Walking is one of the best activities you can do to remain healthy. Where better to do it but in nature’s lungs, away from the madness of modernity and the pressures and stresses of suburban existence? Suitable for nearly all ages, walking is such a simple activity that requires no real extra skills, and thankfully it is still free.
For some reason, NSW’s reputation as Australia’s top bushwalking destination has slipped off its once mighty summit. The deep green wilds of Tasmania and Victoria seem to have blinded many to the treasures and wonders of Australia’s most populous state.
But along NSW’s sparkling 2007 km coastline, and within its rumpled inland folds and the moody mountains of the ACT, an extraordinary range of diverse bushwalks invite people to walk, marvel at and discover the beauty of this land. You can climb high onto bizarre volcanic peaks in the north of the state, or plunge into dark rainforested canyons; you can hike past sapphire-coloured tarns and colourful alpine meadows to the highest peaks on the continent, explore empty beaches on remote stretches of coast, or peer off the sheer sandstone edge of the Blue Mountains escarpment.
Let us never forget that the term bushwalking originated in this state in the early 20th century, when walking clubs began to seriously explore places including the Blue Mountains, Royal National Park and the Warrumbungles.
There is now an abundance of World Heritage–listed sites in NSW, and some of these provide superb bushwalking: the convict sites of the Old Great North Road, the ancient Antarctic beech forests and subalpine plateau in Barrington Tops National Park, the glorious vistas of the Blue Mountains, and the ‘island with everything’, Lord Howe. But there are other lesser known cultural and natural treasures: extensive Aboriginal art in Gundabooka National Park and the Mt Grenfell Historic Site, huge dunes on Stockton Beach, a mountain that’s been burning for 6000 years, and a nature reserve with an exquisite wildflower display that is only open for six weeks a year. While Dorrigo National Park, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and Minnamurra Rainforest are well established as beautiful green corridors, other national parks pack surprising knock-out punches, such as Ben Boyd National Park’s jewelled coastline and Mount Kaputar National Park’s spectacular volcanic landscape, which reaches superlative subalpine heights. Through the great classroom of the bush, we discover the complex web of life around us, intricate layers of geological history, and the footsteps of those who have gone before.
While everyone has their favourite bushwalks, the routes in this book have been chosen precisely because they are inviting, interesting and fun. Although there are some serious challenges that will test even hardened walkers, there are no merciless, off-track bashes through uninteresting scrub, and many of the routes described are suitable for families and mixed-age groups. The emphasis is on walks that will take a few hours to one day, with a few multiday adventures to aspire to.
There are plenty of reasons for loving a particular bushwalk. It may have abundant and interesting wildlife or plant life; it may have views that literally take your breath away. It may draw you to observe the smallest things: glow worms and dragonflies, fungi in forests, or porcelain shells on beaches. It may pose a tough challenge to test your stamina, self-reliance and resolve; or it may just take you to a lovely place of solace, where the journey and the special friends you walk with are more important than the destination.
Whatever your reason for bushwalking, you will find NSW has a track that beckons you to step out and explore.
Tread lightly, breathe deeply and enjoy.
I’ll see you on the track.
Ken Eastwood
This book is dedicated to the many Aboriginal people who have walked this land for eons and who know far more of its secrets than I could ever hope to fathom.
A huge thank you to: the special family and friends who accompanied me on many outdoor adventures; the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Australian Capital Tourism and Destination NSW for their assistance; and the Creator for designing such an awesome outdoor playground.