Australia’s most popular hikes right now – revealed

Elizabeth WhiteheadBy Elizabeth Whitehead
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AllTrails names the hottest hikes to have on your radar.

It’s no secret Aussies like to hike. But according to AllTrails , we’re the third most active country in the world! We’ve previously covered the most popular hikes in Australia, but here, we’re breaking down the top five hikes to have on your radar for the year ahead. AllTrails has crunched the data to reveal Australia’s trending hikes for 2025 – read on for the results.

1. Grand Cliff Top Walk (Blue Mountains, New South Wales)

Length: 19 kilometres

The Blue Mountains is a World Heritage Site and an ever-popular hiking destination. So it makes sense that 2025’s most trending track is the region’s newest blockbuster hike. The Grand Cliff Top Walk opened in 2024 as a scenic 19-kilometre, two-day walking spectacular that takes in waterfalls, wilderness and the best vistas in the Blue Mountains. We’ve broken down everything you need to know about the Grand Cliff Top Walk here.

the Grand Cliff Top Walk, Blue Mountains
You’ll see magnificent views of the historic Grand Stairway and more around every bend on the Grand Cliff Top Walk. (Image: Lauren De Sousa)

2. Sherbrooke Forest Circuit (Melbourne, Victoria)

Length: 11.6 kilometres

With its towering Mountain Ash gums, rushing streams and moss-covered rocks, this hike looks like a true storybook setting. Don’t miss the nearby Sherbrooke Falls Walk, part of a brand-new wellness walk series by Parks Victoria that’s complete with an audio guide accessed via a downloadable app.

Hikers in Victoria's Dandenong Ranges National Park
Sherbrooke Forest Circuit is in the beautiful Dandenong Ranges National Park. (Image: Parks Victoria)

3. Plenty Gorge Loop via Blue Lake (Melbourne, Victoria)

Length: 7.2 kilometres

You’ll likely encounter lots of Lycra on the Plenty Gorge Loop. Cyclists, joggers and hikers all head here to escape the city for their nature fix on this moderate track. The hike takes walkers through a gorge before leading out to the striking Blue Lake, the perfect place to pause and appreciate the peaceful surroundings.

The trail guides hikers to the peaceful shores of Blue Lake (Image: Flickr/woowoowoo)

4. Purling Brook Falls (Springbrook, Queensland)

Length: 4 kilometres

Bring your swimmers on this stunning hike in the Gold Coast hinterland. This trail takes hikers through the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Gondwana rainforest to the base of a 100-metre-tall waterfall. Best of all, there’s a swimming hole to cool off in and take in the surroundings.

Purling Brook Falls
Purling Brook Falls is a great spot for a dip. (Image: Flickr/Tatters)

5. Mount Lofty Loop (Melbourne, Victoria)

Length: 5 kilometres

Another win for Melbournians – yet another local trail closes out the top five. This short loop immerses hikers in the rolling hills of the Yarra. The area is teeming with wildlife, so chances are you’ll spot plenty of kangaroos and wallabies along the way. Looking for more great hikes near Melbourne? We’ve got you covered.

Wonga Park in Victoria
Melburnians head to the Yarra to soak in the greenery. (Image: Wikimedia commons)
Elizabeth Whitehead
Elizabeth Whitehead is a writer obsessed with all things culture; doesn't matter if it's pop culture or cultures of the world. She graduated with a degree in History from the University of Sydney (after dropping out from Maths). Her bylines span AFAR, Lonely Planet, ELLE, Harper's BAZAAR and Refinery 29. Her work for Australian Traveller was shortlisted for single article of the year at the Mumbrella Publishing Awards 2024. She is very lucky in thrifting, very unlucky in UNO.
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Film lovers need to add these Victorian theatres to their bucket list

    Ricky FrenchBy Ricky French
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    Theatres have always been a cornerstone of regional Victoria, reflecting the character and history of their local communities.

    From grand, gold rush-era masterpieces to Art Deco wonders to repurposed prisons, we’ve rounded up four of Victoria’s best regional theatres to catch a show at next time you’re travelling through.

    Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat

    Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat 
    Her Majesty’s Theatre in Ballarat has been standing for 150 years. (Image: Michael Pham)

    A monument to the immense gold rush wealth flooding through Ballarat in the second half of the 19th century, Her Majesty’s Theatre (‘Her Maj’ to locals) celebrates its 150th anniversary as the city’s premier performing arts venue this year.

    Built in a classical style and immaculately preserved (thanks largely to a recent $16-million restoration), this Lydiard Street landmark is the oldest continuously operating theatre in mainland Australia, notable for its double balcony and a stage that slopes towards the front, making it one of the most audience-friendly venues in the country to see a show.

    The Capital, Bendigo

    The Capital Theatre, Bendigo
    The Capital in Bendigo was built in 1873 as a Masonic Hall. (Image: Michael Pham)

    Denoted by its distinctive Corinthian columns, more reminiscent of ancient Greece than regional Victoria, The Capital theatre in Bendigo has been through several iterations since the first stone was laid in 1873.

    Originally a Masonic hall, the renaissance revival-style building became a theatre in the 1890s, falling into disrepair for a time during the 1970s, before being restored and reopened (as the Bendigo Regional Arts Centre) in 1991. Today, the 480-seat venue hosts everything from comedy to cabaret to traditional theatre, dance, opera and live music.

     Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo

    a look insideBendigo’s Ulumbarra Theatre
    Inside Bendigo’s Ulumbarra Theatre, a former prison. (Image: Michael Pham)

    Bendigo has busted out as a regional performing arts hotspot, so it’s fitting that one of its newest venues is housed within a former prison. Meaning ‘meeting place’ or ‘gather together’ in the language of the local Dja Dja Wurrung people, the $26-million, 950-seat auditorium rose from within the red brick walls of the historic Sandhurst Gaol in 2015.

    It’s an eerie feeling as you approach the imposing granite facade, pass beneath the old gallows and pick up your ticket from the box office occupying a repurposed cell block. With the building playing a main character in the show, this is performative architecture at its finest.

    Rex Theatre, Charlton

    the Rex Theatre in Charlton
    The 1938-built Rex Theatre in Charlton is an Art Deco gem. (Image: Jenny Pollard)

    Regional theatres don’t come more romantic than this Art Deco gem in the river town of Charlton, in north-central Victoria. Built in 1938, the 350-seat community-owned theatre provides an essential entertainment outlet for residents in the Wimmera Mallee region, as well as visitors making the trip up the Calder Highway from Melbourne.

    The volunteer-run venue is the last remaining purpose-built cinema in regional Victoria, and hosts the Charlton Film Festival every February, plus three weekly film screenings (Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday).