More than 10% of the area covered by New South Wales national parks has been burned in this season’s bushfires, including 20% of the Blue Mountains world heritage area, state government data obtained by Guardian Australia has revealed.

The amount of bushland destroyed within NSW national parks dwarfs that of the entire previous fire season, when 80,000 hectares were lost.

The damage caused by fire in the Gondwana rainforest world heritage area in the north of the state is a “global tragedy” and an “absolute crisis” a Nature Conservation Council ecologist says.

The chief executive of the council, Chris Gambian, said the loss of 800,000 hectares in NSW national parks, out of a total of 1.9m hectares burnt in the state since 1 July, “changes the calculus of nature conservation in the state.” The “monumental” scale of the fires meant conservation of land would now be “more important than ever”, Gambian said.

As well as the losses in the Blue Mountains, concern has centred on the Gondwana rainforest world heritage area, a collection of reserves of subtropical rainforest that span 366,500 hectares across NSW and Queensland.

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Located just outside Alice Springs, the 231km Larapinta Trail traverses the West MacDonnell Ranges national park, the traditional homelands of the Central Arrernte, Western Arrernte and Luritja peoples.

The trail has been in its present form since 2002 and is one of Australia’s premier long-distance walking tracks, alongside Western Australia’s Bibbulmun track and Tasmania’s Overland and Western Arthurs epics.

The Larapinta alternates between high, exceedingly rocky ridges that afford spectacular views, and easier walking over sprawling plains and dry creek beds along the base of the ranges. Hiking through this harsh landscape dominated by reds, greens, yellows and impossibly blue skies, there is a powerful sense of time flowing on a different, deeper level.

Through constant refinements, upgrades and maintenance, Northern Territory Parks & Wildlife rangers have made the trail as safe and accessible as possible. Blue arrow trail markers appear along well-defined paths or nailed to trees in riverbeds and gorges every 500 metres or so, making it difficult to get lost for more than 20 or 30 awkward minutes.

The most significant upgrade is guaranteed water no more than a day’s walk apart, with drinking water available at most designated camp sites.

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Unprecedented coral bleaching in consecutive years has damaged two-thirds of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, aerial surveys have shown.

The bleaching – or loss of algae – affects a 1,500km (900 miles) stretch of the reef, according to scientists. The latest damage is concentrated in the middle section, whereas last year’s bleaching hit mainly the north. Experts fear the proximity of the two events will give damaged coral little chance to recover.

James Cook University said governments must urgently address climate change to prevent further bleaching.

Coral bleaching is caused by rising water temperatures resulting from two natural warm currents.

It is exacerbated by man-made climate change, as the oceans are absorbing about 93% of the increase in the Earth’s heat.

Bleaching happens when corals under stress drive out the algae known as zooxanthellae that give them color.

If normal conditions return, the corals can recover, but it can take decades, and if the stress continues the corals can die.

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Belair National Park, near Adelaide, Australia is the ideal place to experience a sense of adventure, with many trail options to explore in a beautiful bushland setting.

In 1840, the land was set aside by Governor George Gawler as a government farm. It was later used to farm hay and care for police horses in the gold escort and other services.

Through the early to mid-1900s, approaches to the preservation of native flora and fauna in the park changed so that all future planting in the area would be restricted to native South Australian plants. As a result, the last non-native planting in the park was of 700 Japanese cherry trees. Remains of the plantation can be found in the park along RSL walk.

Today, there are many options available for those visiting the park, which has woodlands and lakes, shared-use trails, cricket pitches and tennis courts to hire. You can explore Old Government House, and let the kids go wild on the adventure playground.

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For over 150 years, they’ve given shelter to cattlemen and women, gold miners, foresters, hydro-workers, fishermen, miners, skiers, and bushwalkers. Unquestionably, they’re an icon of European Australia.

Unlike in other countries where huts are setup for people to sleep in, most of Australia’s huts are provided for emergency shelter only, but they are traditionally left socked with matches and a small amount of firewood and kindling. Some hikers even leave behind emergency food rations. Relying on them is discouraged because hikers may arrive to find them full or even damaged by severe weather.

They are usually found in incredible locations, have simple construction and a rustic feel, and they just seem to fit into the landscape. Even better, though, is the way they ignite the imagination. One can imagine the adventurous spirits that have walked there, the stories shared around their fireplaces, and the amazing tales of survival they’ve made possible.

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They love walking as a family activity and getting out in nature, even if it means their toddler ends up riding on shoulders – which tends to happen on some of their longer walks.

Walking is a great way to stay in shape on your travels and they encourage everyone to walk around as much as you can. So get active and put your hiking sandals on and see things at a slower pace – and remember, walking is FREE.

Here’s a list of some of their favorite short walks in Australia, from a casual one hour stroll to half-day hikes.

18 short walks in Australia…

The coal mine project, which is a backed by India’s Adani Enterprises and approved by the Australian government in October, has the potential to out-weigh annual emissions from entire cities and countries, according to a new report by the Australia Institute.

According to the report, Carmichael will emit 79 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent a year — more than the annual emissions from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, and about equal to the average annual emissions from both Malaysia and Austria. The projects will also emit three times as much carbon dioxide equivalent per year as the city of New Delhi, six times as much as Amsterdam, and twice as much as Tokyo.

“The mine pits themselves would be 40 km [24.85 miles] long and 10 km [6.2 miles] wide, bigger than many capital cities,” the authors write in the report. “At peak capacity the mine would output 60 million [metric tons] of thermal coal per year. Adani expects Carmichael will output 2.3 billion [metric tons] of coal over its lifetime: enough to build a road one-meter thick, ten-meters wide, wrapped around the world five times.”

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You delve into your hastily loaded pack, glancing at the surrounds and wondering if life could be any better. Then you reel in horror – your hand hits a wet patch, deep in what should be dry territory. You delve further, only to find a soaking sleeping-bag.

The culprit is a cracked water bottle. It will be a long, cold night. The cardboard packaging that houses the rice you had planned to eat for dinner is also wet and has created a soggy mess down one side of your pack. You sit to compose your thoughts and remove your boots – a lace snaps.

To top it off, as the sun disappears and the cold silence of the evening engulfs you, you can’t remember where you packed your head torch, the ignition on your new stove is not working and the only matches you have are also wet. What should have been a magical evening has turned into an uncomfortable affair.

What lessons could be learned from those who have experienced such wild and unforeseen moments for years? Those who walk often develop habits and routines through extensive experience; handy tips that most often remain a mystery to us mere mortals.

Here, the experts impart their wisdom…

This started 60,000 years ago…

Aboriginal people across Western Australia have long used trails to connect to iconic landscapes, food sources, social gatherings and deeply spiritual places. Their mode of transport by foot and watercraft; they connected to country and were in touch with nature.

Today Western Australians and visitors are able to enjoy “trails” for similar reasons – to engage with nature, socialize, connect to amazing landscapes, develop resilience, enhance health outcomes and have a spiritual grounding.

With the rapid development of the modern world, access to natural areas has been maintained through the modern trails network. Some of these have followed Aboriginal trails many thousands of years old, such as the Cape to Cape Track. Others have connected modern towns and road systems to the amazing places that are iconic to Western Australia.

There is currently a suite of over 600 trails across Western Australia that link people to nature through walking, cycling, horse riding, canoeing, diving, trail bike riding and driving. Some trails focus on a journey, others on heritage or nature, some present a challenge of distance or exploring a landscape. All trails offer significant health and economic benefits and the potential to unite communities and protect the outdoors as a way of life.

Western Australia’s modern trails community was born out of a government initiative 20 years ago. Today, the importance of trails is becoming better understood and is seen as relevant to better community outcomes. This report profiles important trails, documents the value of trails, and recaps the politics and funding that have helped create a modern culture of trails.

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A set of lookouts strung together by a light thread of walkway along the cliff tops of Sydney’s east captures the sublime of the headlands, the sandstone outcrops and the vastness at the continent’s edge.

Sensitivity to site is embodied in the simple materials and understated lightness of the walkway’s design as it shifts and slides along the movement path to reveal the story of the cliff top landscape. Each of the five lookout points takes on its own distinctive form as the walkway cranks and fractures in response to the crystalline geology of the site and angular structure of Hawkesbury sandstone.

Over remnant vegetation, the walkway’s timber switches to a gridded fiberglass mesh to allow light and water to penetrate. Materials are selected for design quality, durability and sustainability. A limited use of balustrades balances risk with experience.

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