5 awesome Multi-day Hiking Trails in Australia
In my opinion there isn’t much better than being out in the wilderness, staring at the stars, eating noodles for the fourth night in a row whilst exhausted to the bone after hiking a whole bunch of kilometres. Multi-day hiking and backpacking trips are one of my favourite things to do, and this post will give you the inside info on a few of my favourite hiking trips in Australia.
These hiking trails are all awesome trips for beginner and experienced hikers alike! With incredible scenery, and easy to follow trails, these backpacking trips can be tackled by anyone who is willing to prepare with the correct gear, and is happy to carry all of it on their back, Read on for an overview on each of these hikes along with links to my individual in-depth posts on each of the hikes.
Multi-day backpacking trips in Australia:
- The Overland Track, Tasmania
- The Thorsbone Trail, Queensland
- The Larapinta Trail, Northern Territory
- Alpine Crossing, Victoria
- The Jagungal Circuit, New South Wales
The 5 backpacking trips I’m going to go over today are all a little different to one another. We’ve got outback hiking on the Larapinta Trail in the Northern Territory. We have tropical island hiking on the Thorsborne Trail in Tropical North Queensland and we’ve got a couple of different high country hikes in the Victorian Alpine Crossing, Tasmania’s Overland Track and Kosciuszko’s Jagungal Circuit.
The Overland Track, Tasmania
The Overland Track – frequently described as the pinnacle of multi day hikes in Tasmania, if not all of Australia is an absolute beauty. This trail passes by lakes, mountains, beautiful backcountry huts and stunning waterfalls As long as you keep your snacks safe from the cheeky Currawongs you’re going to have an absolutely incredible time.
Where: Tasmania, Australia
Start/End: Ronny Creek / Lake St Clair Visitors Centre
Trail Type: End to end (you’ll need a car parked at the end or transport organised)
Length: 65 or 80k (dependant on whether you catch a ferry across Lake St Clair or hike the extra 15km)
Best time of year to hike: Booking season is 31 October – May 1
Permits Required: Yes
How to Book: At the Parks Tasmania website here
See all the information you need in my full blog post on hiking the Overland Track here
The Thorsborne Trail, Queensland
This hike is absolutely stunning and is packed with a huge amount of beauty over it’s 32km. Think crystal clear pools, epic views, waterfalls and wildlife – you won’t be disappointed. This hike gets booked out well in advance, so if you have plans to hike it don’t wait to book!
Where: Hinchinbrook Island, Queensland
Trail Type: You’ll need to organise transport to and from the island
Length: 32km
When: Peak Season is April to October
Permits Required: Yes
How to Book: At the Queensland Parks website here
See all the information you need in my full blog post on hiking the Thorsborne Trail here
Larapinta Trail, Northern Territory
The Larapinta Trail, is an epic hiking trail in the heart of Central Australia. It runs over 223km through Arrente Country, along the spine of Tjoritja / the West MacDonnell Ranges. t was beautiful, challenging, and amazingly abundant in views, wild flowers and bird life.
Where: Tjoritja / West MacDonnell Ranges, Northern Territory
Start/End: Allice Springs Telegraph Station / Redbank Gorge (you can hike the trail in either direction)
Trail Type: End to end (you’ll need a car parked at one end or transport organised)
Length: 223km
When: April to September (althoguh it could be getting quite hot in September)
How to Book: On the Northern Territory Parks website here
See all the information you need in my full blog post on hiking the Larapinta Trail here
Alpine Crossing, Victoria
Like mountains? Freshwater streams? Carrying heavy sh*t in a backpack? Well my friend, this epic multi-day hike in the Victorian high country may very well be the one for you. This bad boy is 3 days, 2 night of gorgeous high country views and alpine terrain.
Where: Alpine National Park, Victoria
Start/End: Falls Creek / Mount Hotham (you can hike the trail in either direction)
Trail Type: End to end (you’ll need a car parked at one end or transport organised)
Length: 37km
When: October to May
How to Book: No booking necessary if you aren’t using the tent platforms. Tent platforms to be booked via Vic parks website here
See all the information you need in my full blog post on hiking the Alpine Crossing trail here
Jagungal Circuit, New South Wales
Anytime you combine epic back country huts, pokey summit climbs, fresh river swims and an incredibly starry sky I’m a happy camper. Hiking the Jagungal Circuit in the north of Kosciuszko National park in New South Wales offers all of this and a whole lot more over its 42km loop..
Where: Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales
Start/End: Round Mountain Car park
Trail Type: Loop
Length: 42km
When: October to May
How to Book: No booking necessary!
See all the information you need in my full blog post on hiking the Jagungal Circuit here