Urban Walks

02/08/2022

Join our 2 Day/1 Night Northern Taster Walk and you'll be celebrating too!

Book now and save 10% for the walk departing September 15th. Use code SPRING10. For details visit https://urbanwalks.com.au/our-walks/2-day-walks/

26/07/2022

Wildlife Retreat at Taronga Awarded 'Best of the Best 2022'.

The Wildlife Retreat at Taronga has been included in Tripadvisor's Best of the Best Hotel list for the second consecutive year.
Urban Walks are delighted to see it recognised as being one of Tripadvisor‘s highest rated accommodation destinations in Australia. This accolade is awarded to outstanding Australian and international accommodation based on visitors’ feedback and reviews.

The Wildlife Retreat at Taronga has been featured on Urban Walks itineraries from day one including on our signature 5-Day walk as well as our only single day walk with an overnight stay.

All Urban Walks guests who choose a walk with a stay at the Wildlife Retreat are treated to the ultimate, immersive overnight conservation experience with exclusive guided tours, close-up wildlife encounters, a delicious, three-course evening meal and first-class views of Sydney Harbour. The resort wraps around its own private native wildlife sanctuary nestled within the zoo.

The 2022 Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards are based on the quality and quantity of traveller reviews and ratings posted on Tripadvisor over a 12-month period. With millions of hotels around the world listed on Tripadvisor, only the cream of the crop – less than 1% – are awarded as the Best of the Best.

13/06/2022

The Urban Walks team put their best foot forward for the ‘New Product Workshop’ held by Destination NSW at the Sofitel Hotel Darling Harbour on June 9th.

Designed as an opportunity to present new, ‘export-ready’ products to potential buyers from Inbound Tour Operators (ITOs) and Online Travel Agent (OTAs), develop trade relationships and generate new business, the all-day event proved the ideal stage for Urban Walks to showcase its unique suite of walks.

and

27/05/2022

Today is National Sunscreen Day. And the best way to recognise its importance is to do what we do every time we're on The Emerald Way and put on a generous covering of Factor 50, your favourite hat and your sunnies and walk smart!

12/05/2022

Our 'Chief Walker' Tracey is currently in the UK and has been out walking (naturally) virtually every day of her visit. The colours of sky and sea in this photo taken along the clifftop trails of her native Devon reminds this observer of The Emerald Way. Which is to say, 'Absolutely stunning!'

29/04/2022

Our walks often traverse the Sydney Harbour National Park. We are so lucky that we can for the 392-hectare (970-acre) park was only created progressively, from 1975.⁠
The park is home to superb swimming spots, bushwalking tracks and picnic areas. The opportunity to see native wildlife living in rare pockets of bushland once common around Sydney is very special. Plus you’ll see everything from convict-built buildings and military fortifications to Aboriginal sites and a heritage lighthouse. And with the harbour's staggering coastline creating an endless natural lookout, the park's jaw-dropping views simply have to be seen to be believed.⁠
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22/04/2022

URBAN WALKS HOST CANADIAN TRAVEL WRITER,
MARK SISSONS

(Photo caption - Journalist takes the plunge in a storm-tossed Bondi Icebergs Baths.)

Mark Sissons, a renowned travel journalist and photographer, was commissioned by the Vancouver Sun to travel to Sydney and focus on ‘the best of Sydney and environs’.

‘The Emerald Way’, Sydney’s sublime coastal walk, was the perfect introduction for him.

You can read the article Sissons produced here:
https://vancouversun.com/travel/australia-reopens-to-the-world

15/04/2022

DRINKS TASTE BETTER AT SUNSET

Just last month, the online trend-spotting magazine ‘Broadsheet’ declared, ‘Drinks taste better at high altitude.’

It caught our attention because their use of the descriptor ‘high’ turned out to be more about attitude than altitude as they went on to say, ‘On a warm summer’s evening, there’s nothing better than watching the sun go down over the city with a drink in hand.’

We couldn’t agree more. Which is why we’ve made ‘sunset drinks’ a feature of all of our guided walks along The Emerald Way*.

Meanwhile, the style gurus at Urban List recently had this to say about one of our favourite venues.
‘Nestled on the harbour near Vaucluse, Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel is a Sydney institution known for its Hamptons-chic style fit-out (the interiors are seriously on point), mouth-watering seafood (think alllll of the oysters) and sweeping views of our stunning city.’
‘….the luxe bayside retreat boasts boutique contemporary accommodation, slick waterfront dining and a Beach Club, where all the action takes place. Blue and white umbrellas, hidden flamingos and nautical errrrything set the scene for an endless summer and we can guarantee there’s nowhere else you’d rather be on sun-drenched Sydney afternoon.’

Guess what? Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel is where we stay on the first night of our walks along The Emerald Way.

There was more good news to come when an article in Concrete Magazine headlined ‘Six Places to Watch the Sunset in Sydney with a Cocktail in Hand,’ bestowed its number one ranking upon the Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel and Beach Club.

The Magazine went on to say, ‘At Watsons Bay, a beautiful body of water separates you from the bustling CBD, so it’s spectacularly placed to watch the sun descend beyond the city skyline.’

What more can we say other than, "See you there soon!"

06/04/2022

SUPPORTING ‘OUR PLANET, OUR HEALTH’ - THIS YEAR’S WORLD HEALTH DAY THEME

World Health Day is a global health awareness day celebrated every year on 7 April, under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO). The date marks the anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948. Each year, a theme is selected to highlight a priority area of public health concern in the world.

In the midst of a pandemic, on World Health Day 2022, WHO will focus global attention on urgent actions needed to keep humans and the planet healthy and foster a movement to create societies focused on well-being.

Through the ‘Our planet, Our health’ campaign, WHO urges governments and the public to share stories of steps they are taking to protect the planet and their health and prioritize well-being societies.
At an individual level Urban Walks embraces the ‘Take action, inspire others’ plan that WHO outlines because front and centre in its recommendations is the suggestion to walk or pedal to work at least one day a week.
There is one other opportunity we’d like to highlight for all of those budding filmmakers amongst us. As part of celebrating World Health Day, WHO is sponsoring the ‘Health for All Film Festival’ culminating in the selection of one film for the ‘Our planet, Our health’ award.
This is how WHO snapshots the opportunity:

“Films are a powerful way to raise awareness, improve understanding and encourage action so that this festival aims to contribute to health promotion and education about health.
The WHO ‘Health for All Film Festival’ invites independent filmmakers, communities, students, and film schools from around the world to submit their original short films on health. The festival's aim is to recruit a new generation of film and video innovators to champion and promote global health issues.”
This is how you can get involved:
• Visit - https://www.who.int/initiatives/the-health-for-all-film-festival
• Watch the YouTube playlist; Choose your favourite film and post a comment, using , .
• Submit your short film for the ‘Our planet, Our health’ award! Submissions will be open from 30 October 2022 to 30 January 2023.
Find out more: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-health-day

31/03/2022

RARE SIGHTING OF DOUGHNUT PLANTS SPOTTED ON URBAN WALKS, WALK!⁠
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Location being kept secret.

23/03/2022

REMEMBERING OUR FIRST 'FRIENDS AND FAMILY' WALK.⁠
⁠
It's been over a year since we 'test-walked' The Emerald Way with this special crew. We learnt a lot and we can't thank all that took part enough.⁠ (It's kind of interesting that the weather today looks very much like it did back then!)

17/03/2022

Coastrek 2022 Coming Soon!

Urban Walks has always been a big fan of Coastrek with both of our female directors, Tracey and Andrea, having completed the trek on multiple occasions. They rate it as “not to be missed.”
From humble origins in 2009 when just 40 participants took part, Coastrek has since inspired more than 42,000 people to walk more than 2,000,000 kilometres and in the process raise over $37million for charity.
For those who haven’t heard of Coastrek, the event is a team trekking challenge focusing on fun, fitness, friends and fundraising. Teams of four walk 30, 45 or 60km along some of Australia’s most spectacular coastlines in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Margaret River.
The event was created and continues to be organised by ‘Wild Women On Top’, a social purpose business that inspires and empowers women to lead adventurous lives they love.
In 2022 their goal is to raise over $7 million for ‘Beyond Blue’ the independent, not-for-profit organisation working to reduce the impact of anxiety and depression so that everyone in Australia can achieve their best possible mental health.
At Urban Walks we embrace the view that physical exercise, being in nature, setting goals and prioritising time to connect with loved ones are all important for maintaining good mental health and recognise that it is this thinking that also lies at the heart of Coastrek
By raising funds for Beyond Blue, the community of dedicated people who create lasting positive change for mental health and well being in Australia is expanded.
If you’d like to get your friends together to form a team and be part of Australia’s premier charity hiking challenge for women here are the dates:
Sydney - 25 March 2022; Melbourne - 27 May 2022; Brisbane – 15 July 2022; Adelaide – 2 September 2022; Margaret River – 28 October 2022.

Enjoy!

14/03/2022

Thinking about walking

It’s something that many of us have experienced on a personal level and now the science is in - there is a deep, intrinsic connection between walking and the way we think.

Recent studies out of Stanford University have measured how levels of creativity increase when subjects were walking. The research shows that when we increase our physical activity, we experience a spike in certain neurotransmitters that smooth out brain function and create a more open and creative mindset.

What’s more, the studies confirm that whilst walking we can also attain a heightened state of consciousness, sometimes called ‘flow’. The technical term for this is ‘transient hypofrontality’, which refers to a temporary reduction of stimulation in the prefrontal cortex of the brain, the part involved in the creation of our sense of self.

To put this in laymen’s terms, when we’re having a great walk, we start to lose ourselves – in a good way. This is because our brains, like our bodies, have developed to function in particular ways when we walk.

Fundmentally, physical activity forces the brain to redistribute brain resources (a process known as down-regulation). So if you’re on a walk in a beautiful environment, your mind lets go and you may experience an alteration in consciousness.

All of that – the extra creativity, the calmer mind, the loosened sense of self – is why so many great thinkers, artists and leaders talk about having great ideas when they're out for a walk.

Think Virginia Woolf, Aristotle, Albert Einstein, Jane Austen, Mozart, Steve Jobs, Jesus, Buddha and Muhammad, to name a few.

And the list of famous walking aficionados keeps growing. In a recent podcast by Prince William for the Apple Fitness+ Time to Walk series, he shared that walking is for him, “A key part of how I manage my mental health.” Prince William has realized what science is now proving, that walking is one of the most effective ways to improve our state of mind. Given all of the evidence, isn’t it time you took a walk?

Walkers on The Emerald Way, Sydney

08/03/2022

Urban Walks featured on NSW National Parks and Wildlife website

https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/guided-tours/multi-day-sydney-harbour-guided-coastal-walks

Urban Walks offers multi-day, small group guided coastal walks of Sydney Harbour National Park. Stay in luxury accommodation and see the stunning sights of Sydney.

08/03/2022

URBAN WALKS HOST CANADIAN TRAVEL WRITER MARK SISSONS

Mark Sissons, a renowned travel journalist and photographer who specializes in adventures to exotic destinations, was invited by Tourism Australia to be on the first flight arriving from Canada since Australia closed its borders to international travellers during the initial wave of Covid-19 touching down in Sydney on Monday 21st February 2022.

With a commission for the Vancouver Sun to focus on ‘the best of Sydney and environs’, Sissons had specifically requested to do one of the guided experiences from Urban Walks.

Although having visited seven continents and dozens of countries on assignment, the globetrotting writer had never been to Sydney. So ‘The Emerald Way’, Sydney’s sublime coastal walk, was the perfect introduction for him.

To say the weather was a little tempestuous during the last week of Sydney’s summer is to understate the wild and wet conditions that La Niña provided. Nevertheless the Urban Walks team was able to safely navigate Sissons from Ivor Rowe pool south of Coogee along the coastline trail to Bondi.

The journalist lists “getting lost in the African bush, finding first tracks when heli skiing and kayaking with penguins” as among his favourite pursuits and can now add “swimming in the Icebergs’ ocean pool” to his list.

Dugald Cameron, partner at Urban Walks who accompanied Sissons on The Emerald Way commented, “It was a privilege to have a writer of Mark’s international standing on our walk and his enthusiastic feedback on the experience was very generous.”

The original plan to return to Sissons’ CBD hotel in a private water taxi from Watsons Bay was curtailed as the weather closed in but the alternative limo-transfer with comprehensive commentary still provided a fitting end to a ‘Day On The Way’.

Enjoy more of Mark Sissons’ work at https://www.marksissons.com/ or follow his travels https://www.instagram.com/markosolos/

Picture Below: Mark Sissons (top right of the pool) joins local swimmers in a storm-tossed Bondi Icebergs Baths.

07/03/2022

Urban Walks celebrates March 8th as International Women's Day, a global day recognising the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

31/12/2021

Happy New Year everyone. Here's hoping we see you on The Emerald Way sometime in 2022.

24/12/2021

Christmas Eve on top of one of our favoutite spots on The Emerald Way. The perfect place to wish all our friends and family a safe and merry Christmas.

21/12/2021

Excited? Of course we are! After a long, long COVID-enforced hibernation we're now back and open for guided walks from January in the new year. Check out the selection and come with us and 'Walk In Style!'

16/12/2021

Hello from Murray, Tracey, Andrea and Dugald the four partners behind Urban Walks. Like many other businesses we have been in hibernation whilst COVID lock-downs and border closures were in place. But now that everything is opening up, so are we! So if you have been looking for a healthy, revitalizing and yet somewhat indulgent way to kick off the new year, get some friends and family together and come 'walk in style' with Urban Walks. We have a range of walks on offer - from a single day to 5-Days/4 nights of adventure! We look forward to walking with you soon.

28/09/2021

What do you see this week ...?

15/09/2021

This rock formation reminds me of the famous Ryoanji Temple Rock Garden in Japan. The good news is, it's right here in our own backyard.

09/09/2021

Have you a favourite rock formation you look forward to seeing on your regular walks? Share it with us - we'd love to see it. This sculptural form I refer to as 'Frog Rock'.⁠

01/09/2021

Hey - Welcome to Spring! Last week's flower was a sunny Silver Gazania. How about this delicate little blossom? Three to choose from: 1/ Native Boronia. 2/ Pink Summer Calytrix. 3/ Rose Cone Flower.

24/08/2021

Last week's flower was a stunning Magnolia - well done to those who spotted it. How about this little burst of sunshine? Three to choose from: 1/ Silver Gazania. 2/ Golden Yellow Strawflower. 3/ Guinea Flower.

17/08/2021

How good are the displays of winter blossoms at this time of the year in Sydney? There are about 240 species of this spectacular shrub which is native to North and South America, the Himalayas, and East Asia. Who can name it?

10/08/2021

No one spotted last week's lighthouse as Cape Byron. How about this candy striped specimen? Is it - Longstone Lighthouse UK; West Quoddy Head Lighthouse USA; Umhlanga Lighthouse South Africa?

01/08/2021

Well done to Oscar for recognising Cape Baily Lighthouse last week. On to our next challenge. Is this beauty located in - Pigeon Point USA; Punta Penna Italy; Puthuvype India?

27/07/2021

Kate was very quick to correctly name the location of last week's lighthouse as Barrenjoey. Good job Kate! Where are we this week? Slangkoppunt SA? Poolbeg Ireland? Faro Cabo Santa Maria, Uruguay?