Great Walks

Northern California is a bushwalker’s paradise with world-class trails like the Pacific Crest Trail and the John Muir Trail that traverse some of America's most dramatic landscapes. And soon there'll be another bucket list-worthy trail. The 960km Los

TRAIL magic is a term usually heard in US hiking trail conversations. It basically means “an act of goodwill on the trail” but the meaning can vary. My husband and I experienced a bit of this magic on day two of the Six Foot Track in the Blue Mountai

Total Distance: 223km | Time: 2 weeks | Grade: medium 1. Standley Chasm 2. Ochre Pits 3. Inarlanga Pass 4. Ormiston Pound 5. Mount Sonder 6. Counts Point 7. Serpentine Gorge 8. Ellery Creek ■

“WALK gently on our land, look after it and it will look after you. Our ancestors are watching over you out there, they really are. We, the traditional owners, really are inspired by the walkers, this incredible personal journey that you’re on.” – No

LIKE a Spanish – or perhaps French – eagle gliding majestically above the Pyrenees, the Camino de Santiago soars high above any efforts of explanation. Whether detailing its fascinating history, the twists and turns of the pilgrimage trail itself, or

Distance: 774km | Time: 30-35 days | Grade: Moderate The Camino Francés starts from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on the French side of the Pyrenees, and crosses sizable mountains (check weather), open plains and lush hills on its way to Santiago de Compo

A pilgrimage walk can mean something different to everyone on the trail. A means to reconnect with nature, a religious rite of passage, or simply an active way to spend time with friends. What’s clear is that in many instances, it is not so much the

GROWING up in a small town in north Wales we were kicked out of the house in the morning and told not to come back until tea time. The mountains, hills and woodlands became our playground and we had loads of fun. However, there was not a lot of work

IF you’ve ever considered walking one of the many pilgrims walks around the world you’ll know there’s a lot of information out there and it can all be a bit overwhelming. Well don’t fret! We spoke to a number of Australians who have walked the Camino

AT midday, late in March, I embarked on my pilgrimage at temple number one of the Shikoku 88 Temples Walk, following in the footsteps of Kobai Daishi (aka Kukai), the founder of Shingon Buddhism. My plan was to walk each day and stay wherever I could

TAKE a step back in time en route to Careys Peak as you enter ancient World Heritage listed Gondwana Rainforests. There are many things that makes these rainforests so special, most namely that they represent outstanding examples of Earth’s evolution

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

WE have led guided tours across the Overland Track and the South Coast Track, but still another epic track beckoned – the South West Cape. Usually, we trek Tasmania in summer and Kokoda in winter, however, COVID has thrown a curve ball and Kokoda has

Distance: 68km | Time: 6 days | Grade: medium-challenging Day 1: Melaleuca to New Harbour. 12km/4hr/ Grade: moderate Day 2: New Harbour to Wilson Bight via Ketchem Bay. 13km/6hr/ Grade: moderate Day 3: Wilson Bight to Window Pane. 15km/8hr/ Grade:

LOCKDOWN’S silver lining was discovering more in our backyards than first imagined. So used to looking further afield – to a far flung national park, an iconic interstate walk or passport-compulsory treks inspired by yet another hiking memoir – many

Distance: 65km | Time: 3-4 days | Grade: easy The Great West Walk is a 65km walking route stretching from Parramatta to the foot of the Blue Mountains. The walk traverses a varied landscape of protected Cumberland Plain woodland, local river systems

ONE of the most important things you need to do when planning a bushwalk is check the weather. It’s easy to find out predicted temperature and if there’s a chance of rain with the help of the television or internet, but this doesn’t tell you which di

SO you’ve decided to hike the Camino de Santiago, or one of the other pilgrim paths around the world, and now your mind has turned to equipment. Well, the Camino is no ordinary hike. It’s long, it’s hard, and there’s a lot of wine involved. While you

THERE was a time once when I couldn’t breathe. I tried, but only a tiny bit of the precious air I needed could make its way to my lungs. My body flinched at every noise and tears surfaced for no apparent reason. It made being a functioning human pret

IF you needed anymore evidence on how go the outdoors is for you, doctors in the Canadian province of British Columbia can now prescribe a National Parks pass to patients in need of the physical or mental health benefits offered by time spent in natu

AS a kid I distinctly remember loving the Bunya Mountains junior ranger program. There was a little booklet that had challenges and activities that you could complete, and they all involved you getting out into the bush and seeing nature as a beautif

Sergio Carrasco, Mexico: “Mexican Catrina, an icon of the Day of the Dead, wearing a typical Mexican dress from the state of Chiapas. She is standing in a field of Mexican marigold, or Cempasúchil, a flower traditionally used for Mexican Day of the D

THROUGH red dust clouds kicked up by our traveling companions up front, we caught sight of the enormous mountain of rock emerging in the distance out of flat scrubby plains. We were driving the 834km Kingsford Smith Mail Run from Meekatharra to Carna

‘Kit Kat’ is a fundraiser and avid senior hiker who earned her trail name walking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2019 with type 1 diabetes. WHAT is the appeal of long-distance hiking? Is it access to more remote idyllic villages, pristine tracts of wild

Distance: various | Time: various | Grade: moderate There’s a walking trail for everyone on Mount Augustus – from the climb to the summit (taking 5-8 hours and requiring a high level of fitness) to short walks on flat terrain of 300 or 500m, and eve

THE Camino de Santiago, or the Way of Saint James, is an epic Catholic pilgrimage to the north-western Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela. The trail has been walked since the early ninth century, hosting kings and queens, Roman armies and legions