Edited extract from Epic Hikes of Australia and New Zealand (Lonely Planet, $44.99). Reproduced with permission from Lonely Planet 2022.
Looking for your next adventure? Try out one of these picturesque, multi-day hikes!
WATCH: The best hiking spots. Article continues after video.
Australian Alps Hike VIC, NSW & ACT
Stretching out over a massive 655km from Victoria and NSW to the ACT, a walk in the park this is not! Instead, it’s a full-blown five- to eight-week cross-country expedition through wilderness areas of Australia’s high-country terrain.
Traversing five national parks, it’s not a hike for your average Joe – you’ll need to be very well prepared, carry all the necessary equipment and have good fitness to go with advanced navigational skills.
In the high country, the route takes you through famed ski resorts – Hotham, Falls Creek, Baw Baw, Thredbo and Perisher – and scales the nation’s highest peaks, including Mount Kosciusko (2228m).
Needless to say this is a hike best taken in summer (December to February) to avoid freezing conditions. But if that all sounds too much, you can break the route down into more manageable legs to give you a good taste for what is truly one of Australia’s most epic hikes.
Start: Walhalla, Victoria
Finish: Tharwa, ACT
Distance: 655km one way
Duration: 5-8 weeks
More info theaustralianalpsnationalparks.org/experience/aawt
Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk QLD
The Sunshine Coast’s white sandy beaches and blissful year-round sunshine may bring in the crowds, but just a short distance inland a whole different kind of natural beauty awaits. And what better way to explore the beautiful hinterland of the Blackall Range and its subtropical rainforest, waterfalls, rock pools and stunning gorges than on foot along this four-day trek.
One of Queensland’s ‘Great Walks’ – a series of celebrated hikes initiated as a collaboration between the National Trust and Queensland Parks and Wildlife – this hinterland trek takes you through three national parks (Kondalilla, Mapleton Falls and Mapleton) in an area where the Jinibara people have resided for millennia.
Like most of the Great Walks, this one is divided into different sections – all can be tackled as short jaunts or daytrips if you don’t have all the gear for a multi-day camping adventure.
Start: Baroon Pocket
Finish: Delicia Rd entrance
Distance: 58.8km (36.5 miles) one way
Duration: 4 days
More info parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/great-walks-sunshine-coast
Mount Arthur & Tableland South Island, New Zealand
Kahurangi National Park’s excellent network of back-country huts provides many multi-day tramping opportunities, and the Mount Arthur and Tableland area is spectacular. One challenging route climbs above Mount Arthur Hut (1310m) to the summit of Mount Arthur (1795m), then follows a high, exposed traverse to Salisbury Lodge (1130m).
With good weather, the views are superb. In bad, it’s abysmal and the alternate low-level route should be used. Continue on to the Tableland, a high limestone plateau covered in tussock, alpine flowers, snow and sinkholes. Pass Balloon Hut on the way to Lake Peel, a photogenic alpine tarn, before climbing the ridgetop for a sensational view of the Cobb Valley.
Return to the car by the low-level route or drop down into the Cobb for further adventures.
Start/Finish: Flora car park, Motueka (or Cobb Reservoir, Takaka)
Distance: 35km
Duration: 2-4 days
More info doc.govt.nz
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