Information
Before undertaking any hike or day walk please check with the local authorities to ensure all regulations have been abided by and if appropriate permit and license applications completed.The Heysen Trail Images courtesy of South Australian Tourism Commission
Hiking
Whether you have one day, a week or even two months, with more than 300 walking trails, South Australia has a hike for you.Grab a backpack and your boots and South Australia’s scenic highlights are yours to explore. The spectacular Heysen Trail is a natural
place to start.This 1200 kilometre odyssey is Australia’s longest walking trail.
Top 5 Hikes in Australia
Whitsunday Islands (QLD): Most people think of snorkeling and watersports when they come to these subtropical national-park islands clad in dense rainforest and bush, but every resort island in this chain that we recommend has hiking trails. Some are flat, some hilly. Wallabies and butterflies are common sights. South Molle has the best network of trails and 360-degree island views from its peak. The new Ngaro Sea Trail also allows active travelers to combine kayaking sea routes with walks on Hook, Whitsunday, and South Molle islands.
Lamington National Park (QLD): Few other national parks in Australia have such a well-marked network of trails (160km/99 miles in all) as this one, Travel to Spain: Land of Magnificent Culture just 90 minutes from the Gold Coast. Revel in dense subtropical rainforest, marvel at mossy 2,000-year-old Antarctic beech trees, delight in the prolific wallabies and birds, and soak up the cool mountain air.
Larapinta Trail (NT): You can start from Alice Springs in the Red Centre and walk the entire 250km (155-mile) semidesert trail, which winds through the stark crimson McDonnell Ranges. You don't have to walk the entire length -- plenty of day-length and multiday sections are possible. This one's for the cooler months only (Apr-Oct).
The Bibbulmun Track (WA): Australia's answer to the great Appalachian Trail, the Bibbulmun weaves its way through almost 1,000km (625 miles) of some of WA's finest scenery. It starts in the hills outside Perth and then swirls through granite mountains and jarrah forests, south to the great karri forests of the southwest, and then along the dramatic south coast before reaching WA's oldest town, Albany. The walk can be done in bits, connecting where it crosses major roads, or in much longer stretches, utilizing the many timber shelters built 1 day's walking apart. There are also "Walking Break" packages, based on the towns through which the track passes.
Maria Island (TAS): Whether you take a 4-day guided walk or a day trip by ferry, Maria Island National Park has it all: abundant wildlife, convict ruins, untouched sandy beaches, mountains, and fossil cliffs. The park covers 11,550 hectares (28,541 acres), including 1,878 hectares (4,641 acres) of marine reserve and the 7.4-hectare (18-acre) Ile des Phoques.
Before undertaking any hike or day walk please check with the local authorities to ensure all regulations have been abided by and if appropriate permit and license applications completed.The Heysen Trail Images courtesy of South Australian Tourism Commission
Hiking
Whether you have one day, a week or even two months, with more than 300 walking trails, South Australia has a hike for you.Grab a backpack and your boots and South Australia’s scenic highlights are yours to explore. The spectacular Heysen Trail is a natural
place to start.This 1200 kilometre odyssey is Australia’s longest walking trail.
Top 5 Hikes in Australia
Whitsunday Islands (QLD): Most people think of snorkeling and watersports when they come to these subtropical national-park islands clad in dense rainforest and bush, but every resort island in this chain that we recommend has hiking trails. Some are flat, some hilly. Wallabies and butterflies are common sights. South Molle has the best network of trails and 360-degree island views from its peak. The new Ngaro Sea Trail also allows active travelers to combine kayaking sea routes with walks on Hook, Whitsunday, and South Molle islands.
Lamington National Park (QLD): Few other national parks in Australia have such a well-marked network of trails (160km/99 miles in all) as this one, Travel to Spain: Land of Magnificent Culture just 90 minutes from the Gold Coast. Revel in dense subtropical rainforest, marvel at mossy 2,000-year-old Antarctic beech trees, delight in the prolific wallabies and birds, and soak up the cool mountain air.
Larapinta Trail (NT): You can start from Alice Springs in the Red Centre and walk the entire 250km (155-mile) semidesert trail, which winds through the stark crimson McDonnell Ranges. You don't have to walk the entire length -- plenty of day-length and multiday sections are possible. This one's for the cooler months only (Apr-Oct).
The Bibbulmun Track (WA): Australia's answer to the great Appalachian Trail, the Bibbulmun weaves its way through almost 1,000km (625 miles) of some of WA's finest scenery. It starts in the hills outside Perth and then swirls through granite mountains and jarrah forests, south to the great karri forests of the southwest, and then along the dramatic south coast before reaching WA's oldest town, Albany. The walk can be done in bits, connecting where it crosses major roads, or in much longer stretches, utilizing the many timber shelters built 1 day's walking apart. There are also "Walking Break" packages, based on the towns through which the track passes.
Maria Island (TAS): Whether you take a 4-day guided walk or a day trip by ferry, Maria Island National Park has it all: abundant wildlife, convict ruins, untouched sandy beaches, mountains, and fossil cliffs. The park covers 11,550 hectares (28,541 acres), including 1,878 hectares (4,641 acres) of marine reserve and the 7.4-hectare (18-acre) Ile des Phoques.
