The Great Walks June-July is back from the printers and on its way to newsagents and subscribers! The theme of the issue is under-the-radar walks.
As we all have to holiday in Australia at the moment many of our well-known walking trails are seeing a lot more foot traffic so in this issue we look at lesser-known multi-day walks that are just as inspiring as the likes of the Overland Track and the Larapinta Trail.
Under-the-radar walks include the Solitary Islands Coastal Walk in northern NSW, SA's Investigator Trail, WA's Hakea Trail, Tassie's Leeaberra Track and Banks Track in NZ's South Island.
We also explore Mugii Murum-ban State Conservation Area, west of the NSW Blue Mountains where our writer discovered a fantasy world full of strange geological shapes and names.
"On satellite photos, Genowlan Mountain, the plateau that forms the main body of the park, resembles a reclining labrador wagging its tail," writes Dan Slater.
"In another orientation, a bust of a horse, mane blowing in the wind, comes to the fore. It’s one of those aerial views that just begs to be explored.
The predominantly sandstone geology of the area gives rise to the striking rock formations for which the Gardens of Stone is well known. Galleries of these ‘pagodas’ bulge from the forested slopes like the semi-organic fantasy architecture of some long-collapsed civilisation, and between the weathered bastions are defiles so narrow and deep you’ll think you’ve slipped into the Crack of Doom."
We also look at the history of some of our most famous walking tracks including the Heysen Trail, and showcase the best gear for alpine hiking.
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