Maria Island celebrates their 15th year of guided walking
One of our Signature Collection walks, the award-winning Maria Island Walk on Tasmania’s East Coast, is celebrating 15 years of memorable guided walks and experiences.
In its 15-year history, the guides at Maria Island Walk have led nearly 1000 walks for guests from over 20 countries including the UK, Europe and North America, as well visitors from all over Australia, showcasing some of the most unique wildlife and spectacular landscapes on the globe.
The family owned company founded by tourism visionaries Ian and Bronwyn Johnstone in 2002 has won seven national and 13 state awards, culminating this year with its inclusion as one of the founding members of Tourism Australia’s Australian Wildlife Journeys, which recognises exceptional wildlife encounters.
“Maria Island was a largely untapped jewel of rare wildlife, spectacular scenery and fascinating history when we started and we now have over 20 guides sharing their knowledge of Maria Island to our guests each summer,” said Ian Johnstone.
The four-day Maria Island Walk takes small groups of just ten guests and two guides to explore the pristine beaches, tall ancient forests and world heritage sites of this fascinating UNESCO World Heritage listed island.
With its collection of rare and unusual species, it’s not surprising that Maria Island is described as the state’s ‘Noah’s Ark’. An island sanctuary, it is one of the best places in Australia to see wombats, Tasmanian Devils, Cape Barren geese, kangaroos and wallabies. The birdlife is also an attraction with 125 species including all of Tasmania’s endemics such as the endangered Forty-spotted pardalote and Swift parrot.
The cost of each walk includes return transfers from Hobart to Triabunna, the scenic cruise across the pristine waters of the Mercury Passage to the isthmus of Maria Island, gourmet food and wine, two experienced guides, National Park entry fees, accommodation and use of waterproof jackets and day packs.
To celebrate this achievement, the Maria Island Walk is offering a 15% discount on direct bookings for the newly launched summer program, for all walks departing between 1 October 2017 and 30 April 2018. Book before 30 October 2017. Prices start from $2450. To book, please contact bookings@mariaislandwalk.com.au or 03-62342999.
Spring indicates the end of the Murray River Walk season and nature showcased all its beauty to entice us back for next year… Following the earlier rains, Spring certainly sprung in a most magnificent way on the Murray River Walk with wildflowers blooming, plenty of wildlife emerging from their homes and emu chicks on the move.
Wildflowers
Across the landscape wildflowers burst open colouring the bush, giving the bees something to be busy about. True to their name, Showy daisies put on a show, the grey-green bush becoming completely white with flowers. Electric pink is not a colour you’d commonly associate with the Australian bush, but as the ground covering plant pigface blooms, green floodplains are temporarily painted pink. Walker’s eyes are caught by flashes of vibrant purple as the Slender Darling Pea flowers along the banks of the Murray River, a beautiful contrast to the green and blue surrounds.
Wildlife Encounters
Over winter Emus nested, camouflaged amongst the native lignum plants, the male of the species tending to the turquoise eggs until hatching. Come spring and our walkers have encountered small striped chicks scattering under the canopy of the Black Box Eucalypts. The charismatic Apostle birds are tending their nests now, the various families will all help to feed and care for the young once hatched.
River Rise
Environmental watering activities are occurring, causing a small rise in the river level. Water spills out into small creeks, giving recently emerged red gums and older trees on the low lying river terraces a much needed drink. Natural billabongs are formed, and we discover an oasis in a red gum forest that supports a great range of flora and fauna.
Bush Songs
Frogs emerge from hibernation, the small billabongs acting as an indication that winter is over. Their chorus is deafening as our guides help walkers identify Southern bell, Banjo and Easter Sign Bearing frog calls. Bird calls ring through the air, the owner could be a pardalote or a spiny cheeked honeyeater. The sweetest singers of the bush.
Reflections
Daily temperatures rise, the first signs of the oncoming summer, and light spring winds whistle through the tree tops. The pleasant afternoon weather invites walkers to linger on the deck of the houseboat, dipping their tired feet in the cooling waters of the Murray. They watch as the sun sets and the intense light ignites the colours of the red ochre cliff formations. Beautiful reflections are not
exclusive to sunset as sunrise offers a different type of peace and stillness. The kookaburras not laughing at you, but with you at how unbelievable the experience is.
Find out more about the Murray River Walk and make your booking for 2018 here – don’t delay as the first full walk season in 2017 was a total sell out!
This month our walks feature in the latest edition of the National Geographic Traveller UK magazine.
With dramatic scenery ranging from pristine beaches to wild, untamed bush, Australia’s hiking trails are outstanding… and as you know Great Walks of Australia represents the best of the best.
With each walk given a ‘Best for’ category, it’s well worth a read – especially if you’re still trying to decide which walk will be your debut, or which to book next.
Check out the article online here
Enjoy a #greatwalk!
We have the perfect URL to help you re-visit your recent adventure, or add fuel to your dreaming about the next walk to be ticked off your bucket list… if you’ve not already joined us YouTube, we’re excited to share that our Great Walks of Australia channel has recently been updated with the latest videos from our 11 walks. With a showcase playlist that will take you on a journey to our exquisite walk destinations across our great land – all you need to do is sit back in a comfy chair and enjoy.
Whether you’re discovering a destination for the first time, or reliving your experience from a recent journey – our walk videos offer breathtaking panoramas and picturesque insights into the day to day life of luxury guided hiking.
Come with us on a virtual journey that we believe will ignite something within, and whether it’s a possibility to experience this for yourself next week, next year or next decade – we look forward to sharing some incredible experiences with you as a great walker soon.
So what are you waiting for? View the Great Walks of Australia YouTube channel now.
P.S. While you’re there don’t forget to subscribe to receive updates as new videos are added to our channel!
The intriguing world of ‘bush tucker’ is a unique part of the Classic Larapinta Trek in Comfort, Murray River Walk and The Arkaba Walk experiences, and adding yet another layer to the story of the spectacular lands these walks explore.
Native bush tucker tastings on the Classic Larapinta Trek in Comfort. Photo courtesy of Kungkas Can Cook
Also known as bush food, bush tucker is native fauna and flora used for culinary or medicinal purposes, and has been used for thousands of years for sustenance by Indigenous Australians.
Our walks in the outback regions of Northern Territory and South Australia provide rare opportunities to experience these fascinating elements of Australian traditional cuisine, and enables walkers to further connect with the lands they are exploring through the tastings of native fruits, plants and seasonings.
On the Classic Larapinta Trek in Comfort in the Northern Territory, Rayleen Brown from Kungkas Can Cook has started visiting guests at the exclusive semi-permanent Nick Murcutt’s camp to provide an informative talk on native local bush food. Rayleen’s bush tomato and quandong (Santalum acuminatum) dishes tantalise the tastebuds of eager hikers. The popular desert quandong is a tart, highly nutritious fruit that contains twice the vitamin C of an orange and is the perfect addition to a savory or sweet dish.
After a session of talking and tasting, guests are then encouraged and supported by expert guides to identify bush tucker as they continue to explore the captivating scenery of the Larapinta Trail.
Native lemon grass (Cymbopogon ambiguus) on The Arkaba Walk
Further south, on The Arkaba Walk in South Australia, the daily menu is enhanced by local bush tucker. One of the highlights for many guests is a Salt Bush kangaroo – whereby the kangaroo is smoked using local red gum and Salt Bush, a sprawling grey-blue shrub which is naturally salty. The menu also boasts a Lemon Myrtle Poached Chicken Maryland, which is infused with foraged native lemongrass (Cymbopogon ambiguus), an attractive blue-grey leaved grass with fluffy silvery flowerheads and an aromatic foliage.
Walking hosts will also prepare damper in a settler’s camp oven – baked traditionally over coals, accompanied by Salt Bush pesto and native spiced dukkha. Sitting back next to a campfire being fed from ingredients sourced from the native flora and fauna around you is a truly rejuvenating experience, and helps to illustrate the way of life for those who trod the earth before you.
Lemon Myrtle, the unsung hero of the Yabbie Bisque on the Murray River Walk
On the banks of the great River Murray, the team from the Murray River Walk are also taking advantage of local bush food.
Partnering with renowned native food specialist, Andrew Fielke, each meal includes a native element, some of which are collected while on the walking route by the expert guides. As guests explore the river land, guides share with them the array of plants that are safe for consumption, nibbling on salt bush and collecting the succulent samphire to fry up for a seafood meal garnish, there is always something new to try.
Native river mint can be found growing amongst lignum on the banks of the Murray River. This delicate herb has an aroma like that of spearmint and is used to create a river mint yoghurt, a unique accompaniment to the walks’ roast garlic and lemon lamb dish.
Lemon Myrtle is also a popular native ingredient used, with a creamy aroma of lemon and lime it is the unsung star of the signature Yabby Bisque, a rich and refreshing entrée using native yabbies, and delighting guests time and time again.
With the taste of the native flora and fauna still dancing on your taste buds as you walk, the stories of the land will come to life. We trust you will enjoy this unique way of connecting to the land and its people on your next Great Walk adventure.
Find out more about the Classic Larapinta Trek in Comfort, Nothern Territory
Find out more about The Arkaba Walk, South Australia
Find our more about the Murray River Walk, South Australia
Great Walks of Australia is all about spectacular scenery, intimate encounters with nature, luxurious indulgences and exceeding expectations – and with this in mind, the dining experience at the new Rustico’s at Hay Shed Hill is truly worthy of place on the Cape to Cape Walk’s itinerary.
On day two of the four day Cape to Cape Walk along the iconic Margaret River coastline, you’ll now be treated to an exclusive five-course dinner with matching wines at this award-winning restaurant, listed in the Top 5 restaurants in Margaret River on Trip Advisor.
Set in a magical setting overlooking the vines, the winery is yours for an intimate dinner. With a Mediterranean style fare; the balance of flavours and unpretentious attitude of the food was recently noted by food journalist Fluer Bainger, as “bites of delight” and, with Head Chef, Mike McAllister moving from the original and famous Rustico’s at Rockingham Beach venue in Perth, the menu will continue to showcase a wide variety of quality Australia produce with simple but bold flavours.
With another delicious meal and paired wines on the cards, we have no doubt this culinary experience will be just another of the highlights that awakens your senses when you explore the Margaret River on the Cape to Cape Walk.
View the full Cape to Cape Walk itinerary, image gallery and booking details here.