Australia’s 50 Best Multi-Day Walks includes treks you can take all over Australia that will be sure to create memories that will last a lifetime.

Whether you seek to gaze at profound mountain views or experience a living green cathedral, be awed by some of the worlds best coastal scenery or thrilled by an unexpected wildlife encounter, there is something out there for you. Some of Australia’s most experienced guidebook writers, including John and Monica Chapman, have come together with editor and writer Wendy Bruere to showcase the very best of Australia’s multi-day walks, from two-day hops to major multi-week challenges. Evocative descriptions, vivid photography, essential planning information and easy-to-grasp maps will both inspire you and help you to decide on which trail will be the right one for your party’s next adventure.

We selected to take a hike on Kangaroo island.

KANGAROO ISLAND

WILDERNESS TRAIL

FLINDERS CHASE NP | DISTANCE: 66km | TOTAL ASCENT: 1165m | TIME: 5 days

The Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail presents a unique opportunity to explore the beauty and diversity of Karta Pintingga country on Kangaroo Island. Th e walk follows the course of the Rocky River as it forges a path to the Southern Ocean, then traces the coastal cliff s around the southwestern margin of the island, turning inland to Kelly Hill Caves.

A veritable smorgasbord of habitats, Kangaroo Island is well-known for its diversity of flora and fauna. The trail takes walkers through cup gum forests leading to shaded billabongs, past bubbling cascades, along majestic ravines to the wild and raw beauty of the Kangaroo Island coastline with its sheer cliff s interspersed by turquoise bays.

In December 2019, almost 40 per cent of the island was burnt in bushfires. The trail, along with all of the facilities and campsites, was destroyed and the park was closed to visitors for 18 months.

THE ESSENTIALS

• DIFFICULTY: The hike follows a well-defined trail, but the path may be rocky and uneven in places. The coastal section is very exposed and subject to strong winds.

• ACCESS: Kangaroo island is accessible from the SA mainland either by ferry or a short flight from Adelaide Airport. The 45-minute ferry trip leaves from Cape Jervis (106km south of Adelaide) and arrives at Penneshaw, on the eastern side of the island. The 40-minute flight from Adelaide arrives at Kingscote, on the northern side of the island. The distance from each arrival point to the beginning of the hike is more than 100km, but vehicles can be taken onboard the ferry, and most guided tour options offer transfers to the start of the walk.

• ACCOMMODATION: There are campsites along the trail with toilets, kitchens and rainwater.

The hike begins at the newly constructed Flinders Chase Visitor Centre and you are soon beneath the regenerating forest canopy of Black Swamp where giant megafauna once roamed. At the Platypus Waterholes, a series of viewing platforms overlook the tranquil pools, and a keen observer might spy one of those elusive creatures for which the waterholes are named. The trail continues through Black Swamp, ascending to Pardalote Lookout and passing the tranquil Rocky River Cascades, where the bubbling waters of the river spill and chatter over flat beds of rock.

The second day, from Snake Lagoon, takes you through cup gum forest to a boardwalk crossing the Rocky River Gorge. Towering walls studded with limestone caves are reflected in the cool waters, and as you scrabble down the gorge towards the river mouth you will be rewarded with your first view of the Southern Ocean. There follows an ascent to the clifftop, where the trail turns south and follows the coastline towards the azure waters and white sands of Maupertius Bay. This portion of the trail is quite exposed, but the rugged, harsh beauty of the sheer cliffs with the swirling thrashing waves beneath is recompense for being buffeted by strong winds.

The area is rich with maritime history, with many ships having come to grief on the jagged rocks which lurk beneath the surface. Raptors and other sea birds, as well as marine mammals, including dolphins, sea lions and whales, may be sighted along this stretch of the walk.

On day three there is the option to take a side trip to explore the historic Cape du Couedic Light station and the majestic Admirals Arch with its colony of playful fur seals. There is also the opportunity to see the historic Weirs Cove, which served as a landing site for building materials and supplies for the light stations. Prior to 1907, the goods had to be hauled up the 90-metre-high cliffs, but eventually a flying fox mechanism was installed, the remnants of which can still be seen. The Wilderness Trail then veers inland through regenerating scrub before turning back to the coastline at Remarkable Rocks. Orange lichen coated, pock-marked granite boulders poised on the edge of the cliff against the blue of sea and sky make for a striking visual. From here the path keeps to the cliff face, providing awe-inspiring views up and down the coastline before arriving at secluded Sanderson Bay.

The fourth day continues to showcase the incredible coastline, with towering cliff s above the raging surf, and expansive views in both directions. As the trail heads inland, the vegetation transitions from coastal scrub to stands of mallee and tea trees. The remarkable capacity of these plants to regenerate post-bushfire can be appreciated as you move through the recovering landscape. Keep a look out for the large goannas which abound, and the ‘echidna trains’. Th is courtship ritual amongst echidnas occurs during the winter months when single females are followed about by multiple males (typically three to five, however trains of up to 11 echidnas have been observed).

The final day from the Tea Tree Camp is less exposed and crosses somewhat more relaxed terrain. Th e trail traverses peaceful woodlands, freshwater lakes and lagoons (which are a birdwatcher’s delight), before finishing at Kelly Hill Caves. An optional side trip takes in the picturesque waters of Hanson Bay before arriving at the campground.

PRO TIPS

Although the waters visited along the hike look inviting, there are strong currents and the potential for large waves, so swimming is not recommended.

USEFUL INFO

• GUIDED OPTIONS: Guided options are available through a number of tour operators listed on the SA National Parks and Wildlife Service website.
• SINGLE-DAY OPTIONS: Days 1, 2 and 5 of the trail are accessible as single-day walks; however the walks are one-way and a two-car shuffle or transport from the end point is required.
• BOOKING & FEES: Book online at the SA National Parks and Wildlife Service website for campsites, registration and a National Parks SA pass.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Wendy Bruere is a Sydney-based writer and editor, specialising in outdoor adventure and climate change. She has published three anthologies, two of stories by women who climb and mountaineer, and one of personal stories by climate scientists. She is editor of Vertical Life magazine, and writes for publications including Wild, Great Walks and We Are Explorers. Prior to this, she spent more than 10 years working with NGOs, media outlets and UN agencies, living and traveling across Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The inspiration to create this book came after she struggled to find accessible material on evaluating which of Australia’s long-distance treks would best suit her and her walking colleagues. John and Monica Chapman have been writing walking guides for Australians for over 40 years and are the best-known writers and authorities on the major walks across the continent.

The other contributors are: Calumn Hockey, Craig Sheather, Dan Slater, Helen McKerrel, John Souter, Jonathan Tan, Julie Gill, Julie Mundy, Katrina OBrian, Leah Furey, Lisa Ikin, Lisa Marshall, Louise Denton, Mark Pybus, Matt McClelland, Miranda Fittock, Roz Glazebrook, Sally McPhee, Saphira Bloom-Quinn, Sarah Pendergrass, Sarah Taylor, Steph Zissis, Taylor Bell and Virginia Balfour.