Table of contents for April-May 2026 in Great Walks

EVERY so often, a walk comes along that shifts something inside you. Not just a pleasant Sunday ramble or a quick summit before lunch – but something bigger. A journey that stretches over days, digs a little deeper, and leaves you changed in ways you didn’t expect. That’s what we’re celebrating in this issue: epic walks. An epic walk isn’t just about distance. It’s about commitment. It’s about lacing up on day one knowing you’ll still be walking on day three, five, maybe 10. It’s about watching landscapes unfold slowly enough that you feel them, not just see them. And it’s about discovering that you’re capable of more than you thought. Take the Grampians Peaks Trail. It’s a track that demands something of you, it certainly demanded a lot from…

I had visited Gariwerd more than a dozen times over the years, but the opening of the Grampians Peaks Trail revealed views and landscapes that were completely new to me, and what an adventure it was. Setting out on the official day of opening, the prospect was full of unknowns. My biggest mistake heading into it was completely underestimating the difficulty and effort that would be involved (not helped by trail descriptions that, at the time, underquoted walk times). Despite being a seasoned long-distance hiker, there were a few tricky rock scrambles where I had to think “okay, what’s my strategy here?”. I was hiking solo and on the day to Duwul I came upon a good metre-high hoist leading into a narrow rock squeeze barely wide enough for my…

AUSTRALIA is blessed with thousands of kilometres of pristine hiking trails, including mammoth multiday walks. Inland and coastal adventures await any bushwalker with the skills to take on these epic trails, so with this in mind here are our favourite long distance walks that showcase Australia’s unique landscape, flora and fauna. 1 Australian Alps Walking Track Distance: 650km States: Victoria, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory Start Point: Walhalla, Vic End Point: Canberra (or reverse) Open: year round The Australian Alps Walking Track is one of the most logistically demanding long-distance walks in the country. Taking on this trail means travelling through extremely remote alpine wilderness, often in challenging conditions. Depending on the season, walkers may encounter snow, severe weather and difficult terrain. It is not uncommon to go for…

KOSCIUSZKO National Park is a truly special place, showcasing the diversity of Australia in a magnificent alpine environment. The Main Range walk includes some of the most stunning scenery in the park, and anyone who has walked it will know how memorable the experience is. For those yet to experience it, and who are up to the challenge, it is one of those walks you will be glad you completed. The Main Range walk is 22 km from Charlotte Pass, or slightly longer from Thredbo. It can be done in a day or over several days, especially if adding side trips. Four popular add-ons are Blue Lake, The Sentinel, Watsons Crags and the Townsend Range. As this is an alpine area, be prepared for rapidly changing weather, including snow at…

LITERARY walks abound in the UK, and it’s no surprise given the roll call of illustrious writers the nation has produced. Great names of British literature lived and worked in every corner of the country, and where there’s a writer’s house there’s often also a ‘writer’s way’. These routes may link key locations from an author’s life, reveal settings from their books, or follow paths they themselves once walked. Many of Britain’s greatest writers were passionate walkers. Some travelled on foot out of necessity, like William Shakespeare journeying from his provincial home to London, or Jane Austen walking with her sister to the local market town. Others walked because it fuelled their creativity. Charles Dickens and William Wordsworth both covered vast distances daily, plotting and composing as they went, finding…

WE know most of you have bushwalked for much of your lives but we can’t forget those beginner bushwalkers, the ones who want to progress from small walks in local parks into longer day and multi-day walks like many featured in this issue. For beginners, bushwalking can feel daunting without the right preparation. Understanding how to plan, what to wear and how to stay safe can make the difference between an enjoyable experience and a difficult one. The following tips are designed to help new hikers build confidence, stay safe and develop good habits from the very beginning. 1 Start small and progress gradually One of the most common mistakes beginner hikers make is taking on trails that are too long or difficult too soon. Begin with short, clearly marked…

WORLD capitals are often seen as overachievers: always hosting, forever photographed and slightly competitive about their skylines. Canberra pretends to be shy, tucked between bushland and debate, while Brasília sprawls like a modernist doodle come gloriously to life. Reykjavik keeps one eye on its volcanoes and the other on the northern lights. Rome conducts traffic around ruins as casually as one might step over a sleeping cat. Tokyo glows and hums, a neon heartbeat that never quite settles. Cairo glitters beside the Nile, pyramids lurking like ancient supervisors. And London? It changes the weather mid-sentence, pours the tea regardless, and carries on – historic, hurried, and magnificently contradictory. So, how well do you know your capital cities? Try our quiz and find out. 1. Which capital city has the highest…

Stretching along Eurobodalla’s dramatic coastline in southern NSW, the new Munjip Trail follows the coastal headlands from Batehaven, near Batemans Bay, to McKenzies Beach at Malua Bay. Spanning 15km, or 18km if you visit every lookout, the trail invites walkers to connect with both land and sea. Along the way, you’ll encounter diverse ecosystems, striking geology, and rich plant and animal life, woven together with stories and artworks of the local Walbunja people. The route winds through bushland, bays, beaches, headlands and rock platforms, offering sweeping ocean views. And what does Munjip mean? “Everybody is a friend to this place. Munjip means ‘walking together, let’s go’ in dhurga language,” Walbunja custodian Aunty Loretta Parsley says. eurobodalla.com.au / @eurobodalla…

AT first light in the Grampians, the sandstone still holds the night’s cool. There’s a brief window before the day warms when the bush feels completely still. Just the steady crunch of boots on gravel and the call of a Currawong. I was there recently with my son and daughter, walking with a good mate and his kids. There was no big objective. No summit we had to conquer. Just a rough plan of where we’d end up by late afternoon and good company. Conversation came easily, then drifted into silence. We’d stop without really agreeing to and take in the landscape, the scent of eucalyptus warming in the sun. Halfway through the day it struck me: 10 years ago, I probably wouldn’t have described myself as someone who’d choose…

DURING the summer of 2025, we – Sonja (55) and Jakob (58) – set out to walk across Switzerland. Not on a single route, but via a connected network of long-distance trails forming east–west and north–south traverses. Covering more than 1,400 km and 175,924 m of altitude, the journey led from the Jura ridges through multiple alpine regions to the hills above Lake Constance. Travelling on foot, we crossed high passes, valleys, cities and quiet villages. Each stage revealed distinct terrain, climate and regional character. Rather than a linear crossing, the walk became a layered passage, shaped by geography, weather and Switzerland’s dense trail network. Starting in Selzach and finishing in Rorschach, we linked highlights of Switzerland’s major long-distance routes. “ONE OF THE MOST DEMANDING CHAPTERS LAY AHEAD ON THE…

I WAS recently lucky to go on a bushwalk to Lady Lake on my yearly visit to Tasmania to visit family. My sister, niece and I drove down from Westbury via Deloraine to the start of the Higgs Track at Westrope Road and Dale Brook Road. The road was ok for our 2WD, but you need to be cautious, as it can be rough and rutted in parts. The hike up to Lady Lake Hut at 1130m is 2.6km long and takes around two hours to get to the Central Plateau. The steep, rocky 530m climb passes through an interesting range of beautiful habitat. After 30 minutes of easy flat walking, we arrived at Dale Brook Bridge. After that, the track got steeper with lots of rocks and tree routes…

What’s your earliest hiking memory? My earliest memory was hiking around the Annapurnas at the age of 25. Being my first ever hike, it probably was a bit of a shock. We spent 28 days trekking the Annapurna Circuit, a trek that can now be shortened anywhere from 7 to 10 days by driving almost to the top and flying out from the other side of the pass. In my opinion, that ruins the whole experience because the hardships of the beginning, going through the foothills, that made the rest of it life changing. How did you get into working in the outdoors? My start in the outdoor industry was with a corporate outdoor training group in Adelaide. This was run by a friend, Mark. It was a rewarding period…

RISING from the remote plains of the Kimberley in northern Western Australia, the Bungle Bungles – striped orange and black beehive domes – were unknown beyond the region until 1983. Known for generations to local Aboriginal group and cattle workers, they gained attention after aerial filming by a documentary crew. Declared Purnululu National Park in 1987, they are best explored on foot so join us as we showcase some of the best walking trails in the region. A WALK FOR THE BOOKS Great Walks explored the Kimberley on the ground and from the air with Life’s An Adventure Our Life’s An Adventure 6-day Kimberley, Bungles and Beyond pack-free guided walk began in Kununurra, where we boarded a 4WD bus and set off along the legendary Gibb River Road. Two hours…

IT’S a big mistake to ever start out on a hike thinking, “this’ll be easy.” It never is. In retrospect, I should have surmised something from the name, Grampians Peaks Trail, but the modest quoted daily distances and estimated walk times had me looking forward to a leisurely stroll combined with plenty of lazy afternoons with a book. This long awaited 13-day/164km trail through one of Victoria’s most treasured national parks, dominated by tilted sandstone mountains and striking rock formations, opened on 13 November and I was there at the starting line, a willing guinea pig eager to launch myself on the new product. But as with any fresh and untested route, there were a few surprises ahead. The GPT is a one-way hike starting from Mt Zero at the…

“THE INITIAL SHOCK OF THE TRAIL ON MY BODY HAD PASSED” 28th May – Day 26: Beedelup ‘Red light on lined pages Belly full of rehydrated Constant sounds of adjustments Bubbling brook in the distance.’ How do you summarise a 56-day journey, a slow journey, one that has allowed you to breathe and be in your own mind and body? Ample space and rhythm allowing reconnection whilst the surrounding air is so crisp that the end of your nose goes numb. Fungi and granite underfoot, with tingle, karri and jarrah trees towering above you. This is an attempt to describe the magic of the green tunnel, the Bibbulman Track, 1000km from the Wagyl Kaip and Southern Noongar region town of Albany to Whadjuk Country at Kalamunda. While I’m no amateur…

NED Kelly (1854-1880) rose from poverty and persecution in colonial Victoria. Harassed by police and shaped by his perceived injustice, he formed the Kelly Gang, robbing banks and burning mortgages to help working class settlers. Kelly became a legend for his homemade iron armour, worn during the 1880 siege at Glenrowan. Captured, tried and hanged, he endures as a symbol of defiance against authority, even today. There are plenty of historical sites you can visit to learn more about Australia’s most famous bushranger, including a walk in northeast Victoria at Stringybark Creek Reserve between Mansfield and Benalla. The 1.4km walking track takes visitors through the battle site where a patrol of Victorian police officers were ambushed by the Kelly gang in 1878. The bushland site may not be on the…

FOR many years I have been fascinated by the ghats of Varanasi, India and the funeral cremations that take place there. Ghats are grand, wide steps or platforms leading down to the holy river Ganges. ‘Ghatta’ is an ancient Sanskrit word, meaning embankment or landing place. They serve as vibrant hubs for prayer, bathing ceremonies, life / death rituals and cremations. The Hindus believe the river cleanses their sins and connects them to the divine. Sacred ceremonies are held daily at the ghats and there are over 2,000 temples in the surrounding city. There are some 88 riverfront ghats in Varanasi. Each ghat has a substantial building towering above, in many different and majestic architectural styles. Some are backed by imposing palaces, but many are sadly in a state of…

Producer by trade, Caro started lotsafreshair.com to inspire people to get outdoors and remove barriers to bushwalking. CHECKING National Parks closures, it’s sometimes easy to get frustrated with walking areas that are off-limits. While bushfires are an obvious reason, tracks can also close due to landslides, increased risk of rockfall or cultural reasons. But the reasons we shouldn’t enter closed areas on public lands (national parks, forests, Crown or council) go far beyond the obvious, and with fire seasons extending, they’re increasingly relevant. The financial hit Each state has their own National Parks Legislation that outlines substantial fines that can be issued for breaking its rules, but this isn’t the biggest hit to your wallet. According to the Insurance Council of Australia, insurance policies are void if you enter a…

IN this month’s gear review we’ve decided to change things up a little. Rather than testing 10 different versions of a single item within the same category, we’re taking a broader approach and reviewing an entire category all at once. It’s a slightly different way of looking at outdoor equipment, but we think it offers a more realistic picture of how gear is actually used in the wild. For the purposes of this experiment, we’re defining a sleep system as the ideal combination of three key components: a sleeping bag, a sleeping mat and a pillow. When these elements work well together, they can transform a restless night in the outdoors into a comfortable and restorative sleep. Think of it as the perfect partnership between insulation, support and comfort. A…

THERE I stood at the beginning of the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail, my backpack heavy with food and supplies, yet my heart light with anticipation for the next five days and 66km. Eight years had passed since I first set foot on this trail, which begins at the Flinders Chase Visitor Centre and traces the island’s rugged coastline before turning inland towards Kelly Hill Caves. In that time, the island had endured wildfires that reshaped vast areas of the landscape. Returning now, I was met not with desolation but with renewal. Epicormic shoots – bright green leaves emerging from dormant buds beneath blackened bark – signalled the land’s determination to regenerate. Triggered by fire and stress, these shoots stood as living symbols of resilience. Nature has always been fundamental to…