Top Ten Adventures on a Shoestring

Tasmania Photos: Bonorong Wildlife Park

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1. Walking the Overland Track in Tasmania
Talk to any Aussie and they'll tell you that Tasmania is the Australia of yore, an island the size of Ireland that boasts a diverse landscape of creamy sands, endless tracts of lush forest, dramatic sea cliffs battered by Antarctic gales, craggy peaks, and alpine lakes. One of the best ways to appreciate this wilderness is on the legendary Overland Track, a 40-mile trek that links 5,069-foot Cradle Mountain with the waters of Lake St. Clair. You can choose to tackle the four- to six-day hike on your own (though you better book well in advance of the December to April season, as the number of backpackers is limited), or sign up for a guided trek with naturalists from Cradle Mountain Huts. Spend the nights on a mattress at one of the five cradle huts, then wake up to the call of the native Karrowong bird and get ready to trample over leaves, smelling the sweet scent of sassafras, as you take in the varied landscape of mountain streams, glacial rock, and dark forests. The $1,814 price per person includes lodging, guides, all meals, and passes into Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park.

Away.com's Tasmania Travel Guide