Don’t miss your private departure on Tasmania’s Freycinet Experience Walk
Updated December 13 – new dates announced.
The Freycinet Experience Walk has just announced an exclusive opportunity to book a private walk for you and four or more of your family or friends to walk in January or February 2019.
The departure is valid for the 11 January 2019 and 1 February 2019 departures only for five or more people. This very limited offer is for the lucky walkers who are first to book! And if hiking this iconic part of Australia with just your nearest and dearest and an expert guide isn’t enough, we’ll tempt you that little bit more with a few words from our recent great walkers…
The best trip I have done in Australia, maybe anywhere.
Gwelodude, November, 2018, Trip Advisor
The Freycinet Peninsula is a beautiful, unspoilt part of Tasmania & being able to see this area from the water & also to access the remoter parts of this area has been an amazing experience. To see the sea life, birds, flora & footprints of wildlife has allowed me to really immerse myself in the National Park. The Lodge team Dan, Jemma, Dan & Hector are a wonderful team working hard to produce the delicious food & at the same time being passionate about the global environment & the surrounding area.
I leave Tasmania today feeling very privileged to have been able to share in a special experience & the memory of the trip will remain with me. Sally Hughes, 11 November 2018, via email
So what are you waiting for – book your trip of a lifetime today – Call (03) 6223 7565
Congratulations to the team at Murray River Walk who are elated to have again won the highly contested Ecotourism category at the 2018 South Australian Tourism Awards. This award comes at the end of their second full year of business operations, no small feat for a small business.
The award acknowledges the importance of nature-based tourism and the phenomenal growth in Riverland tourism.
Driven by the “Millennium drought” and the need to diversify the Riverland economy, Managing Director of Murray River Walk, Tony Sharley, sought to turn the most spectacular and vulnerable river landscapes into a walking and cruising discovery of nature, wildlife, innovative winemaking, sustainable farming and new stewardship of environmental water.
The award recognises the outstanding this incredible creation as well as the guiding team whose passion for the Murray River is shared with guests throughout the 4 day journey.
The Murray River Walk team are so thankful to everyone who has enabled their early business success and are looking forward to contesting their 2018 silver award in the category of ‘Best Ecotourism experiences in Australia’ at the Australian Tourism Awards in Launceston, Tasmania in February 2019.
Find out more about the Murray River Walk here
Wills Domain, the location for a final lunch on the Margaret River Cape to Cape Walk, took out Best Restaurant of the Year again, in the 2018 Good Food Guide Awards.
Superb cooking and Indigenous ingredients are on show at this popular winery and restaurant visited on day four of this stunning coastal and forest walk.
Guests enjoy an 8 km walk to the Willyabrup Sea Cliffs in the morning, before heading for lunch with matched wines at the now multi-award-winning local winery, Wills Domain.
One great walker recently remarked that this lunch was the “best meal he had ever eaten”. And with the quality of fine local cuisine on offer through this remarkable 4-day walk, this is truly a statement worth taking note of!
Find out more & book the Margaret River to Cape to Cape Walk now
Home to the Classic Larapinta Trek in Comfort, Australia’s iconic desert has been named in the Lonely Planets “Top Five Regions” and a must-see destination for 2019.
Listed alongside Piedmont, Italy (#1); The Catskills, USA (#2) and Northern Peru (#3), and ahead of Scotland’s Highlands and Islands (#5), Lonely Planet spokesperson, Chris Zeiher, said the Red Centre was so hot right now and not just with the fabulous spring weather!
“Our red heart is pumping with immersive cultural experiences, jaw-dropping scenery and once-in-a-lifetime experiences,” he said. “The Red Centre is the beating heart of Australia, a place of surprises, and one that leaves a profound mark on those who visit.”
Tourism NT Deputy Chief Executive, Andrew Hopper, said Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel accolade would not only shine the global spotlight on the entire Red Centre – the MacDonnell Ranges, Kata Tjuta and Uluru, Watarrka National Park and Kings Canyon – but also on the art, the culture, the characters and operators who live and love what they do in Australia’s outback. We’re incredibly grateful to the Lonely Planet team and thank them for their extremely good taste.” he laughed.
With keen Lonely Travel travellers being hot on the heels of this stunning destination, we urge great walkers to book ahead and get their dates for the Classic Larapinta Trek in Comfort secured before one of our best-kept secrets is more popular than ever!
Check out next departure dates available here
View the full Classic Larapinta Trek in Comfort itinerary here
You can now enhance your Arkaba Walk by choosing from one of three exciting new experiences that will allow you to immerse yourself even deeper into the culture and habitats of this ancient land.
Arkaba through Adnamatna Eyes Cultural Experience
A two hour, optional, experience will allow you to connect with Adnamatna culture, Australia’s first people of the Ikara-Flinders Ranges. It will be two hours of your life unlike any other, and have you feeling even more connected to the people and history of this region. This extra experience must be requested in advance and is payable locally at a cost of $200 per person.
Heli-Sundowner Experience
Take in the compelling geology and ever-changing palette of the Flinders Ranges with a stunning 15 minute scenic helicopter flight. Marvel as the light changes with the late afternoon sun hitting the raw natural appeal of the outback. You’ll be treated to views of Wilpena Pound, the Chace Range to the east and Elder Range to the west – a complete 360 degree panorama of prehistoric beauty – before landing on a remote ridge top, only accessible by helicopter, to enjoy the last light of the day with a glass of bubbles in hand and a Wild Bush canape platter. Return to the homestead by helicopter as the light finally disappears. 1.5 hour experience with 30 minutes flying time. Operates with a minimum of 2 and maximum of 5 guests in a Robinson R44 Helicopter. Maximum three people at a time. Available daily March to October annually. $600 per person.
The Hide
Why not take wander to Arkaba’s new wildlife viewing Hide in your free time on day three of the walk? This complimentary experience is a unique opportunity to get incredibly close to Australian wildlife in their natural habitat. Find out more about The Hide here.
And if you are just in need of a little R’n’R after your days of walking, the glorious pool at the homestead is always another option to include on your final day. For more on what you’ll discover in the stunning Flinders Ranges, or to view a full itinerary and book your Arkaba Walk click here – happy walking!
We’re excited to announce that Australian Walking Holidays have completed construction of a fourth campsite on the Larapinta Trail.
The popularity of the Larapinta Trail has steadily increased since its launch in 2013 and the new campsite will allow more walkers to enjoy the highlights of this iconic walk in the remote Western MacDonnell Ranges near Alice Springs in central Australia.
Located at the western end of the trail with fantastic views of nearby Mt Sonder, the new ‘Sonder Camp’ was developed in consultation with Tourism NT, Parks and Wildlife Commission of NT and the Central Land Council.
All four of the Australian Walking Holiday’s exclusive campsites incorporate sustainable technologies such as water-free composting toilets, solar lighting systems and a new hybrid grey water disposal system designed for the arid environment. The new Sonder Camp has the added advantage of using a new footing system, which bypasses the need for concrete footings.
Building materials, colours and the overall style of the new structure were carefully chosen to blend in with the surrounding environment and to provide a level of comfort rarely available in this remote desert environment.
The Y-shaped structure serves as a living area, covering about 150 square metres of off-ground flooring and a stretch canopy roof allows the structure to be modified to the conditions at the time, ensuring the interior remains comparatively cool and sheltered in virtually any weather conditions.
According to Australian Walking Holidays General Manager, Michael Buggy, all four campsites provide for maximum amenity with minimal impact on the land.
“The campsites are attractive, practical and comfortable and offer a standard of accommodation rarely available in remote regions, with stylish and comfortable dining and living areas keeping occupants comfortable in a climate known for its temperature extremes,” Michael said.
The 6 day Classic Larapinta Trek in Comfort is the winner of Tourism NT’s Brolga Award for best sustainable product in 2016 and 2017.
Australian Walking Holidays leads the way on the Larapinta, having pioneered the trail back in 1995 and now offering the biggest range of walks on the trail, including the 6-day Classic Larapinta Trek in Comfort , on which walkers enjoy the facilities of the campsites, including hot showers and lounge facilities, and accommodation on off-grounds beds in stand-up tents. The fully guided trek is supported trek, meaning that walkers carry only a day pack.
A walk on the Larapinta Trail offers the chance to swim in peaceful waterholes hidden deep within the West MacDonnell Ranges, to marvel at the stunning rock formations at Simpson’s Gap, Standley Chasm and Serpentine Gorge, to climb Mount Sonder for a spectacular sunrise and to gain an understanding of the rich history of Australia’s traditional owners and the Indigenous culture.
To view the full Larapinta Trek in Comfort itinerary or make a booking click here.