What is the "Great Walks" program in Australia?

The "Great Walks" program is an initiative launched by various state governments in Australia to promote and manage popular multiday hiking trails, inspired by New Zealand's successful Great Walks program.

How many "Great Walks" does New South Wales have?

As of October 2025, New South Wales has 10 "Great Walks" and will soon have 13 in total.

Why is there confusion around the "Great Walks" in Queensland?

While Tourism and Events Queensland promotes 15 "Great Walks," the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service only lists 10 "Great Walks," leading to inconsistency and confusion.

Home / Lifestyle / Australia's "Great Walks" Boom: Marketing Tactic or Hiking Haven?

Australia's "Great Walks" Boom: Marketing Tactic or Hiking Haven?

17 Oct

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Summary

New South Wales launches 13 "Great Walks" by 2027
Queensland promotes 15 "Great Walks" while Parks Service lists only 10
Tasmania has no "Great Walks" but 60 "Great Short Walks"

Australia's "Great Walks" Boom: Marketing Tactic or Hiking Haven?

As of October 2025, Australia's walking tracks are attracting increasing numbers of visitors, with a growing trend of "Great Walks" emerging across the country. New South Wales, which had no Great Walks until early 2023, now has 10 and will soon have 13. Queensland, on the other hand, has 15 Great Walks, though the state's Parks and Wildlife Service only lists 10. Meanwhile, Victoria has three multiday walks with "Great" in their names, and Tasmania boasts 60 "Great Short Walks" but no officially designated "Great Walks."

This surge in "Great Walks" branding is largely inspired by New Zealand's successful Great Walks program, launched by the Department of Conservation in 1992 to manage overcrowding and environmental damage on the country's most popular multiday hikes. The New Zealand model features online bookings, caps on walker numbers, and affordable campsites and huts, establishing it as the global standard for walking track management.