Great Walks

2021 is the next Holy Year of the Camino – that network of pilgrims’ Ways leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, northwestern Spain. People have been walking Caminos for centu

If you think a trip to Japan only involves visiting futuristic cities and watching sumo wrestling, think again. Bring your hiking boots because some of the best views and experiences are off the beaten track, as Japan is a country of mountains. More

THE Eastern Goldfields, 550km to the east of Perth, is isolated, harsh and dry with a small number of reliable and permanent sources of water. Over millennia, the traditional Aboriginal people of the region survived because of their knowledge of the

IF you were to view an aerial map of the Pinnacles trail in Malaysia’s Gunung Mulu NP, you would surely notice one glaring omission: there are no switchbacks. Climbing directly up Gunung Api’s north-western flank, the route gains 1200m of elevation i

2021 marks the 21st anniversary since Park Trek was first launched in 2000 with a handful of walking tours. Over the years, the company has expanded to encompass a variety of destinations all over Australia. To celebrate this milestone Great Walks wa

Distance: 73km | Time: 5 days | Grade: moderate Day 1: Tarra Bulga NP: 8km/3.5hr/easy to moderate. Day 2: Telegraph Saddle to Wilsons Prom Lightstation: 19km/7 hours/moderate to hard. Day 3: Wilsons Prom Lightstation to Telegraph Saddle via Water

Kathryn: "This photo was taken on top of Tasmania’s highest peak, Mt Ossa. It was such a beautiful clear day with barely a breath of wind, which allowed me to capture an almost perfect reflection in the tarn on top. I took my time to soak in the stun

Jackie: "After 100+ days of lockdown we headed for the High Country, literally 6 hours after Melbourne’s metro-regional boundary was lifted. While it is always incredible up there, this time it was so much more special." Martin: "Holidaying in the m

DURING my working life as a nurse, a partner in a family business and mother of three children, I felt I had given a lot of my time and energy. I needed to reset my direction and focus in life. The need to be apart from the ‘hurly burly’ of busy-ness

MY fiancé Graeme, and I walked our Camino from Leon to Santiago (over 300km) in September 2018 when we were in our early 40s. I wanted to take on a Camino as I have multiple sclerosis, with extensive damage to my spinal cord. This disability is slowl

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 fro

I AM from Brazil, but have been living in NZ for over 21 years. Brazil, being a very Catholic country, I have always heard about the Camino and met many people who have wanted to do it but never did, so it always sat in the back of my mind. I am not

LIKE many people my first Camino was the Camino Frances from St. Jean Pied de Port all the way to Santiago de Compostela. I walked it with my husband in September/October 2009. We were both in our late fifties. Since then I’ve walked many more, somet

I don’t mind a challenge. Multi-day walks for me often mean long days, maybe a handful of river crossings and a dash of wondering where the hell the track goes. They mean eating ramen noodles and tuna for dinner (because they’re light) and then falli

PEOPLE have been walking Europe’s iconic Camino pilgrim walks for hundreds of years and doing it in many ways – guided, independent, all in one go or over the course of their lives. Some people have the time, and need, to walk the whole thing, while

Distance: 48km | Time: 4 days/3 nights | Grade: medium Day 1: Port Arthur to Surveyors, 4km/1.5-2hr Day 2: Surveyors to Munro, 11km/4-4.5hr Day 3: Munro to Retakunna, 19km/6-7hr Day 4: Retakunna to Fortescue Bay, 14km/6-7hr ■

AUSTRALIA’S rugged beauty and remoteness are breathtaking but it’s also dangerous. I’ve seen the desperation of family and friends waiting for news of a loved one missing on a bushwalk. I’ve marvelled at the skills of professional and volunteer emerg

ON a sunny June morning, my husband and I are walking at a decent clip through Lamington National Park’s World Heritage-listed rainforest, our favourite place to hike. It’s our first getaway since Queensland’s initial pandemic lockdowns, and we feel

FOR about 18 months now, Saturdays have been my “adventure days”. First it was for a quick sweat session on our suburban, popular tracks, then eventually outings to higher peaks, longer distances and more isolated spots got my attention. Before I kne

The ultralight kit (227gm) features enough supplies for 1-2 people on trips up to four days. With the contents of this kit you'll be able to clean and close wounds, stabilise fractures and sprains, stop blisters before they start, do emergency repair

La Sportiva is legendary for making great trail runners and hiking boots and here they’ve gone and combined the best of both worlds in this hybrid style. The Ultra Raptor II Mid takes the comfort and performance of one of the best trail running shoes

WHEN I was a little kid, I would spend hours on the loungeroom floor, poring over the pullout maps that came with National Geographic. I’d carefully unfold the origami packet, like a Christmas present with special wrapping, and open it up to reveal a

THE only Japanese force to land in Australia during WWII was a small reconnaissance party that arrived in northern WA’s Kimberley region on 19 January 1944, to investigate reports of the Allies building large bases there. The party consisted of four

Time: 4 days| Distance: 34km| Grade: easy-moderate Day 1: Emma Gorge, Amalia Gorge Trail Day 2: Champagne Falls and El Questro Gorge Day 3: Zebedee springs, El Questro; Cathedral Gorge, Purnululu NP Day 4: Heli-hike, Piccaninny Gorge, Purnululu

WHEN I was living in Airlie Beach I got bewitched by the untamed force that emanated from Conway National Park. A wild energy that strongly contrasted with the calm spell of the sea. I looked for the source of this magic from the top of Mt. Rooper to

Time: 3-3.5hr | Length: 8km | Grade: moderate From Kara Crescent, follow the Conway circuit then turn right toward the Honeyeater lookout. The walk to the lookout is mostly uphill and very steep, but the views from the top are magnificent. ■

CHALLENGE and Beauty is a company that publishes hiking and trail running guides to parks around the world. To research our book, Day Hikes Tasmania, we explored almost every trail in Tasmania, and here, we are excited to share our top 10 favourites.