Great Walks

AS I write this it’s Movember and men are growing crazy moustaches for mental health awareness. In Australia, 75% of suicides are men. And mental health issues are just as prevalent for women. This got me thinking about the health benefits of the out

ON a recent long weekend I went to the Blue Mountains with my husband and some friends. We hired a beautiful house near Blackheath with the intention of doing some bushwalks, and enjoying some good food and wine. We arrived mid afternoon on the Frida

I STEP from the train whilst adjusting the straps on my bag, the sound of the train dominates the scenery, the doors close and with the distinctive whine of electric motors, the hunk of speed and steel pulls away dragging the cacophony of noise with

GARDENS of Stone NP, part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, is a dramatic landscape featuring stunning rock pagodas, sandstone cliffs, canyons and breathtaking scenic views. A standout feature is Pantoneys Crown, an isolated massif j

FALLS Creek is arguably the most attractive ski village in Australia and definitely one of the most popular. Yes, it’s a winter wonderland and a snow-lovers’ paradise but it’s also home to a variety of summer adventures such as mountain biking, road

THE national flag features a dragon, the natives breakfast on seaweed and cockles and speak an unintelligible language, and their ancient tales are the basis of Arthurian legends. Despite these oddities, a visit to Wales is sure to fill you with a se

BUSHWALKING is something you can do at any age and the only that may change as you get older is choosing your walking tracks more wisely. It’s great for your bones, your brain and your social life but how do you do it as you head into your twilight y

NEW for 2019 from Swedish brand Hilleberg (‘The Tentmaker’) is the Allak 3, a three-person freestanding dome tent. Sitting between the Black and Yellow labels, Hilleberg’s Red Label range has a balance of weight and stability designed for general all

SUMMER is well and truly here and with it, courtesy of global climate change, the latest rise in an upward temperature spiral that is sure to spell increasing discomfort for outdoor enthusiasts. In such an environment, fabrics that wick away perspira

The fabric in this Polartec Power Dry top is made in the USA from 100% recycled polyester, weighs 125 grams/m² and washes odour free. The unique spun and filament yarn and bi-component construction ensures wicking and drying properties last the lifet

Editor of Great Walks’ sister publication Australian Sporting Shooterand author of Bushwalking Basics, Marcus has spent much of his life in the outdoors. THE Bushwalking Ethos is the natural enemy to marketing excess, but nowadays that juxtapositio

THE last couple of years have seen a huge growth in the trend for pack-free multi-day walks. Sure, this style of walking opens up opportunities for people who for various reasons don’t want to (or can’t) carry a full pack for days at a time, but my b

AS one of the four points of Australia, Land’s End is dramatically known as the most southern tip of the mainland. It is also not the easiest point to reach involving a two-day hike and an overnight camp with no vehicle access. Located in Victoria’s

AS a volunteer with the Bibbulmun Track Foundation in WA, I am often asked to give advice to walkers about gear they need to undertake a longish walk in the bush. Requests for information come from walkers of all levels, ranging from the highly exper

SPRINGBROOK National Park, located in the Gold Coast hinterland, is World Heritage-listed as part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia (see breakout), and spectacular waterfalls are a gushing draw. So, as long as you can handle slippery rocks, mu

AS I approached the ancient landscape of imposing rocky buttresses, deep wooded valleys and the primal beauty of the 21,000-hectare Warrumbungles National Park, clusters of jagged volcanic spires jutted out into the skyline, visible for many kilometr

I AM a walker at heart. It all began years ago in my childhood in the 1950’s. I grew up in Sydney in the days when a lot of the northern beaches bushland was unexplored. I had a bush track leading from my house to just about everywhere I wanted to go

THERE’S nothing like sitting in a cinema, munching your popcorn and watching an inspiring movie about someone’s travels in exotic locations. Well, actually travelling to those exotic places yourself is probably more inspiring! Still, you have to star

READERS may be familiar with the film Tracks (2013), adapted from Robyn Davidson’s 1980 memoir. The book and film recount Davidson’s 2700km desert walk from Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean, accompanied by four camels and a dog. Further afield, Cher

MOST of us start out by borrowing some equipment or buying cheap gear. In the outdoors, cheap usually means heavy and many of us have experienced this. Heavy tents and bulky clothing kept us warm and comfortable and often lasted forever, but being he