Innholdsfortegnelse for October/November 2021 i Great Walks

“JULY 1st, 1991: Sitting on a bed back in Santa Elena after an exhausting five days hiking up Mount Roraima,” my 30-year-old diary reads. “I went up with four others, Mark (Swiss), Kathy (Pom), Florian (German) and Carlos (Dutch) plus our guide Jose (South American Indian). We first had to go on a hair-raising 4WD trip to the Indian village of Paratepui, the jumping off point for the hike.” Putting together the Life Through The Lens images of Venezuela’s Mount Roraima (pg84) brought back fond memories of that same hike I did 30 years ago and of the 12 months I spent exploring the top half of South America. After searching through a few old boxes, I found my diary of that trip. It’s the only time I have kept…

AS I stood at the bank of the Daintree River, looking desperately from right to left trying to detect the slightest hint of crocodile, I fantasised about a 4WD coming to our rescue. Alas there were none. Murphy’s Law: as a hiker, whenever you’re in need of a 4WD to carry you across a crocodile-infested river, they are never around. Whenever you’d prefer to enjoy your hike in peaceful solitude, they roar by, leaving petrol fumes in their wake. I looked back at my husband who had the largest stick he could find in his right hand, his hiking poles in his left, and our two-year-old daughter on his back. I fake-smiled at him, too nervous to give off my usual high-pitched nervous laugh. The Daintree River was all that…

I’M not a religious man, but some things are definitely worth praying for. Some circumstances are so important, the alternative so dire, that asking a favour of The Almighty is worth a shot, just in case. An unbroken stretch of perfect weather in Tasmania’s famously fickle Southwest National Park is one of those things. We were to tackle Australia’s hardest on-track walk over a week in early autumn, and fierce storms lashing through the turbulent World Heritage Area would put paid to our attempt as surely as a well-aimed trekking pole to the knee cap. We might get lucky? Friends laughed at our naivety. The weather was everything. We prayed. Before I was even fully awake, Kevin was parking his mini bus in Huon Campground under a sky the colour…

NOBEL prize winner Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) is one of America’s greatest writers. His economical and understated style – which he termed the iceberg theory – had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his adventurous lifestyle and his public image brought him admiration from later generations. If you don’t know much about Hemingway then these short quotes from some of his most famous books might show you why you should pick up one of his novels. “He remembered the time he had hooked one of a pair of marlin. The male fish always let the female fish feed first and the hooked fish, the female, made a wild, panic-stricken, despairing fight that soon exhausted her, and all the time the male had stayed with her, crossing the line and circling…

IF there’s one topic of conversation that’s never far from the campfire, bushwalking forum or outdoor store counter, it’s how to go lightweight. It’s a simple formula – the less you carry, the more comfortable your hike – yet you must take all necessary precautions to stay safe, and to do this you’ll need to carry certain essential items of equipment, all of which are measurable in grams. But it’s not as simple as researching and buying the lightest alternative out there; availability, durability, sustainability, and cost should all be taken into account. Yes, the perfect pack weight is a shimmering mirage – every time you get close, it moves further away. You buy the latest backpack, and six months later an updated model is released made from some new-fangled,…

BEFORE I took up hiking as a hobby, most evenings saw me pitched up in front of the TV, stuffing my face with snacks. Consequently, over the period of a few years, my belly had felt like a slowly inflating rubber ring. I knew I needed to shed a few pounds and stop myself from becoming near comatose after work every day, but dieting has always felt far too regimented to me – and, besides, I like the idea of being free to eat a pie if I want to. That left exercise as my only option. Going out for a run or to the gym didn’t appeal as I’d become too self conscious of exercising in front of other people. Walking, however, gave me the impetus to exercise at…

“USE EACH OUTING TO PRACTICE MINDFULNESS” WHAT does my dog think when I mention the word W A L K? I get snuffles of contentment and pirouettes as soon as I grab the lead. A determined tug. An insistent sniff, every few feet. It is a dog’s job to smell his surroundings. I beam with delight, looking at my four-legged friend’s joy in discovery. I experience the same enthusiasm and joie de vivre when I go outdoors. Now more than ever, with the global COVID-19 pandemic changing everyone’s way of living, we must make the most of our local approved walks. Let’s engage the senses to make it the best form of exercise we can. Forget going overseas. What can you discover in your own backyard? I can smell things.…

Five kilometres from Tullah in Tasmania's west and is one of the most beautiful lakes in the region. The lake and surrounding countryside are magnificent with myrtle, sassafras and eucalypt forests along with native ferns growing almost to the lake's edge. Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park has its western boundary lying to the east of the lake so you're in good company. There are several lovely bushwalking tracks around the 17km-long lake or take the three-hour return walk to the summit of Mt Farrell through lush forest, past old mines and through areas of buttongrass. From the summit there are amazing views of Tasmania's wilderness. Or if you had the right gear and know-how you could explore the mighty Granite Tor Conservation Area that the lake forms part of.…

THIS MONTH’S WINNING PHOTO Dolomites, Italy Norman Herfurth, Coogee NSW Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III Norman: “Sunrise at Rifugio Lagazuoi located at 2752m altitude, is the highest mountain hut in the Cortina D’Ampezzo. The view looks across to Pian Falzerego and Cinque Tori on our Alta Via 1 Dolomite 9-day trek.” Green Gully Track, NSW David Turner, Sydney NSW Camera: Fuji Fine Pix F70EXR David: “This photo was taken at Bird’s Nest Hut on the Green Gully Track. We were mesmerised watching the cicada coming out of its shell bit by bit, finally unfurling its wings and drying them. The photo symbolises for me the beauty, strength, fragility and grace of the natural world.” Nullarbor Plain, WA Photo: Liz Robinson, Mitcham, Vic Camera: Canon PowerShot S5 1S Liz: “On…

ON my first visit to Alpine National Park in Victoria, I headed up to the Hotham Alpine Resort in search of some decent day walks that would offer an ideal introduction to the region. The Huts Walk seemed to be the perfect fit, taking in three historic huts and offering a stunning variety of views and terrain all within one long day. The trail forms a wide loop from Hotham village with plenty of options for short detours and side trips. I decided to tackle the all-encompassing circuit for a total of 19.5km, including the three huts and Mount Loch summit. You can begin the Huts Walk at either Mount Loch carpark or the Davenport Access Track, both located along the Great Alpine Road at Hotham. In fact, if you…

IN 1811, French explorer Louis de Freycinet was the first person to map the entire coastline of Australia, a vast area of dramatic rocky outcrops, imposing cliffs, endless bays and pristine beaches. Many parts of this coastline are truly remote, even dangerous, but there are plenty that can be explored safely on foot. So here we present 14 spectacular walks that showcase mainland Australia’s southern coastline. Western Australia If the eastern states are the glitzy siblings, then WA is the quietly gorgeous western cousin who remains a mystery to all who pass her by. More’s the pity, for Australia’s biggest state holds grandeur you’ll not find anywhere else, and you don’t have to hike the whole Bibbulmun to find it. Bald Head Trails Walk Best for: Coastal ridgeline lovers on…

“HYDRATE, hydrate, hydrate.” That’s what I was told on the first day of my desert hike in the Red Centre. I was with a group of bushwalkers experiencing the Simpson Desert and the on-site doctor didn’t mince his words. I’d been to this part of Australia many times but never so early into the walking season. It was late April and the daytime temperature would be at least 35°C and only a few degrees cooler in the shade. So I did what I was told: hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. I added electrolytes to my waterbottle and wore a wide brimmed hat. I did everything I could to stay cool and yet I still got heat exhaustion. Delayed reaction The strange thing was I didn’t experience it until I was out of…

WELL, if the last year or so has taught us anything about living through a pandemic, it’s the value of a great online shopping experience. And if I think about what can make an online click great, it comes down to confidence. Confidence that the platform is easy to use, secure and more than anything, confident that I’m making the right choice without having a real live person to talk to… especially when parting with serious money, like what is needed for a foundational bit of gear like a sleeping bag, mat or a full sleep system. ‘Oh, Great Genie of the Aussie Outdoors, if only there was a magic gear concierge, to curate the perfect equipment playlist, for my preferences, size and fit, and then deliver it to my…

AS a young child I lived near the Adelaide foothills, and Brownhill Creek was within walking distance. My brothers and I would catch yabbies in the creek with a very sophisticated bit of kit consisting of a stick with a piece of string and a chunk of offcut from the local butcher tied to the end of it. It was a love of natural environments that led me into the walking tour business. My wife and I were steadily being drawn into a corporate career path when we opted for a sea change in the early ‘90s. We established a nature-based holiday accommodation business in one of our state’s most beautiful parks, knowing that tours would be a logical extension. We take our clients on what is arguably the most…

WHEN I was a child in our household we were always busy. One of my favourite memories was a couple of trips we made to Mt Beauty where we used the location at the foot of Mt Bogong to climb Victoria’s highest peak. We have footage which captured these moments complete with no sound and lots of waving at the camera. Happy times. I now have three kids of my own. Over the years we have looked to create our own memories. This included travelling to NZ’s South Island which was my first overseas trip growing up where Dad, my brother and I completed the Routeburn Track. We did the Hooker Valley Track at the base of Aoraki/Mount Cook as well as keeping busy around Queenstown. I could see my…

IF I was Kelly Slater, I would be frothing. On what is my first visit to Margaret River, I am blown away by the surf breaks that line the rugged Indian Ocean coastline. No wonder this part of the world is so revered by surfers far and wide. But I am not here to surf; I am here to hike, and it is very early in the piece that I realise that the Cape to Cape Track is just as much a siren call for walkers, as the waves are for Kelly, Owen Wright and a sea of surfers searching for stoke … and finding it. My journey to the Cape to Cape, a much vaunted track in the Leeuwin-Naturaliste NP in WA, is down to the C-word. COVID. What…

IT’S a tradition that’s been around for almost 50 years. The sourtoe cocktail has become a must-try at the former Yukon gold mining town of Dawson City and it’s exactly what is sounds like: a human toe preserved in salt, used to garnish shots of whisky. The first toe belonged to a miner and rumrunner named Louie Liken, who had his frostbitten appendage amputated in the 1920s. Fifty years later, in 1973, Yukon local ‘Captain’ Dick Stevenson found the jar containing the toe and took it to the Sourdough Saloon where he started plonking it into punters’ drinks. And now it was my turn. The motto for Canada’s Yukon province is ‘North of Ordinary’ and after joining the Sourtoe Cocktail Club I could see why. Of course, there’s more to…

SEEMINGLY adrift in the enormity of the Indian Ocean, the remote Cocos Keeling Islands sit atop the remains of ancient volcanic activity and offer a remarkable walking opportunity. And despite the fact they’re geographically closer to the Indonesian island of Sumatra, these idyllic isles located thousands of kilometres from the WA coast are actually an external territory of Australia. First sighted in 1609 by Captain William Keeling of the East India Company, the islands have had a turbulent history. English Merchant Alexander Hare – infamous for establishing a harem – was the first settler in 1826. Soon after, Scottish trader Captain John Clunies-Ross arrived on the islands alongside his family with the intention of settling the islands. Under Clunies-Ross’s rule the islands soon became a powerhouse of copra production which…

IF you’ve come close to hiking back to the carpark in the middle of the night because sleep was eluding you, then we have good news! Here are our top ten tips on to ensure your next night sleeping in a tent is a good one. 1 INVEST IN GOOD GEAR: This sounds obvious, but if you scrimp on your kit you’ll pay for it later. You should invest in your camping gear as you would hotel rooms. Your tent, sleeping bag and sleeping mat – the bare essentials for getting a good night’s sleep outdoors – should be carefully considered (for some excellent ideas see pg70). Inflatable mats offer the best combination of low weight and comfort. Down sleeping bags offer the best warmth-to-weight ratio, but in damp conditions…

THIS year marks Hilleberg’s 50th year of making high quality bushwalking tents. Founded in 1971 by Bo and Renate Hilleberg, Hilleberg is one of very few outdoor companies that has focused exclusively on only one category of product – tents and shelters – from its inception. “Even when many outdoor companies began diversifying their product lines, we felt that specialising in one product category, and really doing that to the best of our abilities, was the best way for us,” says Bo. Hilleberg has not only remained steadfast in its specialisation, but also in continually to improve tent design. With their first tent, the company pioneered linked outer and inner tent construction, allowing for simultaneous pitching. In 1975, Hilleberg was the first to use silicone-coated fabrics in their outer tents.…

HOW many long-distance hikes do you know where you’re more likely to encounter an echidna or koala than another person? Where the track is flat and well-maintained? Where you can kick back at night next to a campfire, and nearly the whole epic route is within a national park or other reserve? I can only think of one, the Great South West Walk (GSWW), a 251km two-week trek tucked away near Portland in the southwest corner of Victoria. The track divides neatly into four equal and spectacular parts: the tall forests of the Cobboboonee, the tranquil Glenelg River, the isolated beaches of Discovery Bay, and the breathtaking cliffs and rocky capes west of Portland. It’s tough to winnow down the highlights of the walk, but here are 10 things to…