Why Nature-Loving Travellers Are Drawn to the Arkaba Walk and Maria Island Walk
Australia’s premium walking tourism landscape entered a new chapter on 1 May 2026, with global adventure travel company Intrepid Travel officially completing its acquisition of Wild Bush Luxury.
For guests dreaming about walking holidays in Australia, very little changes where it matters most.
The same extraordinary landscapes.
The same small-group guided experiences.
The same deep connection to nature, conservation and storytelling.
The Arkaba Walk in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges and the Maria Island Walk off Tasmania’s east coast continue operating as Wild Bush Luxury, an Intrepid company, with the same spirit and philosophy that have made them two of Australia’s most respected guided walking experiences.
Yet the transition does mark an exciting evolution, bringing these experiences into a broader global family known for responsible, experience-led adventure travel and sustainability-focused tourism.
For travellers seeking meaningful connection with nature, that’s reassuring news.
Because these walks have never simply been about hiking from one point to another. They’re about slowing down enough to notice the details – the crunch of red earth beneath your boots, the sound of waves rolling onto an empty beach, the quiet thrill of spotting wildlife in its natural environment, and the conversations shared around the table at day’s end.
Summary
- Intrepid Travel officially completed its acquisition of Wild Bush Luxury on 1 May 2026.
- Wild Bush Luxury continues operating under its established brand as “Wild Bush Luxury, an Intrepid company”.
- The transition includes The Arkaba Walk and The Maria Island Walk, both members of Great Walks of Australia.
- Guests can continue expecting the same premium, small-group guided walking experiences grounded in conservation, comfort and meaningful connection to place.
- The acquisition reflects growing global interest in immersive, sustainability-focused walking and nature tourism experiences.
Walking Into Australia’s Wild Heart
There’s something grounding about waking to the sounds of nature rather than notifications.
On The Arkaba Walk, mornings begin beneath the dramatic ridgelines of the Flinders Ranges, one of the oldest landscapes on Earth. Kangaroos move quietly across open country. Wedge-tailed eagles circle overhead. The scent of native bush hangs lightly in the crisp air as guides lead walkers through landscapes shaped over millions of years.
The experience is intentionally intimate. Small groups allow space not only for storytelling and interpretation, yet also for stillness – moments where the landscape quietly speaks for itself.
Days unfold at a steady rhythm. Dry creek beds, rocky ridgelines, native wildlife and enormous skies become part of the experience rather than simply scenery passing by. The walk challenges people in places, however it’s never only about the physical achievement. It’s equally about perspective, presence and connection.
Evenings bring another layer to the experience. Long-table dinners, warm hospitality and conversations that naturally unfold after a day outdoors. There’s comfort here, however not in a polished or overdone sense. Rather, it’s the comfort that comes from feeling genuinely looked after while immersed in the wild.
As part of the Intrepid Travel family, that philosophy remains firmly intact – continuing a strong commitment to conservation-led, low-impact tourism experiences designed to help protect these places for generations to come.
The Island Where Wildlife Outnumbers People
If Arkaba is painted in rugged ochres and ancient ranges, the Maria Island Walk offers something entirely different – coastal wilderness, empty beaches and an abundance of wildlife that often feels wonderfully close.
Located off Tasmania’s east coast, Maria Island National Park has a gentler rhythm. Wombats graze unconcerned beside walking tracks. Wallabies emerge in the late afternoon light. Cape Barren geese wander across open grasslands as walkers move between beaches, forests and dramatic cliffs.
There’s a sense of peacefulness here that many travellers don’t realise they’ve been craving until they arrive.
Days are immersive without feeling rushed. Guides share stories about the island’s ecology, history and conservation while allowing plenty of space for walkers simply to absorb the experience around them. Some moments are filled with conversation and laughter. Others are quietly reflective, shaped more by birdsong, ocean breeze and the sound of footsteps along the track.
Accommodation remains intentionally connected to the environment. Eco-sensitive camps and lodge stays balance comfort with simplicity, allowing nature to remain the hero of the experience.
Why These Walks Resonate So Deeply
For many travellers, the true impact of experiences like The Arkaba Walk and Maria Island Walk isn’t measured by kilometres walked or photos captured.
It’s the feeling of being immersed in landscapes that encourage you to slow down and notice more.
It’s reconnecting with nature in a way that feels genuine rather than curated.
It’s sharing stories with people who were strangers only days earlier.
And increasingly, it’s knowing your travel choices are supporting experiences that value conservation, sustainability and responsible tourism practices.
The growing global interest in guided walking experiences reflects a broader shift in how people want to travel – seeking depth over speed, connection over crowds, and experiences that leave a positive impact on both travellers and the places they visit.
A New Chapter for Nature-Based Travel
Wild Bush Luxury becoming part of the Intrepid Travel family reflects the growing importance of premium, sustainability-focused travel experiences within the global tourism landscape.
For Great Walks of Australia, it also reinforces the strength and international appeal of Australia’s guided walking experiences – journeys that combine extraordinary landscapes with storytelling, hospitality, conservation and human connection.
For future guests, the essence of these walks remains beautifully unchanged.
Wide open landscapes.
Small groups.
Expert guides.
Wildlife encounters.
Meaningful moments.
And the simple reminder that sometimes the best journeys happen at walking pace.
FAQs
How long are the walks?
The Arkaba Walk covers approximately 45km over four days in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges. The Maria Island Walk also runs across four days and explores around 33km of Tasmania’s Maria Island National Park.
What is included in the experience?
Both walks are fully guided and include accommodation, meals and experienced local guides who share insights into the landscapes, wildlife and stories of each region.
Has the guest experience changed under Intrepid ownership?
Wild Bush Luxury continues operating under its established brand and philosophy, now as “Wild Bush Luxury, an Intrepid company”. Guests can continue expecting the same premium guided walking experiences with strong conservation and sustainability values.
Is wildlife commonly seen?
Yes. Wildlife encounters are one of the highlights of both walks. Maria Island is particularly well known for wombats, wallabies and birdlife, while Arkaba’s conservation area is home to kangaroos, emus and native birds.
Do I need to be an experienced hiker?
Not necessarily. A reasonable level of fitness is recommended, however these experiences are designed for moderately active to active travellers rather than elite hikers. Guides support walkers throughout the journey.
There’s a certain freedom that comes from walking – the kind you rarely find on a busy tour or behind a car window. When you travel on foot, Australia’s landscapes shift from postcard images to living, breathing places, inviting you to slow down, tune in, and feel a genuine sense of belonging. For many, the first step onto a winding coastal path or into a sunlit forest isn’t just the start of a walk – it’s the beginning of a deeper journey, one both inward and outward.
If you’ve ever wondered what it really feels like to cross an alpine meadow at dawn, to step softly through a rainforest alive with birdcall, or to watch the sunset paint red cliffs gold as you share a meal with fellow travellers, a walking holiday could be the key to a richer, more meaningful travel experience.
Summary
- Walking holidays create lasting connections with nature, local culture, and community.
- Great Walks of Australia offers 15 fully guided, multi-day experiences across diverse, iconic landscapes.
- These journeys blend comfort, expert knowledge, and immersive storytelling with the thrill of the outdoors.
- Walking invites awe, belonging, and memorable encounters you simply don’t find on faster trips.
- If you’re ready for a travel experience that lingers long after you return home, start dreaming about your next adventure on foot.
Why Walk? The Emotional Power of Moving Slowly
The natural world has always stirred something deep – awe when standing before ancient mountain ranges, peace in the hush of untouched forest, exhilaration as sea spray hits your face on a cliffside trail. Research and traveller insight show that walking lets you experience these moments not as a visitor passing through, but as someone who belongs, even if just for a few days.
On a walking holiday, the pace is set by your body and your senses. You notice the details: the scent of eucalyptus after rain, the crunch of gravel underfoot, the sudden hush when a wallaby darts across the path. Your mind unwinds with every step, and the landscape seems to reveal itself gradually, generously, as if rewarding your patience. There’s a pride in seeing places rarely touched by crowds, and a quiet joy in watching the land change as the light or weather shifts.
Great Walks of Australia: 15 Ways to Experience Wonder
Australia’s diversity isn’t just something you see – it’s something you feel. With the Great Walks of Australia collection, you can choose from 15 fully guided, multi-day journeys that showcase the continent’s most remarkable places. Each walk is different, yet all share a commitment to immersive experience, comfort, and care for Country.
You might find yourself rock-hopping along the orange-lichen boulders of the Bay of Fires, where white sand meets impossibly clear water and the rhythm of the coast sets your pace. Or perhaps you’ll trace the wild edges of the coastline on the Cape to Cape Walk in Margaret River, where limestone cliffs drop into turquoise water and each day is matched with fresh, locally inspired dining. Or you might climb to alpine heights along the Cradle Mountain Signature Walk, waking to soft light over button grass plains and evenings warmed by the fire in your mountain hut. Some walks like the Scenic Rim Trail lead you through ancient Gondwana rainforests, where tree ferns arch overhead and lyrebirds mimic the sounds of the bush. Others take you into the heart of the red desert, where ancient stories live in every ripple of sand.
No matter which trail you choose, each journey is fully hosted: expert guides bring landscapes to life through stories, local knowledge, and gentle encouragement, while thoughtful touches including comfortable beds, warm showers, and regionally inspired dining – mean you never have to choose between adventure and comfort.
A True Sense of Place: Beyond the Surface
Walking is more than just a way to see nature; it’s a way to feel it. There’s a humility in moving quietly along a trail, especially when you know the Traditional Owners have shaped and cared for this place for millennia. Many walks in the collection are designed in partnership with local communities and Traditional Custodians, offering insight and respectful storytelling that deepen your connection to the land.
It’s in these moments – when you hear a guide speak about the meaning of a river bend, or taste bread baked from native grains – that the trip moves beyond sightseeing. You laugh with other walkers over shared meals, notice the subtle shift in birdsong at dusk, and sometimes, even find yourself walking in companionable silence, feeling part of something larger than yourself.
Comfort, Community, and Care for Country
Gone are the days when walking holidays meant ‘roughing it’. Every aspect of a Great Walks of Australia experience is designed to blend immersion with ease. Eco-sensitive camps and lodges are set in places chosen for both their beauty and their minimal environmental impact. Meals are crafted from local ingredients, and evenings are spent sharing stories, rather than searching for supplies or worrying about logistics.
Guides are more than pathfinders – they’re storytellers, naturalists, and even chefs, turning each day into a narrative, not just a route. With all the details taken care of, travellers can focus on what matters: connecting to the place, themselves, and each other.
Nature, Local Life, and the Joy of Belonging
The greatest reward of walking in Australia isn’t simply the view – it’s absolutely the feeling. The pride of finishing a challenging day, the surprise of spotting rare wildlife, the sense of belonging that comes from sharing a table, a trail, or a sunset with people who value the same things you do. It’s about moving through the world in a way that feels both gentle and brave, open to whatever beauty or challenge the day offers.
Start Dreaming About Your Next Adventure
If you’ve ever longed to travel in a way that feels more connected to nature, to others, and to yourself then walking might be the answer. With 15 diverse, fully hosted walks across Australia’s most extraordinary environments, there’s a journey for every kind of traveller. When you’re ready to let the landscape shape your story, and not the other way around, it might be time to start dreaming about your next adventure on foot.
For more details about the Bay of Fires Signature Walk, showcased in these images or for all journeys, including maps, itineraries, and booking information, visit Great Walks of Australia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to carry my own gear on these walks?
It depends on the walk. Some Great Walks of Australia experiences are lodge-based, so your luggage stays there, others are designed as daypack-only journeys, where your main luggage is transported for you. Other walks may require you to carry your own gear, and for some, porterage may be provided on occasion. Each walk is different, so check the details of your chosen itinerary for the specific requirements and support provided.
Are walking holidays suitable for solo travellers?
Absolutely. Many people join alone and quickly find community within their small walking group, sharing stories and meals each night.
What’s included in a Great Walks of Australia package?
Fully guided walks typically include all meals, accommodation, national park permits, transfers, and expert guiding. Some walks also offer special local experiences or cultural interpretation.
Is there a walk for every level of fitness?
Yes. Some walks are gentle, while others require a moderate to higher level of fitness. Each itinerary clearly outlines daily distances and terrain, so you can choose what’s right for you.
How do I choose the right walk for me?
Each Great Walk offers different terrain, environments, and comfort levels. Browse the collection and consider your fitness, seasons and preferred landscape (coastal, alpine, rainforest, desert), and interest in cultural interpretation.
It’s a four day journey through one of the most extraordinarily beautiful parts of Australia, and in 2022, Freycinet Experience Walk in Tasmania – one of Australia’s original and premier eco-tourism experiences and multi-day guided hikes, turns 30.
Founded by Joan Masterman in 1992, Freycinet Experience Walk remains grounded in their family ethos. In 2019, Joan was awarded an Order of Australia for her contribution to tourism in Tasmania and her commitment to protecting and preserving the environment. Joan’s family continue to run the walk to this day and champion her legacy.
“Joan’s legacy is that the quality of ecotourism can be expressed through architecture, culture, and long-lasting relationships. In Freycinet Experience Walk, there’s a deep passion and care for Tasmania and for the experience that we have of Tasmania,” describes former Friendly Beaches Lodge Host, Dan McMahon.
Across the four-day walk, guests walk the entirety of Freycinet Peninsula including Wineglass Bay. On the trail they are immersed in indigenous stories; the area once a rich food bowl for local first nations people. Rare and endemic flora and fauna abounds throughout the beaches and forests you walk through, from the diverse bird life and numerous marsupials, to ancient grass trees and stunning wild orchids. There’s literally something fascinating nature has on show to see around every corner.
Then there’s the accommodation. For many, Friendly Beaches Lodge is a place hard to forget. Lightly floating on the landscape on the stumps of old Fishermans shacks, surrounded by 130 hectares of nature sanctuary, you won’t be alone in finding it hard to tear yourself away from this beautiful, deeply relaxing place.
Used exclusively by hikers on the walk, the lodge set a new standard for sustainable, environmentally focused tourism. Designed by Ken Latona and built out of sustainable Tasmanian wood, it continues to impress walkers with its functionality and classic minimalist lines, as well as its welcoming, relaxed feel. Plus a new refreshed menu launched by David Quon, highlighting the ‘bush tucker’ influence of the surrounding landscape, is a new addition to staples such as the freshly caught flat-head hikers bring home for dinner.
Always adapting and evolving, in 2023 the award-winning Freycinet Experience Walk will launch an Artists in Residence Program. Artists will be housed in a space separate from the walkers, and will be site responsive environmental / ephemeral artists. Artists will leave something of their process, and some written documentation of their experience of Friendly Beaches and the peninsula that future guests can experience – a nod to the family’s appreciation of the arts.
A chance to escape urban life and reconnect in sweet relaxed bliss with nature, the Freycinet Experience Walk is one worth celebrating.
Get more info on Freycinet Experience Walk and book here
“If asked by the right person to nominate one of my favourite spots on Earth, I would pause, and in my mind’s eye, take a breath of sea air from a long, deserted beach on the Freycinet Peninsula. I would try to describe a walk on white sand, past a lagoon flecked with black swans, along a wattle-shaded track impressed by wombats and devils, to a lodge concealed in the trees.” Nicholas Shakespeare, Author
“Friendly Beaches Lodge is one of those places you never want to leave, and one of those places you always long to return to.” David Handley, Sculpture by the Sea
“Freycinet Experience Walk is a bushwalking experience…but it’s about far more than the bushwalking.” Reuben Wells, Former Freycinet Experience Walk guide
“Never underestimate the restorative power of the Australian bush.” Joan Masterman
“I haven’t met many people who are so in love with Tasmania as a place, but who also realise that that love is as much about people as it is about the landscape itself. That’s the main impression I have of Joan – that to her, the place is people.” Richard Wastell, artist
Several last minute places departing July 2 are now up for grabs on the inaugural curated gourmet journey on the Three Capes Lodge Walk, called Restaurant At The End World.
Taking in the full four day, three night hike through Tasman National Park in Tasmania, this special edition of the Three Capes Lodge Walk will see guests treated to spectacular chef prepared Tasmanian food and wine, and musical and storytelling adventures, unfolding over three enchanting nights as you journey from lodge to lodge.
With several departures in June and July, coinciding with Dark Mofo in Hobart, dates for this limited edition 2021 winter walking experience sold out nearly instantly when first released. And trust us, what’s in store for guests is worth the hype!
Snap up the rare few places available now – more info and bookings here.
Miss the recent Live From Aus special with Matthew Evans, aka The Gourmet Farmer, on the Bay Of Fires Lodge Walk? Catch up with this short video of his Top 3 moments and get a sneak peak at this phenomenal Great Walk Of Australia!
Best known and loved for his work on SBS’s long-running TV show The Gourmet Farmer and cookbooks, Matt has become a proud Tassie ambassador, having moved from the mainland many years back to start up the brilliant Fat Pig Farm and put his chefs skills to good use, growing, producing and entertaining guests at his renowned long lunches on the farm.
We were chuffed to have Matt come to the Bay Of Fires Lodge Walk and have him and Sadie show everyone some of what makes this Great Walk Of Australia so special, including it’s incredibly spectacular and remote location on the North Eastern tip of Tasmania.
A few clouds didn’t deter Matt from wandering the amazing, vast white sand beaches, going for a kayak or even taking a dip in the world’s greatest outdoor bath tub – a special treat exclusively for the use of guests on the walk!
Enjoy this short video or watch the full episode, visit the Tourism Austalia Facebook page.
Read more about the Bay Of Fires Lodge Walk
Tasmania is a truly stunning place to explore on foot – that’s why we have five walks in our most southern state of Australia – and there are certainly five reasons (and more) to join us there soon on one of the Great Walks of Australia.
- Each month offers a different delight for walkers whether that be watching humpback whales migrate in November, seeing the forest ablaze with wildflowers in December or swimming in warmer ocean waters after a mountain walk in February
- Abundance of wildlife including the rare Tasmanian Devil and an island full of wombats, birds, wallabies, kangaroos, geese and more… see the Bennett’s Wallaby, Forester Kangaroo, Pademelons and white-bellied sea eagles. Our Maria Island Walk is on a UNESCO world heritage listed island, the site of important wildlife conservation programs.
- 5 of our 12 Great Walks are located in Tasmania – our terrain and climate are just great for hiking
- Explore the Edge of the World when you hit our newest trail on the Three Capes Lodge Walk, next stop Antarctica
- Passionate guides bring our story to life – many of them are local to Tasmania, care deeply about their beautiful backyard and can’t wait to share this with you on a walk
- Food and wine… wow. Our sparkling white wines and our Pinot Noir are world renowned. You’ll enjoy many a fabulous tipple on the Great Walks and you will have certainly earnt that end of day drink. Our fresh produce, clean air and water, mean that our food offering is rather lovely too – you may enjoy fresh fish or oysters on your next walk
- Easy to access – our walks depart from pickups in either Launceston or Hobart, both great gateway cities with major airports and direct flights from mainland Australia
- Eco lodges that rival the best in the world – from the timeless architecture of Friendly Beaches Lodge on the Freycinet Experience Walk, the stunning timber design flowing through to the ocean at Bay of Fires Lodge, or the new mind-blowing designs on the Three Capes Lodge Walk, this is a more than comfortable way to walk
- Our walks in Tasmania operate primarily from October through to May each year, with some walks also offering winter departures on select dates – what a way to experience the true meaning of seasons
- Our Overland Track is an iconic walk that’s on the bucket list of hikers all around the world. Explore it with us on the Cradle Mountain Huts Walk…
Ok, so there are 10 reasons and we could just keep on going… so get in touch and we’ll see you in Tassie soon!