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Best Australian Walking Trails

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Covering 7,692,024 million square kilometers, Australia is the world’s 6th largest country – offering trekkers of all experience levels endless opportunity to slip on those trainers and hit the ground to get in those training miles. How lucky are we? From mountains to seaside, Australia offers some amazing opportunities to get your heart pounding, whilst enjoying stunning vistas that are so characteristic of Australia.

New South Wales

Wentworth falls (Blue Mountains)

Bordering metropolitan Sydney, this iconic section of Australia’s Great Dividing Range is one of our favourite weekend getaways for training – an easy train ride from the CBD sees your landscape change from city skyline to mountain hues. The Wentworth Falls area offers trek variations ranging from 30 minutes to 6 hours. The classic Wentworth Falls Loop (6 hours) offers a moderate-challenging trek with LOTS of stairs – no matter which direction you tackle the hike, your legs will feel the inevitable burn that comes with stair training. With sweeping views of the valley, and multiple waterfall stops to encourage you to keep going, this trek is the perfect opportunity to train your leg muscles for those of you who are setting off on step-heavy adventures – Great Wall of China & Machu Picchu trekkers we’re talking to you!

Distance: 10.2km
Time: 6 hours
Track Condition: Steep
Difficulty: Moderate-difficult

Victoria

Kokoda Memorial Walk (1000 Steps)

With 1000 steps to traverse on this trek, you can experience a tiny sense of the exhaustion felt by the soldiers who battled the Kokoda track in World War 2. This makes it the perfect opportunity to test those knees in preparation for any upcoming adventures that involve steep inclines and declines, especially the Great Wall of China, and the Kokoda track itself!

Distance: 5km
Time: 2 hours
Track Condition: Steep
Difficulty: Moderate

Northern Territory

Litchfield National Park

The beautiful Florence Falls in Litchfield National Park, with cool swimming hole at base. Northern Territory, Australia
An hour and a half drive from Darwin, Litchfield National Park offers a variety of day walks ranging from 30 minutes to 2 hours, taking trekkers down winding paths to waterfalls and plunge pools, and back up again to tabletop plateaus and outback views. Most tracks found in Litchfield National Park are very exposed to the elements, and as such provide the perfect opportunity to practice trekking against the elements, especially prolonged cardio in hot conditions. For those of you cycling through SouthEast Asia, this could be the perfect opportunity to practice getting your heart rate up while battling hot and muggy conditions. Try completing a number of the different walking tracks in succession to create a longer workout!

Distance: 1-3.5km
Time: 30mins-2 hours
Track Condition: Steep
Difficulty: Easy-moderate

Tasmania

Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park

The iconic image of Tasmania, Cradle Mountain

Tasmania – it’s a hiker’s paradise. It’s hard to pick just one trek, but we have to say Cradle Mountain is definitely up there with our favourites! Rising graciously over Dove Lake, Cradle Mountain boasts many different treks which allow you to challenge yourself whilst taking in the wonders of the ancient rainforest and alpine heathlands, buttongrass and beeches, icy streams and glacial lakes. We’ve narrowed down our recommendations for treks in the area:

  • Marion’s Lookout (3 hours)
  • Crater Lake (3 hours)
  • Dove Lake (2 hours)

And for those of you up to the challenge:

  • Cradle Mountain Summit Bush Walk (5 1/2 hours return)

Distance: Varies
Time: 2 hours-5.5 hours
Track Condition: Steep, rocky
Difficulty: Hard

Western Australia

Eagle’s View Trail, John Forrest National Park

Located in the John Forrest National Park just 30 minutes out of Perth, Eagle’s View Trail offers a moderately challenging loop trail, with some steep gravel sections breaking up the flatter ones, to keep you on your toes.

Distance:  15kms
Time:  6 hours
Track Condition: Steep, rocky
Difficulty:  Moderate

Queensland

Whitsunday Great Walk

The Whitsunday Great Walk takes you on a 28km journey through Conway State Forest, starting at Brandy Creek, and finishing at Airlie Beach. While designed to be undertaken over 3 days – with camping facilities along the way – you might choose to tackle just one stretch.

South Australia

St. Mary’s Peak, Wilpena Pound, Flinders Ranges National Park

scene in Flinders Ranges Australia
St. Mary’s Peak is the highest mountain in the Flinders Ranges National Park and the second highest peak in South Australia. Soaring to 1171 metres, St Mary’s peak offers breathtaking 360-degree views of the Flinders Ranges, Wilpena Pound and surrounding plains.

To get to the summit you have two options:

  • Direct route: 14km, 6 hours return
  • Inner trail: 21.2km, 9 hours return

Both trails are challenging, with steep inclines – requiring serious hiking experience. Appropriate footwear is must for this adventure – ankle support please!

 

Feeling inspired?

  • Keen to tackle an Inspired Adventure’s trekking challenge? See our adventures here.

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3 Chinese customs westerners don’t get

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Throughout history, China has been shrouded in an aura of mystery and exoticism. Even now with many cities like Beijing and Shanghai becoming more accessible and welcoming to foreign visitors, traditional customs are alive and strong. In fact, some of these traditional customs mean the norms of life and respectful behaviour in China can seem to be the exact opposite of those in the west. So to avoid some serious shock factor, we’ve put together a few cultural pointers that you should know before travelling to China to avoid giving or taking offense unnecessarily!

1. A good meal is a loud one

If a local invites you to dinner, expect a noisy, bustling restaurant rife with chatter and, of course, an abundance of food. In fact, such an atmosphere is called rè nao (热闹), which strangely enough translates to ‘hot and noisy’, and means a lively vibe that guarantees a good time. The Chinese also tend eat with (comparatively) noisy gusto, with occasional slurps and other sounds. They just don’t seem as particular about eating and chewing noises (though you shouldn’t go to the other extreme, either!)

It’s also worth remembering that mealtimes are communal. Everyone eats from the same dishes at the centre of their table, often with their own chopsticks. Every now and again, hospitable hosts may even drop special morsels in your bowl. If you’re not comfortable with this, try asking for an extra set of ‘public’ cutlery for sharing the food.

Other tips for a successful meal:

  • Never finish off your plate or empty your glass as it shows you’re still hungry or thirsty (even if in reality you’re totally content), and prompts your host to fill it up!
  • Don’t stick your chopsticks upright in a bowl. It’s extremely bad luck because it resembles a tombstone offering.
  • Thank your host for refilling your glass by tapping the table with your index and middle finger.
chinese-meal-feast china blog
chopsticks-noodles china blog

2. Your love life is everybody’s business

Get ready to be asked some personal questions, like “how old are you?” or “are you dating?” or “when will you get married?” Marriage and family are extremely important to the Chinese and when you throw a strong sense of community into the mix, you can see why asking these sorts of questions can be considered as innocuous as asking “what do you do?” Think of it as a friendly, if somewhat blunt, curiosity.

While not many appreciate being on the receiving end (even locals!), you can see where it may come from. Elders are held in high esteem and hold a lot of authority in families. Likewise, parents have traditionally been responsible for finding a spouse for their children. To this day, it’s common for anxious parents to play matchmaker. So it makes sense that finding a partner is very rarely a private or individual concern.

Speaking of nosy questions, other topics like salary and cost of living aren’t taboo either. Anyone can ask you these questions ­- from taxi drivers to shop keepers. So consider yourself warned!

blog modern-chinese-wedding-red-shoes

3. Shield yourself from the sun at all costs

When you see the Chinese out and about on a sunny day, you’ll see many umbrellas out, along with other (sometimes more elaborate) ways of protecting themselves from the sun. It may seem strange to think that complementing someone on a sunny glow could be offensive, but the Chinese are definitely an exception. Interestingly, within the western world, tanned skin was not considered beautiful until as recently as the last eighty years.

In China and many other Asian countries, pale skin is considered appealing, as it’s a sign of prosperity and wealth. Throughout history, fair skin has been revered as one of the classical signs of beauty simply because those that could afford to stay indoors stayed fair, instead of working on the fields. This deeply ingrained idea continues in modern society. You can find all varieties of sun protection from hats and full sleeves, to whitening creams, lotions and gels.

Other tips for what to expect:

  • Squat toilets are still the norm in many areas. It’s the healthier way to use the bathroom, but you will want to bring your own toilet paper, as it’s not always supplied.
  • Don’t drink tap water – have it boiled or purchase bottled water for around 2-5RMB.
  • When crossing the road, don’t assume cars or motorbikes will stop for you, and check both directions. Pay careful attention to how locals cross and stick to large groups of people.
  • It’s not uncommon for large families to all live under the same roof, and we’re talking 3 or 4 generations worth! Familial ties are extremely important in China.
  • If you have blonde or red hair, expect to receive a lot of attention when in public. People will openly stare are you and sometimes even point you out to friends and family by sticking their finger in your direction. Don’t be offended, the Chinese are just curious!
  • Spitting and mucus clearing are common in China. Just go with the flow. Although interestingly, the government is trying to encourage citizens to abandon this habit as it’s quite unhygienic. You’ll find the younger and more urbanised Chinese people won’t engage in this habit!

But most importantly ...

… remember to have relax and soak it all in! Don’t be too preoccupied with not committing a faux pas. Just remember to keep an open mind and enjoy the experience! One of the joys of travelling is the eye-opening encounter with another civilization. The Chinese are forgiving with foreigners, and will be delighted if you make the effort to speak a few words and even try to use chopsticks. So good luck, and have fun!

China Great Wall
Chinese pipes blog
Forbidden City at Sunset
China blog

Related articles:

How to help end the dog meat trade
Amazing books that will inspire you to travel
When in: Beijing, China
Why we don’t ride elephants (and you shouldn’t either)
The world’s friendliest countries

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