Allison Wallace 11/6/23 Allison Wallace 11/6/23

Adrenalin-filled canyoning in Cradle Mountain

A place of jaw-dropping natural beauty, iconic Cradle Mountain is where is on display at every turn.

Cradle Mountain in Tasmania is known for offering up some incredible and challenging hiking trails (you may have heard of the Overland Track…) but there is another way to experience this incredibly scenic part of the world – you just have to be prepared to get a little wet.

A day trip to Dove Canyon with Cradle Mountain Canyons covers all bases. A short hike through the forest, abseiling into icy water, flipping off waterfalls and floating down the canyons.

Your day starts meeting just near the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre – so there is heaps of parking and somewhere to grab a coffee before you plunge into the icy alpine waters.

After gearing up with about 4 layers of wetsuit, including booties and a hood, the team transport you to the start of a trail. From there it is about a half hour walk along boardwalks to reach what the guys affectionately referred to as the ‘change room.’

The change room is actually just a large rocky area where we spent at least 10 minutes pulling on all our layers of gear including a life jacket and helmet! Your regular clothes will be left here with the drybag backpacks until we hike back out of the canyon later in the day.

Feeling very much like the Michelin man in the bulky getup, we make our way down to the (literal) jumping off point into Dove Canyon. It is hot and uncomfortable now but I will be definitely grateful for the layers later on…

If you have a fear of heights the first step into the canyon – abseiling over the edge – will challenge you – and once down, the only way out is to keep going forward. I definitely got another shock as I make contact with the frigid water below too.

Over the next few hours, we make our way through the canyon by abseiling down cliffs, jumping into chilly pools, shooting down waterfalls along naturally formed slides, and swimming through narrow sections of the gorge.

There is some time waiting below falls until everyone in the group has made their way through each adventure. During this time, I am sure I look amazing standing there or treading water with my hands out of the water trying to get some sun on them to keep feeling. Yes, the water was THAT cold!

You wouldn’t know it from the amazing photo the Cradle Mountain Canyons team took of me, but an undeniable highlight for me is racing through the narrow Laundry Chute and launching into a deep pool of water below.

Lunch was a welcome break from the icy water and the surprising amount of exertion on a sunny sandy bank. We enjoyed a make-your-own wrap station that catered for all our dietaries.

And so, we continued down the canyon. My elegant forward jumps off heights of up the 7m were no match for the guides’ flips and turns but it was a thrill none the less. At times we were just floating with the flow of the water and enjoying the incredible scenery.

The team are with you all the way to make sure everyone is safe and sound – if not entirely comfortable.

All up we navigated six waterfalls over the course of the day, but the hardest part of the day was still ahead.

Layers of soaking wetsuits and booties weighing us down, helmets still on to keep our hands free, we climbed and crawled 20mins uphill back to the ‘change room.’ It was exhausting and strangely hot. After changing, we loaded all that wet gear into our backpacks – which had now doubled in weight – and lugged those back to the transport. It was taxing on the shoulders more than anything as the dry bags are hardly fitted hiking packs!

All smiles at the end of the canyon before hiking out.

The team from Cradle Mountain Canyons make sure that moments throughout the day are captured on camera and emailed to you while you are warm, dry and enjoying a Tassie pinot at the end of an exhilarating day.

All up, the day was amazing. We had great weather, great guides and great fun! If thrill-seeking is something you do, and you have some basic fitness and can swim, I highly recommend this adventure into Lake St Clair National Park.

Looking for more adventures near Cradle Mountain? Why not try your hand at feeding some cheeky Tassie devils, or head out after dark to spot local wildlife?

Allison Wallace 1/19/22 Allison Wallace 1/19/22

8 things you must experience at Carnarvon Gorge

If you are looking for a place the literally feels out of this world, Carnarvon Gorge is it.

Carnarvon Gorge is truly a spectacular place, and you need more than a couple of days to truly take in all the beauty and appreciate the ancient landscapes.

In the gorge, the “bush” of Australia’s arid interior meets the lush jungle of the wet coastal tropics – a mind-blowing juxtaposition.

Aside from the timing exploring, it will take you some time to get there! Carnarvon National Park is about an 8-hour drive from Brisbane.

We drove up from the Sunshine Coast, taking the trip through Roma on the way there – making an essential stop for treats and coffee at Goomeri Bakery – and looped back via Rolleston to the north for a change of scenery. The journey was half the fun and we stopped for a hot lunch and a game of pool at the quirky Hotel Cracow on our way home.

Here are our 8-must-see adventures on your visit to Carnarvon National Park:

1. The Moss Garden

Most of the highlights in the gorge are side-trails that generally require some up-hill or stairs. Given we had our packs to camp at Big Bend before walking back out the next day, we left them at the turn off to save some energy and appreciate as much as we could. The main walk is just shy of 20km if you don’t do any of the side trails – which would be a mistake in our opinion!

The Moss Garden is the first side trail off to the left as you walk along the Canarvon Great Walk. You walk up a decent staircase to get there but about halfway up you can feel the temperature drop and the air becomes fresher.

When you get to the top, it is incredibly lush and green with loads of fern trees and a boardwalk right up to a small waterfall. You can see the moss on the rocks that gives this area its name.

2. The Amphitheatre

This was our second stop on day one, and it was probably my favourite. It is here, after heading through a deep gash in the gorge, that you will get the best views of the signature towering sandstone cliffs.

You will head up a steep but safe staircase but the climb is worth it, as you’ll be standing beneath 60-metre yellow sandstone walls, two million years in the making. There are some seats at the top where you can sit and really soak in the wonder.

3. The Art Gallery

A place steeped in history. There are more than 2000 engravings, ochre stencils and freehand paintings decorating the 62m-long sandstone walls of the Art Gallery. A site of deep cultural significance to Indigenous people, the local Bidjara and Karingal groups. You can learn about the meaning of the art as you walk along the boardwalk that runs along with it.

4. Camping overnight at Big Bend

Another highlight of this adventure. There are only 10 campsites at Big Bend so you will need to book in advance to make sure you get a spot. This also means there won’t be many people around when the sun sets! There were only six of the sites occupied when we stayed, and it was magical.

Big Bend is at the end of the main gorge walking track and most day-hikers turn around before they even make it there. We almost got lost after the main track ended on our way here – so you need to keep a keen eye out for the small orange markers on rocks highlighting the way to go.

There is a natural (very cold) waterhole with beautiful sandstone walls which was the perfect spot to wash off the day’s work and refresh our muscles.

There is a toilet at the campground and a picnic table which was nice as we hadn’t carried any chairs with us – the tent and water was heavy enough!

It’s actually the first camping area for those doing the 5-day Carnarvon Great Walk and we had a good chat with some through-hikers – maybe that will be another adventure!

5. Ward’s Canyon

Ward’s Canyon was our first detour on the walk out with fresh legs. A short flight of steps takes you 200m up into a little side gorge, where a small waterfall trickles down the rock wall.

Along with being one of the few places you can see the world’s largest fern, the king fern Angiopteris evecta, you’ll notice a rusty tinge in the water as you make your way into the cool gorge. This amazing hue is red algae.

6. Boolimba Bluff

This short hike is not for the faint of heart! We tackled this the day after our overnight camping trip, but the effort was worth the reward!

We had heard the best time to see the views from the top of the bluff was at sunrise so we got up at 4am, grabbed our head torches and headed back into the gorge in the dark and I am so glad we did.

The Boolimba Bluff just briefly starts on the main gorge track, but quickly detours into an extreme number of stairs which never seem to end – there is even a sign telling you there is a steep ascent ahead but don’t let that deter you. The views are amazing at 200 metres above the gorge floor, but we recommend you dress warmly as you wait for the sun to come up.

It was great to do this 7km return trip after our adventure in the gorge as it gives you an amazing perspective on where you hiked before.

7. Mickey Creek Gorge & Warrumbah Bluff

Well outside the gorge itself, there are still incredible sights to see. The day before heading on our overnight hike, we biked around and headed into Mickey Creek and Warrumbah Bluff.

It starts off as a level path leading through the bush, then it is not long before the track narrows and becomes steeper, at times climbing up the creek bank and then crossing to the other side.

There’s a well-worn path beyond it, following the creek further into the bush – we could only go so far without submerging our feet.

After heading up to Mickey Creek, do yourself a favour and take the fork in the road down the track to Warrumbah Creek Gorge.

You will find more of a scramble than a hike but walking over moss covered rocks and climbing makeshift log ladders just adds to the sense of adventure as you go deeper into a narrowing gorge. This was one of my favourite experiences of the trip.

8. A swim in the Rock Pools

There are only a couple of places you can swim in the National Park and the Rock Pools is one of them.

A short 400m walk (over rocks so wear shoes!) will take you to a deep pool that is the perfect spot to cool off in after biking and hiking.

You will need to be prepared for this water to be ICY.

Bonus tip: After hiking up Boolimba Bluff first thing in the morning, we decided to give our legs a rest but still wanted to see more. We managed to get a last-minute afternoon spot on a 20-minute scenic helicopter flight over the gorge and it was the best idea ever!

The helicopter doesn’t actually fly over Carnarvon Gorge itself (not allowed by Parks and Wildlife) but seeing the surrounding landscapes was incredible.

Our friendly pilot pointed out various rock formations including the Magnificent Three Sisters and deep narrow gorges filled with tropical plants before heading back to land in the blink of an eye.

Where to stay: We stayed at Takarakka Bush Resort (now known as BIG4 Breeze Holiday Parks Carnarvon Gorge), camping in a larger tent and leaving it all set up while we walked with our light-weight hiking tent into the gorge.

The resort is about 3km from the entry to the Great Walk and has all the amenities you could want. There are also plenty of kitchen and BBQ shelters available so you don’t need to travel with all your cooking gear and it is nice to meet up with people preparing meals and sitting around a campfire.

There is also a creek that runs behind the resort. Apparently you might be able to spot a platypus here but we weren’t that lucky but we did manage to get a refreshing dip at the ‘beach’ end far from where the elusive creatures call home.

The hot showers are welcome on tired legs after days in the gorge too.

There is also a short walk from the camp grounds up to a lookout that is great for sunset. Take a drink and soak in the serenity!

On our last night, we even headed to the Bush Bar for a pre-booked communal roast dinner which capped of a great escape. Not sure if they still do this now it has converted to a BIG4.

Best time to visit: Summer would be a no-go! Aside from the heat, the Gorge itself floods during the wet season and can be closed. We went in mid-September and the daytime temperatures were in the 30s and the nights were cool.

Allison Wallace 9/18/19 Allison Wallace 9/18/19

Angkor Zipline

Did you know that you can zipline and canopy walk while you are visiting the temples at Angkor?

Due to a cancelled flight we ended up with an extra day and night in Siem Reap. Feeling a bit templed-out but still wanting to do something we ended up booking a half-day trip out to Angkor Zipline to try something different.

Besides its famous temples, the Angkor Archeological Park is also home to a huge stretch of barely touched jungle and zipping through the trees is an amazing way to see it.

We opted for the Gold Eco-Adventure Canopy Tour which includes a set meal lunch and guided nature tour after the exhilarating zip-lining which we had to skip in order to get to the airport, but we still felt we got our money’s worth.

After being picked up from our hotel, the morning started travelling down a dirt track near Angkor Thom before gearing up and getting a safety briefing.

My friend Mandy and I were lucky to get basically a private zipline tour with two guides, Visot and Noy, along with our photographer Rosath! They were knowledgeable and enthusiastic and made the adventure even more fun. Their grins were as big as ours as we made our way through the treetops.

It was a warm and humid morning – as always in Siem Reap – but whizzing from platform to platform is a great way to make your own breeze.

Some of the platforms were connected not by zip-lines, but by bridges instead. Seriously, you try walking on one of those Indiana Jones-inspired walkways gracefully in your helmet and harness and I’ll buy you a beer.

In total we experienced six single ziplines, two super ziplines, one double zipline - the best for posing with your bestie mid-flight - and an abseil to the ground for the grand finale.

An interesting fact to note is that this is a true eco-experience which you can see up close when you look at the construction of the platforms and how the 800-year-old teak trees support it. Being inside the UNESCO World Heritage zone is something of an achievement and every part of construction is 100 per cent environmentally sustainable with no impact to wildlife, vegetation and fauna. Not a single nail or cord directly touches a tree.

While we didn’t see any on our visit, a family of endangered gibbons have been reintroduced to Angkor park in this area and all reports are that these shy primates are thriving in their new home.

Angkor Zipline also promotes low-impact visitor behaviour and limits each group to a maximum of nine guests. They also demonstrate a sensitivity towards, and appreciation of, local culture and biodiversity by funding English teachers and supplies for over 100 children and monks daily.

Cambodia’s Forestry officials inspect and approve the course every year because to ensure it is safe and protective of the environment.

This was a fun and enjoyable way to spend an unplanned extra day in Siem Reap and I would recommend it if you have time on your next adventure.