Walks & Hikes
Great Walks, coastal tracks and city-edge escapes
From half-hour headland walks to multi-day Great Walks: the Overland Track through Cradle Mountain, the Three Capes on the Tasman Peninsula, the Larapinta along the West MacDonnell Ranges, the Kings Canyon Rim Walk, the Cape to Cape at Margaret River, and the Bondi-to-Coogee coastal path if you have an hour and a city to spare.
Mirrors Tourism Australia's own theme Walks and hikes.
The states and territories this theme is strongest in — tap through to the full state guide.
Queensland
The Great Barrier Reef, rainforest and endless beaches
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Daintree Rainforest The world's oldest living rainforest, and the only place it runs straight down to the Great Barrier Reef. -
The Scenic Rim Gondwana rainforest, farm-gate food and volcanic peaks an hour inland from the Gold Coast. -
Glass House Mountains Volcanic plugs rising out of the Sunshine Coast hinterland, sacred to the Jinibara and Kabi Kabi peoples. -
North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah) Quandamooka Country — the North Gorge walk, whales offshore and freshwater lakes inland.
New South Wales
Sydney Harbour, surf coast, vineyards and the Blue Mountains
Victoria
Melbourne laneways, the Great Ocean Road and cool-climate wine
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Grampians (Gariwerd) Sandstone ranges holding the richest concentration of Aboriginal rock art in southern Australia. -
Wilsons Promontory Mainland Australia's southernmost point — granite headlands, wombats and Squeaky Beach. -
Victoria's High Country Alpine huts, mountain-bike trails and Australia's snow season within reach of Melbourne.
Western Australia
Ningaloo, the Kimberley and a third of a continent
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Purnululu (Bungle Bungles) Orange-and-black beehive domes unknown to the wider world until 1983 — now World Heritage. -
Karijini National Park Iron-red gorges cut two billion years deep, with swimming holes at the bottom. -
Albany & Denmark The Great Southern — tingle forests, a treetop walk and the Southern Ocean's whale coast.
South Australia
Wine regions, wildlife islands and the Flinders Ranges
Tasmania
Wilderness, wild food and the cleanest air in the world
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Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair Dove Lake, button grass and the start of the six-day Overland Track. -
Freycinet & Wineglass Bay Pink granite peaks above a perfect crescent of white sand on Tasmania's east coast. -
Tasman Peninsula Australia's highest sea cliffs, the Three Capes Track and the Port Arthur convict site. -
Launceston & the Tamar Valley Cataract Gorge in the middle of town and sparkling wine down the valley.
Northern Territory
Uluṟu, Kakadu and the world's oldest living culture
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Kings Canyon (Watarrka) 300 m sandstone walls and the Rim Walk down into the Garden of Eden. -
Litchfield National Park Waterfalls you can swim under, magnetic termite mounds and an easy day trip from Darwin. -
The Red Centre The West MacDonnell Ranges, the Larapinta Trail and desert nights with no light pollution at all.
Australian Capital Territory
The national capital — museums, galleries and cool-climate wine
External Territories
Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) and Norfolk Island
Best bases for this
Gateway hubs that put the most of this theme within reach.
- Coming soon Hobart and surrounds Mount Wellington above, Salamanca and MONA below, and Bruny Island a ferry ride away.
- Coming soon Alice Springs and surrounds The Red Centre's town — West MacDonnell gorges, the Larapinta Trail and the road to Uluṟu.
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Coming soon Sydney and surrounds The harbour city — Opera House, ocean baths and 100 beaches, with the Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley behind it.
Other ways to travel
- Aboriginal Australia The world's oldest continuing culture, shared on Country
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Beaches & Islands More than 10,000 beaches and 8,000 islands -
Nature & National Parks Reef, rainforest, gorge country and the Outback -
Wildlife Animals you will not see anywhere else -
Food & Drink 65 wine regions, world-class coffee and native ingredients -
Road Trips & Drives The Great Ocean Road, the Gibb River Road and everything between -
Adventure & Sports Dive, surf, sail, climb and sandboard -
Arts & Culture Galleries, laneways, festivals and convict history -
Luxury Wilderness lodges, private islands and long-distance trains -
Health & Wellness Hot springs, retreats and slow coastal days -
Family Travel Wildlife parks, theme parks and safe swimming -
Eco-friendly Travel Low-impact islands, eco-lodges and travel that gives back
Photography
Images on this page are sourced from Wikimedia Commons under free licences (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA) and are photographs of the places named. Author, licence and source for each:
- Blue Mountains — Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Daintree Rainforest — Mwarnes · CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Scenic Rim — John Robert McPherson · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Glass House Mountains — Lucbruna · CC BY-SA 4.0
- North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah) — S. Newrick · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lord Howe Island — Toby Hudson · CC BY-SA 2.5 au
- Grampians (Gariwerd) — Joshua Tagicakibau · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wilsons Promontory — Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Victoria's High Country — Matt from Melbourne, Australia · CC BY 2.0
- Purnululu (Bungle Bungles) — W. Bulach · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Karijini National Park — Iktoh · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Albany & Denmark — Gypsy Denise · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Flinders Ranges — Faj2323 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair — Ryan Wilkes · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Freycinet & Wineglass Bay — Mikeybear · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Tasman Peninsula — JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Launceston & the Tamar Valley — Nick-D · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kings Canyon (Watarrka) — Toby Hudson · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Litchfield National Park — Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Red Centre — Murray Foubister · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Namadgi National Park — Dhx1 · CC0
- Norfolk Island — Inas · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sydney — Jeremy Bishop tidesinourveins · CC0