The best walks and hikes in Australia

Manly Scenic Walkway is a 10 kilometre one-way coastal walk from Spit Bridge to Manly, following the edge of Middle and North Harbour. The Grade 3 track takes around 3.5 to 4.5 hours, passing bushland, harbour beaches, and lookouts along the way. Highlights include Clontarf Beach, Reef Beach, Grotto Point’s Aboriginal engravings, and views from Dobroyd Head.

Cotterill’s Lookout is one of the most dramatic viewpoints along the Kings Canyon Rim Walk in Watarrka National Park. Reached via a short side detour from the main rim trail, the lookout sits on the edge of the canyon and offers sweeping views of the towering sandstone walls on both sides of the gorge. From here you can look down into the deep canyon and across to the rugged north and south rims, giving a real sense of the scale of Kings Canyon. It’s widely considered one of the best viewpoints on the entire rim walk.

Along the Kings Canyon Rim Walk, you'll pass a striking cluster of rounded sandstone domes often compared to beehives, or otherwise known as the “Lost City.” These unusual shapes formed as the ancient Mereenie Sandstone, laid down about 400 million years ago, fractured into blocks that were gradually rounded by wind and rain over millions of years.

Hidden within Kings Canyon, the Garden of Eden Waterhole is a rare permanent water source surrounded by lush vegetation and towering sandstone walls. To reach it from the Kings Canyon Rim Walk, a side track descends into the gorge via a series of wooden steps and boardwalks, followed by a small bridge crossing the creek. The shaded canyon floor feels noticeably cooler than the exposed rim above. The waterhole is culturally significant and an important refuge for wildlife, so swimming is not permitted.

At the end of the Kings Creek Walk, a raised viewing platform offers a close look into the heart of Kings Canyon. From here you can see the towering sandstone walls rising high above Kings Creek as it winds along the canyon floor. The easy 2.6 km return walk follows the creek into the gorge and finishes at this lookout, where the dramatic scale of the canyon becomes clear.

The Uluṟu Base Walk is the best way to experience the scale and cultural significance of Uluṟu up close. This roughly 10 km track circles the entire base of the rock, passing beneath towering red cliffs, quiet waterholes, and sections of desert woodland. Each part of the walk feels different, from shaded areas with surprising greenery to wide open stretches of red desert. Many walkers start from the Mala car park early in the morning and follow the track clockwise while temperatures are cooler. Along the way you’ll encounter native plants, wildlife, and places connected to the Tjukurpa stories of the Aṉangu people.

Tucked beneath the towering red walls of Uluṟu, Mutitjulu Waterhole is one of the few permanent water sources in the area and a place of deep cultural significance to the Aṉangu people. he waterhole sits below a cave where ancient rock art can still be seen, and interpretive signs along the path explain the Kuniya Tjukurpa story connected to this place. A short detour from the Uluṟu Base Walk leads to a viewing platform overlooking the waterhole, making it one of the most meaningful and memorable stops around the base of the rock.

Kata Tjuṯa, meaning “many heads” in Pitjantjatjara, is a striking cluster of rounded rock domes rising from the desert. Together with nearby Uluṟu, it forms one of the two great landmarks of Uluṟu–Kata Tjuṯa National Park, a place of deep cultural and spiritual importance to the local Aboriginal Traditional Owners.