Walk talk

Never get lost on the WA Track

Walking the Cape to Cape Track in the Margaret River region of Western Australia you will never get lost again when hiking through remote national parks

Nature explorers, avid hikers and national park lovers can now track their location while in the middle of the most remote parts of Western Australia without mobile reception and extra roaming charges.

The WA Parks Smartreka App uses a smart device’s built-in GPS to track your every move. Smartreka maps continue to add parks to its growing list of destinations, now including Mount Augustus National Park in the Gascoyne region and D’Entrecasteaux National Park, near Pemberton in the lower South West. Maps can provide information on access, parking, toilets, different trails, camping locations, picnic spots and other facilities. This free app can be accessed via the Avenza Map site.

You can now view and enjoy the latest issue of Walking New Zealand magazine online for $2.50 at http://www.walkingnewzealand.co.nz

Tararua tops seven summits

Most have heard of the Seven Summits challenge, where the highest point on each of the world’s seven continents is climbed. But there’s also a seven summits challenge much closer to home. Given fair conditions, a circuit beginning and ending at Mitre Flats Hut (370m) linking seven points above 1500m, including Mitre, at 1571m the highest point in the Tararuas, can be completed in a day.

Paris to become top cycling city

Massive focus on Paris’ cycling networks has seen the number of cycling lanes double and boosted critical infrastructure over the past five years under the city’s cycling plan. This has led to a phenomenal 250% increase in people riding in the past few years.

Paris has enjoyed strong political leadership and a boost in investment over the coming five years which has enabled it to move exceptionally fast on these changes. This has made it possible to make use of thousands of car parking spaces which have been transformed into safe space for people to ride.

The plan aims to build on the current level of 1000km of cycle lanes with more than 300km of additional cycle lanes, more than 30,000 parking stands and more than 8000 electric charging stations.

The city plans to spend the next five years ‘filling in the gaps’ and making Paris a 100% cycling city. This plan is also being put forward as a blueprint for other cities looking to follow in this direction.

Paris’ phenomenal cycling transformation is an inspiration for aspiring cycling cities everywhere, according to the Chief Executive of the European Cyclists’ Federation.

Paris is already ranked as a top ten bike-friendly city by the 2019 Copenhagenize Index.