{"id":1518,"date":"2021-01-10T01:56:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-10T01:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"\/blog\/?p=1518"},"modified":"2024-08-25T23:55:39","modified_gmt":"2024-08-25T23:55:39","slug":"hiking-australias-great-locations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sixt.com.au\/magazine\/travel-news-and-stories\/hiking-australias-great-locations\/","title":{"rendered":"Bushwalking Blog interview: Hiking Australia’s great locations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Bushwalking<\/figure>\n\n\n

From stories and inspiration, to tips and advice and everything else, there\u2019s no better resource on Australian hikes than Neil Fahey\u2019s Bushwalking Blog<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Arguably one of the country\u2019s most experienced and well-travelled hikers, Neil regularly shares his adventures and images on his engaging site that will have you planning your next trek within minutes.<\/p>\n

Neil has been kind enough to share some of his experience and advice with us in our latest interview, so take a read for all the inspiration you need to pull on your sneakers and get bushwalking!<\/p>\n

What is Australia’s most underrated walk and why?<\/h2>\n

Walking in Australia, from an international perspective, is all about the popular trails in Tasmania, the Blue Mountains, and the Northern Territory\u2019s Larapinta Trail, but there are so many other under-explored places.<\/p>\n

In Tasmania, The Tarkine Wilderness is an under-explored and fortunately almost untouched (at least in part) haven of Gondwanan cool-temperate rainforest, rich in both Indigenous and European history. Tarkine Wilderness is an under-explored and fortunately almost untouched (at least in part) haven of Gondwanan cool-temperate rainforest, rich in both Indigenous and European history.<\/p>\n

My home state, Victoria, is popular for its Alpine National Park hikes and of course the Great Ocean Walk, but my favourite places are Cathedral Range State Park and the Grampians.
Cathedral Range is a small state park, less than two hours from Melbourne, where an overnight hike or two separate day hikes allow you to traverse the entirety of the spectacular mountain range. Its biggest feature is The Razorback, a ridge formed of sharply upturned sedimentary rock which is well worth checking out – even though it\u2019s only a few kilometres long. For some reason I\u2019ve always felt drawn to the place, even before I\u2019d ever been there. There\u2019s something special about it. So much so that I decided to propose to my now-wife there back in May 2015.
The Grampians, while quite a well-known hiking area, has loads of rarely-hiked trails, some of which are absolutely spectacular. Visit the Grampians for the geology, the wildlife, the views, and the wildflowers in spring.<\/p>\n

The Grampians are less than an hour away from<\/span><\/i> SIXT\u2019s car rental location in Horsham<\/a> or you can pick up a car up in Melbourne<\/a>, making it even easier to access this phenomenal hiking mecca!<\/span><\/i> Autoclub members can save at Big 4 NRMA Halls Gap Holiday Park<\/a> stay 4 nights and only pay for 3 or save 10% on shorter stays.<\/p>\n

What are the most important items to take on any hiking holiday?<\/h2>\n

I think the most important thing to take on any journey, be it a hiking holiday or just life in general, is your sense of humour. If you can\u2019t laugh at yourself and have a laugh with your companions on said journey, it\u2019s just not worth it. Next up would be some common sense. Important thing to take on any journey, be it a hiking holiday or just life in general, is your sense of humour. If you can\u2019t laugh at yourself and have a laugh with your companions on said journey, it\u2019s just not worth it. Next up would be some common sense.
If we\u2019re talking material things, though, you need to focus on safety. People don\u2019t take this seriously enough, even when heading off on an \u2018easy\u2019 day-hike. You need to think about the worst case scenario and plan for injuries (including sun exposure or hypothermia), getting lost, hiking in the dark, and getting hungry and\/or thirsty. The \u201c10 essentials<\/a><\/span><\/span>\u201d are the ultimate guide to being prepared for this. It\u2019s a ultimate guide to being prepared for this. It\u2019s a well established concept and should never be ignored.<\/p>\n

What has been your most challenging hike in Australia?<\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve faced many challenges on my overnight and multi-day hikes, even on the trails that seemed like they\u2019d be easy. My most challenging hike wasn\u2019t one I did unassisted, though.<\/p>\n

Back in 2015, I took on a six-day, guided hike of the Larapinta Trail in Australia\u2019s Northern Territory. Although the distances seemed very achievable and we were ferried back to a comfortable campsite each night, the rugged terrain (and a lack of care) resulted in me tearing my meniscus on the third day of hiking. My biggest challenge on this trip was accepting that I couldn\u2019t continue though, so I forced myself to hike a fourth day and further injured myself in the process. The worst part was that the guided\/shuttle element of the trip meant I absolutely didn\u2019t have to continue. To be honest, though, I don\u2019t regret it. My knee has mostly recovered now, and I might not have ever seen that part of the trail if I hadn\u2019t kept going. I\u2019m fairly sure I didn\u2019t cause too much stress for the people guiding the trip, either, and fortunately I wasn\u2019t in danger of needing to be airlifted out at any stage.<\/p>\n

Which Australian hike is worth the long road trip to get there?<\/h2>\n

Every year, Australian families and overseas visitors alike make the road trip to Uluru and the Red Centre in droves. It\u2019s time consuming to get there, but it\u2019s expensive to stay in the area, so although there are flights, the road trip seems like a better option. It is absolutely worth every penny and every minute. I had no idea of the power of the red dirt until my two separate visits. My trips to Uluru, Kata Tjuta, and Kings Canyon, and then to take on the Larapinta Trail have changed my life in so many ways. As someone who was born to this land, I feel a great personal connection with these places, but anyone who wants to \u2018see\u2019 Australia should absolutely experience them too.<\/p>\n

Make your way to Uluru for a hiking adventure of epic proportions with a<\/span><\/i> SIXT car rental from Alice Springs Airport.<\/p>\n

Why are hiking holidays the best kind of holidays?<\/h2>\n

Hiking holidays are the best kinds of holidays for me because hiking is how I feel most connected to nature, most grounded and, as a result, most at peace. Some people prefer to rock climb, mountain bike, paddle a kayak, or just sit and soak it all up. It\u2019s not about hiking. It\u2019s about reconnecting with the nature inside us, disconnecting from life\u2019s daily stresses and routines, and feeling at one or at peace – or whatever you want to call it.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From stories and inspiration, to tips and advice and everything else, there\u2019s no better resource on Australian hikes than Neil Fahey\u2019s Bushwalking Blog. Arguably one of the country\u2019s most experienced and well-travelled hikers, Neil regularly shares his adventures and images on his engaging site that will have you planning your next trek within minutes. Neil…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":108,"featured_media":4375,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,71],"tags":[66,155],"class_list":{"0":"post-1518","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tips","8":"category-travel-news-and-stories","9":"tag-alice-springs","10":"tag-grampians","11":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nBushwalking Blog interview: Hiking Australia's great locations<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Whether you are an amateur hiker or a pro, Neil Fahey has given us the lowdown on his experiences and tips for bushwalking in Australia.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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