With the Southern hemisphere winter almost over, it’s time head outdoors to make the most of Australia’s picturesque natural scenery. From tropical Queensland’s lush rainforest walks to New South Wales’s bush tucker adventures, there’s a walk to suit every need, speed and desire.
Discovering Dreamtime Tracks in Queensland
Immerse yourself in Aboriginal culture as you travel through Queensland’s World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics Rainforest with
Dreamtime Tracks. Covering a wide variety of terrains from the coast to the mountain ranges,
Dreamtime Tracks, in conjunction with Kookaburra Tours, has introduced a new five day tour departing from Townsville. The tour caters for up to 20 people and includes a range of short to medium-length walks guided by local Aboriginal people through the lush tropical rainforests located nearby.
Passing crystal clear creeks and swimming holes while listening to birds and other animals in their natural environment, your Aboriginal guides will share their knowledge about dreamtime stories and the traditional use of the flora and fauna that surrounds you. Additional highlights include learning to play a didgeridoo, throwing a boomerang and spear, and mastering the skill of fire starting.
New Tasmanian Guided Walks Association
Tasmania’s six leading overnight guided walk operators have joined forces to promote Tasmania as a world leading destination for quality guided walk experiences. Named The Great Walks of Tasmania, the group consists of:
At the edge of Mount William National Park, the magnificent wilderness coastline known as the Bay of Fires is one of Tasmania’s most well known walking adventures. Featuring dramatic landscape, ecology and wildlife, the Bay of Fires Walk enables small groups to explore both the fascinating beach environment and the rich diversity of nearby woodlands. And at the Bay of Fires Lodge, you’ll enjoy superb accommodation in this near-uninhabited wilderness paradise guaranteeing both solitude and comfort.
Stride into the Sunshine Coast’s first Festival of the Walks
Lace up your walking boots and get ready to step out for the first Festival of the Walks on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland from 29 August to 13 September. The festival offers visitors the chance to enjoy a wide range of walks, and attractions across the scenic Blackall Ranges, including trails in a range of locations from Montville, Maleny, Mapleton and Flaxton, to Conondale and Kenilworth.
Featuring a variety of settings from spectacular waterfalls and rainforests to forests and palm groves, each walk is designed to suit different levels of experience – from short 20 minute wanderings to full day hikes. The extensive 58km Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk is one of the longer scenic routes across the spectacular Maleny-Mapleton plateau, taking in spectacular waterfalls, rainforests and palm groves. The festival is not just all about the walks either with visitors will also meet local artists and craftsmen and see photography exhibitions, whilst being entertained by live bands and indulging in locally sourced food and wine.
Bush Tucker Tours at Sea Acres Rainforest Centre
Discover the natural foods of the rainforest on an Indigenous Bush Tucker Tour of the Sea Acres Nature Reserve, one of the largest, least disturbed and most diverse coastal rainforests in New South Wales. Hosted by Aboriginal guides on the third Saturday of each month, participants on the tour will experience traditional methods of sourcing food; hunting and gathering as well as enjoying the sights, sounds and tranquillity of this rare subtropical rainforest, which was dedicated as a Nature Reserve in 1987. This area was also the first coastal landscape to attract a Heritage Listing for the preservation of an area containing an outstanding remnant of coastal rainforest.
Monthly Farm Walks launched in Mudgee
Renowned for ‘quality produce made by real people’, Mudgee is a food and wine lovers paradise. The new Mudgee Farm Walks is an ideal opportunity for visitors to meet the local farmers, be shown the different stages of production, get their hands dirty and buy direct from the farm gate. Visiting a number of local farms, from sheep and dairy to vegetables and olive oil, this new initiative provides a unique opportunity for people of all ages to understand the seasonality of growing produce and enjoy an authentic modern day farm experience.