Australia Top Picks

Australia: Our opinionated top picks

Special Places, Best hiking trips, sea kayaking thoughts

SPECIAL PLACES

1. Great Barrier Reef- Ribbon Reef

1. Great Barrier Reef – Lady Musgrave Island (camping)

1. Lamington and Springbrook National Parks

1. Hinchinbrook Island – Thorsborne Trail

2. Fraser Island (especially on foot)

2. Whitsundy Islands

2. Carnarvon Gorge National Park

2. Mossman & Port Douglas

2. Atherton Tableland

2. Mission Beach

3. Town of 1770

3. Gold Coast

1. Olgas/Ulhuru/Wataranka

1. Kakadu National Park

2. Litchfield National Park

2. Keep River National Park

2. Katherine Gorge

3. Devil’s Marbles

1. Ningaloo Reef

1. Karijini National Park

3. Quobba Blowhole (camping, snorkeling)

3. The Pinnacles

2. Oodnadata Track

3. Flinders Range

2. Sydney Harbour

2. Warrumbungle National Park

2. Royal National Park

3. Crowdy Bay National Park – Diamond Head

3. Hat Head National Park

3. Minnie Water (North Coast)

3. Bouddi National Park

3. Pebbly beach – Muramarang National Park

3. New England National Park

3. Oxley Rivers National Park (Northern section)

3. Mimosa Rocks National Park (Aragunnu)

3. Potato Head (South Coast)

1. Wilsons Promontory

2. Croajingalong National Park

2. Great Ocean Road

3. Mt.Buffalo National Park

3. Cathedral Range National Park

3. Geelong waterfront

1. Tasman National Park (Fortescue Bay, etc.)

1. Cradle Mountain/Overland Track

2. Freycinet National Park

3. Lake Pedder

3. Bruny Island

3. Walls of Jerusalem National Park

Although Australia is not known as an International destination for walking, it is hugely underrated, largely because hiking is conventionally associated with mountains. Think outside the envelope! Forget about chasing after mountains, lakes and rivers. Think COASTAL, RAINFOREST AND BIG ROCKS. Australia has more spectacular coastline than any other country (or continent), it has surprisingly some of (if not the best) rainforest walks in the world and some unique big rocks.

Here is Glenn’s list of best Australian hikes, based on our 1 ½ years travel through the red continent. It is subjective and emphasizes uniqueness, good experiences and are all world class.

1. Thorsborne Trail, Hinchinbrook Island, Queensland. Coastal scenery, beaches, mountainous backdrop, rainforest, waterfalls and cool swimming holes.

2. Overland Track, Tasmania. Classic walk, peak bagging and hut system.

3. Cape Pillar (including Cape Huay) Tasman National Park, Tasmania. Awesome views.

4. Fraser Island, Queensland. Any walk that includes Lake McKenzie and Central Station. Perched lakes, rainforest.

5. Wilsons Promontory (Southern peninsula), Victoria. Coastal views, beaches. Don’t miss Little Waterloo Beach.

6. Freycinet Peninusal Circuit, Tasmania. Plenty of beaches and coastal views.

7. Royal National Park (coastal track), New South Wales. Lovely coastal walk just south of Sydney.

8. Nitmiluk National Park (Katherine Gorge, Northern Territory): Eighth Gorge (via Dunlop Swamp). Tremendous campsite next to a private swim hole. Don'tell anyone else about it!

9. South Coast Walk, Tasmania. Beautiful, rugged walk

10. Warrumbungle National Park, Grand High Top. Cool rocks, summit views, nice atmosphere. Can be shortened to a day walk.

Other walks of note:

Walls of Jerusalem National Park, Tasmania

Larapinta Trail sections, Northern Territory

Crosscut Saw, Victoria

Jatbula Trail, Northern Territory

Blue Mountains, New South Wales

Monolith Valley & The Castle, New South Wales

Mount Kosciuszko and the main range, New South Wales

1. Toloona Creek circuit: Lamington National Park, Queensland. Terrific rainforest, waterfalls, and Antarctic beech forests.

2. Valley of the Winds walk: Olgas (Kata Tjuta), Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory. Plenty of big rocks. Don’t miss the nearby Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Wataranka (Kings Canyon).

3. Weano Gorge: Karijini National Park, Western Australia. Red canyon country. Visit all of the major Karijini Gorges: they are all terrific.

4. Cape Raoul, Tasman National Park, Tasmania. Big cliffs. Also don’t miss the day walk to Cape Huay out of Fortescue Bay.

5. Korogoro Peninsula, Hat Head National Park, NSW. Great little coastal walk. Smoky Cape is nearby and don’t miss the cool sand dunes nearby.

6. Mt. Sonder, Larapinta Trail, Northern Territory. Expansive views of the West Macdonnell ranges.

7. Wineglass Bay circuit: Freycinet National Park, Tasmania. Classic walk, lovely views. The postcard view of the bay is better from the top of Mt. Amos.

8. Eungella National Park, Queensland (Broken river to Sky Window). Cloud forest, birds and platypus pool.

9. Carnarvon Gorge (to Big Bend Campground), Queensland. Palms, gorge. Preferable to do as an overnight walk.

10. Keep River National Park (Jarnem walks), Northern Territory. Cool rocks (like the Bungles) and palms. Wander around.

Other Short Walks of note:

Razorback Ridge/Mt. Feathertop, Victoria.

Purlingbrook Circuit, Springbrook National Park, Queensland.

Cathedral Range National Park, Victoria.

Wangara Lookout hike, Flinders Ranges National Park, South Australia.

Mossman Gorge, Queensland.

Mount Kosciuszko, New South Wales.

Blue Mountains New South Wales.

* These comments are based on our experiences and observations of summer 2007-2008 on the east coast and Tasmania.

* We had a pair of expedition quality folding kayaks. We have some kayaking experience but are by no means experts. We found Australia frustrating for kayaking because of regular heavy winds. While we were there (6 months), we felt that enjoyable sea kayaking was possible 2 out of every 7 days except in very sheltered environments. Perhaps we were unlucky. Winds were often over 25 knots, keeping even motorized craft off the water.

* HINCHINBROOK ISLAND is a prime sea kayak destination. We walked it (Thorssborne Trail) but did not have our kayaks with us in 2006. It looks like a promising spot although we suspect the walking is more interesting (it features some outstanding rain forests).

* WHITSUNDAY ISLANDS is a great sailing destination and would be wonderful on kayak if it were not for the wind. We waited a week in Airlie Beach for winds to drop below 20-25 knots in November. Some locals say the winter months are less windy but that is also the cyclone / storm season so take your pick. We had Salty Dog (boat shuttle and kayak rental service) boat us out to the eastern side of Whitsunday Island so we could hang out in sheltered harbours until the wind eased. It was lovely. But the wind typically kicks up within a couple of days so be careful where you end up! Mobile phones work in many locations so you can call up for marine forecasts, etc. There is little water on the islands except for at resorts and a couple of other not very reliable spots. We brought a couple of 20 litre hard plastic containers of water and left them in camp as we started and ended from the same place. The Whitsunday Islands are beautiful to kayak when the wind drops!

* Our best Australian (and kayak) experience was LADY MUSGRAVE ISLAND, accessed from the Town of 1770, Queensland. The island is at the Southern end of the Great Barrier Reef and offers some of the best snorkeling in the world (we thought less of the diving as most of the marine life is in the shallows). The lagoon is beautiful and a fair size (~5km long). A kayak allows you to easily access some beautiful snorkeling spots: we towed our boats behind us while snorkeling. A light wet suit is good to have. The turtles nest in December so there are plenty of them in the water. We were lucky enough to snorkel and kayak with manta rays. We may have been lucky as the regular visitors said they had experienced more wind in previous visits; we had a couple of days of slack wind when paddling the lagoon was divine. Lady Musgrave is south of the summer stinger range. Book the campsite (there is no other accommodation on the island) well in advance (~6 months!) on the Queensland National Park website: bracket your desired time by a couple of days to allow for transport in and out flexibility.. The boat out to the island is expensive (you should be able to arrange bringing a hard shell kayak) but worth every penny. You need to be largely self-sufficient while you are out there including bringing water (you can fill up off daily tourist boat if required). We thought that a week was not enough time. Many of the regular visitors go for 2-3 weeks!!

* Another possible accessible Queensland island is just south of Cairns: with daily in-season tourist boat. I cannot remember the name ( we never made it there) but it has a National Park campsite. There are 2 islands about a km apart. The tourist boat visits the island with good snorkeling but the campsite island apparently lacks good snorkeling so a kayak would be ideal.

* Dunk Island, Magnetic Island and other popular accessible Queensland islands would make for pleasant spots for day trips or short over-nighters.

* The multitude of inlets in Southern Queensland and all along the east coast make for pleasant locations to drop a boat in for a day paddle. Sydney Harbour is very cool but there is a staggering amount of traffic on the water so you have to be extremely careful.

* That brings us to Tasmania. Again, we had a windy summer to contend with: they call it the Roaring 40's for a reason. We saw plenty of kayaks on car roofs but very few in the water. Some locals told us that winter features less wind, but why would I go to Tasmania in winter when I could paddle the world's best (British Colombia) that time of year in summer??

- FORTESCUE BAY (especially south of the bay around Cape Huay) is fabulous

- PORT ARTHUR is also terrific

- TASMAN ISLAND is an amazing overnight destination with experience and a hard shell for a difficult landing

- Coles Bay/ FREYCINET PENINSULA is the best all round Tasmanian kayak destination

- MARIA ISLAND is a pleasant east coast spot

- West coast offshore is very rough but the inland waterways are worthy of a paddle like the Pieman River

- The SW coast is wild, open water with plenty of surf best left to the expert

* Over on the West Coast (Western Australia) we did not have our boats with us but the Exmouth, Cape Range, Coral Bay area would be nice in a kayak for day snorkeling. Bring a light wetsuit if you are there in winter. Monkey Mia would offer good day paddling.

* In the Northern Territory, Katherine Gorge looks good (although plenty of portaging). We'd leave most of the territory to the crocs that can trail you for hours, waiting for you to land ashore.