In a lengthy but fascinating tome, Harper explores many aspects of walking in the Aussie bushland. Bushwalking can be traced back to the earliest settlers, with those Europeans enjoying it as a recreational concept. Aboriginal people, of course, had always walked through their land.

Walking for recreation was certainly not entertained by Australia’s early explorers who did a lot of it on foot. One of the most extraordinary walkers was the musician, Percy Grainger. He would often walk between engagements, while the rest of his party travelled by train. In New Zealand in 1903, he walked 90 km in 16 hours. And again in South Africa, he left Pietermaritzburg after one concert, walking 104 km to Durban in time for his next concert.

There are fascinating facts about Australia’s early walking clubs, all-male and resplendent in three-piece suits and bowler hats. One interesting account is that of guided ‘mystery hikes’ in 1932. Hikers paid two shillings each to board a train in a capital city, destination unknown. When reached, there was a hike of around 16 km before the return trip by train. One of these events from Sydney, attracted 8000 participants requiring 12 trains.

Naturally, ‘real’ bushwalkers disliked the idea of ‘hikers’ at that time.

Harper questions whether recreation has become tourism, with the emphasis moved from the low-yield day walker or the self-sufficient multi-day bushwalker to the high-yield tourist walker. Is this the price of bushwalking in contemporary Australia?

Reviewed by Jennifer Somerville