The most intimate way to experience great parts of Australia is on foot, and the options are as varied as the landscapes. You can haul food and water for weeks through the High Country of Victoria and New South Wales, or amble between restaurans and B&Bs beside as peculiarly as Australia’s native wildlife, West Australian forests that scratch at the sky, or Queensland islands that will slow your step to an admiring, tropical stroll. Even the outback has its welcoming moments, with the Flinders and West Macdonnell Ranges among the country’s unique natural treasures. Everywhere there are castaway beaches accessible only to those prepared to walk – often, you need barely leave the city to find them.
Sightseeing in Australia
■ Victoria: Whenever your walking mood, Victoria will almost certainly cater to it: alpine experiences, razorback ridges, peachy-postcard beaches, moody cliffs and forests both thick and thin. You can camp alone on alpine summits or you can snuggle into the freshly pressed bed sheets of a B&B at the end of a day.
■ Tasmania: Tasmania is famous for its wilderness areas, among the least-disturbed temperate wild lands on earth. Both the air and water in parts of the state are claimed to be the purest on the planet, while the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, which covers 20% of the island, is internationally renowned. Tasmania is now proud of has been achieved only by protracted environmental campaigns on rivers and in forests, and in the media, parliaments and courts.
■ Queensland: Five regions in Queensland are World Heritage-listed and three of them can be explored through walks. Australia’s Great Dividing Range begins amid the Wet Tropics region in the far north and here lies Queensland’s highest peak – Mt Bartle Frere – where walkers can still experience Jurassic plants from Gondwana days.
Activities in Australia
■ Wineries visit: South Australia is known for its wines of distinction. Find your preferred vintage by touring the state’s many wineries – the Barossa Valley alone has more than 50 wineries offering tastings and cellar door sales. Alternatively, Adelaide is well supplied with good wine outlets.
■ Outdoor activities: Covering about a third of the continent, Western Australia offers everything from great surf around Margaret River to the coral Ningaloo Reef – which many argue is more spectacular than the Great Barrier Reef.
■ Nature sightseeing: Ruggedly beautiful landscapes are the major attraction in Tasmania, where you can indulge your passion for bicycle, bushwalking and camping and other outdoor pursuits. Scenic flights over the island provide a fanatic overview.
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