By Leigh O’Connor.
Australia and New Zealand are basically giant outdoor playgrounds where the footpath is the main attraction. If you’re the sort of person who hears "walk?” and immediately checks the weather app with hope in your heart, you’re in very good company down here.
From coastal swagger to alpine drama, these two countries do walking like they invented it (they didn’t, but they’re certainly showing off).
Let’s start in Australia, where the coastline is a never-ending highlight reel. The Bondi to Coogee walk in Sydney is the one you do when you want a greatest-hits album in under three hours: cliffs, beaches, rock pools and enough ocean air to reset your brain. It’s equal parts postcard and people-watching parade.
One minute you’re threading past surfers waxing boards, the next you’re staring into aqua water so clear it feels like cheating. Stop for a swim at Gordons Bay if the day’s warm; it’s basically a built-in intermission.
Farther south, Tasmania adds a little wild poetry. The Wineglass Bay track in Freycinet National Park is short enough to feel doable, but steep enough to earn a celebratory snack at the top. Then you see it: that white crescent beach and electric-blue water shaped like a perfect half-smile.
Even if the weather’s moody, it’s still spectacular in that ‘nature is the main character’ way. If you want something longer, Tassie’s Overland Track is the full epic - cradle-to-lake, mossy forests, button grass plains and mountains that look like they’re brooding for art-house reasons.
Up north, Australia goes tropical and a bit Jurassic. The Daintree Rainforest walks are all giant ferns, tangled vines and the feeling that a dinosaur could stroll past and you’d just nod politely. Boardwalks keep you afloat over the swampy bits and every bird call sounds like a secret message. You’ll catch yourself whispering "wow” at trees, which is a sign you’re doing it right.
Now hop across the Tasman to New Zealand, where walking trails are basically national treasures with excellent signage. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is the big one - an otherworldly trek across volcanic ridgelines, steaming vents and lakes so bright they look photoshopped.
It’s a long day, sure, but the landscape is so surreal you forget to complain. One moment you’re crunching over black lava rock, the next you’re staring at emerald pools that seem to glow from within. Pack layers; the weather up there can turn faster than a plot twist.
If your heart leans coastal, the Abel Tasman Coast Track is a dreamy, golden-beach wander that feels like a holiday disguised as exercise. Think sheltered coves, cheeky little bridges over clear rivers and the occasional seal lounging like it owns the place.
You can do sections as day walks or take your time along the whole route, dipping into the sea whenever it dares you to.
For proper "I can’t believe this is real” grandeur, there’s the Milford Track in Fiordland. It’s waterfalls tumbling off cliffs, valleys carved by ancient ice and rain that arrives like a dramatic soundtrack. When the clouds lift, the peaks look impossibly sharp, like they were chiselled for a fantasy film. You end each day feeling pleasantly humbled and a bit heroic.
The magic of walks in Australia and New Zealand isn’t just the scenery - though, yes, it’s outrageous. It’s the way a trail rewires your mood. You start out thinking about emails and errands and end up thinking about sea spray, bird calls and how good your legs feel when they’ve actually done something interesting.
Lace up, step out and let the path do its quiet, brilliant work.
