Hiking the Larapinta Trail in Australia, with World Expeditions. Photo / Anna Sarjeant
All Great walks are great — but not all great walks are “Great”. If you’re confused, welcome to Australia’s multi-day walks. To shed light on the situation, Jessica Wynne Lockhart explains the essentials.
The day’s walk had been a relatively easy one. It took us just five hours to reach our campsite, where we’d cooled off in the nearby waterfall. We were sitting beneath the swaying eucalypts when we heard the noise.
More of a repetitive grunt than a growl, it could be a feral pig. But could it also be . . .?
We raced towards the source. It didn’t take long to spot the koala, low in the trees. Getting to see the endangered marsupial in the wild just steps from our tents was pure magic — and it was only the start of my four-day tramp along Queensland’s Conondale Range Great Walk.
When I moved to Australia two years ago and found out that my new home state had “Great Walks”, I immediately started lacing up my boots. At the time, I thought Queensland’s Great Walks would be synonymous with the experience I’d come to love in New Zealand: Beginner-friendly tramping trails, huts staffed by wardens, and virtually no need for orienteering skills.
However, it wasn’t long before I discovered that the only thing the two wilderness experiences shared was a name — which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Here’s what I’ve since learned about Australia’s Great Walks—and how you can book one of the greatest multi-day walks of your life.
It probably won’t surprise you to learn that Queensland’s multi-day hiking trails weren’t marketed as “Great Walks” by coincidence. The history of this first dates back to 1992, when New Zealand’s Great Walks were launched. It wasn’t long before they became an internationally recognised brand, with other destinations — including Queensland — looking to replicate the successful formula.
But it took more than another decade before the Queensland government identified six tracks to develop, allocating a modest budget of A$10 million to the programme. It was only slightly more than New Zealand now spends on a single walk. (Upgrades on Southland’s Hump Ridge Track — which will join the Great Walks collection shortly — cost about NZ$8m.) For the sake of “considerable cost savings”, Parks Queensland based the tracks around pre-existing logging roads and fire trails. This, unfortunately, led to one of the biggest issues with Queensland’s Great Walks — while the trails carry walkers deep into some of the state’s most unique environments, they can sometimes feel more utilitarian than spectacular.
The 56km Conondale Range Great Walk, for example, takes walkers nearly to the top of the 868-metre Mount Langley, which is the range’s highest peak. But nary a view is to be seen at the top. Spending time in the bush is great, but it’s better when there are clear visual rewards for all the sweat and sore knees. It can also feel a bit disheartening to reach what feels like remote back country, only to see a 4WD zoom by. Similarly, small portions of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk involve walking alongside a busy road; hardly the immersed-in-nature experience you’d expect from a “great” walk.
But that’s not to say that Queensland’s Great Walks aren’t worth doing — or worth travelling for. Bound to appeal to experienced trampers, they offer unparalleled wildlife viewing opportunities on comparatively uncrowded trails. (I once walked the entirety of the 102km Cooloola Great Walk during school holidays without seeing another soul.) Last-minute bookings are easy to make and won’t break the bank: Queensland’s walkers camps only cost A$7.25/person.
Each of the tracks is clearly signed, with established walkers’ camps that feature platforms, rainwater tanks, a dunnie, and sometimes food lockers to keep pesky bush rats at bay. Don’t expect to see any park rangers though — hikers need to be well-equipped for remote locations.
Never heard of New South Wales’ Great Walks? That may be because this collective of treks is even more fledgling than Queensland’s. First launched in 2014, it initially had a diminutive budget of just A$2.4m. But very recently, the New South Wales Government has doubled down on its efforts to “transform the state into a bushwalking mecca”, according to a recent press release. Over the next four years, more than $450m will be invested into 200 state park visitor infrastructure projects, including NSW’s Great Walks.
Currently, a network of 13 multi-day walks is in development, with seven already in operation. Most are coastal trails, with interpretative storytelling and expansive ocean views — but soon more inland tracks will be added, including the 55km Snowies Alpine Walk. Linking the resorts of Guthega, Charlotte Pass, Perisher and Lake Crackenback and offering vistas of endless horizons and snow-capped peaks, it’s due to be completed in 2024.
With a focus on improving accessibility for all skill and fitness levels, New South Wales’ Great Walks include accommodation in serviced campgrounds, huts and hotels, with operators offering pack transfers and support. If you’re keen to hike in Australia, but wary of the unique challenges presented by the country’s wilderness (hello, snakes and spiders!) this collection of walks is a great option.
Think you’ve got your mind wrapped around Australia’s Great Walks? We’re going to throw a wrench in the works — there’s one more category of “Great Walks” we haven’t even mentioned yet: The Great Walks of Australia.
Entirely unaffiliated with the parks departments, this is a collection of 12 multi-day guided walks offered by independent tour operators in Australia. It’s also an exclusive club. To become a member, each walk must meet a certain set of criteria and standards, including exceptional food and drink offerings. In terms of accommodation, real beds are frequently involved, which is a clear selling point for hikers like me who are good at walking, but bad at sleeping.
Importantly, each of the Great Walks of Australia traverses iconic landscapes, where visitors can learn about each region’s ecology and history. Some are on trails open to independent walkers (such as Cradle Mountain and the Larapinta Trail), while others (such as the Murray River Walk) are exclusive to Great Walks of Australia, with sections that explore private land.
As a co-worker once said to me, “You don’t need to be a hero on your holiday.” And when a cheese plate and cold beer is offered to me after a day of hiking, I couldn’t agree more.
GETTING THERE
Fly direct to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Gold Coast Airport from Auckland with Air NZ, Qantas and Jetstar.
DETAILS
australia.com/en-nz
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