The Best “Soft Adventure” Experiences to Have in Australia

When it comes to Australia’s World Heritage attractions, most of us are aware of the Sydney Opera House, the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru-Kata Tjuta. But the giant wombats, koalas and echidnas – and even marsupial lions – of South Australia? Not so much. Naracoorte Caves National Park, near the Victorian border, is recognised by UNESCO as one of the world’s most important fossil sites. There are 28 caverns in total but only four can be explored, either on easy above-ground tours – the Roof Top Loop Walk is suitable for all ages and abilities – or more intrepid subterranean adventures. The park’s centrepiece is the Victoria Fossil Cave, which offers a glimpse into Australia’s pre-human history and a lesson in evolution thanks to the tens of thousands of Pleistocene-era fossils that have been discovered here. With a constant 17°C temperature, the caves are a year-round destination.

The Majura Pines plantation, 15-minute drive north of Parliament House in Canberra – and already a favourite haunt for mountain bikers and runners – has launched a network of 16 ziplines for ages three and up (the cute baby ziplines are just a metre high). The courses involve dozens of “aerial obstacles”, such as wobbly bridges and tightropes to test your skill and mettle. Everyone is harnessed, helmeted and trained before they tackle the courses, which are run by the experienced operators behind Tasmania’s longstanding Hollybank Park zipline, just outside Launceston.

Djuwang Baring, “long track” in the local Dja Dja Wurrung language, is a new mountain-bike park in Victoria’s Central Highlands where you can set your own limits on 60 kilometres of trails catering to every ability level. The 70 separate segments traverse state forests, regional parks and plantations, with most rated beginner and intermediate. Only 13 per cent of the circuit is considered difficult or extremely difficult and about a third is suited to adaptive mountain biking for differently abled riders. The park is easily accessed from Creswick, a gold rush-era town that’s about a 20-minute drive north of Ballarat.

On the east bank of the River Derwent, a short drive from Hobart, learn about local cuisine from a new perspective with Kitana Mansell’s Aboriginal food experience, Palawa Kipli. Her 60- to 90-minute bushtucker walk on the Aboriginal-owned lands at piyura kitina/Risdon Cove, fuses First Nations and contemporary history with stops to encounter snacks such as kunzea (a small flowering shrub), pigface and kangaroo apple. You’ll get to know the foods that have sustained Palawa people for thousands of years and discover how they managed this natural pantry before European settlement.

Rottnest Island/Wadjemup is Perth’s favourite playground – and not only for the quokkas. Discover its many charms on a day-long (seven-hour) bike ride with passionate local guide Laura the Explorer. The family-friendly outing involves a 10-kilometre circuit with stops at salt lakes, dazzling beaches such as Parker Point and Henrietta Rocks, and the Wadjemup and Bathurst lighthouses. Plus, the itinerary allows time for swimming and snorkelling at local beauty spots (BYO towel) and includes lunch – with ice-creams – at Geordie Bay and a refreshing beverage at Hotel Rottnest. There are also ample opportunities for quokka selfies, of course.

Located just outside Alice Springs/Mparntwe, Simpsons Gap/Rungutjirpa is a sacred site where Benjamin Kenny, founder of 100% Finke River Culture & Adventure, leads guided walks, sharing First Nations wisdom and stories that bring his Arrernte homelands to life. It’s an easygoing, hour-long circuit full of insights but, as Kenny says, “Simpsons Gap is just one part of the story.” For a fuller understanding, he offers a five-day Journey Through the Dreamtime tour that follows Arrernte storylines, art and lore during the day and offers nights in comfortable Alice Springs hotels. “We show them the land and the meaning,” he says. “People get access to where no-one else can go.” 

In addition to being the survival consultant to Alone Australia, Army Reserve member Gordon Dedman teaches regular Aussies how to make it in their harsh environment at Bushcraft Survival Australia. The courses range from hardcore (seven days) to two-day junior/family option where he imparts bushcraft basics at an expedition-style camp on Sydney’s outskirts. Participants, including children aged 10 and up, learn how to build shelter, make fire, find drinkable water (and edible food), navigate and generally keep themselves safe until help arrives – skills that you can’t master on YouTube. “For a family, it’s a way of bonding,” explains Dedman, “but in the event of an emergency, kids have to be able to do the same things.” 

Via ferrata is a fancy name for a fixed ladder up a rock face or mountain. There’s no hardcore experience necessary to tackle the stunning RockWire Via Ferrata climb in the Victorian Alps – it’s as easy as climbing a ladder but with much more spectacular views. Rock face handholds, carabiners clipped to wire cables and harnesses, helmets and lanyards keep climbers safe on the mountainside.

Treat a loved one on a couples-only heli-tour of the Sunshine Coast and hinterland. The half-day highlights include a scenic flight along the southeast Queensland coast and a sortie over the Glass House Mountains to alight on a hinterland mountain top for a private picnic. Dolphin sightings are complimentary.

Keep eyes peeled for the elusive platypus on half- and full-day excursions of the Daintree and Mossman River with Backcountry Bliss, where you’ll hike a three-kilometre rainforest circuit and then float down the river on inflatable sleds in glass-clear waters that are, mercifully, too cool for crocs. Tours depart from Port Douglas.

How to make gin in the NT? Step one: board your helicopter and fly to a 20,000-hectare outback cattle station to forage for native ingredients by airboat and ATV before morning tea. Step two: chopper back to Darwin Distilling Co. to start brewing your own bespoke batch of Top End gin. Cheers.

Combine a thrilling helicopter flight with a relaxing yoga or meditation session on Barossa Helicopters’ heli and wellness tours. The half-day adventures include a scenic flight (10 to 30 minutes) followed by a forest landing for a short hike, a spot of mindfulness and a picnic.

Explore rarely visited parts of Kangaroo Island and contribute to citizen-science data collection with RAD (research and development) KI. The day-long experience aboard an eight-metre inflatable zodiac involves a maximum of eight guests who each help to document marine life and feed data back to conservation groups. If conditions are right, you can also swim alongside sea lions, fur seals and dolphins.

This one’s not strictly for the birds but the sheer diversity and numbers of them at the Moulting Lagoon Conservation Area on Tasmania’s east coast is a definite drawcard. An all-inclusive stay and safari at Riversdale Farm’s off-grid lodge involves tours of owner Mathew Routley’s regenerative cattle farm and cultural boat tours through the Swan River Sanctuary.