be members of K2 in Brisbane and went on some fabulous bushwalks. Now we have new leisure time. Could you please send me a story index on Qld walks you have featured in the mag so we can stretch our legs a bit further now? Thanks and well done for such a quality magazine. It hits the spot! Wynne Henderson via email Hi Wynne, the pleasure is all ours. And for you and all our readers we keep a comprehensive list of every story from every issue of Great Walks that we are happy to send anyone for free. Email: editor@greatwalks.com.au  – Ed Greece is the world…

I treated myself to a new pair of Scarpa hiking boots in January knowing I would tick off another entry on my bucket list. I had planned to walk the Tasmania Overland Track in September with my wife and two good friends. We arrived at Cradle Mountain and spent the night at the Discovery Park before heading to Ronny Creek the following morning. Typical Tassie weather greeted us as we stepped off the bus into light rain. Not to be discouraged, we headed off eagerly hoping things would improve. 20 minutes in, the rain fell heavier and now horizontal. Another 20 minutes and we had sleet, and the higher we climbed, the heavier it became. At Marion’s Lookout the weather briefly cleared and we had great views back over Crater…

THE weather at the end of the world is as dramatic as you imagine. Katabatic winds can arrive like banshees. Weather fronts emerge from clear blue skies, only to disappear as suddenly as they arrived. It is a place filled with microclimates of macro frenzy. Patagonia and, beyond, the final wilderness of Antarctica, are also some of the planet’s most spectacular places for trekking. Far away from almost everything and with very sparse human populations, they offer chances to feel alone and remote; if the same peaks and parks were in North America or Europe, they’d be inundated with tourists. Earlier this year I witnessed the end of the world in all its splendour, travelling as far as the Antarctic Peninsula with Aurora Expeditions. On the way, the trip started,…

THE Tasmanian tiger was here. From this tumbledown wooden hut in the Florentine Valley in 1933, trapper Elias Churchill caught the last Tassie tiger to be sent into captivity – the very animal seen in archival footage sadly pacing its enclosure in Hobart’s Beaumaris Zoo. As I step into the hut, I’m anticipating reminders of that fateful capture, but they aren’t here. A newspaper from 1954 lies scattered on a table beside a pair of old hobnail boots, and somebody has painted a fire into the empty fireplace, but the tiger lingers only in my mind. I’ve come to Churchill’s little-visited hut on foot, following unmarked trails into this valley most famous as a battleground between loggers and environmental protesters. I’m on one of the inaugural trips run by Wild…

1 RELISH THE UNEXPECTED: hiking, like everything else in life, is subject to Murphy’s Law. The weather may change suddenly, there may be an unexpected detour or even an injury… but if you’ve packed the right clothes and gear, you’ll be able to tackle it and have a good story to tell afterwards. And who knows, the unexpected just might turn out to be something amazing. 2 KNOW IT’S DOING YOU GOOD: you’re carrying your own body weight (plus pack, etc) as you step out and just 30 minutes of brisk walking a day can increase your cardiovascular and pulmonary fitness, strengthen your bones and muscles, and help you shed any extra body fat. You’ll also be breathing fresh air and if you enjoy walking, you’re probably going to be…

MY ears suddenly prick up at the word ‘croc’. I turn to see my friend, eyes wide in panic, one hand clamped over her mouth. I quickly scan the river next to me, the rocks, the trees, searching for the creature I’ve been fearing most, but I see nothing. I turn back to my group for guidance and then realise the problem is not a man-eating reptile but a missing sandal. The ‘croc’ is retrieved from where it fell from a backpack during a river crossing a few hundred metres earlier and a crisis is averted. Hinchinbrook Island is located within a World Heritage area in Far North Queensland. It’s also in the middle of serious crocodile habitat. The Hinchinbrook Channel, between the island and the mainland, is the main…

Sensory experience I am a blind bloke who has only three percent eyesight. I walked the Kokoda Track with six percent sight, as well as the Overland Track in Tassie with my 12 year-old-daughter as sighted guide. I have also completed four of the Kokoda Challenges on the Gold Coast. I and a group of like-minded people are looking to set up a foundation for people with a disability to provide them with a sense of self-worth and achievement. We are looking to provide people with a sense of what it is to be Australian, and get them well outside their comfort zone. Can you suggest some very iconic Aussie treks of medium to hard grade, over 4/5 days please, and thank you in anticipation. Jason Bake, via email Hi…

A NSW WALK has been added to the Great Walks of Australia program: the Blue Mountains Grand Traverse by Auswalk. The three-day/2-night walking experience gives hikers the opportunity to enjoy Blue Mountains walks that take in the Grand Canyon, Valley of the Waters and Ruined Castle, with viewpoints such as the Three Sisters and Govetts Leap. At night, they’ll stay in the elegant Echoes property, with fine dining, private rooms and ensuites.. auswalk.com.au BLUE MOUNTAINS CITY Council has received a grant to extend the Great Blue Mountains Trail, a walking and cycling route that will connect the Blue Mountains’ towns and villages, from Leura to Katoomba. The NSW Government Metropolitan Greenspace Program grant of $593,000 will go towards the design and construction of a 450m connection from Leura Cascades around…

LAST September, I was surrounded by red dirt. The fierce desert sun was beating down on me. Close by, birds were chirping so sweetly, I felt like Cinderella. There wasn’t a wave of sound other than their tuneful chattering. In fact, there was no one for miles. It was incredible but despite that, I was sad. I had just walked 1600km from the Moore River Native Settlement, close to Perth and now I was just one day’s walk away from Jigalong, an Aboriginal community crested on the edge of the Little Sandy Desert. For the last ten weeks I had been retracing the journey of Molly, Daisy and Grace, who followed the Rabbit-Proof Fence all the way home after they had been forcibly removed from their families back in 1931.…

WHEN it comes to hiking in Australia’s dry, hot climate it pays to be as prepared as possible. So here are 10 tips to keep you hydrated at all times. 1 RESEARCH YOUR ENVIRONMENT: Before you head out make sure you read about the trail or area you’re about to saunter through. Guides will tell you if there is a dependable source of water, or if you’re going to have to take a couple of litres of water with you. If this information is unavailable, try contacting the area authorities and asking for their recommendation. Alternatively, bring as much water as you feel comfortable carrying. 2 KNOW YOURSELF: Everybody is different. We all have different water intakes and this is important to keep in mind on your walk. If you’re…

WITH iconic hiking destinations like Mount Buffalo and Alpine national parks on its doorstep, the charming High Country towns of Bright, Myrtleford, Mount Beauty and Harrietville have plenty to offer day, overnight or multi-day bushwalkers. Here are 10 of our favourite walks you can do. 1 The Big Walk – Mount Buffalo NP 11.3km /4-5hr one way/moderate Following one of the original routes onto the Mt Buffalo Plateau, this walk climbs 1000m in 9km. The track begins at the Eurobin Creek Picnic Area at the park entrance and culminates at the Gorge Day Visitor Area. Walkers will pass through several vegetation zones as the altitude increases while enjoying spectacular views of the Australian Alps and the Gorge from the numerous lookouts. 2 Mount Bogong – Alpine NP via Staircase Spur…

It you fancy walking near the roof of the world then put the 55km Laugavegur hike on your bucket list. Iceland's most popular hiking trail winds through volcanic terrain, snowfields and freezing rivers. The Laugavegur in SW Iceland leaves from the hot springs area of Landmannalaugar to the glacial valley of Þórsmörk. The walk is completed over 2-4 days with stops at a series the mountain huts. If you have time add on the 25km Fimmvörðuháls route which goes over the pass from Þórsmörk to Skógar for an additional overnighter. Landmannalaugar, Þórsmörk, and Skógar are all reachable by bus during the summer. Our good friends at UTracks offer it as a self-guided walk. utracks.com…

THE only Japanese force to land in Australia during WWII was a small reconnaissance party that arrived in northern WA’s Kimberley region on 19 January, 1944, to investigate reports of Allies building large bases there. The party consisted of four officers on a fishing boat. They investigated the York Sound region for a day and a night before returning to their base on Timor. Upon returning to Japan in February, the junior officer who commanded the party suggested using 200 Japanese prison inmates to launch a guerrilla campaign in Australia. Nothing came of this as it’s likely the officer’s seniors looked at a map of the Kimberley and after realising it was three times the size of England, filled with deep gorges, miles of desert plains and rocky wilderness, decided…

TECHNOLOGY has moved on significantly since the times when the only lightweight options for sleeping outdoors were a thin, closed cell foam pad or the cold, hard ground. Even Therm-a-Rest’s revolutionary self-inflating technology now dates back nearly 50 years and that represents the most basic option available to today’s comfort-seekers. Of course, some people still prefer the old-fashioned foam pad because it is light, reasonably insulating and above all cheap, but here we would like to present the cream of current options available in Australia. Tester Specs: 66kg, 172cm, male, side sleeper. 1 Therm-a-Rest NeoAir All-Season SV It seems only right that we kick off with arguably the father of modern mats. Technology has moved on from Therm-a-Rest’s self-inflating heyday (nowadays every mat brand has an SI model) but T-a-R…

Mountain Designs Corespun t-shirt Whatever outdoor adventure you have planned this summer, keep it relaxed with the Corespun Tee. Corespun Merino technology features a filament nylon core that is covered in Australian merino fibres, enhancing functional properties such as strength, durability and stretch. The simplicity of this hiking essential is further reinforced by moisture management that wicks sweat away from your skin, meaning a faster-drying garment perfectly suited to our warm Australian conditions. RRP: $89.95 Website: mountaindesigns.com Princeton Tec Sync The versatile Princeton Tec Sync is designed to be easy to use. Updated to 150 lumens, this headlamp’s power dial switches between white and red modes and five brightness levels to give the user up to 150 hours of burn time. RRP: $59.95 Website: outdooragencies.com.au Macpac Kahuna Built for comfort…

Osprey Transporter duffel bags Osprey’s Transporter duffel series are rugged, durable carryalls designed to carry loads for any situation. They’re made with stiffened main body fabric with protective accent ribs, and a dual sided TPU coating inside and out. There’s a large, lockable U-zip access to the main compartment, and D-ring attachments so you can add a shoulder strap (sold separately). Other features include a Stowaway Spacer mesh harness and overlapping zipper rain flaps. RRP: from $179 Website: outdooragencies.com.au Macpac Fiord rucsack Macpac’s lightest hiking pack at just 1.04kg, the Fiord is a great companion for overnight adventurers looking to minimise pack weight. It’s built tough yet light, with Titan Grid 100d nylon dobby and a durable 500D Cordura nylon base. For ultimate comfort and when you’re moving, the back…

MILFORD Track, Routeburne Track, Tongariro Northern Circuit... you’ve all heard of these amazing walks but there are plenty of unsung heroes on the NZ hiking circuit. Here are ten of our favourites. 1 Mount Taranaki 6.3km one way/8-10hr (return)/ challenging The 2518m Mount Taranaki in the North Island’s Egmont National Park offers a challenging climb and spectacular views from its summit (it’s rated between advanced tramping track and expert route). This dormant volcano has great spiritual significance to local Maori; visitors should respect the mountain and not stand on the summit stone, camp on the summit or litter. The walk starts from the North Egmont carpark and heads past Tahurangi Lodge through Hongi’s Valley onto scoria slopes, then west of the Snow Valley to the Lizard. This leads to the…