Top 5 trekkings in Australia

Some of my favorite things in the world are travel and walking. Preferably combined. This is one of the many reasons I love Australia. It is one of the continents that give me the option of combining the walking and the traveling in one perfect combination. Australia has so many options for finding amazing and beautiful scenery and national parks for walking, trekking, climbing, camping and whatever else your heart can desire. 
I’ve thrown together some of my favorite parks and stops for trekking in my Downunder paradise.
 Do make them a stop on your Australian adventure.

Kings Canyon

5. Flinders Range, South Australia Gorgeous and untouched nature as far as the eye can see, and then even further…Flinders Ranges National Park is the largest mountain range in South Australia. All you want from a national park, Flinders Ranges has it. From mountains to gorges, from creeks to rivers.

Flinders Range

Flinders Range

The outback of South Australia conceals some of the country’s most dramatic and beautiful landscapes. And everywhere is overflowing with life. The wide array of wildlife in this park includes one of my favorite Australian animal, the kangaroos, of course, and heaps of them. Red kangaroos, western grey kangaroos, wallaroos and yellow-footed rock-wallaby thrive in this park, which gives you many occasions to see these funny looking and absolutely amazing creatures up close. During most of the daytime, you can find them in the shades under trees or rocks relaxing and chilling. Here they are lying, without a care in the world, looking around and playing it cool. Once you’re done with kangaroo-watching, cast your eyes on all the other life around you. A vast array of birds, reptiles, and small mammals can be found in this giant park too, though the closer to dawn and dusk, the higher your chances of seeing them, and the more active they will be.

The Flinders Range has a rich Aboriginal history, like most of the natural places around this country. The first humans to see its beauty, and call this place home were the Adnyamathanha and the Ndajurri people. Their memories endure through cave paintings, rock engravings and other artifacts, left by the aboriginals to tell the tales of what life once was from 50.000 years ago and until 200 years ago. Though the settlers claimed that they were the first to discover Australia, these paintings tell a different tale of aboriginals living here in the Flinders Ranges for tens of thousands of years.

In this 430 km long range you should stop at Lake Eyre. An inland saltwater lake, now mostly dry, but stunning in its arid landscape formations. Another stop is Wilpena Pound. A beautiful rock formation that rises over the landscape and is about three times the size of Uluru. Once you finally reach the top, short of breath and covered in sweat, you will enjoy the most spectacular view. Nature, and nothing but mother-nature as far as your eyes can see. If you are a nature addict, like my self, you will fall utterly in love.

To finish off this remarkable adventure stop by the rock art site Arkaroo Rock and see proof of the aboriginal history and early people inhabiting Australia, and learn more about their history and Dreamtime stories.

4. Nitmuluk, Northern Territory

 Nitmuluk, or Katherine Gorge as it used to be called by the English, is located 29 km from Katherine and possibly the most beautiful place in the world. It consists of 13 majestic natural gorges carved through sandstone, with huge rocks and boulders separating each gorge.
According to aboriginal Dream-time stories, Nitmiluk was created in the ancient times when Nabilil was wandering around the world with a bag of water and some fire sticks. Wherever he went, birds and animals asked for some of his water but Nabilil wouldn't share with anyone. One night he came to a cave, where a bat-monster lived and during the night it speared Nabilil and his water bag. This became the Katherine River, giving water and life to all the creatures Nabilil had previously denied water to. And his fire sticks became pandanus. 

The weather is really hot in Nitmiluk so I would recommend getting up as early as possible to go dig into this treasure. On your way, be aware that most Australian animals are most active at dusk and dawn, so drive carefully or you will have half a dozen dead wallabies on your consciousness. Furthermore, Car insurance does not cover hitting wild animals, and if you do not have a bumper on your car, hitting an animal might cost you a great deal from your car leasing company, so drive carefully. If not for the sake of the animals, for the sake of your wallet.

When the temperature hits 40 C at the bottom it is generally around 50 C at the top and the sun is unforgivably burning, making it extremely hot as soon as it rises. That being said do not miss out on this spectacular place.
If climbing is not for you Nitmiluk offers means to enjoy this enchanting scenery for every fitness level. Pick a 6 days trek all the way to Leliyn or do a few hours trek around the first Gorge. Canoe up the river or jump on a cruise, where you can just enjoy the view without all the hard work.
While visiting Nitmiluk National Park do not forget Leliyn (Edith Falls). They offer nice cooling-off in natural pools with beautiful waterfalls providing each pool with flowing fresh water. Trekking from the bottom pool to the top gives you amazing views and plenty of options to stop and catch your breath while pretending to just stop for a Kodak-moment.

Insider tip: Want an experience out of the ordinary? Enjoy the sunset with a magnificent view from lookout points in Nitmiluk. Bring a bottle of white wine and some cheese and crackers and make it a sunset picnic. It is an extraordinary journey.

3. The Blue Mountains
Magnificent nature as far as the eye can see. Deep gorges, misty mornings, cicadas singing and cockatoos flying high over the valleys. The Blue Mountains is one of Australia’s most spectacular area, recognized with a World Heritage listing, and with its sublime beauty, it is not hard to understand why.

The Blue Mountains are an absolute favorite of mine. The breathtaking piece of nature, and quaint small cities surrounding the entrances.
The mountain range is a dissected plateau carved into sandstone bedrock.
It is a beautiful place, and definitely worth at least one-weekend camping trip. If you are short on time, you can take a one-day guided tour, but doing it yourself gives you more freedom, and is a lot cheaper. The mountain range is located just 90 minutes from Sydney by car and around two hours by train.

The most popular place in the Blue Mountains is called the Three Sisters and is where most tours will take you. It is right next to the Katoomba Scenic Railway, which should be the steepest railway in the world. I do not consider myself afraid of heights, but I was terrified on my way up through the gorge.
The adverts claim the maximum gradient is 52 degrees, but it felt like free fall. At this location, you will also find the Scenic Skyway, a glass-bottom aerial cable car, and the Scenic Cableway. Both are part of The Giant Stairway, a walking track that runs down a cliff into the Jamison Valley, providing access to nature walks throughout the valley. But I think you are missing out big time if that is all you explore! The Blue Mountains have some of the country’s most dazzling natural attractions. With dramatic views over the deep valley, troughs gouged out over millions of years.

2. Litchfield National Park, NT, Australia. 

As part of the woodlands, this National part stretches over 1500 square kilometers. The park holds spectacular waterfalls, cold-water pools, and huge termite mounds three time your own size. Did you think termite mounds all looked the same? Stand to be corrected.

When just entering the Litchfield Park surreal, a tombstone-like field of giant termite mounds feels the green fields. These castles are built on a north-south axis to protect the interiors from the intense sun. While driving around you will be amazed over and over again. Nature just seize to surprise you. Wallabies inhabit these areas, along with hundreds of bird species like the black cockatoo. A beautiful creature a little more aggressive and undomesticated that its cousin, the white cockatoo. After hours of leaving no stone unturned in the park you can stop is the thundering falls and cool plunge pools where you can cool off and lay back and relax while the world runs its course. There are a few trails around the waterfall that can be pioneered if you have more energy, if not a couple of hours can easily be spent here with a picnic by the water.

1. Center of Australia, NT, Australia

The most iconic part of Australia is probably the center with its ancient surroundings which should definitely not to be missed. Uluru, which is even more spectacular op close, Kings Canyon, and Kata Tjuta.

Uluru: While you walk the flat surrounding around it take some time to ponder, like so many others, how a rock like this appeared in the middle of the flat landscape. Could the dream-time stories be true, or do you have a different idea? Watch how it appear to glow as the sun sets behind it. Or perhaps get the first glimpse of sunlight cascading over Uluru, a sunrise you will never forget.

Kings Canyon: The walls of Kings Canyon rises more than 100 meters high, with Kings Creek at the bottom. This scenery is worthy of a King. If you want to fully ransack this place there is only one way… put on your runners, sunscreen, and cap and start trekking.

The walk is breathtaking in more ways than one. It takes blood sweat and tears to reach the top which begins with a steep climb. The locals call it ‘heart attack hill’ but once you reach the top, I promise you it is worth the climb. The view of the gorge and the surrounding landscape is just indescribable. You will get plenty of kodak-moments on this trek with Garden of Eden and mazes of weathered sandstone domes which just never seize to amaze you.

Kata Tjuta: Kata Tjuta is a group of large domed rock formations located around 25 km from Uluru. Kata Tjuta counts 36 domes. However, in the aboriginal languages, you do not count to more than three. Are there more than three, you just have many. Simple as that.

Like Uluru there are many Pitjantjatjara dream-time legends associated with this place. A large number of legends surrounds the great snake King Wanambi who is said to dwell in the summit of Mount Olga, the highest of the domes, and only emerges during the dry season.

Camping in the outback

The Thorny Devil

Uluru

* All photos are private and taken by me.