Australia's Iconic Walks Open For Business

Summer in Australia is not over yet, so those regions prone to fire can’t be declared trouble-free. However, following extensive rainfall down the eastern seaboard over the last few weeks, the emergency situations of late December and January appear to be behind us.

Recreational pursuits in Australia’s bushland were pushed from our minds as we watched the horrendous footage of massive, out of control fires consuming forests and sweeping through exposed settlements. Non-essential activities seemed frivolous and in many areas were totally out of the question.

As part of the national bushfire recovery effort, Tourism Australia has kicked off a new domestic campaign - Holiday Here This Year - encouraging Australians to visit Australian destinations, particularly those tourism dependant communities which have suffered through the recent bushfires. Aussies are being asked to “get out and see this beautiful country and explore what’s on your doorstep”.

The States are also active on this front. Last week, Victoria’s Minister for Tourism, Martin Pakula, while announcing new tourism funding for the regions, said “Regional Victoria is open for business and we want more people to return to their favourite destinations, and to seek out new adventures.” His counterparts in the other States have made similar comments.

Minister for Tourism in New South Wales, Stuart Ayres, recently launched a new community-driven campaign - Now’s The Time To Love NSW - urging people to book a getaway which gives support to some of the thousands of tourism operators who have been severely impacted by the unprecedented bushfires. Mr Ayres said that “we need to show the world that our spectacular sights and experiences are in great shape, and they’re welcoming visitors right now”.

In fact, most of Australia’s prime walking territory has escaped unscathed. There are some tragic exceptions such as Kangaroo Island’s Flinders Chase National Park (home of the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail) in South Australia which remains closed until further notice.

But, looking at the eastern states, to date Tasmania’s fire season has been mild and none of its classic walks have been affected. Victoria has had a very severe fire season but the prolonged fires have been mainly in the far east and the north-east. Of the Victorian government’s “iconic walks”, only the Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing was threatened (and in that case, ultimately, the walk route was barely touched).

New South Wales has been the state most affected by the fires. Fortunately, huge downpours in February have doused almost all of them. Of New South Wales’ best walking regions, the Blue Mountains National Park, NSW’s portion of the Gondwana Rainforests and the Sapphire Coast’s Ben Boyd National Park were the worst hit. In these areas, a number of walking trails remain closed as damage is assessed and fire deterrent activity continues, but other sections have reopened.

Queensland suffered wildfire damage early in the season but also benefitted from heavy, prolonged rains. Treasured walking locations in Lamington National Park were hit (and the historic lodge, Binna Burra, destroyed), but the western half of Lamington was untouched. On the Sunshine Coast, the Cooloola Great Walk remains closed following recent fire damage. However, in the spectacular Scenic Rim region west of Brisbane, most of the Main Range National Park has re-opened.

In January, walking in the Australian bush seemed almost reckless. Today, with far different conditions, we can and should be out there again. Walkers can find comprehensive and current details of all national park tracks on the state national park websites. Fortunately, many of our best walking regions have escaped significant damage and tourism operators are eager to welcome you back.