Top 5 Places I’ve Hiked And Camped In Australia

Story by Ella Freestone
Ella in Cradle Valley, Kitchen Hut, Overland Track. Image by Arran Gravestein

Overland Track

Location: Cradle Mountain – Lake St Clare National Park, TAS
Duration: 6-7 days
Terrain: Mountain peaks, alpine meadows, heathlands, button grass plains, alpine lakes, rainforest, eucalyptus forest

There’s a good reason that you may have heard of this one. With Tasmania on my dream list since I was a teenager, I decided it was time to book onto the Overland Track. With only a couple of weeks left of the official walking season, mid May was late in the year to wiggle into hiking boots. Being within season means walking North to South, and paying the track fee. Being late in the season means snow gloves, a four-season tent, and deciduous beech trees that paint the valleys golden. There are huts that you can bunk in along the track, but we opted to pitch the tent to trap our body heat in a smaller space. Less snoring was another perk.

We are treated to six days of unbelievably varying wilderness terrain and conditions. Alpine peaks cascade down towards lush rainforest, and clear skies disappear into thick fog that rolls in waves through the valleys below. Torrential rain brings the rainforest to life, and by day four the track is hidden beneath a heavy blanket of snow. Dopey wallabies appear from behind snow capped gums, and we spy the rare “Pixies Parasol” – a species of glowing blue mushroom – peering out of a mossy log. We snack on tiny native bush tomatoes, our boots filled with mud.

If you are thinking of doing the Overland, be sure to allow enough days to enjoy the trail. You never know when the weather is going to turn, so take the extra side trips when you are able to, and discover powering waterfalls, pristine alpine lakes, and rocky peaks to summit. Keep a good book in your pack to enjoy in the cabin when the rain or snow rolls on in. At the end of the trail, keep your eyes peeled for the resident platypus in Narcissus Bay. I would recommend at least 6 days to enjoy this pocket of Tassie wilderness.

Wilsons Promontory Southern Loop

Location: Wilsons Promontory National Park, VIC
Duration: 4-6 days
Terrain: Granite headlands, temperate rainforest, sandy beaches, fern gullies

Step into Australia’s own coastal Jurassic Park, at Wilsons Promontory National Park on the Southern most point of Australian mainland. Being a Sydneysider, “The Prom” was not well known to me as it is to most Melbourne folk. Driving south along coastal caravan parks and rural roads in the Gippsland, it was hard to imagine the landscape we were about to encounter.

Sidebar

Jurassic Park Little Waterloo Bay, Wilsons Promontory National Park. Image by Arran Gravestein
A stroll on New Years Eve at Waterloo Bay, Wilsons Promontory National. Park Image by Arran Gravestein

Dark storm clouds billowed in over us as we drove in to the park, the sea glowing aqua in contrast. Granite boulders sit like giants on the hills, summoning the storm above. We park “Vanilla” the van, and hoist up our heavy packs. The summer sandflies are already biting. Sand sinks below my feet as I walk, and my eyes open wide in awe of the land we are passing through. The landscape is carved out in sweeping curves, with sandy coves nestled below.

For five days we explore as much as we can of this special land, with our hair dreadlocked in salt. Close calls include a strike to the ankles minus the bite by a young brown snake, and ten year old hiking boots that I realise are coming apart at the soles by just the first day. New Years Eve is spent with whisky under the stars at Little Waterloo Bay, after exploring pristine rock pools along the coastal fringe that fill up and then flow back out with the tide and swell.

I think we were the last people to get into camp and the last to leave each morning of our five day hike. If you’ve planned to stretch this hike out over 5 or more days then there is no need to rush. Explore all the coves and headlands that The Prom has to offer, and be sure to take the side trip past Roaring Meg to the most southern point of the park if you have the chance. We walked the Southern Loop anti-clockwise and booked a night at each logical camp spot along the way, omitting our fifth night at Sealers Cove in favour of a shower. If you don’t have enough time to walk the whole loop, a good number of the campgrounds are accessible as 2 day/1 night walks.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Hαуℓeу αndersen ❥ (@haylsa)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jade Stephens (@hej.jade)

The Coast Track

Location: Royal National Park, NSW
Duration: 1-2 days
Terrain: Limestone cliffs, palm forests, sandy beaches, coastal heathland, rocky coves

Sitting just south of Sydney is the Royal National Park, the second national park coined in the world after Yellowstone National Park in the United States. The park has gained a cult following in recent years for its famed ‘Figure 8 Pools’, but if you want to beat the crowds then skip the pools then walk The Coast Track, which runs along the entire coastal edge of the park. You’ll soon feel far away from Australia’s largest city, in the company of deserted beaches, the deep red and rust palette of natural sandstone, and freshwater lagoons that spill out into the sea.

Wet foot crossing Curracurrong Creek, Royal National Park. Image by Arran Gravestein

An early morning ferry from Cronulla wharf will take you across the bay to Bundeena, the sleepy seaside town that sits on the edge of the park. From here begins The Coast Track, southbound. If you’re up for it, you can power through the track in a day and catch the train from Otford back to Cronulla. But if you have the time, taking it easy over two days allows for mid-morning hot tea breaks, nudie swims at empty beaches, and tucker under the stars at North Era Campground. With only two days worth of food weight to haul, we like to enjoy hikers’ luxuries – avocados, fresh bread, and orange and sugar simmered with red wine on the stove.

If there has been any decent rainfall prior to setting out, veer east off the track after passing through the creek at Curracurrong Cove on Day 1. Carefully climb down close to the cliffs, and look back towards Eagle Rock. If you’re lucky, you may see the creek cascading off the cliff tops down into the ocean below.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by T H E R E S A ✨ (@theresachvn)

Mermaids Pool + Tahmoor Gorge Circuit Track

Location: Wollondilly Shire, NSW
Duration: Day Walk
Terrain: Canyon, waterfalls, thick eucalyptus forest, swimming holes

This spot is tricky to find, and worth the effort. Tahmoor Gorge is located in the Wollondilly Shire, southwest of Sydney. Mermaids Pool is well known with locals, but remains still under the radar otherwise. It sits on Crown land rather than national park, and as such lacks signage or much published information. This area feels like a quintessential Australian landscape, with sheer canyon walls and gum stained swimming holes reminding me of photos I have seen of Karijini in Western Australia, or the lush north of the Northern Territory.

Sidebar

Nature Shower See-Through Pools, Tahmoor Gorge. Image by Bonnie Hall

Mermaids Pool is the largest waterfall and swimming hole at Tahmoor gorge, with a hefty jump off the canyon cliff and a dodgy rope climb as the only way in and out of the pool below. On summer weekends Mermaids Pool can fare a local crowd, but continue down the circuit track through Tahmoor Gorge and you will likely see no one. Following down the Bargo River you will encounter a number of stunning pools and falls that you should have to yourself.

Without the maintenance standard of a national park, this walk can be pretty tough. Overgrown forest and fallen gums obscure the path at points, so keep an eye on your surroundings and skip this part of the walk if you aren’t comfortable with a bit of bush scrambling and low key navigation.

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Mary (@babiegiraffe)

 

Perry’s Lookdown

Location: Blue Mountains National Park, NSW
Duration: Car camp + access to day walks
Terrain: Sandstone cliffs, eucalyptus forest

If you’re looking for an epic spot to camp in your van or in your bell tent, then Perry’s Lookdown in the Blue Mountains might be for you. Not only will you save yourself carrying gear in on your back, it is also a free camping site with no bookings required. Perry’s looks down into the densely forested Grose Valley, with panoramic views of the Blue Mountains’ iconic sheer sandstone cliff sides.

Sidebar

Tucker in the gums Perry's Lookdown, Blue Mountains National Park. Image by Arran Gravestein
Kane on the forest bridge Blue Gum Forest, Blue Mountains National Park. Image by Arran Gravestein

 

Perry’s Lookdown gives you prime access to the Blue Gum Forest in the valley below, with various day walk options available. This camp spot is located north of Blackheath in a remote area, so come prepared and bring all of your own water as there is none available at the site.

To see more of Ella’s amazing adventures, check her out at @ellafreestone