Our Hiking Blog

Do you listen to  podcasts?

Have you come across any interesting hiking or trekking podcasts that focus on the outdoors? 

If we can’t wander around the bush somewhere, we like to read or listen to stories about far flung places and trips we may do in the future.

The best “recent” tech invention (in Frank’s opinion) are podcasts combined with iTunes.  Podcasts are a terrific way to “time shift” listening to radio programs or watch online information or programs from across the world.

You just subscribe to a podcast, let iTunes automatically download it and then listen or watch when it is convenient.

Frank’s current favourites are Coast and Country or Ramblings from  BBC Radio 4. Continue Reading…

Planning some “big” hikes this year that require good fitness?

Reckon you are fit enough to tackle the Western Arthurs or Frenchman’s Cap?

Do you think the Australian Alps Walking Track will be a doddle or that Wilson’s Prom is tough?

What is the degree of difficulty say comparing the Kakoda Trail with the Milford or Overland Track?

Mount Anne Circuit -Lake Judd & Mt Sarah Jane - South West National Park - Tasmania

The Victorian YHA Bushwalking Club recently surveyed some of their experienced members and asked them to rate a wide selection of popular local and international hikes on a scale from one to ten. Continue Reading…

What gear, food and equipment would you take for  two weeks wilderness hiking?

If you are planning a long backpacking trip (into really wild country) what gear would you need?

Matthias Siegel, over at Matt Down Under,  has put together a terrific gear list for his trip to the South West Cape area of Tasmania (see map below)

He leaves on the weekend, and will fly into Melaleuca airstrip and then explore the South West Cape region, probably heading out the Port Davey Track to Lake Pedder.

Matthias is a great mate of Frank’s  Continue Reading…

Have you ever thought about some trekking in Vietnam, say hiking up Mt Fansipan?

Does the thought of a challenging adventure trip appeal to your masochistic tendencies?

Andy Engelson  a writer and editor who lives in Hanoi, Vietnam recently summited Mt Fansipan. He wrote it up on his blog Only Ok and it is a great yarn. It had Frank in stitches laughing at this Vietnamese adventure. We contacted Andy and got permission to share some of his words and images here.

So, if you want to read a great trekking story, check it out here:  Going to the top of Vietnam

A few snippets to encourage you:  (Andy wrote for Washington Trails magazine for six years before escaping with his family to Vietnam. i.e. he can write, and write very well he does)

Fansipan is a prosaic mountain–a great green pyramid. A lower peak to its right actually appears craggier and more imposing. At 10,312 feet Fansipan is the highest point in Vietnam, and also the highest in Indochina, which includes Laos and Cambodia.

Mt Fansipan - Vietnam - the track up

The switchback is unheard of in Vietnam, apparently. The trail generally went straight up and down the mountainside, winding through boulders and tree roots.

Continue Reading…

We continue our series of interviews with interesting outdoor people we have come across in recent times.

Sarah came to out attention after reading her great trip report on hiking the Overland Track in Tasmania (although Frank is a bit disappointed with the Lake Will page being protected)  She just seemed to be having so much fun and wrote in an enjoyable manner we contacted her  seeking an interview. She happily agreed,and we present Sarah Lambert (a very busy woman who loves the bush!)

1.  How about a bit of background on yourself. Live where? Work where?

I’m a singer, song-writer, IT manager, and mum. I was born in Sydney (Australia) and lived there until my 20’s when my partner and I and our 2 young sons did the “sea-change” and moved an hour and a quarter south to Wollongong, where I still live.

Sarah Overland Track Tasmania

It’s a beautiful environment, with some of the south-east coasts’ best beaches and also good stands of local rainforests nearby, with creeks running through it and little waterfalls. I’ve always been a regular swimmer. I work at the University of Wollongong. You can check out my local beach here.

Continue Reading…