Innehållsförteckning för Annual 2020 från Great Walks

WELCOME to the Great Walks Annual featuring our Camino special. Not only do we showcase the iconic Camino de Santiago (and how to do it, and what to take), we also look at other pilgrim walks such as France’s Le Puy Camino (pg28) and Japan’s Shikoku Temple Pilgrimage Trail (pg 46). Many people take on these long-distance routes for personal reasons and whilst working on this issue a number of readers shared me their stories of walking the Camino as a way to deal with grief or loss. Some days they found comfort in the solitude of a long-distance walk and other days they found it in the camaraderie they formed with their new hiking family. I’ve never been on a pilgrim walk but I remember being in Nepal in…

SOMETIMES it takes a village to finish a hike. I was lucky enough to trek the Yuraygir Coastal Walk with a couple of avid hiking friends. Yuraygir is a 65km/4-day hike, along the beautiful north coast of NSW from Angourie to Red Rock. It can be a tricky walk to organise because there are three river crossings and a car transfer dilemma to manage, before you set off. National Parks were helpful with phone numbers for river crossings and a local trekking company managed to drop us at the start, pick us up at the finish and give us access to the car in between for a restock of supplies. From the first contact with our support team, I got an inkling of the warmth and friendliness this community had…

It’s been nine years since we walked the Jatbula Trail and we still call the Territory home. Although it wasn’t your typical honeymoon, it remains one of the happiest times we’ve spent together. In the months that followed I lost my mum unexpectedly, then my dad died less than two years later, so it was a tough start to married life in some ways. In my mind the Jatbula Trail was a golden time, before the two people who were my world were taken away. I remember how fascinated Mum and Dad were when I showed them photos from the walk. I’m English and, although they had visited Australia before, they’d never been to the Territory. They marvelled at its natural beauty, as I continue to do to this day.…

RAW Travel RAW Travel are Australia’s experts in self-guided walking. They have sent more Australians on the Camino than any other operator. RAW offers unrivalled flexibility in tailor-making itineraries and will prepare you better than anyone else with their expert advice, comprehensive resources, new App, and free information nights and training days. RAW offers life-affirming walking adventures along the three main routes: Camino Francés (Spain), Le Puy Camino (France) and the Coastal Camino (Portugal). RAW books all arrangements directly and provides walkers with local support from their own Ground Managers at the start and end of the routes. www.rawtravel.com Auswalk Follow the way of the pilgrim with Auswalk. We offer a broad range of self-guided walks on the the UNESCO World Heritage listed Camino de Santiago in Spain and Kumano…

STANDING at the starting line of Oxfam Trailwalker Sydney, waiting for the starter’s gun, I shuffled nervously. I was about to attempt to walk 100km through bushland and I had no idea if I’d make it. Little did I know the event would end up not only testing my fitness but also my mind, spirit and self belief. For decades charity group Oxfam has been helping millions in poverty all over the world. To do this amazing work they run many fundraising events; one of the most notable being the Oxfam Trailwalker, where teams of four walk 100km in under 48 hours (There is also a 50km option for Sydney Trailwalker). As soon as I heard about this I knew Great Walks had to be involved. I put the call…

JUST a quick trip up the F3, Bouddi NP near Woy Woy offers an opportunity to walk wonderful beaches in solitude, within sight of Sydney. Bouddi means “heart” in the local Aboriginal dialect, and it’s not hard to see why the area is so named with so much to fall in love with. The walk begins from the carpark next to the Maitland Bay Information Centre and, depending on how keen you are to get your feet wet, you can either take the 1km walk to Bullimah Lookout, which on a clear day gives glorious views from Putty Beach all the way to Sydney’s Centrepoint Tower, or leave that for the end and head straight down to the magnificent crescent-shaped beach at Maitland Bay. A great place for a swim,…

Need to know: For info on Mike Edmonson’s guided walks and photo tours visit mikeedmondson.com.au…

In 1989 Hartz Mountains NP was included in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, in recognition of its natural and cultural values. The park is a window into the state's southwest wilderness, offering views of remote mountain ranges as far as the southern coast. Waterfalls tumble off the dolerite range that runs through the centre of the park and small glacial lakes dot the plateau. The park contains a wide variety of vegetation from wet eucalypt forest and rainforest through to alpine heath on the exposed mountain tops. There is a choice of bushwalks on offer including the 2hr return walk to Lake Esperance (pictured) but if you're up for something more challenging you'll want to walk to Hartz Peak (5hr return). It's pretty steep and exposed so you'll need…

DESCENDING through bright white cumulus clouds that resemble chunks of cotton, our plane banks to the left on its final approach into this little-known natural wonder. Peering out the window at the rugged island lying motionless on the shimmering ocean surface, my seven-year-old daughter Kimberley comments, “it looks like a monster sleeping”. Our young family’s exploration of this prehistoric landscape had just begun. Often referred to as the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean, Christmas Island is the summit of an underwater mountain, rising from the immense depths of the Java Trench. Geographically isolated, abundant with wildlife and boasting numerous endemic species it truly is a lost world that urbanisation is yet to conquer. Home to more than 50 million endemic red crabs, 80,000 sea birds and an unrivalled rainforest environment,…

LAST May, on a whim, I flew 16,781km from Melbourne to Paris. I set out alone to walk a section of the Via Podiensis (Le Puy Camino) through southwest France. It was one of the best weeks of my life. I’d been thinking about the Camino for years. It is the longest, most spiritual walk in the world. Medieval pilgrims took to the ancient trail in their thousands, seeking atonement or pursuing a fertility rite. I wanted to press pause on my normal life and have an exciting adventure. Time was marching on, I was over-caffeinated and hyper-connected. I wanted to relax, breathe deeply, slow down. I liked the idea of a romantic walk and a certain level of solitude, so I chose the Le Puy Camino – an oh-so-quiet…

HOW many steps have you taken today? In this time-pressed, fitbit period it seems the quantity of steps matters more than the quality. Contrary to fitness, this may not be the healthiest for our bodies – and our minds. Sometimes we need time away from the routine we’ve built for ourselves. Consider a long walking holiday if you’re thinking about taking time away. We find solace and substance on long walks, reaching a deeper connection to the place, landscape and people, and finding a deep-er understanding of our own bodies and psyche. Humans have been doing so for centuries through pilgrimage walks – walks that share a story about a significant person, place and time so you can remove yourself from your daily life and place your self in a…

CHOOSING sleeping gear can be intimidating, especially if you’re planning your first overnighter and don’t know quite what to expect. There are so many different aspects to sleeping bags and mats that confusion will reign without the proper information to hand. While the modern method of reading endless blogs will certainly help, it can be time consuming, and although the best advice can only really be obtained from a professional salesperson in a reputable store, many of us will not have one of those conveniently nearby. Fear not – Sea to Summit have come up with pretty much the next best thing. STS have been in the sleeping gear game since very early on with their range of sleeping bag liners, launched over 25 years ago. Then in 2010 they…

“I DID THE Overland Trek with some very dear and much more experienced trekkers. We got to our first nights hut, ready for much needed rest and hot food however they had left their gas container for their cooker at home. After much embarrassment (on their behalf!) my little gas cylinder got us through the week with many a hot cups of tea and hot meals.” Storm Dwyer “I ARRIVED AT Sydney airport for my flight to Darwin to walk the Jatbula Trail and realised I had left my handbag at home no money, no phone, no air ticket, no ID, no glasses. I didn’t want to miss my plane and thought ‘who needs that stuff on a hike?’. I figured I‘d wing it. Sweet talked Virgin to letting me…

CONVENIENTLY located just 55km north of Perth’s CBD, Yanchep NP is a popular day trip destination for family picnics on sunny weekends. The grassy picnic area around the visitor centre has barbecues, caves, tame kangaroos and a koala enclosure for family fun. An intriguingly named Ghost House Walk is one of the most enjoyable day walks amongst a variety of interesting trail walks this 2870 hectare park has to offer. This 12km mainly flat loop trail traverses through scrub and woodlands with some gentle ascending hills for variety. From the main carpark, you walk through the picnic area towards the northern end of the lake. Stop off to register at the visitor centre, then take the board walk through the wetlands, lined with paper bark trees and sedges. This becomes…

I KNEW Katherine Gorge in the NT. I knew Edith Falls (Leliyn), 90km away by road. But I never knew you could walk from one to the other via the Jatbula Trail, through the wild wonderland of Nitmiluk National Park – until my new hubby revealed that’s what we’d be doing for our honeymoon. Our relationship began on a hike in Kakadu, so Jatbula seemed a fitting honeymoon, but I was nervous. Hubby bounds around the bush like a kangaroo, but the five days he had earmarked to cover the 58km track would be the longest walk his desk jockey wife had ever done. And what about two weeks of luxury on an island somewhere? Shaking off a wedding hangover we crossed Katherine River by boat from the Nitmiluk Visitor…

ONE evening last year after we had walked all day, my partner and I had a four course meal with the Mayor of Cubières in the southeast of France. It’s not as grand as it sounds; Cubières is a one-horse village, we were sitting in the mayor’s kitchen, and four course meals are every-day in that part of the world, but we did feast and talk for hours. The mayor, Yvonne, told us that her husband was un gauchiste, (left-winger) but that she was à droite, to the right, an amicable family division we found astonishing. Then we talked about the state of France, international politics, our families, our children, and love, all in slowed-down French for our benefit. We left the table to stay in the mayor’s guest-room, our…

“ THE BIG QUESTION WAS HOW DO YOU CONVEY ONTO A SMALL STAGE THE SCOPE OF WALKING 800KM” I HAD heard about the Camino de Santiago many years ago, and at that time it seemed out of my reach. Then I heard about it again, and saw the film The Way, and couldn’t stop thinking about it. The idea of going stuck in my mind, both as an adventure and a challenge, but also as a place where there would be people from all over the world with amazing stories that might make an interesting play. I was walking with my sister one day when I said, “I’ve got this idea about doing this big long walk in Spain, and writing a play about it.” She was a little nervous…

WITH summer just around the corner, it is vital to be prepared for snakes and potentially a snake bite. It's better to be informed with facts about snake bites, so you do not hesitate if the time comes. Did you know? 3000 snakebites are reported annually, 300-500 people are hospitalised, 2-3 deaths occur annually and the Average time to death is 12 hours. The urban myth that you are bitten in the yard and die before you can walk from your chook pen back to the house is a load of rubbish. There are five genus of snakes that will harm us (seriously) - browns, blacks, adders, tigers and taipans. All snake venom is made up of huge proteins (like egg white). When bitten, a snake injects some venom into…

THE spectacular valley that the Howqua River has carved on its 66km run from Mt Howitt, in Victoria’s Alps, to Lake Eildon was a trade route for the central Victorian Taungurung people, and a source of Cambrian greenstone which they made tools out of. The 12km loop walk to Ritchie’s Hut shows off the splendour of the river and valley. This enjoyable day walk is an ideal introduction to overnight hiking. There are high and low walking routes from 8 Mile Flat. Heavy rain and flooding can close the low track, forcing you to walk in and back on the High Track, but you still get wet feet when the Low Track is open. Off we go The walk begins at 8 Mile Flat camping area, 38km from Mansfield. To…

“I was raised as an only child, which really annoyed my sister.” “THE WORST TIME TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK IS DURING A GAME OF CHARADES.” “IT BECAME SO COLD IN NEW YORK LAST NIGHT THAT IT FORCED THE FLASHERS TO DESCRIBE THEMSELVES TO PEOPLE.” “MY GRANDFATHER HAS THE HEART OF A LION AND A LIFETIME BAN AT THE ZOO” “The problem isn’t that obesity runs in your family. The problem is no one runs in your family.” “THE PROBLEM WITH KLEPTOMANIACS IS THAT THEY TAKE THINGS LITERALLY.” “My psychiatrist told me I was crazy and I said I want a second opinion. He said okay, you’re ugly too.” “WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU MELONS, YOU MIGHT BE DYSLEXIC.” “My therapist says I have a preoccupation with vengeance. We’ll see about…