
2. Hike the Larapinta Trail
Location: Starts Alice Springs, NT
As far as nature-oriented walking tracks in Australia go, few can compare to the combination of the bush and rugged landscape of the Alice Springs region's Larapinta Trail – an extensive, 223km-long haven for trekkers and tampers worldwide.
Divided up into 12 main sections, the trail offers a diverse array of conditions ranging from the conventional to the scenic, and the relatively easy to the greatly challenging, meaning that every interested adventurer should be able to find a piece of the Larapinta that is best suited to both their desires and ability levels.
But how does one choose which section is ideal for them, and what is the best way to navigate portions of the trail to see all of its best highlights in an itinerary that will suit your schedule? That's where guides Trek Larapinta come in, specialising in taking interested parties on guided walking tours on the trail.
With a core focus on providing trekking expeditions for small groups as well as the ability to transfer independent hikers to and from the Larapinta Trail, they're a go-to service for exploring the best of the track.
As the majority of track conditions are rocky, tough going, first-timers can rest easy by booking a tour that encompasses only however many days they see themselves physically able to tolerate – itineraries are available that range from as short as 3 day introductory samplers focusing on a few highlights, all the way up to an epic 16-day gruelling end-to-end trek that runs the entire spectrum of terrain types and tracks conditions.
If you're looking for a getaway from the bustle of urban life and a way to truly embrace “untouched Australia”, then the Larapinta Trail is certainly the way to do so.
As the track contains a large amount of variation in both height, trail quality and physical condition, if you're looking to embrace its challenge and take in some of Australia's rawest scenery, it's certainly a wise investment to plan out a guided adventure beforehand.
This allows more of a focus on simply enjoying the cavalcade of landscapes without having to focus too much concern on safety – your guides know the track like the back of their hand, and thus allow you take in all the incredible sunrises and sunsets, rugged rocky scenery, and wonderful lookout points over the mountainous terrain with far less stress.
If you're looking for a getaway from the bustle of urban life and a way to truly embrace “untouched Australia”, then this is certainly the way to do so.
Camping out under the stars within a comfortable swag and enjoying amazing cooked meals on an open fire or a camp oven is the bright side of “roughing it” at its finest, with designated campsites along the way offering the chance to soak off the days' dust and stiffness in a bath and use of proper toilet facilities.
The Larapinta is a track that is renowned for fairly tough going, but the visual rewards are worth it as crystal-clear blue skies contrast brilliantly with the fiery red of the earth of the Aussie outback. All of this is, of course, made even more special buy the in-depth geological and cultural knowledge that the Trek Larapinta guides possess.
In all, while the track is doable by independent hikers, the ability to have all the hassles and irritants – not to mention dangers – mostly taken out of the equation and simply enjoy the wonderful, untamed landscape as well as the friendly company of fellow travellers makes a guided tour of the Larapinta highly recommended.