SPECIAL SECTION: HEALTH & FITNESS
TOURISM AUSTRALIA
JIRIVIEHMANN / STOCK. ADOBE. COM
Three Capes Track
Where: Tasman Peninsula, Tas. Length: 48km / 4 days Grade: Easy to moderate
Left off maps by school kids and absent-minded cartographers, the island traditionally known as Lutruwita is impossible to overlook if bushwalking is your thing. Known for its unique wildlife and incredible scenery, Tasmania is fast becoming one of the world’ s trekking meccas and the famed Three Capes Track epitomises why. Beginning at the Port Arthur Historic Site and with some itineraries offering a cruise to the start of the track at Denmans Cove, it pinballs between some of Australia’ s most towering sea cliffs and dense rainforest. Walkers can pitch a tent at designated sites in the Fortescue Bay camping area. But for those who don’ t want to carry the extra gear, Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service offers warm, environmentally conscious, mattress-equipped, dorm-style( and ranger-hosted!) overnight cabins; Surveyors, Munro and Retakunna.
Hidden Gorge Hike
Where: Wilmington, SA Length: 18km / 2 days Grade: Moderate
While steep in parts, you could complete this 18-kilometre loop in Mambray Creek, just three hours north of Adelaide, in a day – and take in the glorious view of the Spencer Gulf – and it will still deliver. The gorge narrows as you move through it, flanked by sheer crimson rock walls, the air sweet with eucalypt and heavy with birdsong. But an overnight stay at the hikers-only campsite at the eponymous Hidden Gorge means you can crack a Barossa red in relative serenity, with few fellow travellers and even fewer worries. And if disconnecting is your aim, you can hardly ask for more than that.
30 | JAN / FEB 2025 COSTCO CONNECTION