Innehållsförteckning för Annual 2019 från Great Walks

YOU’VE heard of the slow food movement well now there’s the slow travel movement. According to traveller.com.au, the concept revolves around travelling mindfully. “It’s about being increasingly in the moment, and taking your time to absorb everything around you,” writes Marc Llewellyn. “Instead of dashing from one place to the next, you sooth your mind and body by staying put. You enjoy the local culture. You travel by slow train rather than airplane, and let the scenery seep into you. Locals get to recognise your face, and you stop to have a friendly chat... You have time to reflect.” Bushwalking is all about slow travel and we’ve got plenty of ideal slow travel destinations in this year’s Great Walks Annual. First off is the Yuraygir Coastal Walk (pg 14) in…

FROM a highschool mate’s invitation, my husband and I along with our kids (aged 17 and 16) had committed to completing Kokoda, Anzac Trek, 2018. On a personal level, my grandfather had served along the beachheads near Buna, so this trek was in his honour and the many others who had sacrificed their lives for us. Also this was to be our first family major trek! We prepared over 12 months and rediscovered our fondness for hiking. Our tour leader Olly, from Adventure Bound had us highly organised so we felt safe and in good hands, especially with our fantastic porters. Our trekking group of 13 and our crew started at Ower’s Corner, a short afternoon of slipping and sliding, dripping sweat and gripping muscles. We crossed a fast-running and…

THE plover put on a classic performance. In the middle of a grassy patch adjacent to the Red Cliff lookout, she swooped, squawked, strutted and threatened anyone who went near her precious eggs. It was day two of a four-day hike along the Yuraygir Coastal Walk on the NSW north coast and I soon realised it was not just the plovers protecting their turf. I was regularly accompanied, or watched, by sand monitors, bearded dragons, snakes and wallabies. Mobs of kangaroos were always suspicious of any sudden movements, while there was an endless parade of humpback whales who joined us heading south. All the locals are extremely protective of their little stretch of heaven. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) ranger Mark Watt thought nothing of stuffing a stray…

Time: Two weeks | Distance: 223km | Grade: Hard Section 1: Telegraph Station – Simpson Gap. 9hr/24km/moderate Section 2: Simpson Gap – Jay Creek. 8hr/25km/moderate Section 3: Jay Creek – Standley Chasm. 5.5hr/13.6km/hard Section 4: Standley Chasm – Birthday Waterhole. 9hr/18km/hard Section 5: Birthday Waterhole – Hugh Gorge. 10hr/16km/hard Section 6: Hugh Gorge – Ellery Creek. 11hr/31km/moderate Section 7: Ellery Creek – Serpentine Gorge. 5.5hr/14km/hard Section 8: Serpentine Gorge – Serpentine Chalet Dam. 5.5hr/13.4km/hard Section 9: Serpentine Chalet Dam – Ormiston Gorge. 12hr/28km/hard Section 10: Ormiston Gorge – Finke River. 4hr/9km/moderate Section 11: Finke River – Redbank Gorge. 9.5hr/26km/hard Section 12: Redbank Gorge – Mount Sonder. 6hr/16km/hard…

SELF-GUIDED WALKING TOURS, SINCE 1993. Following clearly marked paths that have been used for centuries, the Hidden Italy self-guided walks give the independent walker the chance to discover a side of Italy that other people only read about, from the Alps to Sicily, and everywhere between. No shuttles or buses, these itineraries are continuous walks, taking you from A to B, through some of the most spectacular countryside in Europe. All you have to do is get up in the morning, pull on your boots and enjoy the walk – we’ll look after the rest…no one knows Italy like we do. For full details or to order a copy of our brochure, go to www.hiddenitaly.com.au .…

Thorsborne Trail, Hinchinbrook Island, Qld (pictured below) Lying off the north coast of Queensland, Hinchinbrook Island is part of an important marine nature reserve, encircled by mangroves, dugong, green sea turtles, snubfin dolphins and the occasional estuarine crocodile. The Thorsborne Trail stretches along the east coast and offers challenging, unsanitised but extremely rewarding hiking along empty beaches and through tropical rainforest with some wonderful wildlife viewing opportunities. Hundreds of species of bird live on or visit the island, from kingfishers and cockatoos to honeyeaters and doves. Reptiles range from pythons to monitor lizards. Hinchinbrook’s plant life is especially important, with many rare species existing on the island. Hiker numbers are strictly limited so advance booking is essential; April to September are the best months and the walk takes a minimum…

WALK the Yorke is the second longest walking trail in South Australia, after the Heysen Trail. It is 500km long and follows the coast of the Yorke Peninsula, north of Adelaide. When I mention Walk the Yorke to other hikers the most common response I get is that “beach walks are flat and boring” – those people are wrong and are missing out. From rugged cliffs to lighthouses, some of the most stunning scenery in South Australia can be found on the Yorke Peninsula coast. In summer when it is too hot to walk in the hills due to fire danger, sea breezes mean it is several degrees cooler near the shore and there is the opportunity to go for a swim to cool down afterwards. Like most long distance…

Mount Geryon, Tas Dean Murray, Freshwater, Qld Camera: Panasonic Lumix DMCTZ110 Dean: “One photo for each walking pole! On a recent solo walk to The Labyrinth in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair NP, I had the camping spot at Lake Elysia all to myself for two nights. Many hours were spent sitting in absolute silence watching the colours change. Where else but Tassie?” Grampians Peaks Trail, Vic Mark Kelly, Colac Vic Camera: Samsung Galaxy S7 Mark: “It was foggy and cold first day of our walk on the beautiful Grampians Peaks Trail before arriving at the Pinnacle Lookout to find more fog. We hiked on to our first night at Bugiga Camp with great views of the National Park. The next two days we had perfect weather and a great time.…

BEFORE you head off for that fabulous day walk you’ve been dreaming about or even that spontaneous burst of hiking enthusiasm whilst on a country drive, here are ten must-haves to ensure you have a great day out – and a safe day! Day Pack If you’re new to hiking, any sturdy small backpack, big enough to hold everything will do the trick. If you’re looking to buy a new one, a 15-25 litre capacity is good - even better if it has a hip belt. (See pg66 for some of the best day packs on the market) Water The amount of water you take will depend on a number of things, so make sure you do a bit of research first. Think about the weather forecast, how hard the…

1 Dehydrated Food Before getting into the commercial varieties, it’s worth noting that food you dehydrate yourself will almost always be tastier and far cheaper than commercial brands (for DIY check out: trail.recipes/food-dehydrating-class/). However for most people it’s just not practical to spend three days cooking, drying and packaging food. For my Larapinta walk I brought roughly 50% my own food, 30% Camper’s Pantry and 20% Backcountry Cuisine and found after my own meals, I preferred the Camper’s Pantry meals (in all except the Apple Pie – the one region where Backcountry came into its own with slightly more cinnamon and better sauce). Camper’s Pantry does have a slight tendency to resemble ‘baby food’ as a trail friend pointed out however they were bigger, cheaper per gram and tastier than…

HAVING never been to Cradle Mountain my husband and I arrived at the carpark at 7am rearing to start our day hike. Unfortunately the office to purchase entry did not open until 8am. What to do? Wait an hour, or walk the 8km to the start of the hike? Just then a young girl offered us a lift. She had purchased a car entry pass the day prior. “Thank you!”, we responded, and hopped in her car. Turning a blind eye to most of the vehicle’s panels being held in place with duct tape, no petrol cap, bald tyres, and a thick layer of grime, I hopped into the front and my husband got in the back. As we roared off, I couldn’t help but notice the interior was even…

OFTEN enshrouded in white pillows of cloud, Mt Anne in Tasmania’s South West National Park is one of the state’s longer and more difficult day walks, taking 8-10 hours return to cover the 15km of walking and boulder scrambling. The summit of Mt Anne stands at 1423m: the 37th highest peak in the state. This majestic place is part of Tasmania’s World Heritage Area and can be wild and unforgiving, peaceful and serene, and anything in between, all in one day! Approximately two and a half hours drive from Hobart towards Strathgordon, this track and can be enjoyed as a day walk, a weekend escape, or an extended four-day circuit walk depending on your preference and time constraints. From the carpark at Condominium Creek, you get about five minutes of…

THE 223km Larapinta Trail, in the West MacDonnell Ranges, just west of Alice Springs, is well known for its iconic desert landscapes and the great news for walkers is that the best ways to truly appreciate this ancient and beautiful country is on foot. Australian Walking Holidays pioneered walking on the trail and is the best known and most experienced operator on the trail, offering 12 different Larapinta itineraries, ranging from a 3-day Larapinta Experience in Comfort to the 14-day complete traverse. The complete traverse, known as Larapinta End to End, is a 4WD supported trek, so walkers carry only a day pack and stay at basic remote bush camps and sleeping in swags. Another option for strong walkers is a self-guided trek in either 3, 6, 9 and 12-day…

“ ALONE, YOU WILL FIND THE LIGHT IS SOMEHOW CLEANER AND THE AIR SOFTER.” “ALL by yourself?” the little man at the dam had said. It is a nasty question to answer, the way he put it. It is the question of gregarious, colonial man, and it contains outrage, and it means: What the hell’s the matter with you? Few people are willing to believe that a piece of country, hunted and fished and roamed over, felt and remembered, can be company enough.” – John Graves Sometimes we go to wild places too burdened with determination and purpose. Eyes fixed, mind set, plan immutable, we march along the track or float down the river with such deliberate intent that having climbed the mountain, seen the waterfall, accomplished our goal,…

REGION X specialises in guided walking tours of the magnificent NSW South Coast, an area where there’s so much to see and experience. Immerse yourself in a spectacular 3 day/2 night walk featuring pristine beaches, rock platforms and temperate forest. Your local Region X guide will take you along the trail and you can forget about your bags until you see them in your premium private coastal accommodation at the end of each day. You’ll see the Pacific at its bluest and walk through the Aussie bush and rainforest shimmering green and glowing silver through dappled sunlight. Hike over sandstone rock cliff edges and stop to hear the sound of the waves breaking. Fabulous locally sourced food and meals are provided and you’ll learn about the natural geography and history…

MANY of us have a warm and cozy relationship with our sleeping bag that we hope will last for many years to come. With these care and cleaning tips, you can make sure you and your bag stay together for the long haul. 1 Down products, whether they are garments or sleeping bags, have the same embargo on dry cleaning as waterproof/breathable products. Dry cleaning strips the all-important oils from the down and will destroy it. Fortunately, just like jackets and pants, a little knowledge will take you far and you’ll find down products quite easy to take care of. 2 The good thing though is that down products do not have to be washed all that often. Normally the shell fabrics will be at least water resistant so if…

MODERN lightweight tents are awesome. The fact that you can carry a shelter as little as 1kg on your back that will not only let two people sleep in it, but will have the room to dry yourself off and get changed, store your gear and wait out a multi-day storm is impressive. Like everything though, the new breed of tents come with their own quirks or limitations to be aware of. About fabrics Fabrics are becoming more complex. We no longer just have canvas. We’ve got different weaves of polyester and nylon with different coatings or laminates bonded to them, sometimes more than one and then there’s DWR (durable water repellent) treatments on top of that. What these new fabrics have is amazing strength-to-weight and waterproof properties. The first…

I THINK often of how the early mariners first saw this obdurate coast. Of what they thought, looking across the choppy, windswept sea to the sandy beaches, the veiled shape of what would later be called the Ironbound Range, and the many teeth-like promontories fretted and chafed by white water. This was probably nightmare country, I see it differently. I am on the South Coast Track in Tasmania’s Southwest wilderness with my wife Robyn, and children, Lyle and Kate. Robyn and I have walked this track before but this is seven-year-old Kate’s first multi-day hike and she is breathless with excitement. The bumpy ride in the tiny plane from Hobart to Melaleuca that has me stumbling out and retching on the tarmac the minute we land hasn’t fazed her. She…

WE all know how smart and industrious the Germans are, well they also exceed in their creative use of words, including these ten pearlers that have no English equivalent. 1 Fernweh ‘DISTANCE PAIN’ This gem describes the feeling of wanting to be somewhere else. It’s kind of like a reverse homesickness (Heimweh in German), a longing for a place that isn’t where you are right now. 2 Dreikäsehoch ‘THREE CHEESES HIGH’ This is to describe someone who is vertically challenged, implying they’re only as tall as three wheels of cheese placed on top of each other. Usually this label is reserved for small children. 3 Ohrwurm ‘EAR WORM’ Have you ever listened to a song on the radio in the car only to find yourself still humming the same tune…

An unsung hero in the amazing list of Tassie day walks is the track up to St Valentines Peak that you reach from Burnie in the state’s northwest. From Burnie take Mount Rd to Ridgley and continue 15km to the junction with Upper Natone Rd. Turn left and drive 1.7km then right onto Kara Rd for 6km, as you reach the gates of a mining site turn left onto a small road and you’ll find the carpark. From there it’s a 9km/4.5hr return walk. A lot of the track is along exposed ridgeline so you need to take care but – as you can see – the views are gorgeous. Bring warm and waterproof clothing, this is Tassie in all its glory after all!…

BIG walks like the Larapinta Trail are pipe dreams for many people. You enjoy folding them up neatly, putting them into your chest pocket and taking them out every now and then to look at, dream over, maybe hazily plan for. For my own ‘End to End’ it simply felt like the right time to put that dream into action. Wide open spaces utterly devoid of people, a nice big sky and a few weeks solitary wandering sounded like just the ticket, so I turned around and booked one for the start of July. Incidentally, also the only day of the year Northern Territorians are allowed to buy copious quantities of fireworks and set them off with gay disregard for the laws of physics. I turned up in this remote…

I’M sitting cross-legged on the floor of a traditional inn in rural Japan, sipping sake and contemplating my existence. In the last eight days I’ve walked 115km of the Nakasendo Way – a picturesque trail used by Japan’s Imperial warriors since the 17th century. It’s taken me on a physical and spiritual journey steeped in history through the mountainous Kiso region. In parts, the trail has scarcely changed in hundreds of years. The verdant valleys, tranquil forest paths, stunning mountain passes and restored post towns have captured my heart. The shogun created the Nakasendo Way at the start of the Edo period (1603-1868) – a time of unprecedented economic growth in Japan’s history – for the feudal lords to travel between Kyoto (the home of the Japanese emperor) and the…

A GLOSSY blue-black bird is assiduously arranging the scenery of its performance space. Blue petals and bottle tops are placed centre stage and anything that isn’t blue is briskly flicked aside. This remarkable scene, starring a satin bowerbird, is happening metres from where I’m staying at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat in Lamington NP, which is two hours’ drive inland from Brisbane in the volcanic and forested region of the Gold Coast hinterland. The park, a Unesco World Heritage site, sits on a plateau almost a mile above the coast and contains a portion of the world’s largest stand of sub-tropical rainforest. More than 900 plant species, 200 bird species and 60 mammal species thrive up here, alongside 100 species of reptiles and amphibians. ‘Many specialised plants and animals only live here,’…

LAST year we showcased the gripping intros of 10 iconic non-fiction adventure books so this year we’re quoting the gripping opening paragraphs of 10 iconic fiction adventure books, so without further ado... The Swiss Family Robinson JOHANN DAVID WYSS “For many days we had been tempest-tossed. Six times had the darkness closed over a wild and terrific scene, and returning light had often brought but renewed distress, for the raging storm had increased in fury until on the seventh day all hope was lost. We were driven completely out of our course; no conjecture could be formed as to our whereabouts. The crew had lost heart, and were utterly exhausted by incessant labour. The riven masts had gone by the board, leaks had been sprung in every direction, and the…

SITUATED in Victoria’s northeast, the High Country region includes six shires: Alpine, Benalla, Indigo, Mansfield, Towong and Wangaratta, plus the three major alpine resorts of Falls Creek, Mt Buller and Mt Hotham. The High Country ticks all the boxes in so many ways. It features stunning national parks, Victoria’s highest mountains, lakes, rivers, waterfalls and picturesque valleys. There are historic villages, vineyards and vibrant snow resorts. It has a rich history of Aboriginal culture, gold discovery, cattlemen and bushrangers. And best of all it features some amazing food, wine, craft breweries and welcoming country pubs. Combine all this with a variety of trails and tracks and what you have is the ultimate walking destination. Craig’s five favourite walks: Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing (Difficult – 3 days one-way) Traversing the…

TODAY the outdoor gear and the materials from which it is made may have significantly changed, but the principles espoused here remain as true as when Paddy Pallin tramped through all those hills and rivers in the 1930s. Some walkers go to significant expense buying the newest and lightest... and then they get more of it and stuff their packs full of it so they can cater for all contingencies. They do themselves a disservice if they carry stuff that they don’t use on three successive walks (apart from a first aid kit and PLB) that they shouldn’t be putting it in there in the first place. Parkinson’s Law, “that work expands to fit the time available” could be easily applied to backpacks i.e “gear expands to fit the space…

Alpine Peak Storm “A summer storm rolls over the High Country near Mt Feathertop (R), illuminating the last hours of Christmas Eve. Taken just east of Diamantina spur, my wife and I delayed dinner to take in nature’s show. As the stars began to appear in the dimming light, the International Space Station passed high above, just out of frame. The lightning was infrequent, so two images were combined to include the two strikes.” Layers “A golden morning view of a distant Mt Buller after bivvying out on the summit of Mt Feathertop, Alpine NP. One of only two points above 1900m in Victoria, Feathertop’s summit at 1922m makes a great bivvy in calm weather – and sleeping high saves you the walk up in the dark for sunrise! Nearby…

WITH the centenary of the First World War (2014-2018) soon ending, new books on the conflict seem to be hitting the bookshelves on a regular basis. One of the new books I have just read is the biography of the great figures of WWI, Australian General Sir John Monash GCMG KCB VD. I was surprised to learn that Monash was a keen bushwalker. From 1913 until his death in 1931 General Monash was also a member of the Wallaby Club, a Melbourne-based private walking club established in 1894 and still going. He was even president of the club in 1920-21. Monash was not the only prominent Australian from WWI who was both a bushwalker and a member of the Wallaby club, with Prime Minister Billy Hughes also a member from…