Book Review: Epic Hikes of Australia & New Zealand
One of the best ways to see the natural beauty and wonders of our countries is to get out into the great outdoors on a hiking trail. We’ve all probably heard of some of the infamous hiking trails such as: Camino de Santiago through France, Spain and Portugal; The Path of the Gods along the Amalfi Coast of Italy; Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru; Bright Angel Trail in the Grand Canyon, USA; or Tour du Mont Blanc in Europe. However, there are countless epic hikes of Australia and New Zealand that are rapidly becoming world acclaimed.
In Lonely Planet’s latest publication titled “Epic Hikes of Australia and New Zealand”, you will discover 50 incredible hiking routes, plus an additional 150 suggestions of the most thrilling trails in these countries. They are all detailed and beautifully illustrated in this 320-page book with a rating applied to each hike: easy, medium or epic!
Epic Hikes Book Content
To compile this book, Lonely Planet asked seasoned hikers to share their adventures in Australia and New Zealand. And guests, such as Bob Brown, senator and former leader of the Australian Greens, recount some of their personal hiking tales and favourite destinations.
The book is broken up into chapters according to the location of the hikes:
- New South Wales & Victoria
- Tasmania
- South Australia & Northern Territory
- Queensland & Western Australia
- New Zealand
With each hike there is map, quality photos, a detailed description, first-hand accounts, and orientation points to help planning. These include: Start and finish, distance, duration, getting there, when to go, what to pack and more information as applicable. Then there are recommendations for more hikes that are similar to the one featured.
Some Of The Featured Epic Hikes in Australia
Hiking in Australia offers the walker an absolute smorgasbord of walking trails. With its abundance of protected national parks and wilderness areas the options are endless. There are walks along rugged coastlines, through serene rainforests, native bushland, into deep gorges, on pristine beaches, through the alpine highlands and arid deserts.
There are far too many hikes in Australia to list them all here, but some of the better known ones include:
New South Wales & Victoria
- The Great Ocean Walk along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria.
- Sydney’s Seven Bridges Walk in New South Wales.
- Wilsons Promontory Southern Circuit & Lighthouse in Victoria.
- Minyon Falls Walking Track in Northern New South Wales.
Tasmania
- The Overland Track.
- The Three Capes Track.
- Freycinet Peninsula Circuit.
- The Three Falls Circuit.
South Australia & Northern Territory
- Uluru Base Walk in Northern Territory.
- Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail in South Australia.
- The Larapinta Trail in Northern Territory.
- The Heysen Trail in South Australia.
Queensland & Western Australia
- The Scenic Rim Trail in South East Queensland.
- The Cape to Cape Track in South Western Australia.
- Daintree Forest Circuit in Far North Queensland.
- Hancock Gorge, Karijini National Park in North Western Australia.
Featured Epic New Zealand Hikes
New Zealand is a walking wonderland with volcanic peaks, steaming craters, vivid blue lakes, snow capped mountains and glaciers, fjordlands, dense native forests and wild West Coast beaches.
Here’s just a handful of the more renowned hiking trails in New Zealand:
- Tongariro Northern Circuit on the North Island.
- The Routeburn Track in the Southern Alps on the South Island.
- The Milford Track in the fjordlands of the South Island.
- The Heaphy Track on the West Coast of the North Island.
What To Expect When Hiking In Australia & New Zealand
Hiking in Australia and New Zealand not only offers a variety of terrain but are also culturally diverse with intriguing indigenous histories. As both countries were both originally explored on foot, some of the walking routes help walkers connect with and understand some of the countries history.
In parts of Australia you will discover amazing aboriginal rock art in gorges and caves, trees where canoes were cut from, sacred ceremonial sites and middens – relics of the Aboriginal Heritage. In New Zealand some of the tracks lead into river valleys along routes used by Maori long before Europeans arrived.
The hiking trails in this book vary from one-day hikes, urban adventures, long-distance challenging trails and even some newly created routes.
One thing that hiking gives us is a connection with nature where we can feel awe and peace among the trees, rocks and warbling birds. It is known to help reduce stress levels, clear our minds, breathe in fresh air and increase awareness and creativity.
Summary of Epic Hikes
Each page of this fantastic book tells a first-hand story of the featured hiking trail, that I found extremely interesting. It also gives great detailed information for planning and preparing for the hikes. I can see that the book would be a valuable tool for avid walkers and hikers, from the weekend warrior to the hardcore thrill seeker. There are hikes listed in this book that would suit all levels of fitness, ability and interest.
Lonely Planet’s “Epic Hikes of Australia and New Zealand” is available online from Lonely Planet for $44.99 or from most book shops in Australia and New Zealand.
