1) Grand Cliff Top Walk
In a nutshell: The best of the Blue Mountains in one sweet walk.
Distance: 19km
Suggested duration: 1-2 days
Difficulty: Grade 3
Starting at Wentworth Falls and ending at Katoomba, the Grand Cliff Top Walk is an ideal way to see many of the highlights in the Blue Mountains National Park: discover Aboriginal culture, spectacular lookouts, the Three Sisters, numerous waterfalls and quaint villages. Spanning two days, stay overnight in Leura and try the excellent restaurants, pubs and boutiques.
Listen out for the yellow-tailed black cockatoo – named Wumbarrung in the Gundungurra language – the wayfinding symbol for this walk and a significant bird to the traditional custodians of Gundungurra Country. Explore sandstone tracks and hand-built heritage trails and look out for other birds such as lyrebirds and crimson rosella.
Go with a guide
The Blue Mountains Adventure Company finishes the hike in a single day but with ample time to begin your day with an Acknowledgment of Country, for a picnic lunch and maybe even a dip in a creek (if it’s hot enough). Or, split it into two days with Emu Trekkers, a not-for-profit that donates hiking fees to better the welfare of disadvantaged youth. Join the locals who run Blue Mountains Tracks and Retreats for a hike at a relaxed pace over a weekend.
Distance: 19km
Suggested duration: 1-2 days
Difficulty: Grade 3
Starting at Wentworth Falls and ending at Katoomba, the Grand Cliff Top Walk is an ideal way to see many of the highlights in the Blue Mountains National Park: discover Aboriginal culture, spectacular lookouts, the Three Sisters, numerous waterfalls and quaint villages. Spanning two days, stay overnight in Leura and try the excellent restaurants, pubs and boutiques.
Listen out for the yellow-tailed black cockatoo – named Wumbarrung in the Gundungurra language – the wayfinding symbol for this walk and a significant bird to the traditional custodians of Gundungurra Country. Explore sandstone tracks and hand-built heritage trails and look out for other birds such as lyrebirds and crimson rosella.
Go with a guide
The Blue Mountains Adventure Company finishes the hike in a single day but with ample time to begin your day with an Acknowledgment of Country, for a picnic lunch and maybe even a dip in a creek (if it’s hot enough). Or, split it into two days with Emu Trekkers, a not-for-profit that donates hiking fees to better the welfare of disadvantaged youth. Join the locals who run Blue Mountains Tracks and Retreats for a hike at a relaxed pace over a weekend.
2) South Coast Walk
In a nutshell: A spectacular multi-day walk taking in the dramatic South Coast of NSW.
Distance: 34km one way
Suggested duration: 3 days
Difficulty: Grade 4
This exciting three-day walk through the beautiful Murramarang National Park passes through coastal villages, secluded beaches and gum forests, starting at Pretty Beach south of Ulladulla and ending at Maloneys Beach just north of Batemans Bay. You can choose to stay overnight in campsites or in cabins along the way, with several multi-day experience packages available through the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, including options for transfers and tours.
Keep an eye out for wildlife along the way, with more than 90 bird species – including sea eagles, shearwaters, petrels, peregrine falcons and a penguin colony – in the park, as well as eastern grey kangaroos. From May to October, you may also spot whales as they migrate up and down the coast. Murramarang National Park is also an area of rich Aboriginal cultural heritage. Just north of the start of the walk is Murramarang Aboriginal Area, which is one of the largest and most important Aboriginal sites on the NSW coast.
Go with a guide
Region X offers themed tours, where your guide will focus on either yoga, birdwatching, geology, photography or botany (check their website for dates) or go for a classic guided walk that includes a kayaking experience and a luxury stay. You could also book into a women-only hike with Women Want Adventures and camp with a glass of wine among like-minded hikers.
Distance: 34km one way
Suggested duration: 3 days
Difficulty: Grade 4
This exciting three-day walk through the beautiful Murramarang National Park passes through coastal villages, secluded beaches and gum forests, starting at Pretty Beach south of Ulladulla and ending at Maloneys Beach just north of Batemans Bay. You can choose to stay overnight in campsites or in cabins along the way, with several multi-day experience packages available through the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, including options for transfers and tours.
Keep an eye out for wildlife along the way, with more than 90 bird species – including sea eagles, shearwaters, petrels, peregrine falcons and a penguin colony – in the park, as well as eastern grey kangaroos. From May to October, you may also spot whales as they migrate up and down the coast. Murramarang National Park is also an area of rich Aboriginal cultural heritage. Just north of the start of the walk is Murramarang Aboriginal Area, which is one of the largest and most important Aboriginal sites on the NSW coast.
Go with a guide
Region X offers themed tours, where your guide will focus on either yoga, birdwatching, geology, photography or botany (check their website for dates) or go for a classic guided walk that includes a kayaking experience and a luxury stay. You could also book into a women-only hike with Women Want Adventures and camp with a glass of wine among like-minded hikers.
3) Tomaree Coastal Walk
In a nutshell: Discover the untouched forests and pristine beaches of Tomaree National Park, learning about the history of the First Nations Worimi people and spotting wildlife along the way.
Distance: 27km
Suggested duration: 2-3 days
Difficulty: Grade 4
Linking new and existing trails to create a continuous 27km walking track, the Tomaree Coastal Walk is a multi-day walking trail in the Port Stephens region, starting with the stunning panoramic views of Tomaree Summit at Shoal Bay and finishing at the Southern Hemisphere's largest mobile sand dunes and the culturally significant Worimi Conservation Lands. Weaving through pretty angophora forests and small coastal communities along the way, walkers will also be treated to tucked-away beaches and coves; excellent wildlife spotting, including dolphins, koalas, fur seals, over 200 bird species and whale watching during the annual winter migration; and the chance to learn about the history of the First Nations Worimi people, thanks to artwork, educational signage and digital displays.
The full journey is best experienced as an overnight walk staying at nearby off-park accommodation, however, it can also completed in three days for a more leisurely pace. One Mile is perfectly located if you choose to do the former, offering a number of holiday parks to bunker down in for the night and a local koala sanctuary worth a visit.
Go with a guide
For a small fee, you can book a National Parks ranger to join you for a small portion of the journey, where they’ll help you spot the movements of local fauna and the colours of local flora. Alternatively, break up your trip with a luxurious stay and an immersive koala experience as part of Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary’s Coastal Walks & Koala Talks.
Distance: 27km
Suggested duration: 2-3 days
Difficulty: Grade 4
Linking new and existing trails to create a continuous 27km walking track, the Tomaree Coastal Walk is a multi-day walking trail in the Port Stephens region, starting with the stunning panoramic views of Tomaree Summit at Shoal Bay and finishing at the Southern Hemisphere's largest mobile sand dunes and the culturally significant Worimi Conservation Lands. Weaving through pretty angophora forests and small coastal communities along the way, walkers will also be treated to tucked-away beaches and coves; excellent wildlife spotting, including dolphins, koalas, fur seals, over 200 bird species and whale watching during the annual winter migration; and the chance to learn about the history of the First Nations Worimi people, thanks to artwork, educational signage and digital displays.
The full journey is best experienced as an overnight walk staying at nearby off-park accommodation, however, it can also completed in three days for a more leisurely pace. One Mile is perfectly located if you choose to do the former, offering a number of holiday parks to bunker down in for the night and a local koala sanctuary worth a visit.
Go with a guide
For a small fee, you can book a National Parks ranger to join you for a small portion of the journey, where they’ll help you spot the movements of local fauna and the colours of local flora. Alternatively, break up your trip with a luxurious stay and an immersive koala experience as part of Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary’s Coastal Walks & Koala Talks.
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