Australia is a country that is home to many beautiful and diverse landscapes, making it a paradise for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts. From the rugged coastline of Victoria to the tropical rainforests of Queensland, there is no shortage of stunning trails to explore.
Being such a difficult task to decide the best hikes in each state, in this article, we will take a look at the most famous multi-day hikes in each state of Australia, highlighting the unique features and challenges of each trail. Whether you are an experienced hiker looking for a new challenge or a beginner looking to explore the great outdoors, these hikes offer something for everyone.
Victoria. Great Ocean Walk
The Great Ocean Walk is a multi-day hike along the south coast of Victoria, Australia. It stretches for over 100 kilometers from Apollo Bay to the Twelve Apostles, passing through coastal towns, beaches, and national parks along the way. Beginning in Apollo Bay, you will travel via Great Otway and Port Campbell national parks. Your trek will come to an end with the renowned Twelve Apostles. Alternately, you can take a variety of short, day, and multi-day walks to sample portions.
The well-known Great Ocean Road is surrounded by the Great Ocean Walk. The breathtaking seaside vistas you see from your car window change every day as they pass directly beneath your feet. You'll be amazed by the expansive skies and untamed landscape.
The hike takes you through diverse landscapes, including rainforests, cliffs, and sandy beaches, and offers stunning views of the southern coast of Victoria. The trail is well-marked and can be hiked in sections or as a whole. It can take anywhere from 6 to 8 days to complete the entire walk, depending on your pace.
Walkers have the option of staying at one of the designated campsites or finding nearby lodging with the luxury of hot showers and plush mattresses. There are seven hike-in campsites; reservations must be made in advance. Because campgrounds are typically small, walking groups must take into account their noise and environmental effects.
Length: over 100 kilometers (62 miles)
Estimated time to complete: 6 to 8 days, depending on the pace of the hiker
Difficulty: moderate to challenging
Elevation gain: around 1,000 meters (3,300 feet)
Start point: Apollo Bay
End point: Twelve Apostles
Location: south coast of Victoria
Features: coastal scenery, beaches, rainforests, cliffs, and wildlife
Queensland. Thorsborne Trail
The Thorsborne Trail is a multi-day hike on Hinchinbrook Island, Queensland, Australia. The trail stretches for 32 kilometers and takes hikers through the island's rainforest and along its coastal areas.
The trail is not a graded walking track, and in some places it is uneven and challenging to travel. It is run in accordance with no-trace camping and minimal effect bushwalking principles. Permits are provided for a maximum of 40 individuals to be on the route at once in order to lessen effect and preserve the wilderness setting. Six people make constitute the largest group booking. Because of this, obtaining a Thorsborne Trail camping permit during the busiest walking season, April to September, can be challenging.
The hike is considered challenging and requires a moderate level of fitness. It typically takes 3 to 4 days to complete the trail. Hikers must be self-sufficient and carry all of their own supplies, including food, water, and shelter. Campsites are provided along the way, but hikers must carry a tent or other suitable camping equipment.
Length: 32 kilometers (20 miles)
Estimated time to complete: 3 to 4 days, depending on the pace of the hiker
Difficulty: challenging
Elevation gain: around 700 meters (2,300 feet)
Start point: Ramsay Bay
End point: George Point
Location: Hinchinbrook Island, Queensland
Features: rainforest, coastal scenery, and wildlife
Northern Territory. Larapinta Trail
The Larapinta Trail is a multi-day hike located in the West MacDonnell Ranges in the Northern Territory of Australia. The trail stretches for 223 kilometers and follows the spine of the ranges, taking hikers through some of the most breathtaking and remote landscapes in the territory.
The trail is divided into 12 sections, ranging in length from 15 to 36 kilometers, and typically takes around 14 days to complete, although it can be done in shorter or longer timeframes depending on the pace of the hiker.
The Central Australian desert abruptly gives way to the stunning crimson slopes of the West MacDonnell Ranges. Through the shifting colours of their mountain peaks, undulating hills, and arid river basins, Albert Namatjira's paintings made the austere landscapes of the Red Centre famous.
By Australian standards, the Macdonnell Ranges are quite high, and the Larapinta Trail, which begins at a base elevation of 600 metres, goes above 1,000 metres seven times along its length. Mount Sonder is 1,380 metres tall. There are numerous portions that climb from the gorges to the ridgetops and back. The suggested number of kilometres per day reflects this.
Length: 223 kilometers (138 miles)
Estimated time to complete: 14 days, depending on the pace of the hiker
Difficulty: challenging
Elevation gain: around 3,000 meters (9,800 feet)
Start point: Alice Springs Telegraph Station
End point: Mount Sonder
Location: West MacDonnell Ranges, Northern Territory
Features: desert scenery, mountains, gorges, and wildlife
Tasmania. Overland Track
The Overland Track is a multi-day hike located in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park in Tasmania, Australia. It stretches for 65 kilometers and takes hikers through some of the most beautiful and rugged landscapes in Tasmania.
Australia's top alpine walk is the Overland Track, and people from all around the world come to experience this thrilling and transformative walk. This 65-kilometer, six-day hike takes you through the heart of the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, which is a part of the stunning Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. It starts at the famous Cradle Mountain and ends at Lake St Clair, Australia's deepest lake.
You may expect a physically difficult, emotionally taxing, and visually stunning adventure. This region has valleys that have been sculpted by glaciers, old rain forests, fragrant eucalypt forests, golden buttongrass moorlands, and lovely alpine meadows. You can take optional side trips to see cascading waterfalls and mountain summits, including Mount Ossa, Tasmania's highest peak (1617 m).
While it typically takes six days to complete the Overland Track, you can set your own pace based on how many rest days or side trips you want to do. The Overland Track is about you and your time in the wilderness.
The majority of walkers end their journey at Narcissus Hut at the top of Lake St. Clair, where they board a small privately operated ferry (advance reservations are required) to travel to Cynthia Bay, where there is a visitor centre for Lake St. Clair. Alternately, you could decide to add a day to your trip by walking the 17.5 km length of the lake through the rainforest to the visitor centre.
It's understandable why the Overland Track has established itself as one of the greatest wilderness bushwalks in the world.
Length: 65 kilometers (40 miles)
Estimated time to complete: 6 to 8 days, depending on the pace of the hiker
Difficulty: challenging
Elevation gain: around 2,000 meters (6,600 feet)
Start point: Cradle Mountain
End point: Lake St Clair
Location: Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania
Features: alpine wilderness, rainforests, glacial lakes, waterfalls, and wildlife
New South Wales. Main Ridge Walk
This magnificent, lengthy alpine trail is ideal for intrepid hikers looking to discover some of Kosciuszko National Park's highest levels on foot.
The Main Range Walk is a multi-day hike located in Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales, Australia. It is a challenging hike that follows the main range of the Snowy Mountains and takes hikers through some of the highest peaks in the region.
The walk stretches for around 80 kilometers and typically takes around 6 to 8 days to complete, depending on the pace of the hiker.
Start your 22km journey from Charlotte's Pass through the glacier-carved vistas of this UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. You'll go over the legendary Snowy River, pass by Hedley Tarn and Blue Lake, and be mesmerised by early-summer floral fields. Then, go high along the untamed Main Range to Mount Kosciuszko (2228m), Australia's highest point, where views of the Australian Alps can be seen for as far as the eye can see.
The Mount Kosciuszko Summit route is used to loop back to Charlotte's Pass from this point. The trek can be carried out over a few days if you are well-equipped and ready for an overnight backcountry camping trip.
Length: around 80 kilometers (50 miles)
Estimated time to complete: 6 to 8 days, depending on the pace of the hiker
Difficulty: challenging
Elevation gain: around 2,000 meters (6,600 feet)
Start point: Charlotte Pass
End point: Thredbo
Location: Snowy Mountains, New South Wales
Features: alpine wilderness, high peaks, glacial lakes, and wildlife
Western Australia. Cape To Cape Track
The Cape to Cape Track is a multi-day hike located in Western Australia. It stretches for 135 kilometers from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin along the west coast of the state. The hike takes hikers through diverse landscapes including forests, beaches, and coastal cliffs, and offers stunning views of the coast. The track mostly follows the coast, alternating breathtaking sweeping cliff-top views with sections of pristine beach in an effort to bring people in intimate contact with the nature.
You will enjoy all that Mother Nature has to offer as you travel north on the track. As you stare over the edge of granite cliff tops in search of whales breaching, dolphins frolicking in the waves, and seabirds hovering just above the surface of the glittering blue Indian Ocean, a nice sea breeze will blow through your hair. There are also many inland loops that pass through the famous Boranup karri forest as well as some lovely protected woodland areas.
Old 4WD vehicle tracks, built pathways, sturdy, well-graded tracks, rugged, stony routes, and sandy beaches all make up the trail. There are easy areas that are great for half-day and day hikes, but other of the wilder sections are difficult and difficult to navigate. The entire hike presents a formidable challenge. Usually five to seven days, however thanks to the numerous access points along the shore, it is possible to complete the track quickly in smaller sections.
Length: 135 kilometers (84 miles)
Estimated time to complete: 7 to 10 days, depending on the pace of the hiker
Difficulty: moderate to challenging
Elevation gain: around 1,000 meters (3,300 feet)
Start point: Cape Naturaliste
End point: Cape Leeuwin
Location: west coast of Western Australia
Features: coastal scenery, forests, beaches, and wildlife
South Australia. Heysen Trail
The Heysen Trail is a long-distance hike located in South Australia passing through a variety of landscapes including bushland, forests, and coastal areas.
The hike is considered challenging and requires a high level of fitness. It typically takes around 60 days to complete the entire trail, although it can be done in shorter or longer timeframes depending on the pace of the hiker.
The 1,200-kilometer Heysen Trail travels through some of South Australia's most stunning and varied landscapes, passing through wineries, pine woods, rocky gorges, coastal regions, native bushland, fertile farming, and historic cities.
The Barossa Valley and the breathtaking Wilpena Pound are only two of the state's most picturesque locations that the Trail traverses, along with state forests, national parks, and other well-known tourist spots.
Following the Mount Lofty Ranges, the southern part from Cape Jervis to Spalding in the Mid North is good for novices and families. For seasoned walkers, the northern part from Spalding to Parachilna Gorge, which is remote and occasionally rugged, presents a rewarding challenge.
The trail has been planned to accommodate both the serious hiker who intends to complete the entire route and the day hiker who may opt to take short excursions along various trail segments.
Length: 1,200 kilometers (745 miles)
Estimated time to complete: 60 days, depending on the pace of the hiker
Difficulty: challenging
Elevation gain: around 6,000 meters (20,000 feet)
Start point: Parachilna Gorge
End point: Cape Jervis
Location: Flinders Ranges to the coast of South Australia
Features: varied landscapes including bushland, forests, and coastal areas
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