Where the We Are Explorers Team is Heading in 2025

Looking for adventure ideas for 2025? The We Are Explorers team spill the trail mix on where they’re adventuring next year, so you can copy+paste straight into your calendar.

 

If there’s anyone who has their adventure travel plans scheduled in advance it’s got to be the We Are Explorers team. With daily intel and insight to which destinations are up and coming, where the freshest trails and adventures are, and the best way to experience it all, the We Are Explorers crew are primed to share their travel plans for the next 12 months.

Get your calendar at the ready!

1. Great Ocean Walk While Camping in VIC is Freeee

Amy Fairall – Editor

Admittedly, there are a few multi-day hikes higher on my ‘Must Walk’ list than the Great Ocean Walk. However, with friends already excited about the trail, the chance to take advantage of Victoria’s free camping, and a ten-day holiday easily created over the Easter and ANZAC Day weekends during prime walking time, it just makes sense. GOW here I come!

Read more: Turn 19 Days of Leave Into 46 Days Off In 2025

Photo by Zoe Parsons

2. Whyalla to Snorkel with the Giant Cuttlefish

Jack Brookes –Head of Social and Community

I’ve been living in Adelaide for over a decade now, which feels shameful when I follow it with another fact: I’ve never been to the world’s largest Giant cuttlefish migration. It’s only a four-hour drive away, yet for years I’ve been saying I’ll make the trip and haven’t. Winter 2025, I’m making it happen. 

Photo by Jack Breedon

3. Running Across Wales

Henry Brydon – Founder

Having recently returned to the motherland, I’m seeing the UK in a completely new and exciting way; an island full of diverse landscapes, possibilities and pubs. My adventure to-do list has already gone beyond the realm of realistic endeavour, but I’ll be damned if I don’t give it a red hot crack! I’ve got three earmarked for 2025, each one an opportunity to explore unfamiliar places but to create memories with the people I love the most, in most cases with a strong undercurrent of Type 2 Fun.

A 72km border-to-beach trail running adventure from the English border through the Cambrian mountains to Aberystwyth. I’m doing this one with my twin brother, AKA womb mate.

4. Dorrigo and Waterfall Way

Julia Aebi – Senior Sales and Partnerships Manager

I’m a sucker for a waterfall, so summer plans with my best mate to head up to Coffs and help her mum move house has naturally extended into an epic road trip through Dorrigo and beyond. We’ll be cutting laps through Waterfall Way with an aim to frolic in as many pools, rivers, and waterfalls as we can.

Photo by Tim Noles

5. New England Wilderness Walk with the two most important men in my life

Anna Wall – Head of Campaigns

I’ve always looked up to my big bro (God, I hope his big head doesn’t read this). He was the first to follow in my madly adventurous Dad’s footsteps, a man who rode a bike to Darwin, wrangled his way onto a fishing boat en route to Papua New Guinea working as a deckhand, and then made his way across Asia, the Middle East, and the UK, labouring wherever he could to pay for his adventure.

Since my brother’s first hurrah – a top-to-bottom South American adventure – he’s travelled through Asia and Europe and all kinds of out-of-the-way places in our hemisphere – with teenage me waiting with bated breath for a phone call to hear about his adventures.

With these two in my life, I’ve lived for their stories and followed in their adventurous footsteps.

But now, my biggest plan for 2025, is to rope my dad and brother into a trip we’ll never forget – together.

I don’t know exactly what that looks like yet, but hiking the 33km New England Wilderness Walk where we grew up, feels like a pretty special place to start.

Neither my Dad nor brother know about my plans, but from experience, the best adventures come to fruition from wild ideas.

6. Paddle Across Scotland

Henry – Founder

Alongside two mates and our eight-year-old sons, we’re doing a five day / 97km canoe trip along the Great Glen Trail across the Scottish Highlands, from Fort William to Inverness.

7. Hunting Glowing Shrooms

Jess Nehme – Content Editor

Ever met someone from your hometown while on the opposite side of the world? That’s what I’ve done but with adventure. Swimming with bioluminescent plankton in Thailand in 2024 sparked my interest in things that glow. As it turns out, there are heaps of places close to home to spot glow worms and bioluminescent mushrooms, and I had no idea. I’ll be revisiting the Great Ocean Walk after hours to suss what happens after the sun goes down.

Photo by Katy Lylak

8. Exploring Dharawal National Park

Tim Ashelford – Managing Director

When you live in the north of Sydney, the far south may as well be the Central Coast. Both are places that I need to spend more time in. The one time I went to Dharawal National Park I rode beautiful gravel roads, cooled down under a waterfall, and almost fell asleep on a sunny rock. Imagine the beauty of inland Royal National Park without the crowds. Jono’s trip reminded me of the adventures still to be had close to home.

@thetantrap

9. Araps for My First Time in May!

Ella Garbett – Sales and Partnerships Manager

As a budding sport climber, I’ve always felt a little something nudging me to try trad climbing but have successfully managed to talk myself out of it each time. Not anymore! When my best friend booked her annual leave in May to get down to Arapiles, I also locked myself in to finally see what the fuss is about! Trad climbing here I come!

Read more: Rock Climbing Slang (& How to Use It)

@patcorden

10. Swimming Every Day for a Year

Jack Brookes –Head of Social and Community

I’ve lived within walking distance to the beach for over six years and I’ve come close to achieving the dream – swimming every day for a year. At a rough guess, I’ve managed maybe 70% of the year. Each time I chalk up a solid run of days with a salty dip, I think of this article and that I should challenge myself to make it happen. Does making sure it’s EVERY day really matter? Probably not, but you always feel better after a swim, and 365 days of feeling good is a luring proposition.

@sophandthesea

11. Cycling the Spine of England

Henry – Founder

I’m bikepacking the Pennine Bridleway – South to North – with my three brothers in September. The 330km route sees us traversing the Pennine Hills from Derbyshire to Cumbria.

12. Byron to Snorkel Nguthungulli

Claire Dalton – Assistant Editor

Last Christmas, I gave snorkelling my heart. And in the very next couple of days, I went to the Bay – Byron that is. It’s home to one of the most magical dive spots, and I definitely wasn’t saved from tears.

Anyone who’s been to Byron will see a curious rock in the middle of the ocean – that’s Nguthungulli (FKA Julian Rocks). It’s an incredibly significant Dreaming site for the Arakwal people, and translates to ‘Father of the World’.

Photo by Destination NSW

If you don’t have a boat, you’ll need to book one to take you out there (usually leaving from Brunswick Heads). Most companies are beginner-friendly (the water is surprisingly calm!) and include gear hire in the price.

Below the surface is a world full of bright blue water, plenty of fish, sea turtles, rays, Leopard sharks in summer/autumn, and Grey nurse sharks in winter/spring.

I’ve gone in poor vis and perfect vis this year, and the magic never wavered. I’m itching to duck dive its waters again in 2025.

13. A Trail Race Somewhere I’ve Never Been

Anna Wall – Head of Campaigns

Running has always been my way of coping and working through the normal stresses of life. With a good podcast, an audiobook, or just a bangin’ playlist, who could not be perfectly happy? (Don’t hate me for butchering your quote Oscar Wilde.)

But recently I’ve ditched the runners and I’m feeling it. That time by yourself out in nature, with just your own thoughts, the ramblings of a crime-thriller, or the happy beats of my favourite song, I’ve recently realised, more than ever, how crucial time on your own is.

So, any suggestions on the best trail running races that I can book to keep me accountable for training would be appreciated.

14. North Island New Zealand Road Trip

Tim Ashelford – Managing Director

Each time I’ve been to New Zealand the countryside has whizzed by in a blur. Objectives always seem to be a long, twisty drive away without quite enough time to get there. Dylan and Pyper did it differently by cruising along the Pacific Coast, only a short drive from Auckland itself, with a packed itinerary. It reminded me that, a) I want to get back to New Zealand, and b) I want to spend long enough in a place to allow my eyes to focus.

Photo by Dylan Arthur

15. Take My Parents on a Hike Through the Snowies

Ella Garbett – Sales and Partnerships Manager

I’ve been telling my mum and dad that we’ll go on an overnight hike together for the past three years. 2025 is the year, I promise. There’s no better place for a multi-day hike than the Snowies; pristine environment, killer sunsets, and lots of water to dunk in. What more could you want? 

@wendy_bruere

16. South Australia’s Sinkholes

Claire Dalton – Assistant Editor

Sinkholes and ponds may not sound like the most inviting places to go freediving… but of course, South Australia has some beautiful iterations of the two in its back pocket.

Kilsby Sinkhole and Ewens Ponds are about a 30-minute drive from each other and offer some mindblowing freshwater freediving. To further put the ‘fresh’ in freshwater, the visibility looks truly HD and sits at about 15°C.

I can’t say I’ve swum through underwater gardens before, but I want that to change in 2025.

17. Gunlom Falls in Kakadu When it Reopens for the First Time in 5 Years

Amy Fairall – Editor

I’ve been living in Darwin for almost four years now and Gunlom Falls, reportedly Kakadu’s most stunning waterfall and infinity pool, has been closed the whole time. Now that a five-year-long case has been settled around damages to a sacred site, the falls is set to reopen again during the 2025 dry season. Fair to say, Darwinians are chomping at the bit to get to this crowning jewel – myself included.

Photo by Matt Cherubino

18. Night Exploring

Jess Nehme – Content Editor

Daylight adventures are cool and all, but there’s just something about following a beam of light through the darkness that scales the epic up a notch. Aside from chasing glowing shrooms on the Great Ocean Walk, I’d love to head out for a night kayak on the Gippsland Lakes and head up summits on Wilsons Prom. The outdoors is a whole new world at night and I’d love to get to know my favourite places in a brand new lack of light.

Photo by Kel Sanson

19. Skiing in Japow

Tom Bolton – Digital Campaign Producer

While this may not be the most original plan on the list, Aussies heading to Japan on a ski trip has become popular for a reason. Its impressive snowfall, proximity to Australia, and friendly culture makes it a must visit for anyone keen to experience the snow outside Australia.

@allyburnie_

20. Bikepacking Trip to Victoria

Jack Brookes –Head of Social and Community

Over the last 12 months backpacking has been my overnight adventure of choice, and while my home state is full of incredible routes, something about the mixture of forest and sea is pulling me to the Great Ocean Road’s Otway Rip. I’ve road tripped the Great Ocean Road a bunch, so I think seeing it with a saddle sore bum, panting hill climbs, and the wind in my nearly non-existent hair would be a fun perspective on the somewhat familiar.

@patcorden

21. Way More Hiking in TAS – Mt Anne is Top of the List

Tom Bolton – Digital Campaign Producer

My parents took me on the Walls of Jerusalem hike when I was a kid and ever since then I’ve been wanting to get back and explore some more of Tasmania. I recently went down and ticked off the Overland and Three Capes Tracks and can’t wait to get back in 2025 and add some more. Mount Anne is currently top of the list and Frenchmans Cap isn’t far behind – I think the pictures speak for themselves!

@alissa.ward

22. Lots of Diving Around Sydney & the South Coast

Julia Aebi – Senior Sales and Partnerships Manager

I recently took a little jaunt through the Philippines, thinking I’d whip out the rusty old PADI cert and get a dive or two in. I surfaced after the first dive with the biggest, cheesiest grin on my face and decided I’d be diving as much as I could, both for the rest of the trip and once I got home to Sydney.

The vast underwater world is calling, and I’ll be racking up my dive log across sites in Sydney and surrounds throughout 2025. Local Sydney dive sites like Bare Island and Oak Park will be getting a lot of love, hoping to spot a few seals up close at Martin Island, and most excited to explore the (fully intact!) Firefly Plane Wreck in Jervis Bay.