We round up some of the most beautiful, soul soothing places in Australia to walk your way to health.

Walking is wonderful. It’s so integral to maintaining good health that just 30 minutes a day is all you need for a cornucopia of health benefits. Not only is it a great stress buster and mood booster, but walking can also help us to increase energy, maintain a healthy weight, strengthen bones and improve muscle power. The Heart Foundation has some even better reasons for us to strap on our hiking boots. That 30-minute walk can also reduce the risk of developing heart disease by 35 per cent, Type 2 diabetes by 40 per cent and reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis and some cancers.

We’ve extolled the benefits of what the Japanese call “forest bathing” before, and given that simply getting outside in nature is proven to have myriad health benefits, imagine the added benefits of taking your 30-minute daily walk to the next level on a walking holiday, surrounded by stunning natural scenery?

Here we share five great Australian walks as a “green prescription” for your everyday health and wellbeing.

Scenic Rim Trail, Queensland ​

Spicers signature four-day Scenic Rim Trail adventure from the northernmost reaches of the Scenic Rim Trail to the southern secrets of Cunningham’s Gap, through UNESCO World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforest, mountains, escarpments and volcanic plateaus. Travelling in small groups, the four-day Scenic Rim Trail is designed to help guests unwind and revive as they connect with nature with an experienced guide leading guests past awe-inspiring vistas. The program offers a full immersion into the rich diversity of Queensland’s native fauna and flora and more than enough wilderness for even the most ardent forest bather. A continuous through-walk, The Trail is fully portered, with guests only required to carry a day pack. In typical Spicers style, guests stay overnight in sustainably focused accommodation, where a cool beverage, hot shower and sensational food and wine await at the end of each day of walking. .

Great Ocean Walk, Victoria

One of the world’s most iconic walks, the Great Ocean Walk is renowned for its breathtaking Victorian coastline views and natural beauty. Enjoy a moderate group-guided walk of the entire 104-kilometre Great Ocean Walk track, over seven days, to soak up the healing power of nature. The one-way trek begins in the charming coastal village of Apollo Bay and weaves through the tall forests of Great Otway National Park and Port Campbell National Park before meandering around coastal heathlands and along rocky shore platforms before concluding at the extraordinary sandstone sea stacks of the Twelve Apostles. An all-inclusive pack-free walking holiday, guests will cross creeks and rivers and pass picturesque waterfalls and hidden coves littered with rusting shipwreck anchors, uncovering the region’s rich diversity of flora and fauna along the way. They may even spot koalas snoozing in the Eucalypts. Guided by experts and offering the flexibility to walk at a pace that suits you, Auswalk’s Guided Great Ocean Walk includes comfortable nightly accommodation and daily meals including cooked breakfasts, walkers’ lunches, two-course dinners and track snacks, to keep the energy up.

The Arkaba Walk, South Australia

Take a walk on the wild side along the Arkaba Walk in the Ikara-Flinders Ranges, 450km north of Adelaide, with Wild Bush Luxury. Guests will explore the privately-owned and carefully protected outback within the Arkaba Nature Conservancy, a 63,000 square kilometre former sheep station that is a stunning place of red peaks, valleys and gorges, that is being re-wilded in an effort to return it to its pre-colonial state.  Wild Bush Luxury’s fully hosted all-inclusive four-day walk, departing from Wilpena Pound on day one reconnects guests with the bush, with stories opening up secrets of the country and the early pioneers who tried to make a living from it. You’ll share your environment with kangaroos, wallaroos and emus. As each day comes to an end, expect little luxuries including hot showers, a three-course camp dinner, fine South Australian wines and a deluxe swag. At the end of the walk Arkaba’s luxuriously renovated 1850’s homestead and a creekside massage awaits.

Cradle Mountain Huts Walk, Tasmania

The six-day, five-night Cradle Mountain Huts Walk on the renowned Overland Track, is one of Australia’s greatest multi-day walks. The 65-kilometre trek through the richly diverse terrain of Tasmania’s UNESCO World Heritage Wilderness area, sees guests tackle mountains, plains, rainforests and alpine meadows and open moorlands, as they stroll past scenic lakes, rivers and waterfalls. They’re also bound to bump into wombats, paddymelons, echidnas and other local wildlife. With Great Walks of Australia, guests will enjoy walking in a small group, with highly experienced guides, light packs and the knowledge that at the end of each day exclusive eco-lodges, discreetly located off the main trail, inspired three-course meals and Tasmanian wine by the fireplace are their reward.

Cape to Cape Walk, Western Australia

For those looking for a little therapeutic indulgence as they walk, Walk into Luxury’s 4-day Cape to Cape Walk combines guided walking along the best sections of the Cape to Cape Track with luxury accommodation and the best of the Margaret River’s food and wine.  One of the Great Walks of Australia, the Cape to Cape Track runs for 123 kilometres along the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, between the lighthouses of Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin in Western Australia, taking in sandy white stretches of beach, towering karri forests and spectacular sea cliffs, with the turquoise Indian Ocean and beds of wildflowers your constant companion. Along the way expect Margaret River winery lunches and private chef dinners showcasing local produce and luxury private pool villa accommodation with extraordinary views over the ocean as well as an award-winning spa to knead out the kinks after a day of walking.

To learn more about any of these experiences or to book, email us at hello@remedytravels.com

This article provides general information only, and does not constitute fitness or medical advice. If you have any concerns regarding your health, seek immediate medical attention.