Table of contents for Issue 170, Mar-Apr 2019 in Wild

“What was that?” No one answered. No one dared to. For an hour—well, perhaps minutes—not a word, not a murmur passed our lips. Instead, at three in the morning, we huddled together in quaking fear, drew close to the campfire, and listened. It was out there. What it was, though, no one knew, except for the fact we could hear it—in the bushes, thrashing around, prowling through the impenetrable darkness. Our heads filled with fearful thoughts we dared not utter, and raced with beastly images we struggled not to imagine. Little was certain in my mind, save this one insight, crystal clear in its import: We were being stalked. But as the group’s leader, I couldn’t share that horrendous fact with the others. Instead, I bravely motioned we move nearer…

Escape. I’m acutely aware of a sharp pain in my lower back. It’s spreading, aching. My chest tightens, as if it’s being squashed, forcing all the air out of my lungs. Can’t breathe. Uncontrollable shakes set in, like convulsions from electric shock. Feet, hands, legs. All numb. There’s no sound. All I can hear is the panicked voice in my head. Yelling. Sun. Heat. NOW!! My entire consciousness fixates on that one objective: finding warmth. First swim, done. One more. Second swim, four metres. Done. Quick. Get out of the water! But I can’t. Feet fumble around, desperately searching for purchase. Smooth rock, no holds. There! Up. You’re out. I drop everything and run. Too hasty, I trip and fall. I try to scream for help, but no words come…

Australia’s most famous multi-day hike, the Overland Track is on everybody’s bucket list, and with good reason. Maintained by the Tasmanian Parks & Wildlife Service, the OT is a fantastic introduction to long-distance walking, with well-spaced and well-appointed huts, easy to follow track markings, numerous exciting side trips, bountiful wildlife and gorgeous scenery. Upland plateaus are dotted with glittering glacial tarns; alpine moorlands and buttongrass plains are spread wide; forests of native deciduous beech turn gold in the autumns; and peaks, cragged and serrated, pierce the sky. In some ways it feels almost un-Australian, so distinct is it from anything on the mainland. Well-organised yet still wild, the hike is usually completed over six to eight days, but side-trips can extend that considerably. The distance is often quoted as 65km,…

Need to Know Capacity: 6.4L. (A 3.5L model is also available) Dimensions: 263mm height by 198mm diameter RRP: $39.95 Where to buy: Adventure Base, Katoomba or online at adventurebase.com.au I’ve always struggled with dry bags when canyoning, and I’m yet to find the perfect one. Now I can stop looking. The thing about canyoning, as much fun as it is, is that fast flowing water has this tendency to penetrate every single thing it encounters—clothing, electronics, backpacks, ears, noses, skin pores and even so-called ‘waterproof’ containers. I’ve always struggled with dry bags when canyoning, first double-bagging then triple-bagging and still half the time water somehow worms its way inside (to be fair, most rolltop dry bags are not rated as submersible); I’ve mourned head torches, sandwiches and various soggy lumps…

POWDER! It is, perhaps, the most abused word in skiing’s lexicography. True, extreme makes a robust case for that honour. But although more absurdly applied, extreme isn’t used nowadays with anything approaching the frequency of powder, which now seemingly applies to fresh snow of any depth, quantity or consistency. Wet mank. Three centimetres on crust. A flurry. It doesn’t matter. Yo dude, pow! There is, however, one skiing destination that justifies the powder hype: Japan. Of the thousand-plus days I’ve skied, it’s here I’ve found the deepest snow. Where day after day I’ve skied blower-dry, nipple-deep fluff. Where the face shots were so sustained breathing was difficult. Where the snow was so pure and ethereally soft it blurred heaven and earth. Yet its reputation almost does the country a disservice.…

Otterbox is well-known for producing rugged eskies and coolers, but what is less well-known is exactly the testing protocol the company engages in to prove the toughness of their products. Well, it’s actually one test in particular I’m referring to: bear testing. Now, I know the possums here in Oz can be crafty little devils, ripping through the walls of tents in the dark of night and making off with all manner of treasured goodies. But think of what it’s like trying to store food in the outdoors in North America. Possums may be nefarious, sly, cunning, devious; bears, on the other hand, can be just out and out brutal. I’ve seen first-hand a car in Yosemite National Park with its roof peeled open like a can of sardines just…

In 1950, 14 year old Swede Åke Nordin wanted to go fishing. He was a boy who loved nature, who dreamed of one day becoming a true Arctic fox, a fjällräven, as the Swedes call experienced Scandinavian adventurers. Each summer, Åke and the Nordin family would spend months at a small cabin outside Örnsköldsvik, in the country’s north. That particular summer, Åke and his friend Lars Olof decided to head west from the village to go trout fishing. Åke would need a tent, supplies, a stove, and fishing gear. And he would need a pack to carry it all in. Åke’s pack at the time was, to be blunt, rubbish. It was baggy. It distributed weight poorly. And here is where Åke departed, almost preposterously, from most teenagers who would…

There’s no beating around the rapidly depleting bush: our koalas are in big trouble. Eighteen years since the Australian Koala Foundation launched its ‘No Tree, No Me’ campaign to fight koala population decline, the most recent WWF Living Planet Report estimates that koala numbers on our east coast are dropping by 21 per cent every decade, and that NSW koalas—the less than 20,000 that remain—are on track for extinction by 2050. While South Australian and Victorian koalas face long-term battles against a lack of genetic diversity—a legacy of early 20th century patch-ups after the decimation that was koala hunting and pelt trading—it’s the officially-threatened populations of NSW, Queensland and the ACT that are really in the trenches. Western Australia, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory contain no wild koala ranges. “There…

Buzzing from a double espresso and with a belly full of breakfast burrito, I help Jan—our boat operator—strap bikes to the inflatable. It’s a 20 minute ocean cruise from Lund Harbor to the trailhead at Sarah Point, on mainland British Columbia across the Strait of Georgia from Vancouver Island. The morning sun glistens optimistically, but not everything is cheerful. Before twisting the throttle, Jan surveys our gang of four mountain bikers. “Eagle,” he says ominously, “is not going to be happy with you.” THE INSPIRATION Jan is not the only source of my apprehension, however. The Sunshine Coast Trail (SCT)—a 180 km point-to-point route running from Sarah Point south to the lonely ferry terminal of Saltery Bay—may have me as excited as a kid on Christmas morning, but that still…

Surprisingly unsung, Kalbarri National Park’s lack of renown belies its beauty, impressive scenery and adventure potential. Along the coast, you can walk next to colourful sea cliffs and the dazzling blue of the Indian Ocean, teeming with whales, dolphins, and sea lions. Inland—where the Murchison River cuts 80 kilometres through Tumblagooda Sandstone—walking tracks explore sheer and narrow gorges lined by red, purple, and white-banded cliffs. Extended wilderness walks are also possible, including an adventurous multi-day off-trail route the Murchison River Gorge’s length. And Kalbarri’s sculpted sandstone walls hold not just opportunities for spectacular hiking; they contain some of Western Australia’s favourite rock climbing routes, along with stunning canyoning options. There’s paddling, too. In times of high water, there’s impressively scenic whitewater paddling with grade 1-3 rapids, while the Murchison River’s…

“My wife, Beth and I embarked on the Overland Track with River, our one year old son, blissfully asleep, oblivious to the effort needed to get up the mountain. Here we are on the first day ascending Cradle Mountain for sunset after getting off to a late start. Dad had 40kgs on his back; Mum had 28 on hers. River just loved the pack; so much so, ‘backpack’ was one of his first words after Mum and Dada!”Daniel Newton, Adelaide Hills, SA Daniel wins an OSPREY MANTA AG 28, valued at $239.95. Designed for lightweight day or even overnight hiking, the Manta includes Osprey’s LightWire frame, mesh backpanel, BioStretch harness and AG hip belt for on-the-go comfort. SEND US YOUR WILD SHOT TO WIN GREAT GEAR! For a chance to…