Innehållsförteckning för Annual 2017 från Great Walks

WELCOME to this year’s Great Walks Annual, the Adventure Issue. Of course what people deem as ‘adventurous’ varies greatly so we weren’t solely going for hardcore walks, although they are included. An adventure walk could be spending a week crossing Queensland’s Fraser Island, facing the elements and experiencing the wild fauna as Russell Linnane did (pg22). “The showers persisted as we headed toward Lake McKenzie but the weather could not dampen our spirits as we watched white breasted sea eagles courting above Lake Birrabeen.” Leaving Fraser we head north and look at five other multi-dayers showcasing the Sunshine State’s best walking trails, including the Wet Tropics Great Walk (pg38): “To the south, the Wallaman Falls are the largest single drop falls in Australia and make an impressive start to two…

I KNOW. Absolutely everyone plans to walk the Coast to Coast across England one day. If not already completed, it's probably on your to-do-real-soon-now list. Three hundred kilometres is quite a challenge, and so my wife and I decided to do it this year. Well, it all went smoothly across a sunlit Lake District (everyone told us we would get wet). Steep climbs and descents every day, with the usual blisters and a strained calf muscle. It’s surprising how minor injuries can be walked off in a few days if you can pace yourself. The real fun began when we managed to get lost high on Hasty Bank, whilst on the way to Cringle Moor in mist and cloud so thick that visibility came down 5 metres at time. We…

IT had been a few years since I completed a great walk. My last long walk was the Jatbula Trail. After completing it I visited an Aboriginal community to meet the traditional owners. I learnt a lot from the local people, information that would have opened my eyes up to the country I had only just walked through. I decided that next time I do a big walk I would contact the people of that country first. Fraser Island always intrigued me. I had seen all the tourist hot spots and some of the walks, but I wanted to see more. After looking at maps, I thought why not traverse the full length of the island by foot? After briefing Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) of my intentions I…

“ THE FRESH SNOW REQUIRED DELICATE FOOT PLACEMENT ON THE ROCKY ASCENT.” LATE afternoon on 4 August I shouldered my Osprey pack and turned my back on the Mediterranean to walk into the hills, up into the Alps and away from the sea that had been my home for the previous 100 days. Apparently there are something like 750 muscles in the human body. The hundreds that didn’t get used while kayaking ached like hell now that I was trekking. But it was great to be in the hills; where the water flowed vertically as opposed to the horizontal that had been my playground so far on my journey from Gallipoli. I hobbled my way on hot days through the Friuli region up from the Mediterranean. It was a sort…

A TEN-DAY expedition to the Eldons in Tasmania. Wow. I stared at the information. I so wanted to do this club trip, but was not sure about stepping up to ten days. My previous longest trip had been eight, and the one before that, six. Could I manage another two-day jump when each jump was significant? Luckily, my climbing buddy, Angela, wanted to come too, so I knew I’d have company if in distress. Meanwhile, the two of us had seven months to plot and plan our strategies for this undertaking. We put a lot of thought into this one. I should mention that we are both “atom weights”, four categories under bantam, and 13kg lighter than “light weight”. This poses significant problems when packing for ten days in the…

“ IF THE HEEL SLIPS ONCE THE BOOT IS LACED YOU WILL GET HEEL BLISTERS.” MOST bushwalking in Australia is along trails of some description. A fine weather day-walk along a well-prepared trail, while only carrying a small pack is shoe territory. Change two of these trail-characteristics and you need something with some ankle protection. So, if you are following a bush-track, carrying a heavier load, or walking on wet or steeper ground you’ll need to prevent your ankle from turning, and that’s precisely what ‘mids’ do. Mid-cut footwear has a lace beneath the ankle to stabilise lateral movement like slipping sideways on a rock. You should also consider the amount of time you are walking. Longer walks mean you are going further from a pick-up point should an accident…

VISITORS CAN NOW experience national parks through art with Tasmania’s Arts in Parks at four exhibitions. The project celebrates the partnership between the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service and Arts Tasmania to deliver the wilderness residency program for artists, providing them with an opportunity to work, live and be inspired by the state’s wilderness locations and natural beauty. The four exhibitions can be viewed at Bruny Island Lighthouse Museum, the chapel on Maria Island, Lake St Clair Visitor Centre and Trailside Museum at Cradle Mountain until March 2017. parks.tas.gov.au BOOKINGS ARE NOW open for the Waiheke Walking Festival taking place over nine days from Nov 19-27, 2016. There’s an extensive program of walks tailored to suit a wide range of interests and fitness levels. They include the Whakanewha Twilight Photography…

NEED TO KNOW For more info on Mike’s tours and photos visit mikeedmondson.com.au and see page 12.…

“ AFTER A FEW MOMENTS TO MAKE AN EDUCATED DECISION ON THE POTENTIAL DANGER, I JUMP IN TOO.” I REMEMBER being a young lad in the UK in the 90s watching Paul Hogan on TV beckoning me to visit the real Australia. He promised fresh air, sunshine and barbecues – and some of the most breathtaking scenery I’d ever see. For years I thought about his offer. Being stuck in dark and gloomy England made the idea of crossing the other side of the world to see Paul’s Australia even more tempting. And so one day I did just that. I saved up my pennies, packed my bags and flew to Australia to see what all the fuss was about. So here I am standing over the divine panorama of…

THE Great Walhalla Alpine Trail follows the first 40km section of the Australian Alps Walking Track, one of the world’s great Alpine walks stretching 680km from Walhalla to Canberra. These first 40km are blessed with a wide range of beautiful scenery in the Baw Baw NP. Alpine meadows with native wildflowers, twisted snow gums, towering mountain ash, pre-historic myrtle beech, stunning geological formations, fast flowing streams, fern glades, timber and gold heritage, wild rivers and native fauna and flora. All are to be experienced and fully enjoyed on the Great Walhalla Alpine Trail. www.greatwalhallaalpinetrail.com…

SO, it began 18 months ago, with my sister who lives in rural Queensland. She asked me if I’d like to join her and a bunch of other ladies from outback Queensland, on a six-day hike in the Blue Mountains. It took me less than two minutes to process the question, think about it and reply ‘yes’. Next moment, we were shopping for boots, backpacks, sleeping mats and a whole gamut of hiking gear, seeing as we were both newbies to this concept of ‘hiking in the wilderness’. The ladies I was about to meet, (Wild Women Hikers) came from all over outback Queensland joining to partake a small and a big hike each year. Due to the drought, some were unable to go – so my sister, myself and…

HE’S got her cornered. She looks around agitated but there is nowhere to go. He’s worked up about something, his cheeks filling and deflating with audible angry huffs. She backs up, moving closer to the other guy but the bully takes a swipe and she slips and falls. I gasp with one hand over my mouth and watch the drama unfold as she dangles in thin air swinging from one furry claw left clinging to the tree branch. I’ve never seen such koala chaos, and so close. The three of them can’t be more than five metres away from me. After much bellowing, honking and claw swiping on the part of the males the bully turns his attention back to the female, pushing her from her branch and she falls…

1 Carnarvon Great Walk 87km/6-7days/challenging This hike offers experienced walkers the chance to explore the remote landscape of Central Queensland from Carnarvon Gorge to Mount Moffat. Make sure you choose the right time to go – while the national park is open to visitors all year around, the track is closed from November to the start of February to avoid the hottest time of the year. The walk starts from the Carnarvon Gorge visitors centre and follows the Carnarvon Creek towards Big Bend walkers camp, past side-gorges containing remnant rainforest and examples of rock imagery in the Art Gallery and Cathedral Cave. Beautiful as the gorge is, the first day is just a warm up – the walk changes from a class three to a class five as you head…

THIS MONTH’S WINNING PHOTO Ben Lomond NP, Tas Rodney Braithwaite, Launceston, Tasmania Camera: EOS 5D MKII Rodney: “During an overnight hike at Ben Lomond National Park during winter, I was delighted at the sight of a beautiful sunrise while camped at 1520m. This often lightly used part of the mountain rewarded me with magnificent morning light in complete isolation.” Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair NP, Tas Kathy Davies, Ulverstone, Tas Camera: Samsung S7 phone Kathy: "Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair NP is my favourite place to visit, with beautiful scenery no matter what time of the year. We walked Marion's Look out, Cradle Mountain face track and Hansen's Peak to Dove Lake carpark. I took this picture rather nervously of my daughter balancing on the edge of Hansen's Peak." Kakadu NP, NT…

SOL Origin Survival Tool Be seen and heard on outdoor adventures with the Origin Survival Tool. It’s a one-stop-shop of emergency tools that fits in the palm of your hand. It includes a pearless whistle, AUS8 blade knife with LED light, and a rescue flash mirror and compass. It’s also equipped with Tinder-Quik fire starters, stainless steel wire, and sewing and fishing kit within a lightweight and indestructible package. RRP: $94.95 Website: adventuremedicalkits.com.au Petzl Bug 18L Climbing backpack Designed for all day multi-pitch rock climbing, this 18L pack is designed to be compact and fit snug against your back. Designed to be useful when climbing, this pack has side compression straps, lots of pockets, a foldaway waist belt, and adjustable sternum straps for stability. RRP: $124.95 Website: spelean.com.au…