Backpacking is one of the most popular activities in Australia. While Australia is famous for its various adrenalin-fuelled extreme sports, these are not for everyone. Backpacking is something that the whole family can enjoy, while being a terrific educational experience for young adults. Australia has several backpacking trails that offer guided treks. You can also use any one of these trails to go backpacking without a fixed agenda. Here are the top 10 backpacking trails in Australia.

10. Blue Mountains National Park In

The Blue Mountains are located close to Sydney and make a great weekend getaway if you live in the immediate area. Blue Mountains National Park offers amazingly diverse vistas with unexpected waterfalls, sharp and sudden cliffs, dense forest areas, mountain ranges interspersed with green verdant valleys. The Blue Mountains bushwalks offer several popular trails and guided tours. They are a good option for a family backpacking vacation.

09. Whitsunday Islands in Queensland

The Whitsunday Islands in Queensland are well known for more than just the snorkeling and water sports adventures to be had here. This subtropical national-park island is clad in dense bush and rainforests and is full of hiking trails, some flat, some hilly. Walk through some of these trails and enjoy spotting colorful wallabies and butterflies. The best network of trails is to be found in South Molle, with 360-degree views of the island from its peak.

08. Lamington National Park In Queensland

An amazing 160 kilometers of trails are available for the backpacker in you when you visit the Lamington National Park in Queensland. Not many other national parks in Australia offer such a well-marked network of trails as the Lamington National. The park is located at a distance of 90 minutes from the Gold Coast and is covered in dense subtropical rainforest, strewn with mossy Antarctic beech trees that are about 2000 years old. Soak up the cool mountain air while watching colorful wallabies of birds of all descriptions.

07. Larapinta Trail In North Tasmania

Start your hike from Alice Springs in the Red Centre and hike the 250-kilometer partial desert trail, winding your way through the lofty, crimson-colored McDonnell Ranges. Make sure you hike this trail between April and October when it’s cooler. You can walk the 250 kilometers in batches, spanning several days and camp out to experience the amazing Tasmanian outdoors.

06. Kakadu National Park In North Tasmania

This beautiful World Heritage park has all the delights you can expect of a Tasmanian trail. The trails are full of beautiful cycads, red cliffs, lily-filled lagoons that hide man-eating crocodiles, sudden waterfalls, and more birds that you can identify. The cliffs are full of caves filled with Aboriginal rock art. There’s rock art on the walls of the cliffs on the trails. Don’t forget to take your camera along with you. People take videos of the most memorable parts of these trails as the unique greenery combined with the red cliffs makes for an unforgettable landscape. Whether you’re just taking a small hike or a nice long trip in virgin bushland, the Kakadu National Park is the place to head to.

05. Cape-To-Cape Hike Between Cape Naturaliste And Cape Leeuwin

This rugged cape-to-cape trail has a variety of landscapes for your viewing pleasure. The china-blue waters of the sea glint under the warm Sun as the fragrant eucalyptus forests beckon. The trail goes over white beaches strewed with coastal heath. The cape-to-cape trail in the southwest corner of Western Australia is very popular among backpackers who come here in droves to watch the whales in the ocean and take pictures of colorful and varied wildflowers.

04. The Great Ocean Walk

A long 91-kilometer trek from Apollo Bay to the Glenample Homestead near Twelve Apostles is made for walkers of all kinds. Short-distance walkers can step on and off this Great Ocean Road hike in Victoria to enjoy other sights. Long-distance walkers can enjoy the sights and the pleasure of walking on this long trail and go on overnight hikes and camping trips. The amazing views offer more than the required incentive to go backpacking on this popular Great Ocean Road trail.

03. Freycinet National Park In Tasmania

The beautiful and rugged Freycinet Peninsula is home to the Freycinet National Park that’s a combination of pink granite mountains and azure blue bays bordered with white sand beaches. Lofty and dramatic peaks of the Hazards mountain range welcome backpackers who enter the park to trek the pass overlooking Wineglass Bay. You can hike through the entire length of the Freycinet Peninsula in just three days. Intersperse your hiking with lazy strolls on the white beaches, swimming among the dolphins and spotting wildlife.

02. Maria Island National Park In Tasmania

The Maria Island National Park has everything any avid backpacker wants; untouched sandy beaches, mountains, fossil cliffs, abundant wildlife and to add that extra touch of intrigue, convict ruins. The park spans 28,541 acres of prime parkland with several acres devoted to an exclusive marine reserve. Maria Island National Park is perfect for the long distance backpacker and the short-distance walker. There’s a 4-day guided walk if you can rough it out, and a day trip by ferry if you want the quick and easy, but still wonderful.

01. Cradle Mountain And Lake St. Clair National Park In Tasmania

The trail begins at Cradle Mountain in Tasmania and goes to Lake St. Clair, taking anywhere from 5 to 10 days, depending on how fast you can walk. You can also go on shorter walks for half a day or so, if you are not able to handle the longer trek. This 80 kilometer Overland Track is considered the best hike trail in all of Australia.

The park contains many other walking trails other than the well-known Overland Track trail. The park contains very diverse alpine vegetation. You’ll find different kinds of birds and animals in these forests including Bennett’s wallabies, pademelons, Tasmanian Devils, quolls, wombats, echidnas, possums, currawongs and ravens.

Teena Celis works for Adrenaline an Australian experience provider offering a large range of experiences like skydiving, hot air ballooning, rock climbing all across Australia.

Switzerland is beautiful, safe, and clean.

By Chantal Panozzo

We only came to live in Switzerland for three years. Now we’ve been here for four and are planning to stay for five. I have many friends that have also extended their stays. But why? What is it about Switzerland that makes so many expats outstay their original contracts?

One: I feel safe

I go jogging by the river. I go hiking in the woods. I take trains at midnight and walk home. And I’ve never once felt unsafe. I’ve never once felt uneasy. Switzerland just doesn’t have much crime. The police are so bored, they make it their mission to fine people for putting their garbage out too early. What a problem to have.

Two: The country is beautiful and clean

The lakes are so clean you can swim in them. The rivers too. Everything in this country sparkles—even the trash cans. You have to give the Swiss credit. They really know how to keep their little country nice. As I’m writing this, the street sweeper is just coming by. Yes.

Three: The great outdoors

Along with cleanliness, the Swiss take great pride in outdoor activities. Hiking paths are never far from your front door—whether you live in the city or not. There are thousands of kilometers or marked footpaths, bike paths, and even rollerblading paths. I know of no other country on earth that has been able to successfully integrate nature, city living, and public transportation as seamlessly as Switzerland.

Four: Public transportation

I don’t own a car and I can get to the mountain hut in the middle of nowhere. The Swiss transportation network is that good. Trains go up 3000-meter mountains. Buses take you to towns in the middle of nowhere. Cable cars meet trains where trains can’t go. And boats connect to you too. Plus, if you really want to drive, the car-sharing program is available and affordable.

Oh, Switzerland. You’re so great.

What do you love about living in Switzerland?

Chantal Panozzo is a writer in Switzerland who has written for a variety of publications on two continents. She’s the author of One Big Yodel, a blog about life in Switzerland and moving abroad, and also discusses living abroad as a freelancer at Writer Abroad.