SPECIAL SECTION: HEALTH & FITNESS
MADE FOR
WALKING
The hustle and bustle dragging you down? The answer is at your feet.
BY BEN SMITHURST
MYSTOCKIMAGES / GETTYIMAGES. COM
There’ s little wonder that walking-andcamping travel is having a moment. In an age of 24 / 7 connectivity and cost-of-living crises, it makes sense that today’ s travellers are looking for more budget-friendly options to explore. There’ s no more enticing way to do that than by stepping away from the chaos – literally.
The Australian bush offers endless options for anyone looking to trade bloated carbon footprints for actual footprints. There are tens of thousands of dedicated walking and camping trails across the country, with upgrades and entirely new routes debuting regularly. And they’ ve never been more popular: from 2015 to 2019, even before the pandemic, National Parks and Wildlife Service data showed that the number of overnight bushwalking expeditions was rising by around a million trips per year to approximately 14 million annually.
When you’ re ready to join them, simply pick a location, pack your gear and make a plan. >
COSTCO CONNECTION JAN / FEB 2025 | 29