Australian Hiker

At the end of the second week I have reached Pemberton which means that 40% of the trail is done. I’m actually a day ahead of schedule but am not taking that for granted and now have seven days up my sleeve. In this episode I discuss the camp infrastructure as well as my journey from Walpole to Pemberton.

On 9 August 2018 I started my journey on one of Australia’s premiere long distance hiking trails, the Bibbulmun Track. Travelling 1000km between Albany and Perth. This podcast provides an overview of a typical week on the trail completing 210km and travelling between Albany and Walpole. Listen to what I and other hikers go through in what has been some extremely taxing conditions. Over the next 4-...

In this episode we will be discussing my expectations, my apprehensions, and my hopes for my upcoming Bibbulmun Track thru hike which I start on 9 August 2018 in what is forecast to be heavy rains. Tomorrow I spend the day on planes heading to the trail head in Western Australia. Over the coming weeks I will be walking my way back to Perth and as part of the experience I will be recoding a weekly...

The Bibbulmun Track is one of Australia’s premiere long trails stretching 1000km (621miles) from Kalamunda on the outskirts of Perth to Albany on the southern western Australian coast. Given the distance covered there is a wide variety of ecosystems represented on the trail from coastal sections in the south through constantly changing forests that highlight some of Australia’s most spectacular fl...

In episode 002 of the Australian Hiker podcast we discussed the concept of ultralight hiking and my goal to greatly lighten my load from my 'traditional' heavy gear. It's now been 18 months since we released that podcast and in this episode we revisit this journey just prior to me commencing a 1000km/ 5-6 week hike on the Bibbulmun Track in Western Australia to see how I have gone.

Whatever type of hiking that you do being fit will ensure that you enjoy what you are doing in addition to keeping happy and healthy on the trail. But what does being fit for hiking mean? This episode provides a brief introduction to hiking fitness and identifies the key aspects that you need to consider.

Planning a long distance hike is really no difference from a shorter hike, isn’t it? In theory the concepts are the same but in reality there are a number of other factors that come into consideration. In this episode I will use my upcoming thru hike of the Bibbulmun Track (1,000km) in Western Australia to provide a broad guide to what you should consider when planning a long distance hike. Once I...

On 17-19 June 2018 the Outdoor Retailer Australia Show was held at the Moore Park Exhibition Centre in Sydney. This annual show is a chance for Australia’s outdoor wholesalers and manufacturers to showcase their new and existing products to Australia’s outdoor retailers and allied media.  This podcast is the second recorded at this show and contains a further 6 interviews. If you want to hear the...

The 2018 Outdoor Retailer Australia Show was held on 17-19 June 2018 at the Moore Park Exhibition Centre in Sydney. This annual show is a chance for Australia’s outdoor wholesalers and manufacturers to showcase their new and existing products to Australia’s outdoor retailers and allied media. This is the first of two episodes.

Every time we head out into the bush for the day the one factor that we must deal with on every hike is the weather. Good or bad, the weather can make or break a hike and if we fail to pay attention to extreme weather conditions it can also present safety concerns. This podcast discusses factors to consider when planning your hike as well as what to look for during the hike itself.

In episode 067 of the Australian Hiker podcast we discuss the concept of Hike Your Own Hike (HYOH). Each of us enjoys hiking in a way that is unique to us and when we vary from this pattern the enjoyment can drop off. What does HYOH mean for you?

In episode 066 of the Australian Hiker podcast we discussTechnology on the Trail, specifically options for staying in touch with family and friends at home while on a hike. This topic is one that I have been thinking on for well over a year as I decide what I will use for my own Bibbulmun Track though hike later this year when I will be out of cellular range on a number of days on my 5-6 week hike...

In this episode I announce announce my first long distance Australian thru hike, and also first thru hike and provide an overview on : * My reasons for doing a long distance multi week hike; * Why I picked the trail that I did; and * An overview of my logistics and what I need to consider before I go. Over the coming weeks I will be releasing further podcasts on my upcoming trip as well as episode...

While many hikers, and non hikers may be aware of trails such as the Pacific Crest Trail and the Appalachian Trail in the USA, or the Camino de Santiago in Spain you may not be aware that Australia has its own long trails and while they may not have the same international media profile (yet) they are progressively making a name for themselves and gaining in popularity. This podcast episode provide...

This week we will be talking to Jacqui Ambrus-Bonazzi from Canberra Fitness Centre about the physical maintenance that we as hikers SHOULD be doing each day on the trail to ensure we maintain our fitness and reduce injuries, something that many hikers take for granted at best, or more typically don’t do at all.

For new hikers it seems like there is so much to worry about. Getting lost, snakes and will you be warm enough are just some of the issues that can all be managed reasonably easily with a bit of practice and development of on-trail skills. For many new hikers their biggest concern is one of personal safety. How safe will you be when out hiking and do I have to worry about my car at the trail head....

Personal hygiene is one of those practices that we are all taught early in life; wash your hands, bathe on a regular basis, and always wear clean underwear. We are used to doing these things in our day to day life and the same rules apply in the bush that apply at home surrounding personal hygiene if we want to ensure that we have a trouble free adventure. However when we go bush we loose all the...

Issues with feet and lower limbs tend to be a problem that plagues all hikers at one time or another. These issues can be relatively minor and annoying on short hikes and crippling on longer more difficult hikers. Either way they stop us from enjoying our outdoor adventures. In this podcast episode I talk with Canberra based Podiatrist Matthew Hotchkis from Podiatry Professionals about some of the...

The best way to describe Geocaching is as treasure hunting with a GPS/smartphone. Sometimes the kids, or you for that matter, just need  that extra little incentive to get outdoors and go hiking and what better incentive than to go treasure hunting! This podcast provides a basic overview to help get you into Geocaching and hopefully outside more often if you really need an excuse.

The level of navigation skills that you will need as a hiker will vary with the complexity of the walks that you do. If you never leave well marked trails the skill requirement you need, may, but not necessarily, be minimal. The advent of mobile phone apps, as well as the availability of high quality consumer level GPS including some watches has changed hiking forever. Gone are the days when you h...

For most hikers feeding themselves on short camping and hiking trips, even for a few days, is something that we can easily manage without too much problem. But what happens when we undertake big excursions ranging from strenuous single day trips to multi-week trips. In this podcast episode I talk with Canberra based nutritionist and dietician, Lisa Donaldson from FEED Inc about nutrition on the tr...

Whether your a day hiker or are into extended multi night hikes ensuring that you have correctly assembled all your gear into some sort of order in your pack will make your trip run just that much smoother. But what it the right order? Is there such a thing? This episode looks at packing your backpack and discusses developing a systematic approach to our packing that will ensure you always know wh...

In January 2018 I spent two days in the Kosciuszko National Park (NSW) hiking the Main Range Walk as well as undertaking the Mount Kosciuszko Summit Walk, both starting at Charlotte Pass.  These two days of hiking also involved a nights camping on Mt Kosciuszko. This Episode is designed to give you an idea of what to expect when hiking in this amazing area.

In this episode we look at where the future of hiking appears to be heading. We discuss trends as they relate to hikers, changes we are likely to see in trail design and use, the impacts of social media on the trail, notable gear trends and the use of technology on the trail, both good and bad.

Our final episodes in our Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail series. In this episode we revisit our initial expectations of this trip and compare them to the reality of the trail. In addition we  discuss the good and bad points of the trail and make some suggestions for those of you looking at doing this trip.