Table of contents for October-November 2025 in Great Walks

HIKING in Tasmania is a grounded, immersive experience that strips things back to what matters. The trails lead through a variety of landscapes – dense rainforests, high alpine plains, quiet valleys and dramatic coastlines – all within relatively short distances. In places like Cradle Mountain or the Bay of Fires, the scenery changes rapidly, keeping every step interesting. The air is clean and cool, often carrying the scent of eucalyptus or sea salt. Wildlife is everywhere but not intrusive – wombats grazing, echidnas shuffling and wallabies watching from the bush. The isolation is part of the appeal; you can go hours without seeing another person yet feel completely at ease. Tasmania doesn’t try to impress with grandeur alone. Its beauty lies in the details: moss-covered trees, shifting light and still…

FOR years, I had dreamed of hiking Tasmania’s Overland Track – a 65km alpine trail that slices through the wilderness of the Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park, part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. It wasn’t just the sheer beauty of it – the ancient rainforests, glacial valleys and towering dolerite peaks – but the idea that, for six days, I could be immersed in something raw, remote and real. Planning the Walk For the summer season – from October 1 to May 31 – bookings are essential and bushwalkers must walk the track north to south, starting from Cradle Mountain and ending at Lake St Clair. I chose January when the days are long, the weather is mild and wildflowers are in abundance. But even in January,…

THE first person to successfully swim the shark infested waters off the Tasman Peninsula was a bushranger named Martin Cash in 1840 to escape the terrors of Port Arthur. Back then the penal colony was surrounded by high walls, armed guards, impenetrable bush, impossibly high sea cliffs and those uninviting waters, all making it escape proof. Well, almost. I was introduced to Martin Cash by my Life's An Adventure guide Danny as we began our Three Capes walk. Danny's a local and knowing a whole lot about the state, loves telling stories about the characters who add so much colour to Tassie's history. Our Three Capes walk started off with a lovely bus ride from Hobart to the start of the walk in Tasman NP on the peninsula. This place…

ARRIVING in Malaga, Spain at 9.30pm on a Saturday night after 13hr travel from Taranto in southern Puglia, Italy, the streets were noisy and packed with tourists and diners spilling onto the pavements. A 620km hike in Italy lay behind us and although tired, we were pumped about the adventure ahead, our first walk in Spain. Paul and I ‘tacked on’ this 416km Andalucian Coast to Coast Walk after reading the ‘blurb’. It sounded incredible. From Maro on the Mediterranean Sea to Bolonia on the Atlantic Ocean the trail passes through six national parks and some of Andalucia’s most beautiful villages. It’s a challenging walk with stunning scenery, massive Karst mountains, ancient oak forests and Roman footpaths. The Andalucian Coast to Coast Walk is not a recognised or gazetted trail…

NEED TO KNOW The Coffin Roads, Ian Bradley qbd.com.au…

Walking the Bay Fires is an experience grounded in simplicity and wild beauty. The track follows a long stretch of Tasmania’s northeast coast, where white sand beaches meet rocky headlands and the bushland comes right down to the shore. It stretches from Eddystone Point in the north to Binalong Bay in the south. The walk takes you through changing terrain: firm beaches, dune paths and granite outcrops covered in fluorescent orange lichen. The light shifts constantly, from soft morning haze to the sharp, bright clarity of midday, then to the golden calm of late afternoon. The ocean is always in view – sometimes still and glassy, sometimes wild with surf. parks.tas.gov.au…

I’M not sure if Abel Tasman himself was a bushwalker. He was, however, an intrepid adventurer who first sighted the land of Tasmania from the deck of his sailing ship Heemskerk on 24 November 1642. Fittingly, Abel Tasman had arrived just above Macquarie Harbour on the west coast of Tasmania. This wild part of Tasmania remains today a gateway and neighbour to some of the most foreboding of ambitions for outdoor adventurers. The onward sailing journey of Abel Tasman and his crew was around the south-western and southern coastlines of Tasmania. In reasonable weather, we can assume this would have been accompanied by consistent and unrelenting views of mountains and the ranges they reside within, and tower formidably above. Many of the mountains Abel Tasman likely saw, would reach 1,100m…

OVER the past 90 years, Queensland has seen many plane crashes. This story focuses on six crashes between 1937 and 2001. Of the 35 people involved, only two survived. Some crash sites are easily accessible, while others need strong navigation skills. All are tragic and deserve remembrance. I’ve visited two of the sites and I want to thank bushwalking friends for sharing photos of the others and the Queensland State Library for providing further information. The Stinson wreck, Lamington NP The Stinson plane crash of 1937 is one of Queensland’s most well-known aviation tragedies. The tri-motor passenger plane went down in a storm in the McPherson Range on the Queensland–New South Wales border. Seven people were on board – two pilots and five passengers. Only two passengers survived. I first…

WALK the Yorke is the second longest walking trail in South Australia, after the Heysen Trail. It is 500km long and follows the coast of the Yorke Peninsula, north of Adelaide. When I mention Walk the Yorke to other hikers the most common response I get is that “beach walks are flat and boring” – those people are wrong and are missing out. From rugged cliffs to lighthouses, some of the most stunning scenery in SA can be found on the Yorke Peninsula coast. In summer when it is too hot to walk in the hills due to fire danger, sea breezes mean it is several degrees cooler near the shore and there is the opportunity to go for a swim to cool down afterwards. Like most long distance walking…

HENRY David Thoreau’s 1854 book Walden; or, Life in the Woods is a memoir, spiritual exploration and social critique that recounts his two-year stay in a cabin near Walden Pond in Massachusetts. There, Thoreau observed nature with great care, recording the flora, fauna and seasonal changes of the pond. The work blends scientific detail with poetic insight and advocates self-reliance, intentional living and a deeper connection to the natural world. Here are some beautiful quotes from the book. “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” “I learned this, at least, by my experiment:…

"STOP making me laugh, I am going to wee in my pants,” was blurring through the quietness of the magnificent Abel Tasman National Park. That, my dear friends, is what awaits you all when you turn 50. Nothing is easy anymore, but it sure is funnier. NZ’s Abel Tasman Coast Track is one of those walks you can leave for when you are that age, and for me and my group of friends, 2025 was the year to do just that. The scenery is magnificent, with beautiful hidden beaches with the most crystal-clear turquoise water. We had a swim most days, and the water was unbelievable. On your walk expect to meet some cheeky locals. On our first snack break at Apple Bay we came across the weka, a bird…

“PUTTING ON SODDEN MUDDY SOCKS AND CLOTHES IS NEVER FUN” MY decision to traverse the Western Arthurs via the Western Portal was evolutionary. Over the last few years, maps on the area that I’d bought circumspectly began appearing at home. The Western Portal (1,181m) had been gaining mythical status in my mind as hiking in this area links the Western Arthurs to the Eastern Arthurs. The study on this goliath objective progressed to be a matter of when, not if, I might finally find myself there. The area impacting access to the Western Portal had been devastated by 2018/2019 fires though, and further, phytophthora cinnamomi (rootrot fungus) was also detected and noted to be found in other areas such as along the Eastern Arthur Range Traverse. This is adjacent to…

WITH its rugged mountain ranges, dramatic coastlines, lush rainforests and pristine beaches, Tasmania offers some of the most accessible and breathtaking day walks in Australia. Whether you're an experienced hiker or a casual explorer, there’s a day walk here for you. From alpine peaks to coastal capes, here are our top 10 day walks, with everything you need to know to get there and make the most of each trail. 1 Dove Lake Circuit, Cradle Mountain 6km circuit/2hr Getting there: From Sheffield, drive to the Cradle Mountain visitor centre (2.5 hours from Launceston); shuttle buses run to the trailhead Features: Glacial lake, mossy rainforest, Cradle Mountain views If you’re not planning on walking the Overland Track (see pg 10), then this day walk will at least give you a taster.…

MY wife Beth has many great attributes. I’d be a fool to state otherwise. But when it comes to walking, we kind of have differing views. I think nothing of a 10-20km stroll before the morning coffee catch up with friends at the local café; Beth, on the other hand, will often drive the 1km there. When I mention signing up for another Camino, she starts researching European River Cruises and a single-room rate. But when I told her specialists Portugual Green Walks had launched their newly curated “Luxury Coastal Camino” her eyes lit up. I could almost see the bubble above her head as she visualised, “A short stroll then a spa treatment?” Being somewhat more realistic, I started to get her walk-conditioned and after a few short months,…

We all know Tasmania is a bushwalker’s paradise, and the southernmost state can certainly turn on the charm, weather-wise. Actual sunny days can occur, sometimes as many as two in a row! However, the wise walker will always pack as if a force 10 gale is lurking just over the hill, which it often is. The gear you take to Tassie must be tough and functional; this is not the environment in which to road test your new UL set-up! This issue, Great Walks looks at some TAS-proof equipment for your next hike on the Apple Isle. 1 ONE PLANET Bungle -12 Sleeping Bag (REG) What temperature rating you look for in a sleeping bag depends on your body and how it behaves, but regardless of the warmth, it needs…

SPRINGBROOK National Park, nestled in the Gold Coast hinterland, is part of the World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests of Australia and is renowned for its breathtaking waterfalls. For those up for the challenge of slippery rocks, muddy trails, fallen trees, creek crossings and steep cliffs, the park’s longest and most waterfall-laden hike, the 17km Warrie Circuit, is a must. The Warrie Circuit begins atop the 900m-high Springbrook Plateau, one of four sections within the 6,197-hectare park. The others are Natural Bridge and Numinbah to the west, and Mount Cougal to the east. From Brisbane, take exit 69 off the Pacific Motorway, follow Nerang-Murwillumbah Road, turn left onto Pine Creek Road, and then follow signs to Springbrook and Canyon Lookout. From the lookout, you’re treated to sweeping views over dense subtropical rainforest,…