A panorama taken at a trailhead access to the Great North Walk and Heaton Gap. There was a rest station here where I had stopped for lunch, and then decided to poke my nose into the beginning of the trail. I did not venture very far, and quickly was engulfed by the Australian woods. Full of birds, lizards and, yes, mosquitoes.

Great North Walk near Brunkerville - Hunter Valley visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Great North Walk near Brunkerville' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from New South Wales.

Alongside the vineyards and wine growing, the Hunter Region of New South Wales in Australia is also popular for long hikes, with some of the trails taking several days to complete. The Great North Walk runs from Sydney to Newcastle, covering some 250km.

This picture is taken from the trail near to a rest station on the 82 highway (Freemans Drive) found between Brunkerville and Freemans Waterhole. The walk normally takes about 14 days to complete, passing through spectacular wild places on the way, including views over Glenrock Lagoon from Leichhardt's Lookout. There are designated camp sites en route for trampers.

Heaton Gap is in the Heaton Forest. It is part of the 3-day Watagan Track Walk (61km) which runs from Flat Rock Lookout to Teralba.

About 40,000 people annually from all over the world come and do the Great North Walk, either the whole route or in part. For those who want to incorporate wine tasting along with hiking, the Great North Walk is ideal, as one section passes through the Pokolbin vineyards.

To help those intending to walk parts of the Great North Walk, a map kit has been produced giving both general practical information and some background to the flora and fauna and geology that may be found on the way. This map kit contains 6 maps covering the sections in detail.

The Great North Walk starts and ends in Sydney and Newcastle. Several parts of the trail may be accessed from other entrances on the way.