21 Nature writ large

Lace up your hiking boots for an epic endorphin high on the freshly minted Grampians Peaks Trail. This challenging 13-day, 160-kilometre walk through Indigenous Gariwerd country is not for the faint of heart, but it rewards with dizzying vistas over the Victorian countryside northwest of Melbourne. Think dramatic peaks glimpsed along rocky ridgelines, end-of-Earth gorges, and tangles of native flora home to wallabies, wombats and echidnas. Aptly named Mount Zero is your starting point in the north, the trail traversing Mount Difficult, through Halls Gap and on to the town of Dunkeld. Pitch your tent at one of the 11 campsites en route, or register for a guided walk and stay in eco-friendly huts replete with kitchens and swoon-worthy balcony vistas. parks.vic.gov.au