Walking in Australia travel guide

All our Australian walking vacations include locally owned B&Bs, nature resort motels or wilderness lodges that offer authentic and comfy conditions from where to rest and enjoy a cuppa and a natter. You’ll often be staying in the same place for a couple of nights, from where you can undertake circular walks or be driven to and from trail heads, before moving on to the next location on foot or by private vehicle transfer. Luggage will be driven to the next accommodation while you walk, so don’t forget to bring a day pack and reusable water bottle.

Often you'll be walking in the morning to avoid the midday heat. This means you'll arrive around lunchtime and have a chance to unpack, get orientated and explore before an evening meal. All food, including picnic lunches and home cooked evening meals, could be included, especially in more remote regions where there isn't anywhere to buy food. Other walking vacations might only feature breakfast – always hearty fare – to encourage you to check out a few of the local pubs or coastal cafés and diners along the way. The Great Ocean Road area in Victoria is excellent for this.

Basically, you’ll be walking most days but there will also be plenty of time to rest or make the most of the scenery and local history either along the route or once you arrive at your accommodation. Walking distances, track quality and gradients are as varied as Australia is vast, and extensions or easier routes will often be made available as part of an organised small group or tailor made tour.

Small group walking vacations will often include a couple of local guides. This means that sometimes a group can be split depending on how far they fancy walking each day. In other instances – take Tasmania's national parks – both guides need to stay with the whole group as per the safety rules and regs set out by the local authorities.

Group sizes are around 10 to 12 people. This allows groups to make minimal impact on the environment. You’ll also be able to stay at smaller locally owned guest houses, wilderness lodges and family-run motels surrounded by countryside.

Small group walking tours are also a great way to learn about what you're seeing and where you're walking as you chat with guides. Safety is also extremely important, especially when walking in more remote regions. A guide gives you the confidence and security to enjoy the experience rather than worrying that you're going in the wrong direction and wondering what's around the next bend.

Solo travelers tend to lean towards small group tours, as they get a readymade group of pals to walk with. Single person supplements may be available at accommodation, so solo travelers can choose to have their own space or opt to bunk with a group member of the same sex, at a lower price.

It doesn’t matter if you're walking as part of a guided group or on your own with a regional map and detailed route notes – distances should be chosen to suit your pace, experience and fitness levels. Be honest with yourself; if you only want to stroll for a few hours each morning, and visit a vineyard or the beach in the afternoon, and have a couple of rest days, then pick a self guided itinerary to suit.

There are a variety of trails in Victoria, for instance – steeper alpine gradients in the north, and in the Grampians, matched by easygoing bay and lighthouse trails around the cosmopolitan coastline of the Mornington Peninsula. Average daily distances can be anything from 8km to 25km.

Elsewhere in Australia, you can undertake lighter or more challenging sections of the Larapinta Trail, depending on which you prefer. Splitting a small group, with one Larapinta guide each, allows everyone to experience the extreme isolation and remoteness of the Outback, on their own level, before meeting back at the homestead lodge for a chef-prepared evening meal.

Walking in Australia can be as challenging or relaxing as you wish – from 15km to 25km daily distances along sections of the 1,000km Bibbulmun Track in Western Australia to moderate hikes for around five hours a day in the Tasmanian wilderness. Just don't forget that this is a vacation, so take your time to enjoy the scenery, learn more about aboriginal cultural heritage, and spot native species of flora and fauna, rather than opting for a head-down uphill slog that will just leave you red-necked and sweaty.