The Larapinta Trek Family Adventure
A WEEK (Six days, five nights)
Could you get the kids in your life to walk 67 kilometres over six days? There’s one unforgettable way to find out. With a maximum of 16 people in a group – including children as young as eight – swap school, weekend sport and iPads for the Larapinta Trail, an epic journey through the ancient landscapes of the West MacDonnell Ranges (Tjoritja) near Alice Springs (australianwalkingholidays.com.au). Prepare to feel small in the Ormiston (Kwartatuma) and Serpentine (Ulpma) gorges and plunge into remote waterholes to cool off. Nights bring the outback comforts of an architect-designed eco-camp with a hot shower to soothe well-worked muscles.
The 101
The first thing any parent would wonder about a trip like this: will my kids chuck a tanty and hold everyone up? Possibly, but you’ll be met with understanding looks, sympathy and a helping hand. Start times for each day’s walk are flexible and the guides are excellent at winning over a reluctant child – with bribes, if necessary. The Larapinta family trek follows the regular route but there are only three departures a year so get in quick.
The moment
There are almost too many highlights to mention on this trip but for many families it’s the top-shelf spread by bushfood expert Rayleen Brown on the first day. For guide Peter Sexton, it’s the way time seems to bend, stretch and even stand still that makes hiking in this part of the world so incredible. “Somehow the environment demands we slow down to its pace. I love disconnecting from the pressures of everyday life because it allows me to see things I don’t usually notice.”