Australia is one of the world’s great hiking continents — a vast landmass of extraordinary geological age and landscape diversity, from the ancient sandstone massifs of the Red Centre and the World Heritage wilderness of Tasmania to the rainforests of tropical Queensland and the wild southern coastlines. The Overland Track in Tasmania is widely regarded as Australia’s finest multi-day wilderness walk, the Larapinta Trail crosses some of the oldest exposed geology on Earth, and the Grampians, Blue Mountains and Kimberley provide world-class hiking in landscapes unlike anywhere else. Australia’s national park system is among the world’s best, and the combination of accessible wilderness and dramatic scenery rivals any comparable region on the planet.
- Tasmania — the Overland Track (80km, 6–8 days — Australia’s finest multi-day walk); Cradle Mountain; the South Coast Track (extreme wilderness); Walls of Jerusalem; the Bay of Fires coastal walk
- Red Centre / Northern Territory — the Larapinta Trail (223km — Australia’s finest desert long-distance route); Uluru and Kata Tjuta; Kings Canyon (Watarrka NP); the West MacDonnell Ranges
- Queensland — the Thorsborne Trail (Hinchinbrook Island, 32km, 4 days — one of Australia’s most restricted coastal walks); Carnarvon Gorge; Lamington NP ancient rainforest; Glass House Mountains
- Victoria / NSW — the Grampians (Gariwerd); Great Ocean Walk; Alpine NP; the Blue Mountains (Six Foot Track; Grand Canyon walk); Mount Kosciuszko (2,228m — Australia’s highest)
- Western Australia — the Bibbulmun Track (1,000km Perth to Albany — one of the world’s great long-distance walking routes); the Kimberley wilderness; Stirling Range NP (Bluff Knoll, 1,095m)
- South Australia — the Heysen Trail (1,200km); Flinders Ranges (Wilpena Pound); the Arkaba Walk; ancient geological landscapes of extraordinary beauty
The Larapinta Trail in the Northern Territory is Australia’s most extraordinary long-distance desert route — 223km of ancient quartzite ridgelines, hidden waterholes and Aboriginal cultural landscapes through some of the oldest exposed rock on Earth (1.5 billion years old). Walking at dawn when the West MacDonnell Ranges glow crimson before the heat builds, hearing no sound except wind and birds, is one of Australia’s defining wilderness experiences.
- Ancient Australian geology — the Red Centre’s quartzite and sandstone are among the world’s oldest exposed rock; Uluru is a 600-million-year-old arkose sandstone monolith; the Flinders Ranges’ folded geology spans 800 million years
- Tasmanian wilderness — ancient pencil pine and King Billy pine forests found nowhere else; dolerite columns (Cradle Mountain, Du Cane Range) unique to Tasmania; World Heritage Area covering 20% of the island
- Queensland tropical rainforest — the Wet Tropics UNESCO rainforest contains plant families that have existed since Gondwana; the oldest continuously surviving tropical rainforest on Earth
- Australian Alpine zone — the highest continuous alpine area in Australia above 1,400m; Mount Kosciuszko and surroundings; snow gums at treeline; entirely above 2,000m in a small summit zone
- Kimberley sandstone gorges — ancient 1.8-billion-year-old sandstone; extraordinary gorge systems; remote wilderness accessible only by 4WD or helicopter
- Overland Track (Tasmania) — 6–8 days; 1,545m (Mount Ossa, 1,617m — Tasmania’s highest); 80km; Australia’s most celebrated multi-day walk; permit required October–May; huts throughout
- Larapinta Trail (NT) — 12–18 days; 1,531m; 223km across the West MacDonnell Ranges; Australia’s finest desert long-distance trail; water tanks at each section boundary
- Thorsborne Trail (Hinchinbrook Island, QLD) — 4 days; 32km; limited to 40 walkers at a time; rainforest, mangroves and isolated coral bay camping; one of Australia’s most sought-after coastal permits
- South Coast Track (Tasmania) — 8–10 days; extreme wilderness; 80km; one of the most demanding and remote walks in Australia; for experienced wilderness hikers only
- Great Ocean Walk (Victoria) — 8 days; 104km; Point Addis to the Twelve Apostles; clifftop coastal walking above the Southern Ocean
- Mount Kosciuszko summit — half day; 2,228m; Thredbo chairlift + 13km return; Australia’s highest point; surprisingly accessible but very windy in exposed conditions
Australia’s bushfire risk is real, dynamic and seasonal. Before any walk between October and April, check the Fires Near Me app (NSW), VicEmergency (VIC), or the relevant state equivalent for current fire danger ratings and park closures. Some national parks close entirely during catastrophic fire danger — this is non-negotiable and enforced by law. The January 2020 fires burned 18.6 million hectares and closed hundreds of trails for months.
- Easy — Uluru Base Walk (10.6km; no elevation; extraordinary cultural landscape), Blue Mountains lookout walks, Carnarvon Gorge lower gorge, Kosciuszko chairlift route
- Moderate — Overland Track (well-marked; huts available; significant weather exposure), Thorsborne Trail, Great Ocean Walk, Larapinta individual sections
- Hard — full Larapinta Trail, South Coast Track (Tasmania), Kimberley multi-day wilderness routes; serious commitment and full self-sufficiency required
- Extreme — South Coast Track (Tasmania): route-finding; unbridged river crossings; no rescue infrastructure; for highly experienced wilderness hikers only
Parks Australia and state agencies use consistent easy/moderate/hard grading on their websites. AllTrails Australia and Gaia GPS provide excellent offline coverage across all states.
Parks Australia and state park agencies manage major trails:
- Overland Track (Tasmania): permit AUD 230 (peak season October–May); strictly limited to 34 walkers per day northbound from Ronny Creek; book at parks.tas.gov.au; peak dates sell out months ahead
- Uluru (Anangu sacred land): the summit climb permanently closed October 2019 at the request of Anangu Traditional Owners; the base walk, Valley of the Winds and Walpa Gorge are open and deeply rewarding
- Thorsborne Trail (Hinchinbrook): strict 40-person limit; advance booking at parks.des.qld.gov.au months ahead for peak school holiday periods
- Larapinta Trail: Parks and Wildlife NT manages water tanks and campsites; book at nt.gov.au/parks; essential to pre-book camp sites and check tank status before each section
- Emergency PLB registration: register at beaconregistration.noaa.gov (AMSA system); activating a PLB in a genuine emergency triggers Australian rescue coordination immediately
The Uluru base walk (10.6km circuit) is a profoundly more meaningful experience than the climb ever was — guided cultural walks explain the Tjukurpa (Anangu creation law) of the rock, the formations and waterholes each have specific sacred significance, and the scale and presence of Uluru experienced at ground level, rather than from above, creates an encounter with one of the world’s oldest living cultures that no summit photograph can replicate.
- Emergency PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) — mandatory for many remote Australian trails; hire available at service stations near national park entrances; essential for the Larapinta, South Coast Track and Kimberley routes
- Sun protection — Australian UV is the highest in the world; SPF 50+ always; even in Tasmania where sunburn at altitude is a consistent surprise
- Snake awareness — 20 of the world’s 25 most venomous snakes are Australian; make noise on trails; wear ankle boots; never reach into crevices or under logs; most bites occur in autumn when snakes are sluggish
- Water treatment — essential on all multi-day routes; giardia and leptospirosis present in many water sources including the Overland Track
- Fire awareness — never light a fire during Total Fire Ban; many national parks have permanent fire bans; always carry a gas stove
Emergency: 000 | PLB activation triggers AMSA rescue coordination | Parks emergency lines vary by state
- 000 connects to police, fire and ambulance across Australia — requires mobile signal; absent in most remote areas including much of the Larapinta, Kimberley and Tasmanian wilderness
- AMSA (Australian Maritime Safety Authority) coordinates PLB rescue nationally — activate only in genuine life-threatening emergencies; non-emergency activations result in prosecution
- State police SAR: well-organized and helicopter-equipped in all states; but response times in remote NT, WA and southern Tasmania can be 12+ hours
- Always complete a trip intention form online or at the park ranger station before any multi-day remote walk — this is what triggers a search if you don’t return
- Tasmanian weather — any month can bring severe weather including blizzard and snow; summer (December–February) most reliable but never safe to leave rain gear behind; the Overland Track can have all four seasons in one day
- Red Centre heat — summer (October–March) temperatures can reach 45–50°C; the Larapinta is only safely walked April–September; never underestimate desert dehydration
- Queensland tropical wet season — November–April; cyclones; flooding; saltwater crocodile movement in lowland rivers; avoid Hinchinbrook and coastal northern QLD routes in this period
- Bushfire season — October–March across most of southern and eastern Australia; fire danger can close parks without notice; check before departing every morning
- Snakes — active October–April; most active on warm afternoons; less active in cool weather but still present year-round
- Overland Track (Tasmania) — October–May: permit season; June–September: snow conditions; winter huts open as standard; serious winter equipment required
- Larapinta Trail (NT) — April–September: the only safe window; October–March is dangerously hot and often impassable
- Queensland highlands — April–September: dry season; best conditions throughout; avoid November–April wet season and cyclone risk
- Victorian/NSW Alps — December–April: snow-free; the Australian Alps Walking Track requires summer conditions; winter skiing and snowshoeing
- Western Australia — April–October: the only comfortable window for Kimberley and long WA routes; Bibbulmun Track best May–September
May is Australia’s secret hiking month — the summer crowds have departed, the weather is stable and clear across most of the country, temperatures are ideal for long walks everywhere from Tasmania to the Red Centre, fire danger has dropped, and the autumn light transforms the landscapes from the Blue Mountains to the Flinders Ranges. Many experienced Australians consider May their favourite hiking month and keep it quiet.
- Sydney (SYD), Melbourne (MEL), Brisbane (BNE), Perth (PER), Darwin (DRW), Hobart (HBA) — all major gateways with international connections
- Overland Track — fly Melbourne or Sydney to Hobart (1–1.5hr); bus from Hobart to Cradle Mountain (3.5hr via Launceston); Overland Track bus connections at cradle mountain.com.au
- Larapinta Trail — fly to Alice Springs (from all capitals); trail sections accessed by road from Alice Springs; section shuttles at larapintatrail.com.au
- Thorsborne Trail — fly to Townsville or Cairns; ferry from Cardwell to Hinchinbrook Island; advance booking at parks.des.qld.gov.au
- Bibbulmun Track — fly to Perth; multiple road access points from Perth southward; the trail starts at the Perth Hills Centre (40 min from CBD)
Qantas, Virgin Australia and Rex domestic flights connect all major Australian hiking gateways at competitive prices when booked 4–6 weeks ahead. For the Overland Track, a same-day Melbourne → Hobart flight followed by a bus to Cradle Mountain (arriving by evening) is one of the most efficient start-to-trailhead journeys in Australian hiking — under 6 hours from Melbourne’s CBD to the Overland Track’s northern trailhead.
- CASA (Civil Aviation Safety Authority) requires drone registration for all drones over 250g at mycasa.casa.gov.au
- All national parks (Tasmania, NT, QLD, VIC, WA, SA) — drone flying strictly prohibited without Parks Australia or state parks authorization; actively enforced
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta NP — drone prohibition absolute; the Anangu people consider aerial photography of their sacred landscape deeply disrespectful, beyond the legal prohibition
- Within 30m of people and in populated areas — prohibited for sub-2kg drones without CASA Remote Pilot Licence
- Within 5.5km of controlled aerodromes — prohibited without ATC clearance
Uluru-Kata Tjuta is one of the world’s most strictly enforced no-fly zones for drones — both because of Parks Australia’s national park prohibition and because of the profound sacred significance of the landscape to the Anangu people. The Tjukurpa (creation law) that governs Anangu relationship to this land predates any nation-state authority. Aerial intrusion of any kind is treated with absolute seriousness by both law enforcement and the Anangu community.
Leave a Reply