Australia is a blessed land. No matter where we’re located there’s a walk of beauty inviting us out to explore. And as the new series of Great Australian Walks shows us – with Alone Australia winner Gina Chick and Sydney-born comedian and actor Susie Youssef joining series one host Julia Zemiro – there’s something soothing about being in the great outdoors.
Among the many delights of Great Australian Walks is the way it induces calm and deeper breathing, just by following along with our hosts. Walking invites tranquillity and appreciation, a surefire way of reconnecting with ourselves and nature. Each of our three hosts emanates the peace that that brings, reminding us that with the rhythmic motion of simply putting one foot in front of the other, it’s possible to regain connection to the spaces around us.
Between them, the women take on a total of 10 walks across the land. On track, they’ll meet up with fellow Australians, both new and familiar faces; some are experts in the local flora or faun, others have personal and important stories to tell. From First Nations people to newcomers and everyone in between, all share what’s so deeply special about the land and sea in their lives.
Julia Zemiro – Northern Territory and Western Australia
Julia Zemiro is all heart, making her the ideal host of this show celebrating the simple yet satisfying act of walking. First off, she invites us to "slow down, take a look around, breathe it in", observing that our paths are there to be shared.
Julia guides us on three walks: to our magnetic heartland in the NT’s Uluru–Kata Tjuta National Park, and in WA, along a portion of the Cape to Cape Track in the achingly beautiful Margaret River region and a historic walk taking in Rottnest Island and Fremantle.
Julia Zemiro with Zac Webb and Wayne Webb at Redgate Beach, WA. Credit: SBS
Along her walks, Julia chats with people including musician John Butler, who found an ancestral connection to his adopted homeland. French photographer Martine Perret joins Julia cliffside to share why she decided to make Western Australia home. Ecologist Professor Pauline Grierson talks us through her important work in researching an ancient forest of karri trees, from whom we have much to learn. First Nations custodians Zac and Wayne Webb explain the songlines of their land and sea.
Gina Chick – New South Wales and Tasmania
Earth woman extraordinaire, Gina Chick stole our hearts and gained our respect and admiration winning the inaugural season of survival show, . Toughing out 67 days and nights in the remote Tasmanian wilderness, Chick schooled us on her philosophy of living as part of, rather fighting against, nature, all with a healthy dose of humour and humility. Preferring to spend months of each year living fireside in the wild, she’s a perfect fit to co-host Great Australian Walks.
Gina Chick on the Snowies Alpine Walk. Credit: SBS
Chick leads us through three walks: Bathers Way in Newcastle; along part of the Snowy Alpine Walk in Mount Kosciuszko; and heading further south, to Bruny Island, showcasing the raw beauty that sparkles just off the south-eastern tip of Tassie.
Among the many people Chick chats to, she reconnects with Stuart Diver, the sole survivor of 1997’s Thredbo landslide disaster, who has a deep and enduring connection to the mountains. She also meets Mel Schroder, a National Parks ranger who introduces us to a pesky little beetle and a rare species of possum; chats with Dave Pohl, whose father arrived from Czechoslovakia post WWII and brought his love of skiing with him; and talks with First Nations man Chris Griffiths about what the mountains mean to him.
Susie Youssef – Victoria and South Australia
Susie Youssef in Beechworth, Victoria. Credit: SBS
Youssef meets Mark Monshing, a descendant of Chinese goldminers who came to Victoria hoping to strike it rich, learns of a family secret from Waywurru woman Megan Carter, finds liquid gold with fourth-generation beekeeper Jodie Goldsworthy, meets an Afghan refugee with an unusual connection to his new home in SA, and learns about the rock engravings in a sacred canyon from traditional owner Izzy Patterson, among other Australians sharing their stories of the land we all call home.
Great Australian Walks season 2 is available now on . The ten-part series continues with episodes dropping weekly. Season 1 is also streaming now at SBS On Demand.
Stream free On Demand
Great Australian Walks
