Here in Australia, hiking is called bushwalking, and it is a very popular activity indeed.

Most of inland Australia is scrubby near-desert, averaging less than 250mm of rainfall per year. Very few tourists do any outdoor activities beyond day walks anywhere across this vast expanse of arid land.

Nevertheless, throughout the country there is an incredible range of wilderness National Parks, including desert, tropical rainforest, once glaciated alpine areas, and heavily forested temperate areas. Although new parks are constantly being established, the oldest ones date back to the nineteenth century. Australia has a long history of landscape conservation — and of widespread landscape degradation!

Glenn Tempest’s Open Spaces online bookshop is an excellent starting point for more information on outdoor activities in Australia.

Link to the Open Spaces online bookshop...

Only in Australia will you be woken at dawn by the guttural cackling of the Kookaburra; see the rainbow flash of a Rosella parrot across the snowfields; hear the wind chime tinkle of icy gumleaves on a frost-hard morning; or pray for the instant cool change that will hopefully arrive on a roaring north-wind day, bringing a sudden drop of 20 degrees in temperature!

In the mountainous areas of the south-east mainland and Tasmania, both self-catered and guided wilderness walks of 7 -10 days are possible, and there are many centres for day walking. Nevertheless, here, there are no opportunities for long-range walks anything like the French randonnées, no nearby farms, no gîtes, nor réfuges; few British-style pub-to-pub long-distance walks. Outdoor activities, at least those beyond simple day walks, are for the experienced, the hardy, and the self-reliant.

Consider one marathon marked path, the Australian Alps Track, which links Namadgi, near Canberra, to Walhalla in Victoria, via 650 km of forest, alpine ridges, peaks, and high plains. Anyone attempting this walk must organise food caches in advance — there are very few opportunities to divert from the route to re-supply along the way.

On most walks, drinking water is a problem, and there is always the risk of dehydration. Do not expect to be able to bale out of a walk and drop down to a village for supplies or accommodation, as most Australian alpine areas are surrounded by vast swathes of choked, rugged, trackless eucalypt forest.

Australian wilderness is typically thought of as dry, so that ample water bottles are always needed, but all alpine areas also experience summer storms and snowfall, and parkas, mittens, fleeces and gaiters may need to be carried in any season. Everywhere you go camping on an overnight trip, you will need to carry a four-season tent.

In most areas, except close to skiing centres, there is absolutely no mobile phone coverage, and any kind of rescue will be problematical.

Fires are a big issue in Australia, and campfires are banned these days in virtually every worthwhile walking area, so you will need to carry a camping stove or choofer for cooking. Summer walking plans are often curtailed by bushfires or the threat of bushfire weather.

On many days every summer, Total fire ban days are declared. On these days, it is an offence to light a fire in the open, or to permit a fire to remain alight. We all need to take these bans very seriously, and yes, they forbid the use of a choofer!

In our experience, the best places to walk are the Central Plateau and the Reserve in Tasmania, and South West Tasmania; the Kosciuszko National Park near Jindabyne in New South Wales; and the Bogong National Park near Falls Creek in Victoria;. All these areas are National Parks.

Link to Wise’s Wilderness bushwalking images...