Australian Geographic

RENOWNED PACK BRAND, Osprey, has released its new Escapist bikepacking range, comprising three backpacks (made using bluesign approved 100 per cent recycled material) and five different types of frame bag, aimed at keen bikepackers and cycle tourers.

THE NSW FAR south coast has, in the past six months, transformed into one of Australia’s best mountain bike destinations, with two amazing MTB destinations now flourishing, and a third (at Mogo) due to open later this year. Gravity Eden MTB Park, in

NAMED AFTER COLORADO’s famous “Million Dollar Highway”, this new five-day, hut-to-hut trek takes participants on an epic journey covering more than 56km. San Juan Mountain Guides has devised this new adventure, and it looks amazing. Linking Silverton

The Madigan Line is one of Australia’s most iconic – and challenging – 4WD adventures. This track follows the historic route of explore Cecil Madigan across the remote northern Simpson Desert. It can take between six and 10 days, and you need to be f

NOTHING SHOUTS ‘ROAD TRIP’ more than singing along to your favourite tunes as you head down the highway in your rig. This one is a classic: “Ridin’ down the highway, goin’ to a show, stop in all the byways, playin’ rock ‘n’ roll…” It’s a long way to

“I HAVE NEVER experienced the sensation of literally wanting to crawl under a tree and die with such frequency and ferocity as I have over the past couple of days,” wrote Emma Flukes on her Instagram (@oneflukeshot) back in September 2018. She was in

If the Larapinta Trail is the perfect NT Red Centre experience, then the 62km Jatbula Trail more than qualifies as its Top End equivalent; the six-day walk is moderate in level but takes you through some of the most vibrant and engaging terrain in th

YOU KNOW THOSE photos you see of kayaks floating in water so clear and calm it looks like they’re suspended in mid-air? It’s hard not to imagine yourself inside such images, which is exactly what I’m doing somewhere off the coast of Tasmania’s Freyci

“AH, NOTHING LIKE a good cup of tea”. These probably aren’t the words you’d expect to hear on a mountain range in New Zealand’s Southern Alps, but it accurately sums up the feeling around camp as twelve hikers shrug off their packs and sit down to a

Distance: 32km one way Time: 3–5 days Difficulty: Hard Thorsborne Trail on Hinchinbrook Island is one of Australia’s great multi-day walks, providing walkers with a real wilderness experience. Only 40 people are permitted on the track at a time so yo

LOOK ACROSS ANY flat stretch of ocean, river or lake in Australia today and it doesn’t surprise to see humans standing on water. What’s up in the world of water adventures is most definitely SUP – stand-up paddleboarding – a pursuit now worth more th

“HELLO!” CALLED A disembodied voice from the doorway. “Are there any PCT hikers here? We’d like to buy you a drink!” Well, this was tricky. I had my Pacific Crest Trail permit clutched in my hot little hand, I had my pack cocked, locked and ready to

WITH HER LASER pointer, Sarah Hicks, a young Murujuga land and sea ranger, is pinpointing a rock carving of a fat-tailed kangaroo. When she explains this species has been extinct for many thousands of years, I feel my goosebumps rise. This portal int

I’M THE FIRST to admit I’m never going to make the Olympic mountain biking team, no matter how much I aspire to sporting greatness. As much as I wish my riding style had that enviable ‘flow’ which mountain bikers aim for, the truth is I’m a numpty. I

122 ORU BAY ST KAYAK 120 NEMO EQUIPMENT DISCO 15 SLEEPING BAG 124 NISSAN NAVARA PRO-4X WARRIOR 118 THE NORTH FACE TERRAIN VISTA 3L PRO JACKET 119 THE NORTH FACE TRAIL LITE 24L BACKPACK For more expert gear tests see www.ausgeoadventure.com ■

IF THERE IS a staple item of gear for outdoor enthusiasts, it is the daypack. This generic term describes a small-ish volume pack – say, 8L to 35L – that is renowned for versatility. The North Face Trail Lite 24L is the latest interpretation. The Nor

EVERY OUTDOORS ENTHUSIAST looks for that ‘all-rounder’, in any form – tent, bike, boots, sleeping bag, head-torch – that can do double- or triple-duty in the field. This is both a budget-conscious decision and, if your gear shed is anything like AGA’

THE FIRST TIME I encountered the curious phrase ‘folding kayak’ was reading Paul Theroux’s 1992 travel book The Happy Isles of Oceania, in which he explores the South Pacific in a 16-foot Klepper Aerius, a German craft assembled from wood and rubber-

CONVENIENCE IS ALL important. If a car company can make your new off-roader as primed as possible for dirty action from the point of purchase, then the convenience factor is in its favour. In recent years Nissan Australia and Melbourne-based vehicle

IF YOU’RE ANYTHING like us, you always look forward to the weekend and – potentially – a new outdoor adventure to enjoy over those two days. As the world ramps up to be as busy (or busier) than it ever was, the sad fact is those precious two days can