Innholdsfortegnelse for April-May 2025 i Great Walks

HADI Nazari (23) and two friends set out to conquer Mt Kosciuszko on December 23 last year. All experienced bushwalkers, they departed from Geehi campground with food, supplies, and thorough research of the terrain. Over three days, they summited Kosciuszko, looped around the Main Range, and headed back. The trio often hiked separately to enjoy the solitude, and they were familiar with rugged areas like Victoria’s High Country. Everything went smoothly until Hadi strayed off course on Boxing Day during the final leg – a 6.5 km stretch of the challenging Hannels Spur track and quicky became lost. Although he wasn’t panicked at first, as the sun went down, he says the wilderness became more daunting. Also, he was thirsty and hungry, having skipped breakfast, and the heat weighed on…

WE all love hiking, but everyone’s had days on which they’ve had to fight for every inch of trail. I’m not talking about bad weather or injury; I’m talking about the countryside taking on a personality of its own, one bent on making your passage through it as difficult as possible. On those days a bushwalk can feel more like combat than recreation. The trick is to fight back. Armed with legendary 5th century BC tactical text, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, Dan Slater recalls one recent such duel of wills, deep within the bosom of the Budawangs. Round 1 “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win” - Sun Tzu, The Art of War…

“MY FOUR DAYS WITH THE CREW AT TALANOA TREKS WAS FAR MORE THAN TREKKING” IT must be the land of the long white wellington, I mused as Sai, our guide from Naga village, strode so shod in front of me. I’ve seen them regularly at fish markets, I even wore a pair when I worked at a chocolate factory decades ago. But here, in the Fijian Highlands, they’re the footwear of choice for local guides. Manasa from Navai village, who had led us up Mt Tomaniivi, had them. And Waicevata, whose name means snow in Fijian, was fittingly part of the white shoe brigade. I’m pretty certain even the 1324 metre summit of Tomaniivi, Fiji’s highest mountain, has never seen snow. But news does of course travel via storytelling. A…

AT Mevagissey Harbour, I join a rowdy crowd for Friday night fish and chips, squeezed onto a bench as gulls hover overhead, eyeing any dropped chips. The sounds of laughter and conversation mix with the harmonies of a local barbershop quartet, who break into song just as I take my first bite. It’s one of those unexpected travel moments that perfectly capture everything special about the South West Coast Path (SWCP) – connections, unpolished, unscripted, and full of life. I have the privilege of walking the entire trail over 50 days – 45 days of hiking, with five days set aside for rest, recovery, and reflection. It’s an experience I’ll always cherish, blending stunning landscapes with a deep sense of connection to the past and quiet personal introspection. At the…

THE Mackay Highlands Great Walk is one of Qld’s most captivating multi-day hiking experiences. Set in the lush and tropical hinterland of Mackay, it stretches 66km through dense rainforests, steep hills, and mountainous terrain. This walk offers a fantastic opportunity for bushwalkers to connect with the unique flora, fauna, and rich Aboriginal history of the region. Here’s a breakdown of this great walk. Day 1: Mackay to Eungella National Park The walk begins at the picturesque town of Mackay, Queensland. The first part the trail takes you towards Eungella National Park, a natural wonder that’s renowned for its cool temperatures and stunning views. The first leg of the walk covers around 14km, beginning at the Mackay Highlands entrance. This walk is primarily through open forest and climbs gradually up the…

IF you ever go to a pub quiz night or play Trivial Pursuit, you’ll know the geography category of questions is hotly contested (and often causes the most arguments!) so test out your knowledge of these quick-fire questions. 1. What is the capital of Canada?2. Which ocean is the largest in the world?3. Which country has the most natural lakes?4. What is the longest river in the world?5. What is the largest continent by area?6. Mount Everest is in which two countries?7. What is the largest desert in the world?8. Which is the smallest country in the world by land area?9. What country has the most time zones?10. Which country has the most pyramids?11. What is the longest mountain range in the world?12. Which river flows through the city of London?13. What…

What's your earliest bushwalking memory? When I was a boy in the UK, hiking with my parents sparked a lifelong passion. This passion grew when I joined a local Youth Hostels Association group in Portsmouth at 18. Meeting Tasmanians on a working holiday led me to Tasmania in 1969. My first bushwalks included Mt Anne and a four-day stay on Maria Island. While working in a remote mining town, I led teenage groups on walks, which inspired me to pursue hiking professionally. I later worked for Outward Bound in NZ and adventured in Australia, Central Africa and China. What got you into the walking tour business? From working as a full-time Outdoor Education teacher for almost 40 years, as a natural progression I starting walking tours. It gave me so…

This is the spectacular view from Nature's Window at WA’s Kalbarri NP, a wind-eroded opening in the layered sandstone that frames a view of the Murchison River. You can explore it on a 1km return walk or take on the longer Loop Trail (9km/3-5hr) – a challenging but spectacular walk over both rocky and sandy terrain. Along the way you’ll pass vantage points that provide different perspectives on the switchback course of the Murchison River. Another highlight, perched right on the clifftop are the two platforms of the Kalbarri Skywalk that jut out over the gorge. The views from the Skywalk are incredible. Explore one of the many bushwalking trails that lead you down into the gorge and see the colour and splendour of the natural area. Along the coast,…

SOME may say the Three Capes Track is a once in a lifetime trip. I may have even said that myself but here I stand corrected. Having just returned from my second Three Capes experience, some seven years after my first, I would have to say, like a good bottle of wine and George Clooney, it just seems to get better with age. Seven years ago, my first-born Harper was 10 and her introduction to multi-day hiking was the Three Capes Track. This time round it was my younger daughter Gem’s turn. With seven years hiking experience under my belt – and in my knees – I was noticeably more relaxed and better at using hiking poles. “I WATCH GEM STAND UP STRAIGHTER, REMINDED SHE IS ABOUT TO UNDERTAKE SOMETHING…

PRESENTED BY JANE (66): “I met Karen at a Citizen’s Orchestra event in Adelaide in 2022. We soon found we had a lot in common including ukulele, bushwalking, cycling and music. Soon after, we decided to do the Lavender Trail, a 325km walk from Murray Bridge to Clare SA. We are about halfway, managing to do a section at a time sometimes months apart. Karen and I clicked, and our discussions are amazing, open and wide ranging and sometimes deeply personal. Some of the stuff we talk about will certainly remain on the trail! Karen provides a great meal the night before our walk often with some leftover for lunch. We seem to easily agree on distances and times pouring over the maps and deciding on parking spots for our…

NAMED by French explorer Nicolas Baudin (1754-1803) in honour of the French navigator and minister of marine, Charles, Count of Fleurieu, the Fleurieu Peninsula offers a wonderful range of coastal day walks. Whether you’re exploring rugged coastlines, tranquil rivers or historical landmarks, the peninsula’s walks offer a rich and diverse experience for nature lovers and history buffs. Here are our five favourite Fleurieu Peninsula day walks. Deep Creek Walk, Deep Creek Conservation Park Start/End: Deep Creek Conservation Park Visitor Centre 10.5 km (loop) /3.5 to 4 hours The Deep Creek Conservation Park offers one of the Fleurieu Peninsula's most iconic walks, combining coastal cliffs, lush bushland, and panoramic views of the Southern Ocean. The Deep Creek Walk begins at the Deep Creek Visitor Centre and takes you on a loop…

WHEN it was suggested to me that I should consider walking in Croatia, I was at best lukewarm. All I could have told you about Croatia is that Dubrovnik is swamped with tourists and somewhere there are cities called Zagreb and Split. None of that was enticing me to walk there, but my partner Sonya insisted there was natural beauty spread right throughout Croatia, and over time she won me over to her way of thinking. By the time I boarded the flight at Melbourne, I had started to believe walking in Croatia was going to be a highlight of my overseas adventures. Linking up It was a group of four Australians – all friends – that rendezvoused in Zagreb in September, where we linked up with a local guide/driver…

EXTRACTS FROM A PHILOSOPHY OF WALKING, FRÉDÉRIC GROS IN his non-fiction book A Philosophy of Walking, a bestseller in France, leading thinker Frédéric Gros charts the many different ways we get from A to B on foot – the pilgrimage, the promenade, the protest march, the nature ramble – and reveals what they say about us. Here are some thought-provoking extracts from the book. “Days of slow walking are very long: they make you live longer, because you have allowed every hour, every minute, every second to breathe, to deepen, instead of filling them up by straining the joints…” “None of your knowledge, your reading, your connections will be of any use here: two legs suffice, and big eyes to see with. Walk alone, across mountains or through forests. You…

HEAVY rain was predicted for our first week of rambling around the tracks on the Whitsunday Islands, but this didn’t dampen our spirits. Hey, the rain’s warm up here. On day one from Shute Harbour, Phil on his Island Transfers boat dropped us off at a well named Sandy Bay on uninhabited South Molle Island. Our trek was 18km of “wow!” and “wow!” again. The vegetation and views change at every corner. The wide winding track took us up to views of blue water far below and over and through hundreds, thousands, of xanthorrhoea, grass trees. The occasional lorikeet perched at the top of some the flowering spikes, and the xanthorrhoea grass trees’ thick black stems surrounded us close to the path. We then walked past forest trees sadly being…

“THE RUINS OF A TRAPPIST MONASTERY, LA TRAPPA, CAME INTO VIEW” THE Island of Mallorca attracts hordes of sun-worshiping northern Europeans to its beaches. The airport at Palma is as busy as Heathrow during the summer, so you wouldn’t expect to find isolation on a long-distance hike of 140km through remote mountains in this compact, popular, tourist destination. But if you’re prepared to turn away from the crowded beach resorts and don your hiking boots, a fantastic insight into rural Mallorca is on offer. The Drystone Route, GR221 (La Ruta de Pedra en Sec), stretches along the Serra de Tramuntana mountains, between Port d’Andratx in the south-west and Port de Pollenca in the north. The limestone which forms these UNESCO World Heritage listed mountains was also used historically as building…

What is your role in Walk Japan and what does it entail? I took on the role of Walk Japan’s CEO in 2002 after spending five years as a tour leader for the company. At first, we only had a handful of staff so I did anything and everything including customer service, hotel reservations, guiding, new tour development and PR and marketing. The company has now grown to over 170 colleagues who have taken over many of these roles from me. My work now focuses on being the public face of Walk Japan within Japan and overseas, supervising our Community Project, developing contacts with other companies and government agencies, creating partnerships, advancing our corporate strategy and promoting our corporate ideals. Walk Japan has been around since 1992. Has a lot…

MY hiking friends and I visited Bungonia NP, southern NSW, in September for a challenging gorge walk before the weather warmed up. Known as the deepest gorge in Australia, it drops 300m below the rim, making entry and exit tough. While there are easier rim walks, we decided on an all-day circuit covering Bungonia Creek from the Shoalhaven River, through the Red Track slot canyon, and beyond. Although I had walked the Red Track before, this time I aimed to explore further, continuing along Bungonia Creek to where it meets the Yellow Track near the campground. We weren’t sure if we’d make it past the waterfalls, so we’d see how far we could go. Starting with the easy White Track to Mt Ayre, we were treated to beautiful views of…