This lesson suits advanced learners. After listening, test your knowledge with our quiz.
Learning notes
Language objective:
How to talk about bushwalking
Different phrases to use when talking about bushwalking
- I'm going off the beaten track.
- I’m totally pumped.
- Let’s hike a loop trail.
- Let’s follow a point-to-point trail.
- We tackled this steep trail.
- Before we hit the trail, let’s make sure we’ve got all of our gear.
Colloquial expressions:
Off the beaten path means places where people don’t usually go. They are usually more remote.
Hit the trail means to start a journey, especially a hiking or outdoor adventure.
To have itchy feet means to be restless and have a strong desire to travel or explore new places.
Backpacking means travelling around visiting different places on a small budget.
An epic hike is a remarkable, and often difficult but rewarding hike.
Vocabulary:
The bush is an Australian word for any natural, outdoor environment outside of the city. In British English, this is often called the countryside, and in North America, the wilderness.
Bushwalking, hiking, trekking and tramping are different ways of saying walking in natural, outdoor environments in the countryside. Bushwalking and hiking are commonly used in Australia, and tramping in New Zealand. Trekking is usually used to talk about a longer walk, often involving overnight stops.
A bushwalking or hiking track or trail, is a walking path in the bush.
A backpack is a type of bag that people wear on their backs when they want to have their hands free, particularly for activities like hiking.
To drench means to thoroughly soak something with a liquid, typically water.
In the context of hiking and outdoor activities, gear refers to the equipment, tools, and supplies that people bring with them for their comfort and safety.
A loop trail is a type of walking trail that starts and ends at the same point, forming a complete loop or circuit.
A point-to-point trail is a hiking or outdoor trail that starts at one location and ends at a different location.
A trailhead is the starting point of a hiking or bushwalking track
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Transcript:
(Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript)
SBS acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country and their connections and continuous care for the skies, lands, and waterways throughout Australia.
Hi, I'm TJ. On the weekend, I really enjoy going off the beaten track and exploring new places.
'Going off the beaten track' means going to remote places where other people don’t usually go.
I just love bushwalking with my family, that is, walking outside in the great Australian bush! It’s funny, isn’t it? In many other countries, you might call natural areas ‘forests’ but in Australia, we normally say ‘bushland’ instead, even though there are often lots of trees and sometimes no bushes at all!
Hiking, or bushwalking as we say in Australia, is a bit like going for a walk, but more exciting because it is walking in places like forests, mountains, or even by the sea.
So, if you're up for – meaning interested in – an exciting journey into nature, you are not alone.
We’ll be talking to the Executive Officer of Bushwalking Victoria, Richelle Olsen, later.
But first, let’s meet up with Allan and Claire.
Allan and Claire are very excited too. They have just met at the trailhead, that is, they have just met at the starting point of a hiking trail or path. It's the place where hikers begin their journey into the bush.
Let’s hear what they are saying,
Allan
Oh, I’m totally pumped! I haven’t been on this track before!
Claire
Likewise! Before we hit the trail, let's make sure we've got all of our gear.
Allan
Yep, everything’s already in my backpack. Take a look.
Claire
Alright, and could you please read what's written on that sign?
Allan
Let me check. We have the option to either take a loop trail or follow a point-to-point trail.
Oh, listening to Allan and Claire is giving me itchy feet. To have 'itchy feet' is when you have the feeling that you just want to put on your shoes and set out on some exciting adventure.
So, let’s get on with our learning adventure. Allan said,
Oh, I’m totally pumped! I haven’t been on this track before!Allan
If you are feeling 'pumped', you’re super excited and ready for something cool to happen!
Allan also said that he’d never been on this track before. A hiking or bushwalking track is a path you can walk on in the bush.
Another word for track or path is trail. That’s what Claire used when she said,
Before we hit the trail ...Claire
'To hit the trail' means to get started on their journey.
Clare then said,
... let's make sure we've got all of our gear.Claire
'Gear' means the equipment, tools, and things you need for a specific activity.
So, for example, if you are hiking, your gear might include items like water bottles, hiking boots, hats, sunscreen and anything else that helps you enjoy yourself and keep safe outdoors.
When we’re bushwalking, we usually carry our gear in our backpack.
Yep, everything’s already in my backpack.Allan
A 'backpack' is a kind of bag with straps that go over your shoulders so that you can carry it on your back.
And let me tell you, they can become really heavy. At least, that's how it always goes with my backpack when it is my partner who packs our bushwalking gear. I’m sure he/she/they puts in extra stuff just to slow me down!
Oh, and I just remembered how embarrassed I felt when I first arrived in Australia, and my neighbour asked me if I had ever gone backpacking.
I was embarrassed because I didn't know what going backpacking meant. However, now I know that in Australia, backpacking means travelling around cheaply, that is, without spending too much money.
Let’s go back to our dialogue, Allan also said,
We have the option to either take a loop trail or follow a point-to-point trail.Allan
These two options, or choices, are common types of trails.
If you're on a loop trail, you follow a path that brings you back to your starting point. Essentially, you’ve walked in a circle.
But if you decide to hike a point-to-point track, you'll be walking from one place to a different ending point.
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Now, let's imagine that Claire has just come back from her camping trip, and she can’t wait to tell Allan about it.
Claire
It was absolutely wild! We pitched our tents near a lake and set up a campfire.
Allan
Nice! Any epic hikes?
Claire
Oh, totally! We tackled this steep trail that led to a stunning waterfall.
Allan
Was the weather OK?
Claire
The weather took a turn in the afternoon. We got completely drenched.
Allan
Sounds like you embraced the true spirit of hiking – surviving whatever nature throws your way.
I can feel that excitement from Claire; her experience is really filled with adventure and memories.
But let’s go back to our own learning expedition.
It was absolutely wild! We pitched our tents near a lake and set up a campfire.Claire
When you sleep outdoors, you often use a tent, that is, a little house made of fabric. To pitch a tent is to set it up so that it doesn’t fall on you during the night – you hope!
Allan asked Claire about the hike,
Nice! Any epic hikes?Allan
When Allan said 'epic hikes', he means hiking adventures that are particularly grand or impressive. They can be, challenging, that is, very difficult, but you can pass through stunning natural landscapes.
Claire certainly did have a great experience.
Oh, totally! We tackled this steep trail that led to a beautiful waterfall.Claire
We say 'totally' when we agree enthusiastically. And, you can use the phrase ‘to tackle’ for anything that is difficult. Claire ‘tackled a steep trail’. She also might have ‘tackled a long trail’ or maybe ‘tackled a dangerous trail.’
Claire also said,
The weather took a turn in the afternoon. We got drenched.Claire
If someone says 'the weather took a turn', it means that the weather changed suddenly. Claire said that it rained, and they got drenched.
'Drenched' means thoroughly soaked or wet. The other day, I got drenched on my way to work because I forgot my umbrella. I won’t do that again!
Sounds like you embraced the true spirit of hiking – surviving whatever nature throws your way.Allan
When someone says 'whatever nature throws your way', that person means dealing with whatever challenges or situations nature presents to you.
It's commonly used to say that someone is being flexible and strong in the face of unexpected situations outdoors, hiking, camping, or exploring.
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TJ
And to give us some tips about how to enjoy ourselves and stay safe while bushwalking, we have Richelle Olsen, the Executive Director or Executive Officer of Bushwalking Victoria. Hi Richelle. How are you?
Richelle Olsen
I'm great, thank you. How are you?
TJ
Not too bad as well. Thank you for your time. When you go bushwalking, what do you need to consider first?
Richelle Olsen
So, planning is really, really important but don't get overwhelmed with planning. So, the first thing I'll say is don't go alone, always go with someone and let someone else know where you're going as well. If you're looking to find where to walk, Trail Hiking Australia is a wonderful website with lots of guides. They give you a guide as to how difficult a walk is. So, you can go, okay, I feel like I'm a real beginner. I want to find beginner walk so you want to find those rated as beginner walks. Pick destinations that might be fun for you. So, waterfalls, bird-watching, things like that. Think about things like the weather, so think about where you're going and what you're going to wear. Consider if it's summer and bushfires; have a think about that and gear in case of emergencies. Always take plenty of water and I always have a snack stash in the bottom of my pack just in case the urge to snack comes along. And also, a really good tip is know how to use your Google Maps and download your offline map.
TJ
Have you seen the program 'Great Australian Walks' by SBS?
Richelle Olsen
Yeah, and that's wonderful. I love how she showcases various walks. Recently, I think it may be in the last week (or) the week before, she did part of the goldfields track out near Castlemaine and I've done that part. And it was so good to see that but just showcasing the track and all the things that you can use the track to go see as well, and it was just a really holistic experience of walking and it's not not just about walking and head down and just get it done, it's like experience the lot.
TJ
Thank you so much Richelle for giving us your time and for giving us some more tips about staying safe and having fun while bushwalking. Thank you so much.
Richelle Olsen
No worries, thanks TJ.
A big thank you to our educational consultant, Professor Lynda Yates.
Paul Nicholson and Lily O'Sullivan voiced the characters of Allan and Claire.
